Linfield students are assigned a faculty and/or professional academic advisor who serves as a guide and mentor in their educational journey. The Office of Academic Advising supports all Linfield University students.

Academic advising plays an important role at Linfield and faculty have responsibilities to advise students. Advising responsibilities may include acting as an advisor to first year and undeclared students, transfer students, students majoring in the faculty’s department of discipline, and/or students in a pre-licensure program such as Nursing or Education. Advising workload shall be distributed in accordance with the Teaching Load and Assignment considerations stated in the above section. As such, department chairs, in consultation with the dean in the respective units (School of Business, School of Nursing, and College of Arts and Sciences) shall ensure that faculty have a fair and equitable advising caseload consistent with appropriate teaching and professional responsibilities.

Effectiveness in academic advising is critical to the retention of students and plays a major role in the overall student experience. Academic advising is based on a system of shared responsibility. Students are expected to prepare for and attend advising meetings with their advisors throughout their studies at Linfield. Faculty advising undergraduate students on the McMinnville campus meet with and clear each of their advisees for registration prior to every registration cycle. School of Nursing faculty advising students in the Nursing program meet with their advisees before registration.

Faculty Advisors are encouraged to follow best advising practices in the following ways:

• Be accessible to advisees through posted office hours, scheduled appointments, telephone calls, and emails.

• Assist advisees in developing long-range academic goals and plans and to address immediate problems or issues.

• Assist advisees in making choices that will lead to the development of a successful academic plan and educational experience.

• Provide advisees with up-to-date and accurate information about selecting courses and developing an academic plan that satisfies their chosen degree requirements.

• Clarify Linfield academic policies, degree, and program requirements, and advising procedures.

• Be a responsive listener and refer advisees to a support office or person when appropriate.

• Discuss with advisees their academic performance and the implications of their performance for their academic and career goals.

• Discuss career opportunities with advisees and make referrals to Career Development, when appropriate.

• Empower advisees to explore their interests and make their own decisions regarding academic, career, and life goals.

• Help advisees look at their overall Linfield education and, if they have a major or minor outside their program area, help them understand that they need an additional advisor who is familiar with the other program requirements

• Encourage advisees to change advisors if they change their major, no longer have an interest in the advisor’s area, and/or a positive relationship is not developing.

• Understand and comply with the mandates of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Faculty Advisors are supported by the Office of Academic Advising. The Office of Academic Advising is responsible for training faculty advisors and keeping faculty up to date on changes in the advising process and/or procedures. Faculty advisors are responsible for participating in advisor trainings and workshops and shall attend all advising informational meetings. Additionally, when faculty advisors have concerns or questions related to academic advising, they should discuss these with their department chair and the Academic Advising Office.