Academic advising is an important component of the educational program at Case Western Reserve University.  Advisors assist students as they explore academic opportunities at the university, select courses, and develop a holistic plan for their undergraduate experience and preparation for life after college. 

Case Western Reserve uses a team-based advising model. Each student is assigned both a professional staff advisor in the Undergraduate Advising Support Office and a faculty advisor to balance generalist and field-specific advising as students progress through their undergraduate careers. 

Students are expected to initiate and maintain regular contact with their advisors to address curricular and career concerns, and to review progress towards graduation.  At a minimum, students are expected to meet with academic advisors when declaring a major or minor, before registering for classes each semester, and when making corrections to their academic requirements reports.

Faculty Advising

Before Declaration: Pre-Major Advising during the First Year

At Case Western Reserve, first-year college students are assigned a faculty pre-major advisor to facilitate a student's successful transition into collegiate life. Transfer students work directly with a four-year advisor with expertise in transfer students. Together, each student and their pre-major advisor or transfer four-year advisor will explore the student’s academic interests, educational and career goals, address concerns, and make early connections with the Explore Program, academic programs, and other academic and co-curricular supports and resources. In addition, academic representatives from each major and minor are available to provide field-specific advice as a student explores potential areas of focus.

After Declaration: Advising in the Majors and Minors

Major and minor advisors provide expert discipline-specific guidance, assisting students with course selection and academic planning within the major and minor. They work with students to develop a key relationship, providing students with information, offering guidance, and referring students to resources as they work toward their long-term educational, career, and professional goals. When a student selects a specific major or minor, the academic representative of that major or minor assigns the student a faculty advisor. Students who are ready to declare a major may do so beginning in November of their first semester (or April for those who matriculate at CWRU in the spring semester).  Students must declare a major no later than March 31 (or October 31 for spring matriculants) during their second semester of enrollment.  A student may add or change majors later as they explore and learn about other fields of study, and they will then be assigned a new advisor from the new major.  See Declaring a Major in the section on Academic Policies and Procedures.  

Professional Staff Advising

Throughout the Undergraduate Career: Generalist Advising

The Undergraduate Advising Support Office provides guidance for students, faculty, and staff in all aspects of being an undergraduate student at Case Western Reserve, including academic information related to undergraduate enrollment and degree programs. Each student is assigned their four-year advisor during the summer before matriculation (or late Fall for spring matriculants) and this advisor will continue to work with the student through the completion of their degree. This multi-year relationship allows four-year advisors to support students' personal and professional development. Four-year advisors connect students with curricular and extracurricular opportunities, help students interpret academic policies, procedures, and requirements, review progress toward graduation, and refer students to other offices and resources as needed.