F&M Academic Advising

Academic Advising

The Franklin & Marshall academic advising system is rooted in mentoring undergraduate students to find and nurture their academic passions

At F&M, it is our belief that:

• Academic advising has the potential to promote critical thinking

• Academic advising has the potential to instill in students a love of learning and a spirit of exploration

• Academic advising has the potential to promote student learning and impact upon the educational experience of F&M students

All academic advisors are faculty members (your adviser will switch from general advisor to a major-specific faculty member when you declare your major) Students typically declare their major in the spring semester of their sophomore year .

Additionally, many other staff members at F&M serve in secondary advisory roles, such as student development, immigration, House Deans, etc These individuals are also important to a student’s overall development and achievement at F&M

Choosing a Major

All students come to F&M as “undeclared” majors (on your I-20, your major will read “Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other”) The spirit of a liberal arts college encourages students to explore many options through their general education requirements . Students will usually declare a major during the spring of their sophomore year . Your major is your choice!

However, it is important to know that international students’ ability to work via internships and in the US after school is defined by their declared major This means that while on F-1 status, students must only find employment related to their major(s) .

The College House System

All first-year students live in one of our five College Houses These are not standard dormitories, but busy centers of intellectual, extracurricular and social engagement governed by the students who live there You will be a member of your College House for all four years of your time at F&M, regardless of where you live when you are an upperclassman

Houses are dynamic spaces where students and faculty are encouraged to continue conversations begun in the classroom, lab or office — adding an important and distinctive dimension to the overall living and learning experience at F&M .

Each House is assigned a faculty mentor (House Don) and administrative facilitator/mentor (House Dean)

All first-year students are assigned to their College House based on the interest they express for their first-year Connections (CNX) course, a seminar-style learning environment . Students choose from first-year CNX courses that are affiliated with many departments on campus Because all CNX courses are writing and reading intensive, they are designed to prepare you for the rest of your coursework at F&M

YOU’RE IN CHARGE!

House residents chart their own courses for study and play Each house receives a substantial annual budget that students may spend on social programs, academic and community activities, special projects and more Here are a few examples of events our students have organized within their Houses:

• Formal dances

• Theatrical productions

• Play-reading discussions

• Dinners with artists, authors, and notable alumni

• Pizza parties, bagel breakfasts, and field trips

• Student-run publications