Advising

6.1 A Commitment to Advising

Fordham University is committed to providing sound and comprehensive advising for its students. Undergraduates need guidance on issues such as course requirements and expectations, the curriculum, registration, administrative procedures, choosing a major, planning a career, adjusting to college life, and dealing with the various stresses that affect their work. There are a number of offices on campus which assist students in these areas. At FCRH, FCLC, and GSB, dedicated academic advisors or advising deans oversee academic advising for each of the class years. In PCS, although most students are adults studying on a part-time basis, consultation with an advising dean is required prior to registration in each of the first two semesters of study and at any time, as needed, thereafter. If good academic standing is not maintained, PCS students must meet with an advising dean during their probationary period.

Please also see Section 8 for resources that support student success.

6.2 Advising in the Classroom

Since faculty have regular and significant contact with the students in their classes, they are often in the best position to recognize and address student problems. Speaking with the student may be the only course of action required, but at other times it is important to contact the appropriate dean or advisor as well as to advise the student to do so. This is the case, for example, when the faculty member is unable to help, when the problem is serious and may jeopardize the student’s well-being or general academic performance, or when the action required must become a matter of record. Faculty should also contact the Dean of Students on their campus when they have concerns about student well-being and mental health.

6.3 Advising Model

6.3.1 Fordham College at Rose Hill & Fordham College at Lincoln Center

Fordham College offers a full service advising center model to all incoming students. In keeping with the Jesuit spirit of cura personalis, we aim to provide students with the attention and resources needed to ensure their academic success through the development and care of the whole self. Students are empowered to be active, engaged, and independent learners, ready to draw on Fordham’s multitude of resources and take advantage of the many opportunities the University provides.

Students are assigned an advisor during the summer before their first year who they will be partnered with for the first two years of their FCRH or FCLC experience. Our advising team works closely with academic departments and University partners to provide students with a holistic experience. Through dedicated advising, students receive oversight and guidance on academic progress and course registration, preparing for major declaration, study abroad programs, undergraduate research, internships, and all other opportunities you will receive at Fordham. Advisors also offer strategies for achieving academic success and remedies to any academic difficulty as well as connections to resources for additional support. In this model, students experience access to advising for key academic steps as well as seamless support as they transition into college and as they move along in their pursuits.

6.3.2 Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies

Academic advising is an integral part of the student experience in PCS. The advising role is led by the assistant and associate deans on each campus and encompasses the academic and professional guidance which are essential to the adult student experience. All students in PCS have direct access to an advising dean upon admission to the school. Students are encouraged to consult regularly with their advising deans in matters pertaining to academic options, course selection, post-baccalaureate studies, and referrals for career advisement. Formal academic advising is mandatory for all students in their first two semesters of enrollment. Thereafter, students meet with advising deans as often as they choose to explore educational opportunities and to plan a course of study that is consistent with their abilities, achievements, interests, and expectations.

In PCS, faculty representatives are invited to participate in the orientation programs for new students held prior to the start of each term. Students are not assigned to faculty advisers but are encouraged to consult frequently with faculty members of their choice. A formal consultation is required when a Fordham PCS student declares their choice of major.

6.3.3 Gabelli School of Business

In keeping with the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, GSB provides academic advising that includes the entire spectrum of academic, personal, and professional development. While many administrators and faculty members play a role in academic advising, the class deans are the primary coordinators of student support.

Advising deans help students to identify goals, choose courses, investigate concentrations and majors, make the best use of electives, secure internships, and build the portfolio of skills necessary to succeed in their profession. Advising deans accomplish all of this using a variety of group and individual approaches. Large-group advising sessions address topics of interest to all students-such as course registration, community building, and the career search-while one-on-one meetings cover specific academic, professional, social, and financial issues. Some group advising sessions are mandatory, especially in first and sophomore year. The class deans' advising programs are tailored to the needs of each stage of student development, from first through senior year, and designed to promote self-awareness, curiosity, and academic excellence-traits and values that are supported by Fordham's Jesuit identity.

Advising deans encourage students to seek out specialized academic and professional advising from other resources within the Gabelli School, especially industry-focused career advisers from the in-house Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Center. Certain advising deans and other administrators serve the specific needs of transfer students, honors students, international students, prospective law-school applicants, accounting students who plan to complete the 150-credit CPA education requirement, Gabelli School evening students, and undergraduates who hope to study abroad.