Orchestrate Your Education
With the support of a team of advisers, you will discover your passion, find your voice and make your way forward at Connecticut College.
Shane Collins ’20 knew the transition from high school to first-year student at Connecticut College would be an adjustment. Registering for classes seemed particularly daunting—until he realized he had a team of advisers on his side.
“My student adviser answered my questions about how the registration process worked, and offered me advice on how best to enter the course registration numbers and what to do in case I didn’t get into a course,” Collins said. “Her advice put me at ease to what felt like the most stressful three minutes of my life.”
That’s just one example of how advisers step in to help.
“The advising team is there to lend a hand when a student feels unsure of a decision, big or small. They are there for you no matter what.”
It’s all part of Connections—Conn’s reinvention of a liberal arts education. It’s a new kind of curriculum that lets students integrate their interests into a meaningful educational pathway to carry them through college and into a fulfilling, effective career and life. To help them orchestrate their educations, students have the support of a team of advisers: a faculty adviser, a staff adviser, a career adviser and at least two student advisers.
Advising starts from day one, when first-year students work with their faculty, staff and student advisers in their first-year seminar course. Here, students learn all about Conn College—its mission, core values and commitments. In the first-year seminar course, students get the nitty-gritty on the Connections curriculum. They find out how to conduct top-notch research, how to give a persuasive presentation and how to enhance their writing skills. It’s where students explore their seminar topic from every angle imaginable.
“We want students to find a mentor at the College, and for some, that may be their faculty adviser. For others, it’s their staff adviser. Whoever it turns out to be, the goal is to help students build those relationships so they can have the resources needed to thrive here, and find their own unique path,” said Emily Morash, associate dean of the College and dean of first-year students.
Staff and student advisers are in place for year one; however, advising continues over four years, and when students determine majors and minors, they will gain a major adviser. Career advisers are with students every step of the way as they explore career and internship opportunities, meeting with students for two workshops during the fall, and students can make appointments any time with a student career fellow. This enables students to take advantage of Conn’s funded internship program which prepares them for careers in a multitude of competitive industries. The funded internship program is one reason Conn ranks 4th in Best Schools for Internships by the Princeton Review.
