Every student at Austin College has a faculty mentor who serves as your academic advisor throughout your time at Austin College. The instructor of your First-Year Seminar course will become your mentor. Each First-Year Seminar will have a different topic, depending on the faculty member’s expertise, but will also have activities designed to help students adjust academically to college life and in learning how to use the resources of the institution such as the Academic Skills Center, the Abell Library, and the Scarbrough Writing Center. Because of the special relationships formed in the First Year Seminar classroom, students usually choose to stay with their original mentor. However, you will have the option to change your mentor any time after your first semester.
Your faculty mentor will meet with you each semester and will guide you in selecting courses, choosing your major and minor, and completing your overall degree plan. As part of the advising process, you will also discuss your career interests and aspirations and steps for achieving these goals. These steps will include course work, but also other opportunities such as internships, study abroad, undergraduate research projects, and even summer experiences. As you continue to develop personally and intellectually, your mentor will be there to support and guide you. The collaboration of you and your faculty mentor will maximize your time Austin College and set you on the right path for your future.