Office of the Registrar Academic Advising
Hello! Welcome to the Academic Advising page!
Effective academic advising is a key component of a Westmont education. At its core, advising is a collaborative developmental relationship between our students and our faculty. The mission of the Academic Advising Department is to encourage and support students’ personal and intellectual development as they embrace the educational opportunities available to them so they can complete their degree and find their calling and place of service in the kingdom of God.
Because academic advising is a key component of the academic life of the college, academic advisors are regularly evaluated during the promotion and tenure review process.
Please review the bullets below of everything under the scope of Westmont's Academic Advising.
Academic Advising Information
Advisor/Advisee Information
Academic Advisors can be helpful to you in many ways. They can help you explore your options regarding a major and career choices as they listen and learn about you and your strengths and weaknesses.
Maximizing your Advisor Relationship
Academic advising is the most underutilized resource on many college campuses. Many students don’t truly realize what academic advising is, and what it can do to help them prepare for the world beyond college.
Changing your Advisor
You must let us know when you change your mind and have found another advisor. This will help us keep track of your academic records and make sure we get the needed information into your hands. Once the Change of the Advisor form is completed, submit the form to the Student Records Office.
Academic Standing
To remain in good standing, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) of 2.0 in courses taken at Westmont and on Westmont off-campus programs.
Transferring Courses
Students can take many kinds of courses during the summer months. These can include courses to meet General Education requirements, courses toward a major or a minor, or elective courses. All students will need to meet 124 units to graduate with their degree, and some of these can be taken away from Westmont.
Declaring your Major
The Major Declaration Form should be filled out whenever you are ready to make your decision regarding a major official, but no later than the end of your sophomore year. You do not have an official major recorded until you complete the form.
Successful Scholar Seminar Course
The Successful Scholar Seminar is a program designed to help students manage the logistical side of academia. The college environment requires students to be responsible and prioritize their lives in a way they may not have previously experienced or not yet accustomed to while attending school.
The course introduces students to tips and techniques throughout the 1-unit semester course. The course includes going over time management skills, note-taking skills, test preparation, and essay preparation. Students will also hear short presentations from on-campus resource representatives such as:
- Career Development and Calling to discuss networking, internships, and potential career/life interests.
- Westmont College Library to describe how to navigate our large research database, introduce the Library Research staff and the benefits of utilizing this valuable resource.
- Counseling Center to introduce students to their free and confidential services. The dedication of the Counseling Center is the development of the whole person, and the presentation will go over how to make an appointment to use this resource.
During the semester-long scheduled classes, the instructor will share confidential progress reports with each student. This valuable feedback will give students a better understanding of their instructors' expectations and student standing in their classes.
The Successful Scholar's Seminar is APP-002, and any student may register for the course. The class is a 1-unit graded course.