The role of the advisor

When you enter the University of Redlands as a first year student, your professor in your first year seminar also serves as your advisor. Your advisor is crucial to your career here, for s/he helps you plan your classes and any changes in your program each semester, assists you in writing your Graduation Contract, and appears with you before the Graduation Contract and Graduation Review Committees. You are free to keep this advisor or switch to a new one at any time after the first semester. However, if you change, it is important that you do so officially by submitting the advisor change form that is available at the Johnston Center Office. If you do decide to change advisors, most likely you will select a person who is in your area of emphasis, although that is not essential. If you transfer within the University to become a Johnston student, you might want to choose a faculty person who is familiar with or at least supportive of your decision to become a Johnston student. But there is no rule about this; you can certainly keep your present advisor if you wish. In any case, you should always feel free to use the Director of the Center as a "secondary" advisor, especially on matters that relate to Johnston academics.