Academic Advistment

Academic Advisement 

Starting college can be a scary thing. From not knowing where a single one of your classes are, and worrying about if the professors are nice. One of the first adults you interact with besides your professors, is your adviser. Academic advisers at Bloomsburg University, are assigned to students based on their major. Brad Swenson is an adviser here for students with an undeclared major, or a “Liberal Arts” major as Brad put it. For this academic school year, there are about 1,200 students with an undeclared or “Liberal Arts” major. The goal of academic advisers is to help and guide each student based on their major to make sure they meet all the requirements to graduate.

To meet with any adviser on campus, you can either email the adviser to set up an appointment, go to the adviser's office and make an appointment there, or do a walk-in appointment if the adviser happens to be available at the time. Most of the time to set up an appointment, the easiest thing to do is to send and email "I will usually get back to you in a day with a response when to come in, or if it is an easy question or problem we can just handle it over via email", this is how Brad and most other advisers handle their students. 

Figure 2

Once an appointment is set up, next is to go to that advisers office for the meeting. 

Figure 3

Brad Swenson's office is located in the Warren Student Services Center (Figure 2), which is located at the head of the quad, opposite of the Andruss Library, and in between Bakeless Center and Hartline Science Center. There are two entrances to the Warren Student Services building; through the back or the front entrance, with multiple walkways leading up to each door. Most likely, (depending on where you are going when inside), you will enter the front entrance. To enter the front entrance, there are two sets of four glass doors that lead inside. There is a slight hum to the in between the sets of glass doors that almost sounds like a fan is running, (but there is no fan). (Figure 3) is the direct view you would see when you walk inside. One thing about the Warren Student Center, there are single lights that are lined across the ceiling that light up the place. It's not too bright which gives it a calming feel. When inside, to the right is a little corner with a table set up with flyers and pamphlets about each military service. Behind the table are large stand-up banners with military logos. If you continue down the walk-way to the left will be large room with a wooden door that leads into which seems like a help center. Right across that room to the left, leads down a short hallway with a women's and men's restroom. Continuing down the hallway there are steps blue-ish, grey steps that lead upstairs. Once up the bluish-gray steps, you make a right and straight ahead will be "Academic Advisement" in all caps on a sign above glass doors that lead to the offices of the advisers. After entering the glass door, there is a large wood desk, similar to a help desk with usually a student sitting behind it. Every time I have been at the Academic Advisement office, there is always a different student manning the desk. To the right is the check-in station where you fill out your name, Id, who you are there to see, whether you have a scheduled appointment or a walk-in, the reason for your visit, and what is your major. To the left is a small waiting area with several chairs set up, but rarely will you see anyone sitting there. After one checks in the student behind the desk will ask "Who are you here to see?", and they will then inform the adviser, "their next appointment is here" or "there is a student here for you.." and give a brief description for what purpose. If the adviser is ready the student will say "you can go back" or if they are not ready, the student will say you can sit in the other waiting room which is in the middle of all the advisers offices. Given either of those directions, to get to the next room, you make a right at the front desk. Walking through the doorway leads to the second little waiting area, with ( something i need more details on) but there is a couch and several chairs. When the adviser is ready he or she will come out and get you. 

Figure 1

Brad's office is located to the left after walking into the little waiting area. On his door is a picture that seems to have been colored by a child in all pink, and scribbled. His office is a beige/olive-green color with a speckled brow, beige and olive-green carpet. When walking into the office, to the right is Brad's desk setup in the shape of a "L" which is pretty organized. The shorter part of the "L" or the bottom is his desk part which is a darker brown wood as seen in (Figure 1). This part of the desk holds Brad's coffee, and one of his desktops. In front of the desk is a olive green chair which is where most of students or whoever he has a meeting with would sit and converse. Aside from the green chair in front of his desk, the other furniture in the room include a gray-ish maroon couch in the left corner, and two more olive green chairs in the right corner. The plant in the right corner of the room, Brad informed me that his name is "Jeff". And on the longer "L" part of Brad's desk sits "Bob" who is a spider plant. All the spider plants in the Academic Advisement office are named Bob, after a friend of Brads who has passed away. Almost everything that is in Brad's office has a special meaning, and Brad explained and remembers every story behind each item. Each of the t-shirts mounted on the wall, Brad knows who they came from and when they were given to him. Each of them is from a student or coach from the sports teams here at Bloomsburg. Not only does Brad work in Academic Advisement, but he also works closely with student athletes and coaches making sure they keep their grades to where they have to be in order to participate. This is something that I admire about Brad Swenson. He is a very personable person, and anyone who knows him would think the same.

Now everyone has a picture in their head when they think of an adviser. Especially when it came to college. I was picturing someone super serious, and when in a meeting it's in and out, no small talk. But when it comes to Brad, it's a complete 360. First time I ever had a meeting with him, I walked into his room, and the first thing I noticed was his gold hoop in his right ear with a silver hoop in his cartilage. And he greeted me with "Well hello Miss Valerio, have a seat right upfront here". Brad Swenson is a pretty tall guy, at least 5'11 or taller. He has bright blue eyes, almost like the pretty ocean water you see when people go on vacation to a tropical island. He has bald head and at the time he didn't have a beard, but now he has this grown out bushy orange with a slight touch of grey beard. The day I went to visit him for this paper, he was wearing a light pink stripped shirt, matching pink socks, blue jeans, with black dress shoes. He kind of reminded me of an Easter egg. As I walked in he greeted me with "Alright lets get this show on the road", and asked how long this would be, because "12 o'clock is lunchtime!". Whenever meeting or talking with Brad, he never fails to make you smile or laugh while being with him. Before actually meeting with Brad to interview him, I didn't have the same perspective on him as I do now since the interview. Brad is a people person with a huge caring heart. 

When asking Brad about what he does on a daily basis, he said "Everyday is different. You can walk in and having a set schedule on what is to be done that day, but leave at the end of the day doing something completely different. Working here, it's almost inevitable that you know exactly what you will be doing. Things are constantly coming up, or there might be an emergency meeting, that you have to cancel out other meetings". So when asking about his daily routine, I could only get the basics. The hours he works are from eight in the morning to 4:30 p.m. The first half hour of the day, 8-8:30, is usually going through and sorting emails, and responding to them. Student meetings don't really start until around nine o'clock. Appointments stop at around 3-3:30, and the last hour of the day is spent taking notes and filling out paperwork. 

Besides talking about his job and what he does, I asked him the most basic question, 

What is the best/worst part of your job?" Brad answered, 

"The best part of my job is seeing students succeed. Not only

graduating, but seeing go out into the real world and loving 

the career they chose, and hearing the stories of how their lives 

are going. The worst part, being the crusher of hopes and dreams".

Brad explained that some students come in finally deciding what they want to major in but don't meet the criteria. He talked about one particular student who decided he wanted to be a psych major, but received a C- in general psychology, and used up his up all his "re-take" classes. And Brad had to act as the "bad guy" and tell him that it was simply not possible. "It's part of the job, that's why I always have tissues on hand". 

Not only did I want to get my own perspective on Brad, but I wanted to see what others had to say about Brad. One of his students, Holden Reigel, says "Every time I go to his office he always has a smile on his face and always answers my questions with anything I need help with. I never leave there dissatisfied". Holden is also a freshman who has an undeclared major. "Brad helps me choose classes, after discussing with me my interests and potential majors that I am interested in, and helps me decide classes that would be the best fit for me!". Like Holden, myself, and other undeclared freshman mostly feel the same way about all of the advisers in Academic Advisement. 

The advisers at the Academic Advisement office are not there to scare you and yell at you because you don't know what you want you want your major to be. They are not just here to help you pick a major and get on your way, they want you to pick a major for a career for the future. Since Brad is my own academic adviser, he makes me feel comfortable, and gives me constant assurance and peace that it is okay that I am undecided with what I want to do. "With the freshman that come in undeclared, our goal is to make them comfortable and trust in us", says Brad, speaking for himself and for the other advisers there. Along with that statement, Brad explained that some students actually get too comfortable with him and never want to leave. He mentioned one of his students that he had in the past, knew what he wanted to do, knew what he like and wanted to major in, but was scared to venture out and change advisers because he was that comfortable and trusting with Brad. The student didn't declare his major until senior year (or his 4th year). "Now that's not the case with every student, every once in awhile we will get a student that just won't budge. After getting around 45 credits, we strongly help and encourage the student to make a decision on a major, while making sure that they are not just choosing something to declare a major". That's why Brad tries to get a feel for the student and get a better understanding of their personality, strengths and weaknesses, and their interests, to help put them in a major that will be the best fit. Not only Brad, but every college adviser wants to help and see students succeed. Advisers are here to guide you through your college experience, and to give you assurance that your're not alone. "College is not something easy. It takes hard work and dedication. We are here to not make it a miserable experience