Pomona College is committed to providing students with an intellectually rigorous education that both refines basic skills brought with them from secondary and other post-secondary institutions and encourages exploration on the path to independent thinking and life-long learning. The College takes pride in demonstrating that all Pomona students can begin charting their own unique intellectual and creative paths through our liberal arts curriculum during their first semester at the College. Advising, an integral component of student success and a collective effort of faculty and staff in both Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, is key to this endeavor.
It's More than the Major!
Academic advising at Pomona supports students throughout the undergraduate experience. The academic advising relationship begins before students register for courses at Pomona for the first time and often continues informally after students graduate. Academic advising relationships may take different forms over the course of academic life at Pomona, evolving as students progress along their journeys of exploration and discovery.
- Prior to the start of the first-year, every student is matched with a Liberal Arts Advisor. These advisors partner with and help guide students as they learn to navigate college life, explore a range of academic subjects, pursue new ideas, and understand College requirements.
- Major Advisors, selected after declaring a major, support students along the path of fulfilling the requirements of their chosen academic program.
- Along the way, students may also develop formal and informal mentoring relationships with other faculty as well as with staff members who help form the College's broad network of academic support resources.
Additional Academic Information
Liberal Arts Advising
Liberal Arts Advisors are here to support you in finding your own path!
Liberal Arts Advisors are faculty members who are assigned to each newly matriculated student prior to New Student Orientation. Liberal arts advising begins with the first advisee-advisor meeting scheduled during New Student Orientation.
Liberal Arts Advisors partner with students as they learn to navigate college life, explore a range of academic subjects, and pursue new ideas. They offer guidance as students select courses and engage with the curriculum both within and outside their intended majors. They help students become oriented and learn about the college’s culture and requirements as they explore, engage, and create their own academic paths. They also help guide students to College resources that support wellness and academic success.
Major Advising
Students often select a major in their second or third year at Pomona. Once a major is formally declared, students may be required to select a major advisor. For more details and to ensure that advising requirements associated with the selected major are met, students should consult with the academic department in which their chosen major resides.
Major Advisors are faculty members whose academic work aligns with students’ disciplinary interests and passions. Major advisors support students along the path of fulfilling the requirements of a selected academic program that will lead to a major.
Advising Expectations and Responsibilities
As a student, you will be proactive in exploring your interests and options. You will seek help and advice early in the semester. You will understand the requirements for General Education, major, and graduation. You will know how and when to contact your advisor, meet deadlines, and arrive on time to meetings.
Liberal Arts Advisors will empower students to make independent and informed decisions; make appropriate referrals; guide students in using the General Education curriculum as a means to explore their interests and options; and make use of College resources and tools to provide students with accurate and timely information.
Academic Life at Pomona
Becoming familiar with the basics of academic life at Pomona will help you prepare to meet with your advisor. Please visit this guide to Academic Life at Pomona for more information.
Advising Resource Network
As students work closely with their academic advisors to explore and ultimately define their paths, they will find many mentors and develop connections with faculty and staff members across the College. Formally and informally, these faculty and staff members make up Pomona’s vast network of academic advising resources and support. Many of these resources can be accessed through the following key offices and programs with roles in providing academic support and guidance to students:
The Division of Student Affairs and Related Offices
Foreign Language Resource Center
Oldenborg Center for Modern Languages and International Relations
Sage Fellows, Peer Academic Coaches
Hear from Pomona Faculty on Academic Programs and Curricular Offerings
Sagehens!
Are you wondering what courses and curricular experiences might be relevant for incoming students? Are you curious about Pomona College programs and their curriculum?
Follow this link to access recorded conversations on Box with Pomona faculty who discuss their department/programs’ curriculum, courses and experiences relevant to incoming students via a series of live and recorded information sessions! This series focuses on empowering all incoming students with knowledge and engaging them in Pomona’s collaborative intellectual community (sponsored by the 1-2-1 Math @ Pomona Program).
Haven’t accessed your Pomona Box account yet? Here’s how:
- While logged into the My.Pomona.edu portal, click on the “Student” tab near the top of the page.
- Scroll down to “Computing and Email.”
- Click on the My Box Account tab and follow the instructions to open your account.
For more programs and offerings, be sure to browse the College Catalog and explore the possibilities!
Registering for Classes
Please visit the Office of the Registrar's page, where you will find details about registering for courses, the academic calendar, academic policies, links to forms, and many other resources.
FAQs for Students
My Advisor
When will I find out who my Liberal Arts Advisor is? Approximately one week prior to registration for your first semester at Pomona, you will receive a message from the Registrar's Office in your Pomona email account with your Liberal Arts Advisor’s name and email address. Your advisor's name will also be posted to your mypomona.edu.
When will I meet my Liberal Arts Advisor? In the week prior to your first fall-semester registration period, your liberal arts advisor will contact you to arrange a time to meet.
Are transfer students assigned Liberal Arts Advisors? Depending on previously completed academic work and progress toward a major, transfer students may be matched with a Liberal Arts Advisor in an academic discipline related to the student’s established course of study/academic interests. Advisor assignments for transfer students are made based on expressed interest in an intended major or academic discipline, and/or academic year standing, and completed coursework at the time of matriculation.
Are Academic Cohort students assigned Liberal Arts Advisors? Students admitted into Academic Cohort programs are assigned Liberal Arts Advisors who are trained in guiding and mentoring cohort groups. These assignments are made during the summer before the first semester at Pomona. For more detailed information, please contact the staff members associated with your program. Their contact information can be found on the Academic Cohort page of the College's website.
Will my Liberal Arts Advisor be a faculty member in my major? Your faculty Liberal Arts Advisor may or may not be in your academic field of interest. Many factors inform the Liberal Arts Advisor matching process, and all Liberal Arts Advisors are equipped to partner with you and help guide you as you explore the College's curriculum.
Do I need both a Liberal Arts Advisor and a Major Advisor? After selecting a major and a major advisor, students may elect to work with only their Major Advisor. This change must be made through the advisor change process outlined below. For more details and to ensure that advising assignment requirements are met, students should consult with the academic department in which their major resides.
Can I change my Liberal Arts Advisor? Students may change advisors after the first semester, subject to the new advisor’s eligibility and agreement. Advisor changes must be made through the advisor change process outlined below.
What is the process for changing advisors? All advisor changes require a completed Advisor Change Form available on MyPomona Portal. Completed forms require a signature from the new advisor and must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.
What do I do when my advisor goes on sabbatical? When faculty advisors are on sabbatical, students are expected to select a temporary advisor. Temporary advisor assignments are subject to the temporary advisor’s eligibility and agreement. Temporary advisor assignments must be made through the advisor change process outlined below.
What if I need help identifying a new or temporary advisor? Students who feel that they have not been able to find an appropriate advisor should consult with the Director of Academic Administration, Katrina Sitar, in the Academic Dean’s Office (Katrina.sitar@pomona.edu).
Selecting Courses and Registration (Incoming First-Year and Transfer Students)
Will I receive help in selecting courses? Your academic advisor will guide you through the process of identifying courses that will support you in your intellectual journey. You will meet with your academic advisor during New Student Orientation on August 24, 2023. Please watch your Pomona email for weekly Three Things updates and more information in the coming months.
When will I register for courses? Course registration for incoming students is August 25, 2023. We will provide details on registration before you arrive on campus. Please watch your Pomona email for updates in the weekly Three Things messages.
How will I learn how to navigate the registration system? During New Student Orientation, we will guide you through the registration system. Dates and times will be posted on the New Student Orientation schedule.
Placement Exams (Incoming First-Year and Transfer Students)
Do I need to take placement exams before enrolling in courses at Pomona?
Placement exams and/or specific coursework may be required. Please visit the Placement and Advisory Exams webpage to see the requirements.
General Education Requirements
When will I find I more about general education requirements at Pomona? During New Student Orientation, we will introduce you to the general education requirements and resources before you meet with your advisor. (Date and time details for this session will be posted on the New Student Orientation schedule.) This session will help prepare you to meet with your advisor, where you'll have more opportunity to ask questions about the various ways you might go about meeting those requirements as part of your unique intellectual journey.
Resources for Advisors
The Academic Dean's Office offers a series of advising support workshops for faculty advisors and provides ongoing access to advising resources. Workshop opportunities are advertised via the Faculty Announce listserv. Advising resources are located on the Dean of the College Sakai tab. Log-in required.
See also:
Recorded conversations on Box with Pomona faculty who discuss their department/programs’ curriculum, courses and experiences relevant to incoming students via a series of live and recorded information sessions! This series focuses on empowering all incoming students with knowledge and engaging them in Pomona’s collaborative intellectual community (sponsored by the 1-2-1 Math @ Pomona Program).
Professional Activities of Pomona Alumni | Pomona College in Claremont, California - Pomona College
The Role of the Academic Dean's Office in Advising
The Academic Dean’s Office promotes the College's philosophy of liberal arts education, coordinates initial advising assignments for all incoming Pomona students, and collaborates with other campus offices to help make advising resources available to faculty advisors and students alike. The Academic Dean’s Office also assists faculty advisors and students with questions about advising, advising resources, and advising assignments.
Incoming Students: If you have any questions about advising, please contact orientation@pomona.edu