Academic Advising and Support
Advising is a vital aspect of Bennington’s planning process. All students are assigned a faculty advisor, first-year and transfer students also participate in special orientation sessions, and writing tutors are available to all students throughout the academic year.
Faculty Advisors
Serving as an advisor is a significant part of every faculty member’s work. As advisors, the faculty are both mentors and guides. They oversee the unfolding of the Plan process by helping students discover their distinctive intellectual passions and figure out how these interests might shape an education of depth, breadth, and rigor.
Advising for First-Year Students
Each entering first-year student also has access to a first-year counselor. The counselor answers questions and helps new students prepare for the academic year. As the year progresses, the first-year counselor is available to offer ongoing support to students in their academic, social, and personal development through a combination of individual meetings, skill-building workshops, and social events. In concert with faculty advisors, the first-year counselor helps students develop the habits of mind that contribute to success in the Plan process, providing structured opportunities to reflect upon and synthesize the various aspects of their Bennington experiences.
Peer Writing Tutors
No one graduates from Bennington who has not surmounted the challenge of being able to convey their ideas and their experiences in writing. In addition to the papers and projects they write for class, students articulate their goals and plans throughout the Plan process in a series of written essays. Students at all levels, and in all disciplines, are encouraged to work with peer writing tutors to develop their writing or research skills.