The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Academic Advising Center staff looks forward to meeting with you! Please consider us a resource to help ensure that your college experience meets your academic, career and personal goals. Our center serves all students with a major or minor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. View majors/ minors.

Orientation: When you transfer from another college, you will schedule a transfer orientation session during which you will choose classes. If you have chosen a major within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, an advisor or graduate assistant from the CLAS Academic Advising Center is available to assist you in choosing appropriate courses and becoming familiar with your major, minor and graduation requirements.  Click here to help you prepare for your orientation session and here for a PDF of resources you received/will receive when you register for an orientation.  

 

Course Evaluations: The Admissions Office will provide you with a list delineating how your courses have transferred to Grand Valley. If you feel these courses have not transferred appropriately, the CLAS Academic Advising Center can help you organize the re-evaluation process. Please call our Center (616-331-8585) for more information.

 

Making the transition: We anticipate that you will find Grand Valley to be a great fit for you, with challenging and engaging courses and a comfortable and friendly atmosphere.  But, while it may seem obvious, it's important to know that no matter which college you previously attended, Grand Valley will be different. Give yourself time and opportunity to make a successful transition by exploring GVSU's student support resources, connecting with Student Life, and learning more about the department where your major is housed. The more connected you are to campus, the more likely you are to have a successful and fulfilling college experience.

 

If you will be living off-campus: Many transfer students live off-campus, and/or are nontraditional students. It can be tempting in these cases to spend very little time outside of class on campus. The college experience is so much more than taking courses. Engage in the experience!

Your transition can go more smoothly if you build in non-class time on campus by:

• Studying in the library or one of the many other study areas
• Participating in clubs and organizations, especially those targeted to students in your major
• Attending some of the many interesting, and usually free, lectures, films, workshops, and other events on campus
• Learning more about the programs offered by our Office of Multicultural Affairs
• Join the Career Community for your major to begin thinking ahead to what's next for you
• Talking to your professors during their office hours. Office hours are times professors have set aside specifically to meet with their students to discuss class content, explore research opportunities, or just to get to know you a bit better! Check your class syllabus for your professor's office hours and check out these tips for utilizing them successfully.

Take advantage of all that Grand Valley offers!

Transfer Student Resources: Take time to familiarize yourself with campus resources especially for transfer students, including resources specifically for adult learners.

 

Course load during your first semester: Another thing to consider is what is the appropriate academic credit load during your first semester. Twelve to sixteen credit hours is the expected credit hour range for most students. Sticking within this range may be a good idea until you have an accurate feel for the level of academic challenge in Grand Valley courses.
After one semester you will have a much better sense of the amount of work needed to succeed in classes how well your extra-curricular activities (including work) mesh with your course work, and you will have gotten used to the campus and the college. At that time you can confidently make decisions about your schedule and what you need to ensure your academic success.

Did you know that GVSU offers block rate tuition for full-time students? This means that tuition costs are the same whether you take 12 or 15 credits. While it can be a good idea to stay at 12 credits in your first semester if you are unsure of how the workload and expectations in your GVSU classes compares to the college you're transferring from, taking 15 credits a semester offers many benefits, including a shorter timeline to graduation.

 

Advising: Transferring can sometimes be a confusing, complex process until you become more familiar with Grand Valley. Remember that as a student in a CLAS major, you have two advisors! Advising is most successful when you work closely with your professional advisor in our Center as well as your faculty mentor. Professional advisors are happy to meet with you before you come to campus. We also recommend that you meet with your professional advisor during your first few weeks on campus and your faculty mentor at some point in your first semester. 

Remember: it is required for all new students to meet with a professional advisor before being able to register for their second year's courses. You'll receive plenty of reminders to do this!




 

Making an advising appointment: Make an appointment online through Navigate, call the CLAS Academic Advising Center at (616) 331-8585, or stop in one of our two offices, C-1-140 and C-1-120 Mackinac Hall (MAK). To find our office, click here to view a campus map.