Academic Advising
GW Engineering uses both professional and faculty advisors to maximize the guidance we offer our students. During the first-year, students are assigned a professional advisor who will help them transition to the university and navigate the curriculum. At the end of their first year, each student is assigned a faculty advisor from their major department. The faculty advisor becomes the primary advisor for navigating the student’s major curriculum and serves as a mentor regarding the student’s discipline.
- The advising relationship
We encourage all GW engineering students to continue their relationship with their professional advisors, since the professional advisor will continue to monitor the student’s academic progress and success. A student’s academic advisor also can help with other aspects of the student's academic career, such as admission to graduate or professional school and/or career planning. Academic advisors can direct students to tutorial programs or counseling resources, provide information on internship opportunities, and direct students to independent research/guided independent studies. For more information about advising expectations and roles, please review the GW Engineering Advising Syllabus.
- Your responsibility
As you progress through the degree programs within GW Engineering, academic advisors will assist in meeting your program requirements. However, fulfillment of degree requirements is ultimately your responsibility. You are expected to understand the degree requirements and engage in careful program planning with your faculty advisor. We encourage you to use the tools provided by your department to track degree progress.
Academic advising is a two-way street. In order to make your advising experience the best it can be, take a moment to reflect on the responsibilities of both students and advisors by reviewing Student-Advisor Compact.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, seeks to guarantee both a student’s right of access to records and the confidentiality of student information. Institutions may not disclose information contained in education records without the student’s written consent except under certain conditions. A student’s record may be released to parents only if one of the following conditions has been met: 1. Through the written consent of the student; or 2. By submission of evidence that the parents declare the student as a dependent on their most recent Federal Income Tax form, as defined by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, Section 152. For more information about FERPA/Record Access, you can visit the Office of the Registrar forms page.
Ways to Meet and Communicate
- Emailing the Undergraduate Advising and Student Services Team
The Undergraduate Advising and Student Services Team is available to answer emails Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST and the best place to email is seasadvising@gwu.edu. The best way to reach your faculty advisor you can reach them via the GW email account which information is available on our Meet Your Advisor webpage.
- Attend workshops hosted by the Undergraduate Advising Team
The Undergraduate Advising Team will host group advising workshops throughout the year including, but not limited to, rising senior graduation clearances, study abroad, and general first-year advising. Information about how to access these sessions will be made available during specific periods of the academic year and students will be contacted by email with instructions on how to register.
- Schedule an Appointment with your Primary Advisor
During the Fall and Spring semester when classes are in session, all advisors will have 20-minute virtual and in-person appointments Monday through Friday in both the morning and afternoon (ET). Periodically, your advisor may advertise additional advising hours dedicated to special advising topics, such as academic success meetings, goal setting/academic planning and graduation clearances. These sessions could be scheduled for extend periods of time. All appointments will be available through their individual appointment link.
If your advisor’s appointment hours do not work with your schedule, please email seasadvising@gwu.edu in order to reschedule a different time with them directly.
Text Message Notifications
The Undergraduate Advising and Academic Success Team uses SMS magic to send text messages about important deadlines, meeting requests, or reminders. This is not a two-way communication tool with your advisors and we ask that students continue to email seasadvising@gwu.edu with inquiries or follow-up questions.
You can request to opt-out of text messaging by replying “STOP” to any text message or completing the following SEAS SMS Opt-Out form.
Pre-Professional Advising
Additionally, GW Engineering students interested in either Pre-Health or Pre-Law fields of study beyond their undergraduate degree can visit the following webpages for resources and advising
Faculty Advisor Resources
GW Engineering has launched the myGW Faculty Advisors page. To access the page, log into portal.gwu.edu with your Net ID and password.
The myGW Faculty Advisors page will host a variety of resources and tools for advisors. Some of those resources include:
- Discussion board
- Links to important advising and GW web pages
- Faculty Advisor Resource group created documents
If you are an undergraduate faculty advisor and do not have access, please email us at seasadvising@gwu.edu for assistance.