When Michael Mesa ’23 arrived on the campus of Guilford College his freshman year, his experience was similar to other new students. He was excited for a new adventure, thrilled with the independence of being away from home, and nervous about starting life as a college student. But as he got acclimated the first few days and began having conversations with some of the other students, he realized his experience was different than other students in some ways.
Michael was the first in his family to go to college, so everything about the experience was new to him. Other kids had grown up in households where their parents shared stories of dealing with different personalities in roommates or working with advisors to map out the best academic path, which meant the students had some preparation, even if subconscious, for what challenges they might face the first year of college.
“I looked around and felt out of place,” Michael says. “But then I had my first meeting with Janelle, my advisor through CAPE, and she calmed me down. She said, ‘you’ve got this, you’re here for a reason.’ She helped me choose my classes, but we also talked about other things, like roommates and what I wanted in my future. She became my college-knowing parent.”
The CAPE Advantage
Guilford’s Career, Academic and Personal Exploration (CAPE) team serves students with a holistic approach encompassing all facets of student life, from freshman academic advising to dealing with issues students face in campus life to helping find a person’s passion and set career goals. “The CAPE center is unique to Guilford, and it really sets us apart from career centers at other schools,” says Amber Slade, associate director of guided discovery. “Where most schools do academic advising and career development in two separate centers, we’re having those conversations all in one place, which not only helps us get to know each other and build relationships, but also helps us position students for future success.”
Unlike other colleges that pair freshmen with a faculty academic advisor, at Guilford College freshman are all assigned to an advisor through CAPE who meets with them to register for classes and talk about the college experience and what they want to get out of it. Each student meets with their advisor a minimum of three times per semester. The first meeting is to get to know each other, the second appointment they register for classes, and the third wraps up the semester. But many students are in the CAPE offices much more often, meeting with their advisors up to every week.
“The advantage of coordinating student advising this way is that our primary focus is completely on the students, rather than a full courseload of teaching,” says Janelle Morris, associate director of CAPE. “We’re here to work with students on the personal exploration piece as well, to talk about their goals and their interests, and we serve as a resource to get them access to things they need to succeed here at Guilford.”
In addition to building relationships between CAPE advisors and students, the center also encourages interaction between students and faculty. One way is through events like the Major Mixer held each fall, where all the professors come out for an event like a career fair, but where academic majors are the spotlight. All first year students are required to attend, even if they’ve decided on a major, to gain exposure to the many choices available and get to know professors. “Our goal is to help students interact with faculty so that they build that rapport and experience relationships that will improve their college experience,” Janelle says.
Once a student declares a major they’re assigned an academic advisor just like at other colleges, but the work of CAPE isn’t over. Many students continue to meet with their CAPE advisors throughout their college career. “I felt comfortable going in to talk with Amber any time,” says Tyler Dearman, ’23. “She helped me understand the requirements I needed to graduate, but also helped me see what I could do to enjoy those classes and get the most out of my time here.”
Beyond Academics
True to its name, CAPE works with students in many ways beyond academic advising. Each freshman takes a course taught by CAPE advisors that introduces them to the Guilford College experience and helps them see where they fit at Guilford and how to take advantage of all the college has to offer. They also do the PathwayU assessments to gain insight into the students’ personality and traits and help explore different career paths.
“By the time seniors walk into our office for help with resume building and career counseling, we’ve already done a lot of the work,” Amber says. “By having conversations all in one place about majors, academics, personal development and careers, I hope things don’t feel as scary for students during their senior year when they’re getting ready for another big transition.”
Just like the Major Mixers help students network with professors, CAPE hosts internship and graduate school fairs in the fall and career fairs each spring to expose students to options for life beyond college. This spring the center expects more than 40 businesses and organizations on campus. “It’s always a good mix of nonprofits, large corporations, and small businesses, and we try to have good representation for all of our majors,” Amber says.
“The CAPE advisors really have an impact on our life at Guilford College,” says Michael. “They help us find ways to get the full experience while here as students and show us all the things we an do with our lives after Guilford. They’re more than just an advisor, they become a friend you can talk to.”