Undergraduate advising at Stanford has undergone many changes for the upcoming school year, most notably the creation of the full-time position of Academic Director for Wilbur Hall, which houses approximately 25 percent of the freshman class.

Christina Mesa, who received her Ph.D. at Stanford in the Modern Thought and Literature program, will be responsible for bringing on-campus resources, such as those of the Undergraduate Advising program and the Disabilities Resource Center, into the residence hall.

The AD will complement the current dorm staff, which includes resident fellows, resident advisors, head peer academic coordinators and peer academic advisors. But, unlike the AD, these individuals have other responsibilities since they are also full-time students, faculty or staff.

“Students at this age are confronting so many decisions that are integral to their adult lives,” said Senior Associate Vice Provost Carol Porter. “That’s why it’s such a relief to have an adult presence in an advising capacity in the residences with whom to talk through some of these issues. The Academic Director will have an opportunity to really get to know the students in Wilbur along with being a nexus for other resources around campus.”

Porter said that Mesa will also advise non-freshman students, although her main responsibilities are toward freshmen.

Still in its pilot phase, the AD post will expand to all Stanford residents if proven successful. University officials said that this type of in-dorm advising program has been successful at other universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and Wellesley.

“Student life is very much based in the residences, and that’s the place where ultimately students will reflect the most about their academic needs,” said Assistant Vice Provost and Director of Undergraduate Advising Programs Lorraine Sterritt.

Many upperclassmen, including students who were dissatisfied with their freshman advising experience, are optimistic about the AD program. Sophomore Zarina Zainul Rahim, who lived in the Wilbur dorm Okada last year, felt that an on-site academic director would have been a great benefit during her stay in Wilbur.

“The advisor seems like a very convenient way to handle most of your academic work,” she said. “I would have probably gone to see her very often, because it’s a lot easier to see one person than going all over campus, especially since students are so busy.”

Helping freshmen focus on their academics outside of the classroom has become a priority at Stanford. Recently, the Office of Freshmen and Transfer Students was moved from the Office of the Vice Provost of Student Affairs to the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, which oversees the undergraduate advising program. The move was also an effort to consolidate services for freshmen and transfers under one roof.

Some of the influences of this change were noticeable during New Student Orientation week.

“This year, we weaved academic programming throughout NSO as opposed to leaving them as stand-alone programs in contrast to more ‘fun’ events,” said Dean of Freshman and Transfers Students Julie Lythcott-Haims. “Rather, we want to emphasize that academics is part of the fun.”

An example of this type of special academic programming that took place during orientation was the “Three Books” discussion, which featured Stanford alumni authors on a panel.

“We wanted to better prepare students for what they were about to encounter at Stanford and to give them a clear picture that pleasure and learning can be one and the same,” said Faculty Director of Undergraduate Advising Steven Zipperstein.

Reconciling advising and student life with the intellectual atmosphere that attracts so many to Stanford remains a central role of undergraduate advising.

“We want students to realize that advising at Stanford is so much more than just picking classes and fulfilling requirements,” said Porter. “Advising goes hand in hand with teaching, and research and is very much a part of the mission of Stanford University.”