Parent Handbook 2010–2011 - Berklee College of Music

• Identifying academic difficulties and strategies for improving academic
standing.
• Providing referrals to other sources of information and assistance at Berklee
that students might not locate on their own.
Because advising is a two-way interaction in which the advisor and the advisee
work together toward a common goal, both parties have responsibilities to fulfill
in order for the process to work. It’s important for you to know what your son or
daughter can expect of advisors and also what advisors expect of students.
In general, you can expect advisors to:
• Be available at Advising Express Hours or appointment times.
• Provide information about options and opportunities available to students
at Berklee.
• Help students to assess their interests and abilities and to make realistic
educational and career choices based on this assessment.
• Help students plan a program at Berklee consistent with the college’s
requirements, and help them monitor and evaluate their progress.
• Listen to and assist students in making decisions and solving problems.
• Refer students to other resources within the college and sometimes in the
community to help meet their individual needs and aspirations.
Depending on your son’s or daughter’s particular interests and needs, he or she
will probably consult several different advisors during his or her time at Berklee,
including generalist advisors at the Counseling and Advising Center, faculty
advisors in his or her major department and other instructional departments,
and career advisors at the Career Development Center. Of course, students also
receive advising from a number of different teachers while they’re here on
matters ranging from problems with a specific course to plans for after
graduation. In addition to this informal advising, each instructional department
has designated a faculty member or chair to serve as departmental advisor.
Office hours for departmental advisors as well as other faculty are posted on
their office doors. A list of these departmental advisors is at the Counseling and
Advising Center. Advising at the Counseling and Advising Center and the
Career Development Center is available by appointment.
Calculating the Grade Point Average
Quality points are computed by multiplying the course credit by the numerical
value of a qualitative grade assigned. A semester Grade Point Average (GPA) is
obtained by dividing the number of quality points earned in that semester by
the number of credits attempted and graded in that semester. The Cumulative
For the most up-to-date information, visit berklee.edu.