Academic Student Advisors FAQs

The Academic Advising & Student Achievement Center expects the Academic Student Advisor position to be your top priority, and you are expected to fulfill your responsibilities with the Academic Student Advisor position first. If you choose to seek additional employment, be sure that you communicate early on to your employer your needs and requirements as an Academic Student Advisor. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure you are present at all required training and program activities as it is expected that the Academic Student Advisor position be your top employment priority.

Yes, however, you will need to consult with the Academic Advising & Student Achievement Center prior to enrollment in a course to ensure your coursework will not conflict with Academic Student Advisor job responsibilities. If you are considering taking a summer course, please mention this in your application and interview process.

The interview process will occur in late February with final decisions made in March. The Academic Advising & Student Achievement Center will be in contact with applicants during each step of the process, letting you know your status. 

Academic Student Advisors are required to be in Bellingham for training in Spring Quarter, but not during the summer. While Spring Quarter training will be hybrid, with some in-person and some virtual sessions, all work in summer will be completed virtually in Zoom.

Please still apply! Bring this up for discussion during the individual interview process (if selected to move on in the hiring process).

If you have successfully completed at least one quarter at Western with a WWU GPA of 2.0 or higher prior to Spring 2026, you are eligible to apply. You must also have an intention to enroll in classes Fall 2026 to be eligible. Our staff training will help you learn all that you will need to know about advising students and campus resources.

If you will be enrolled in 6 credits or more of coursework during Fall 2026, you will be eligible to work as an Academic Student Advisor for Fall Advising & Registration sessions during summer. However, if you are graduating during spring or summer 2026, you are not eligible to apply.

The last required commitment for Academic Student Advisors hired to work in summer 2026 is the Fall Advising and Registration session in September just prior to the start of fall quarter. There are infrequent opportunities throughout the academic year to work as an Academic Student Advisor, which would be scheduled based on Academic Student Advisor availability. Being an Academic Student Advisor is a preferred qualification for the Peer Advisor position in the Academic Advising & Student Achievement Center. The Peer Advisor position works through the academic year and there is a formal application process that will occur in August for it.