Letter from
the Director

Greetings!

Whether you are new, transferring from another institution, or returning, we are thrilled to welcome you into the Eagles family!

At Eastern Washington University, we value our evolving student population, which we firmly believe could challenge students to broaden their scope of thinking and understanding, drive intellectual curiosity and advancement, and inspire greatness in and beyond the classroom. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to become an active part of our campus community and take advantage of every learning opportunity. 

As you navigate your educational journey, The Center for Academic Advising and Retention (CAAR) aims to work closely with you to turn your aspirations into reality. We are a dedicated unit that thrives by collaborating with campus partners to help ensure our students get quality and accessible support for the duration of their educational journey.  

In our quest to improve student retention and success, we are implementing our Tandem Advising model. This means that all incoming students will be assigned an Academic Advisor (CAAR) and Faculty Advisor (from declared major). Both advisors have extensive experience and training to provide different but complementary support in navigating the academic processes at Eastern.   

CAAR Academic Advisors are expected to support general academic advising and planning, registration, major exploration, navigating campus resources, and assisting with other challenges to help ensure students remain on track for success. 

Faculty Advisors are expected to provide guidance on major-specific issues, career mentoring and planning, research, professional development, study abroad opportunities, and applying for graduate schools, among other matters. 

Our expectation is that this new collaborative approach will help to strengthen relationships between advisors and students, create opportunities for engagement and access to support and resources, and promote student retention and success. 

Therefore, I strongly encourage you to meet with your advisors at least once per term, especially if you have questions or concerns, need to discuss or develop your academic or success plans, or may be experiencing challenges that may impact your academic progression and success. 

We are all looking forward to seeing you on campus and supporting your success!

Go Eagles!

Neron R. Thomas, PhD

Director, Center for Academic Advising and Retention