AY2025 Academic Planning Support Activity Report

New Student Orientation

April 2025: Academic Planning Orientation & Major Poster Session

Date: April 3, 2025
Target Students: New students entering in April 2025
Faculty Participation: At least one faculty representative from each major participated in the Major Poster Session.
Content: 
Academic Planning Orientation: Professor Kei Nasu (Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning; Major: History) provided an overview of academic life at the university. Additionally, student advisors from IBS (ICU Brothers and Sisters) offered practical advice on course registration and planning.
Major Poster Session: Posters for all 31 majors were displayed on the first floors of the Main Library and the Othmer Library. This session provided a space for new students to explore majors of interest and engage in direct dialogue with faculty members.
Format: In-person
Languages: Japanese and English

September 2025: Academic Planning Orientation & Major Poster Session

Date: August 29, 2025
Target Students: New students entering in September 2025
Faculty Participation: At least one faculty representative from each major participated in the Major Poster Session.
Content:
 Academic Planning Orientation: Professor Kei Nasu (Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning; Major: History) provided an overview of academic life at the university. Additionally, student advisors from IBS (ICU Brothers and Sisters) offered practical advice on course registration and planning.
Major Poster Session: Posters for all 31 majors were displayed on the first floors of the Main Library and the Othmer Library. This session provided a space for new students to explore majors of interest and engage in direct dialogue with faculty members.
Format: In-person
Languages: Japanese and English

Consultation Statistics

Academic Planning Support (APS)

Period: April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026
Target: All students in the College of Liberal Arts
Total Consultations: 106 cases | Total Duration: 4,815 minutes (approx. 80.25 hours)
Breakdown by Year: 1st Year: 22 | 2nd Year: 38 | 3rd Year: 19 | 4th Year & Above: 27
Content: Course registration and academic planning consultations with APS staff.
Format: In-person and Online (Zoom)
Languages: Japanese and English

IBS (ICU Brothers and Sisters)

Period: April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026
Target: All students in the College of Liberal Arts
Total Consultations: 618 cases | Total Duration: 14,850 minutes (approx. 247.5 hours)
Breakdown by Year: 1st Year: 582 | 2nd Year: 19 | 3rd Year: 13 | 4th Year & Above: 4
Content: Peer-to-peer academic advising and registration support by student advisors (IBS).
Format: In-person and Online (Zoom)
Languages: Japanese and English

IBS Activities & Events

Academic Skills Workshop: "Learn from mistakes! - Honest reviews and experiences x tips for course planning"
Date & Time: June 3, 2025 | 14:00–15:00
Target: Mainly 1st-year students (April 2025 and September 2024 entrants)
Participants: 19
Content: IBS members shared their actual class schedules and discussed what worked well and what they regretted. They also provided a clear guide to the basics of course registration, including how to balance academics with part-time jobs and extracurricular activities.
Format: In-person
Languages: Japanese (Q&A available in English)
[Click here for the detailed report]

ICU Festival Academic Project
Date & Time: October 12–13, 2025 | 11:00–12:00
Target: Open Campus visitors
Content: Moderated by the ICU Festival Committee members, six IBS members gave presentations and shared personal stories about learning at ICU, specific classes, campus life, and various university programs.
Format: In-person
Languages: Japanese and English

"Ask Your Seniors! ID26 IBS Members Discuss 4 Years of Course Planning"
Date & Time: October 29, 2025 | 13:00–13:50
Target: All students in the College of Liberal Arts
Participants: Approx. 20
Content: Four 4th-year IBS members shared their experiences regarding how they planned their courses, selected their majors, and balanced academic life with study abroad and job hunting over their four years at ICU.
Format: In-person
Languages: Japanese (Q&A available in English)

"IBS Major Declaration Support Week"
Date & Time: January 19 – February 20, 2026 | 13:00–13:40
Target: All students in the College of Liberal Arts
Consultants: 20
Content: Following the release of the next academic year’s timetable, IBS provided intensive support for 1st-year students planning their courses post-ELA and 2nd-year students finalizing their major selection.
Format: In-person
Languages: Japanese and English

Training Programs & Other Activities
New Member Training Programs
Philosophy Training: Understanding the core values of peer advising.
Peer-to-Peer Consultation Practice: IBS members practiced advising each other on course planning.
Resource Training: Learning how to navigate university systems and resources.
JLP Training: Specialized training regarding the Japanese Language Programs.
Information Session Training: Preparing for public presentations and orientations.

Other Activities
University Visits: Representatives from two other universities visited the center to observe and learn from the activities of IBS and APS.