Cal Lutheran Reverts to Dual Advisor Model

California Lutheran University is returning its Academic Advising program to a model that pairs students with both an academic advisor and a faculty advisor.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in College Applications

Cal Lutheran Reverts to Dual Advisor Model

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California Lutheran University reverted its Academic Advising program to a model pairing students with both an academic advisor and a faculty advisor for the 2026-27 academic year. Students report frequent advisor turnover and reassignment during the change.

Why it matters

Frequent reassignment has left some students without a consistent advising relationship and has caused course-approval problems. The change affects how students in Thousand Oaks and across the Cal Lutheran community receive academic guidance.

Student accounts describe six and at least three advisors respectively, while advising caseload staff has dropped from eight counselors in 2017 to five today. The number of students affected beyond the two interviewed is not reported.

The players

California Lutheran University

A private university in Thousand Oaks, California, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Jeremy Hoffman

Director of academic advising at California Lutheran University, who has worked at the school since 2017.

The details

Students were reassigned between advisors by email, and some who visited drop-in hours were seen by a shadow advisor instead of their assigned advisor. One student's course was not approved for study abroad because reassignments were not communicated to the registrar's office.

2017: Jeremy Hoffman joins Cal Lutheran as director of academic advising.
February 2025: A student receives an email assigning her a new advisor.
Prior to the 2026-27 academic year: The advising model reverts to paired academic and faculty advisors.

Health Landscape

Advising offices across U.S. colleges have faced staffing reductions in recent years, and the turnover seen at Cal Lutheran reflects that pressure on continuity of student support. The return to paired advisors is a structural response to a problem that many institutions have had to address.

Students planning for the 2026-27 academic year should expect a paired academic and faculty advisor structure. Confirming in writing with the registrar's office any advisor change helps prevent course-approval problems.

The takeaway

A consistent advising relationship is an underrated part of college planning, so ask early whether your advisor assignment is stable. Keep a written record of every advising change and confirm it with the registrar before you commit to a course.