Ms. Courtney Swartzentruber is an Academic Advisor in the College of Arts and Letters and works with undergraduate students in the Department of Political Science. She enjoys encouraging students to make fully informed decisions to get the most out of their undergraduate learning experiences and pursue their passions. Before moving into an academic advising role, Courtney spent 13 years as a Writing Specialist (FKA Grading Faculty) in the Department of English at JMU, taught WRTC 103 and WRTC 100 (also at JMU), and worked in various roles—legal assistant, paralegal, and project manager—at a small law firm. 

Courtney is a Virginia native who earned an Associate in Arts and Sciences degree at Blue Ridge Community College before earning two degrees at JMU: a Bachelor of Arts in English (2006) with a Communication Studies minor and a Master of Arts in English (2012). She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education at the University of Virginia.