Effective Academic Advising

Here is the existing language:

2.343 Effective Academic Advising

Individualized guidance for students is an integral component of a faculty member’s responsibilities. Each student merits careful direction to the educational resources of the college as well as thoughtful assessment and development of her/his interests and abilities.

Evidence of strong faculty advising shall include (but not be limited to):

  • Respect for and rapport with students;
  • Consistent and regular availability to students through regular office hours and special appointments (see also 3.170);
  • Current knowledge about college academic policies and programs (e.g., internships, study abroad, etc.);
  • Timely provision of information about courses, schedules, core requirements, major and minor requirements;
  • Timely provision of information about career development and post-graduate education as developed by the academic department;
  • Accurate record keeping;
  • Referral of students to campus offices offering both on- and off-campus resources (e.g., Campus Life, Career and Community Learning, the Counseling Center, Learning Commons, Multicultural Education, Study Abroad).

Evaluation of effective advising shall come from:

  • Major advisees (letters and standardized evaluation forms);
  • Non-major advisees (letters and standardized evaluation forms);
  • Students from advisors’ classes; and
  • Departmental colleagues.

Here is the draft new proposed language. It is from FEP (2008).

2.343 Effective Academic Advising

Good academic advising is both an element and an extension of instruction:  it enables the student to benefit more fully from the classroom and it can be an occasion for learning itself.  Through the advising process, students can define and redefine goals and make intermediary plans to move towards them, evaluate and integrate past experiences, and come to productive assessments of their current status.

Individualized guidance for students is an integral component of a faculty member’s responsibilities. Each student merits careful direction to the educational resources of the College as well as thoughtful assessment and development of his/her interests and abilities.

Criteria

Effective academic advising includes the accurate and timely provision of information to one’s advisees about academic policies, graduation requirements, courses of study, co-curricular programs, and post-graduate opportunities.  As much as possible, effective academic advisors are regularly available to their advisees, work to establish a respectful and cordial rapport with them, and provide information that is relevant to their specific interests and needs.  Effective academic advisors keep abreast of available on-campus offices, programs, and resources in order to give referrals to their advisees.  As much as is possible and appropriate, effective academic advisors are in contact with their advisees’ instructors, coaches, and other relevant college staff in order to be aware of their advisees’ progress (both shorter- and longer-term) and in order to be able to serve as advocates for their advisees.

Assessment

Effective academic advising is assessed by a faculty member’s self-evaluation and written evaluations from major advisees, non-major advisees, students who seek and receive advising but are not that faculty member’s advisees, and faculty and staff colleagues.

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