BEST PRACTICE ITEM NO. 2
Adopt a developmental approach to help advisees become independent learners and self-reliant problem solvers.
Teach
- Your first meeting with an advisee is the most important one that you will have; that meeting sets the tone for your relationship and its associated expectations (on both sides)
- Discuss career goals (not what major they want to pursue) to gain a clear understanding of what drives them, to help clarify their goals and begin to align it with an appropriate degree program
- Use an academic advising syllabus; Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Example 4
- Provide your advisee with more than just their PIN code and talk about classes for the upcoming term; depending upon their class standing and their career goals, discuss:
- Appropriate professional development including providing them or directing them to opportunities
- Resume development, engaging in applied learning, networking opportunities, research and/or job opportunities, graduate school, medical school, and job shadowing
Empower
- Build a graduation plan with your advisee; this is a very important document that is referred to and modified in all subsequent meetings with the student; it is also important because it provides the student with direction and clarity; sometimes half the battle with getting a student going, academically, is to point them in the right direction; the graduation plan does that
- Foster development of advisees’ decision-making skills
- Hold students accountable for their own success while playing a supportive role; students must be empowered to make changes in their own life and be responsible for their own education and future careers; some students need more support along the way but this is a skill they must master by graduation
- Discuss Early Intervention reports which have been submitted, if applicable
Self-Advocate
- Coach students on appropriate ways to advocate for themselves
- Inspire and motivate students to reach the goals they set academically and professionally; some students have never been encouraged towards success while others may not understand the baby steps needed to get there; effective advising involves all these elements
