ADVISING PHILOSOPHY
I believe that when advising students the following pillars should be followed with all students: Diversity, Honesty, Communication, Education, Patience, Fairness, No Judgment, Follow Through, and Rebooting. These are of equal importance and should be considered with all students.
Diversity: I believe that all students (even those who look and sound similar) are different. They should all be equally welcomed into an advising session and should not feel alienated. Differences should also be considered when advising students so that each student’s concerns are met and discussed not just canned answers given.
Honesty: No matter how hard the discussion, students deserve honesty. Students may not like the answer they receive but will appreciate the honesty and future advising will benefit. No matter how large the school is, students talk and discuss what they have heard. Honesty prevents confusion and improves trust.
Communication: We as advisors ask students to communicate with us. We ask them to come to us in crisis and in triumph. However, communication is a two way street and advising cannot happen unless two-way communication exists.
Not all conversations are easy for either party. However, giving simple answers doesn’t allow for complex problem to be resolved. Students appreciate the time and effort that communication takes and the student/advisor relationship is improved in the end.
Education: I believe that advising is a branch of Higher Education instruction. Advisors are responsible for teaching life skills that may not be learned in the classroom. Topics like time management, responsibility, and decision-making skills are part of the advising syllabus instead of English or Math. In these areas, students do not know what they don't know. It is the responsibility of the advisor to make it known so that students can leave college able to function appropriately in the professional world.
Advisors are the student's number one advocates when they enter college. It is our responsibility to ensure that they are their own number one advocate before they graduate. To do this, we must demonstrate appropriate ways to handle conflict, disappointment, failure, and success.
These skills are vital not only to academic success but also success in the professional world and their personal lives. In the end, the student's education is their own responsibility; helping them take that responsibility is ours.
Advisors also have a responsibility to educate themselves in order to serve the student. This is why I feel that an advisor’s philosophy should not just include what can directly be done for students but also the indirect impact they can have. This includes bettering our selves through professional development and further education.
Patience: This may be the most difficult pillar of advising. Students wish to monopolize your time, ask many questions, expect immediate answers, and don’t seem to listen in the end. However, patience will allow for positives to come out of these frustrations. Many times, the student’s advisor is the only constant in a student’s life. Loosing patience may keep a student from coming back in the future and larger problems could go on unassisted.
Fairness: All students should have the same opportunities as other students. Some students are easier to work with than others. However, that does not allow for students to be treated unfairly. Opportunities should be given equally to students.
No Judgment: An advising office should be a judgment free zone. Advisors are not the moral police. Students should not belittled about a decision they have made or are thinking about making. Conversations about pro and cons should be had and opinions should be shared as they are sought. The advisor may be the only person a student has to come to, judgment only closes a door for the student.
Follow through: From answering emails, filling out paperwork, and everything in between, there are a number of things students need that are out of their control. Following through with your part instills confidence and reduces frustration.
Rebooting: Often, advisors find themselves repeating the same answers to different students. That can become frustrating and allowing the frustration to show through can make the student feel unwelcome. Advisors should remember to reboot after students so the last student gets the same quality advice as the first student. When a new student comes in, it may be repetition for the advisor but for that student, it is the first time.
Combining these pillars will give quality service to each and every student. Students will have a better experience that can improve their performance in other academic areas.