Whether you’re a prospective student, a first-semester sophomore, preparing for graduation or seeking a path to grad school, academic advising plays a crucial role in guiding college students through their educational journey, experts say.
Throughout their collegiate career, there may be no one a student turns to as often as an academic adviser.
“We used to be black and white on what academic advising looked like,” says Kyle Ross, executive director of the National Academic Advising Association. “Now it’s this full range of support and resources for students that they wouldn’t otherwise get if they don’t … have a consistent relationship with someone at the university or college.”
What Is Academic Advising?
An academic adviser helps students navigate a program of study that results in a degree. Advisers traditionally have focused on signing students up for courses and ensuring they were on the proper path for their degree program.
But the role has changed, experts say. While academic advisers still help students register for courses, they are now also a hub for a full range of campus resources and support.
When meeting with an academic adviser, Ross says, students should ask things like “what courses need to be completed at critical periods of their overall plan, what prerequisites they need to be mindful of when planning out courses, and what activities they can or should consider outside of the classroom like internships, student organizations and studying abroad.”
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They should also feel confident asking their adviser for campus resources “that can help them with questions related to financial wellness, mental health, academic support, basic needs and everything else that is connected to their overall success while enrolled at a postsecondary institution.”
In recent years, proactive advising has become popular, Ross says. That means the adviser anticipates the student’s concerns before they arise, using data — including grades — “to say, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on. We wanted to reach out because we’re concerned about you. Let us know how we can help. We haven’t heard from you in a while.'”
Good academic advisers don’t dictate courses or pathways to students “but coach, guide and assist them in making their own decisions about their path to and through higher education,” he says.
Advisers focus on building relationships with students, “getting to know them, know their names, know their vulnerabilities, what brings them joy,” then use that information to be a good coach in the decision-making process, says Terrell L. Strayhorn, associate provost and interim dean for the School of Arts & Sciences at Virginia Union University.
When to Get Academic Advising Help
The key to successful academic advising is to catch problems early and connect students to solutions, experts say.
Though advisers typically make the first contact around the start of the semester, students should take the initiative to reach out as well, experts say, especially when struggling with a class, considering changing majors, experiencing personal issues or having trouble paying for college.
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Any student considering dropping a class should talk to an academic adviser as soon as possible, experts say. They can discuss why you want to drop, what your options are, what it means for your major, what it means for next semester and how it could affect your financial aid. Deadlines for dropping a class make it especially important to meet with an adviser early.
Students should meet with their adviser before admissions and again after admissions for official declaration of a major and for registration holds to be removed, says Yvonne Imergoot, an academic adviser at Texas A&M University–Central Texas.
They should also meet every semester to ensure they are on track for graduation, she says, adding that most of her discussions with students relate to career goals, declaring a major, time to complete a degree, building a degree plan and class selection.
“Advisers are most familiar with recent course catalog and degree updates,” she says. “We can also troubleshoot any obstacles for the student and create a clear pathway for their graduation.”
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Strayhorn says students should talk candidly about their aspirations. “Academic advisers and those who lead them should be open and honest about the institution’s ability to get them there.”
“Students should feel comfortable upon enrollment saying, ‘I am trying to own my own business. I am trying to run a nonprofit. I am trying to be a lawyer,’ and the institution — through their academic advisers — should be able to transport them from where they are today to who they want to be tomorrow.”
How to Prepare For an Academic Advising Appointment
Making a list of your goals and questions ahead of your meeting is important, experts say, including those that relate to potential postgraduate studies.
Imergoot advises students to ask about learning outcomes in their degree, how their college handles transfer credits, student success programs, the university catalog, library resources and writing centers.
“No question is too small or unrelated,” Strayhorn says. “Ask it. Show up as you are, be your authentic self, share your dreams, aspirations and expectations of the institution, and don’t be afraid ask for help before there is a problem.”
“What academic advising has done for a long time is offer students information and knowledge about academic expectations and standards,” he adds. “But students have a host of nonacademic needs… They want to go to a school where they feel a sense of belonging. Students should ask questions and express their nonacademic needs during orientation, and when meeting with academic advisers both inside and outside of the classroom.”
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A Guide to College Academic Advising originally appeared on usnews.com
