student affairs

ADVISING - A MUTUAL ENDEAVOR

The LSBE Advising Philosophy Statement describes advising as an active and mutually reinforcing relationship that requires each participant to assume the responsibilities appropriate to their role within the relationship. To assist participants, the following may be helpful:

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENT ADVISEE

1. To contact your advisor when you want or need assistance. You need to find out when your advisor is available and take the initiative to make appointments. Your advisor may help you with planning the completion of your degree requirements (and will have to approve your graduation plan) and the scheduling of courses that help fulfill your requirements. However, your advisor is an expert in his or her field, someone who can assist you with more than simple course planning. Meet with your advisor about career issues and effective ways to prepare yourself for job seeking or about graduate/professional study. Your advisor is someone who can help you think more deeply about issues in your field and about your personal goals.
2. To learn university and collegiate degree requirements, policies and procedures. Read the materials provided - for example, the official catalog, the LSBE worksheets and major flyers, and the class schedule. You need to know how to help yourself by being knowledgeable about requirements and policies, course pre-requisites or other procedural issues, as you are ultimately responsible for your registration decisions and for fulfilling degree requirements. You will then be able to ask questions when you do not understand and to make the best use of your advisor's time with you.
3. To do some thinking and work ahead of time. It may help if you can clarify and communicate your personal goals and values, and if you have done some preliminary thinking or researching of career directions. If you are having academic difficulty, be prepared to discuss this honestly, before there are larger problems.
4. To come prepared for and keep your scheduled appointments. Bring the forms or materials you need, including a pen or pencil to take notes. Give some thought to what you want to accomplish when you meet with your advisor. You may even wish to write your questions and concerns down so you do not forget. If you cannot keep your appointment, please follow common rules of courtesy and notify your advisor as much in advance as you can.
5. To recognize that this is your education and that you are the one to make the decisions about your life. In the end, you must make the decisions and accept the responsibility for them. Your advisor's role is to assist you with the decisions by making suggestions or sharing information, not to decide for you. It will be you who must fulfill all degree requirements and successfully complete your classes.
6. To change your advisor if this relationship is not working for you. You may do so by completing the appropriate change of advisor form in LSBE Student Affairs. Your requested new advisor must be a faculty member in the major field you have selected.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FACULTY ADVISOR

1. To provide students with reasonable and convenient access to their advisor. This involves a) posting and consistently maintaining a reasonable number and day/hour mix of office hours for students and b) responding to questions and concerns via E-mail or telephone in a timely manner. This also implies that ordinary rules of courtesy apply if you cannot keep the appointment.
2. To create an "atmosphere" that facilitates open communication and promotes confidence and trust. Effective advising is predicated on treating advisees respectfully and demonstrating an appropriate level of personal interest in the intellectual, social, and emotional growth of students.
3. To be knowledgeable about the university and collegiate purposes and requirements, particularly those that relate to a student's major field of study, and to possess adequate and accurate information about academic policies and procedures. Advisors need to know the philosophy and rationale for the requirements, as well as the details of how it all fits together. An advisor often serves as the major source and interpreter of information about such matters for students. An advisor also needs to know how to obtain information or appropriate referral sources for students to find this information.
4. To be informed of the resources available within the university community. An advisor may need to refer students to a variety of campus services to help them achieve their goals and meet their academic, career and emotional needs. LSBE advising is embedded in a campus advising and counseling system. As such, it is not expected that each individual advisor be an expert in all areas; it is important that each know when and how to refer appropriately.
5. To maintain or access a current academic file on each advisee for the purpose of helping students to develop realistic and appropriate academic and career goals. The advisor should review the advisee's file, paper or electronic, prior to or when meeting with a student so that any discussion of course selection, planning for graduation or other academic and career issues is relevant to the established record.
6. To have a working knowledge of current career or graduate/professional school opportunities related to the faculty member's discipline. An advisor assists a student with identifying career goals and objectives. To do so, an advisor may have to ask questions, probe, help consider alternatives, encourage, support - and even challenge thinking. This may involve suggesting minors, specific courses or other types of activities that support the student's goals. Advisors may also need to refer students to other campus resources for assistance.
7. To gain knowledge and skills to work with special student populations. While each individual student presents some kind of unique circumstances, there are particular issues faced by a variety of special populations. Examples might be transfer students, non-traditional students, international students, students with disabilities, etc. Knowledge of specific campus resources relevant to each population is a foundation for providing appropriate guidance.

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