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Academic advising can have a powerful impact on student success

By Marcy Kraus, dean of freshmen and director of the College Center for Academic Support

Has your student seen her academic advisor lately? Increasingly, today's college students choose to take care of their academic business using technology—an e-mail to the academic advising office to ask about earning credit for a summer internship, a quick check of the political science department's Web site to verify the requirements for the minor, or an e-mail to an academic advisor to ask whether it's too late to declare a second major in biology. Life on a college campus is fast paced, complex, and for more and more of us who serve roles as teachers, mentors, and advisors, filled with hours of time spent responding to a wide variety of e-mail inquiries. While technology can be an efficient way to learn "the basics," it does not replace the valuable high touch, face-to-face interactions that can occur in a structured academic advising session. Research in higher education demonstrates that students who meet with an academic advisor tend to be more involved and engaged in campus life and report higher gains in personal and social development. Our own informal experiences verify that a connection with a student made during a short walk-in appointment can lead to future discussions that help students truly experience all that a college education can be.

Too frequently, students say "I don't have time" or "I don't want to bother my advisor" or "my advisor won't know the answer." Parents can play a key role in helping their students understand the value of advising and guide their students in developing skills and strategies that will help build a strong relationship with an advisor, whether it is a faculty member, a pre-major advisor, an advisor in Academic Support, a class dean, or another administrator on campus. A few tips and strategies to help nurture an advising relationship include:

• Come prepared to discuss your academic goals and interests
• Ask your advisor "what other people on campus should I get to know?"
• Bring questions to your advising appointments and take notes during the meeting
• Meet with your advisor for an in person meeting at least once each semester
• Resist the temptation to believe that your advisor should have and give you all of the answers; instead expect that your advisor will help you problem solve and arrive at your own answers
• Share with your advisor any changed interests and any areas that you would like to improve upon
• Approach your advising meetings with an open mind

Academic advising in college is more than just handing out advice and scheduling classes, it is a partnership and a process. While advisors understand this philosophy, students may need help in appreciating the many roles that advisors play.