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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:

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.