A Personal Philosophy of Academic Advising
Creating a written personal philosophy of academic advising is a creative endeavor that requires thought, introspection, study, and the ability to clearly communicate personal objectives for advising students and being an active participant in the academic advising field. Creating such a philosophy is not an easy or quick process, but it can and should be done by all academic advisors. You might ask yourself, does having a published philosophy mean anything? Well, “research suggests that there is a relatively high consistency between an advisor’s stated philosophy of advising and the behaviors he or she actually utilizes (Daller, Creamer, and Creamer, 1997).” (Creamer and Scott, 2000, p. 342).
NACADA has published an article I wrote on creating a personal philosophy of academic advising and NACADA has several resources for this subject so you can use that to get started. My own personal philosophy of academic advising is a living document of how I intend to approach academic advising and undoubtedly it will, and should, evolve over time.
Here’s my philosophy…
NACADA has published an article I wrote on creating a personal philosophy of academic advising and NACADA has several resources for this subject so you can use that to get started. My own personal philosophy of academic advising is a living document of how I intend to approach academic advising and undoubtedly it will, and should, evolve over time.
Here’s my philosophy…
As an academic advisor my primary mission is to help students navigate successfully through their academic careers while exploring their educational and career options. My goal is for my advising sessions to be educational experiences where students connect who-they-are-now with what-they-are-learning and who-they-want-to-become (Pettay, 2007).
I seek to enable my office to be a comfortable environment that is conducive to relaxation and the encouragement of candid conversation. During my advising sessions I listen actively and without judgment while identifying the most effective method for communication. I identify any special needs and make appropriate referrals when necessary.
As an advising professional I accept the responsibilities for advisors as stated in the NACADA Statement of Core Values (NACADA, 2004). It is also my responsibility as an academic advisor to be fully knowledgeable about the informational, relational, and conceptual components of academic advising (Habley, 1995).
The informational component includes a solid grounding in knowledge about the institution, the academic catalog, policies and procedures, degree requirements, and campus resources. Communicating accurate and timely information to students is a necessary condition of being an effective academic advisor. Successfully meeting the informational needs of students, sometimes through prescriptive methods, is fundamental to the advising relationship. Until the student’s basic needs have been met it is useless to attempt to work with students on their higher-level developmental needs (Fielstein, 1994).
The relational component includes the one-to-one relationship between advisor and advisee which is critical to the advising process and to the student’s satisfaction with the advising session and the institution. Without productive one-on-one relationships with students, advisors will not be able to effectively address their students’ developmental needs.
A thorough understanding of the conceptual component will enable an advisor to increase the effectiveness of their advising sessions. A commitment to lifelong learning is essential in improving an advisor’s conceptual knowledge of the profession of academic advising and their knowledge of student and career development theories.
Bringing the three components of academic advising together, after the basic informational needs of the student are met I help them understand the relationship between their university course work, their intended career, and their desired lifestyle. I challenge students’ unrealistic or unreasonable beliefs. I encourage students to exercise their problem-solving and decision-making skills to advance their level of personal development. I encourage my students to turn their talents into strengths and use those strengths to achieve their personal and career goals (Schreiner, 2005). Through my knowledge and understanding of the three components of academic advising I help students realize their educational plans and dreams. It is my passion to help each student, through their education, to become the person they want to be.
Theories of academic advising and student development are useful because they reduce a complicated interpersonal situation to an understandable number of elements, but, even so, they have their shortcomings. Since reality is more complex than any theory can fully describe, advisors must synthesize multiple theories to craft a multilayered response to a student’s specific situation (Creamer, 2000). By studying student development theories I am able to maintain a full toolbox of ideas I can use with my students as appropriate.
As an academic advisor I consider myself not only an advisor, but also an academic. I take an academic interest in the process of advising students, the administration and assessment of advisors, and improving the quality and effectiveness of my advising and the advising performed at my institution. I am an advisor-practitioner, but I also strive to be an advisor-scholar.
I have a curiosity about advising and participate in research projects to learn more about the advising process and environment. I encourage an institutional culture of evidence-based decision-making. I promote a professional climate within academic advising (Troxel, 2008).
References
Creamer, D. (2000). Use of theory in academic advising. In V. N. Gordon,& W. R. Habley (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook(pp. 18-34). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Creamer, D. and Scott, D. (2000). Assessing Individual Advisor Effectiveness. In V. N. Gordon,& W. R. Habley (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook(pp. 339-348). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Crookston, B. (1972). A developmental view of academic advising as teaching.Journal of College Student Personnel, 13, 12-17.
Fielstein, L. (1994). Developmental versus prescriptive advising: Must it be one or the other? NACADA Journal, 14 (2)(Fall), 76-79.
Frost, S. (2000). Historical and philosophical foundations for academic advising. In V. N. Gordon, & W. R. Habley (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook (pp. 3-17).San Francisco,CA: Jossey-Bass.
Habley, W.R. (1995). Advisor training in the context of a teaching enhancement center. In Academic advising as a comprehensive campus process by R.E. Glennen and F. N. Vowell (Eds). (p. 75-79).Manhattan,KS: National Academic Advising Association.
NACADA. (2004). NACADA statement of core values of academic advising;retrieved 25 Jan 2008 from the NACADA clearinghouse of academic advising resources web site:http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Core-values.htm.
Pettay, R. F. (2007). Making the transition from prescriptive advising to advising as teaching. retrieved 14 mar 2008 from academic advising today: Http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/AAT/documents/30_2.pdf.30, Nbr 2(June)
Schreiner, L. (2005). Strengths-based advising: A new lens for higher education. NACADA Journal, 25(2)(Fall), 20-29.
Troxel, Wendy. (2008). Assessing the Effectiveness of the Advising Program. In V. N. Gordon, W. R. Habley, & Grites, Thomas J. (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook(pp. 386-394). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
I seek to enable my office to be a comfortable environment that is conducive to relaxation and the encouragement of candid conversation. During my advising sessions I listen actively and without judgment while identifying the most effective method for communication. I identify any special needs and make appropriate referrals when necessary.
As an advising professional I accept the responsibilities for advisors as stated in the NACADA Statement of Core Values (NACADA, 2004). It is also my responsibility as an academic advisor to be fully knowledgeable about the informational, relational, and conceptual components of academic advising (Habley, 1995).
The informational component includes a solid grounding in knowledge about the institution, the academic catalog, policies and procedures, degree requirements, and campus resources. Communicating accurate and timely information to students is a necessary condition of being an effective academic advisor. Successfully meeting the informational needs of students, sometimes through prescriptive methods, is fundamental to the advising relationship. Until the student’s basic needs have been met it is useless to attempt to work with students on their higher-level developmental needs (Fielstein, 1994).
The relational component includes the one-to-one relationship between advisor and advisee which is critical to the advising process and to the student’s satisfaction with the advising session and the institution. Without productive one-on-one relationships with students, advisors will not be able to effectively address their students’ developmental needs.
A thorough understanding of the conceptual component will enable an advisor to increase the effectiveness of their advising sessions. A commitment to lifelong learning is essential in improving an advisor’s conceptual knowledge of the profession of academic advising and their knowledge of student and career development theories.
Bringing the three components of academic advising together, after the basic informational needs of the student are met I help them understand the relationship between their university course work, their intended career, and their desired lifestyle. I challenge students’ unrealistic or unreasonable beliefs. I encourage students to exercise their problem-solving and decision-making skills to advance their level of personal development. I encourage my students to turn their talents into strengths and use those strengths to achieve their personal and career goals (Schreiner, 2005). Through my knowledge and understanding of the three components of academic advising I help students realize their educational plans and dreams. It is my passion to help each student, through their education, to become the person they want to be.
Theories of academic advising and student development are useful because they reduce a complicated interpersonal situation to an understandable number of elements, but, even so, they have their shortcomings. Since reality is more complex than any theory can fully describe, advisors must synthesize multiple theories to craft a multilayered response to a student’s specific situation (Creamer, 2000). By studying student development theories I am able to maintain a full toolbox of ideas I can use with my students as appropriate.
As an academic advisor I consider myself not only an advisor, but also an academic. I take an academic interest in the process of advising students, the administration and assessment of advisors, and improving the quality and effectiveness of my advising and the advising performed at my institution. I am an advisor-practitioner, but I also strive to be an advisor-scholar.
I have a curiosity about advising and participate in research projects to learn more about the advising process and environment. I encourage an institutional culture of evidence-based decision-making. I promote a professional climate within academic advising (Troxel, 2008).
References
Creamer, D. (2000). Use of theory in academic advising. In V. N. Gordon,& W. R. Habley (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook(pp. 18-34). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Creamer, D. and Scott, D. (2000). Assessing Individual Advisor Effectiveness. In V. N. Gordon,& W. R. Habley (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook(pp. 339-348). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Crookston, B. (1972). A developmental view of academic advising as teaching.Journal of College Student Personnel, 13, 12-17.
Fielstein, L. (1994). Developmental versus prescriptive advising: Must it be one or the other? NACADA Journal, 14 (2)(Fall), 76-79.
Frost, S. (2000). Historical and philosophical foundations for academic advising. In V. N. Gordon, & W. R. Habley (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook (pp. 3-17).San Francisco,CA: Jossey-Bass.
Habley, W.R. (1995). Advisor training in the context of a teaching enhancement center. In Academic advising as a comprehensive campus process by R.E. Glennen and F. N. Vowell (Eds). (p. 75-79).Manhattan,KS: National Academic Advising Association.
NACADA. (2004). NACADA statement of core values of academic advising;retrieved 25 Jan 2008 from the NACADA clearinghouse of academic advising resources web site:http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Core-values.htm.
Pettay, R. F. (2007). Making the transition from prescriptive advising to advising as teaching. retrieved 14 mar 2008 from academic advising today: Http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/AAT/documents/30_2.pdf.30, Nbr 2(June)
Schreiner, L. (2005). Strengths-based advising: A new lens for higher education. NACADA Journal, 25(2)(Fall), 20-29.
Troxel, Wendy. (2008). Assessing the Effectiveness of the Advising Program. In V. N. Gordon, W. R. Habley, & Grites, Thomas J. (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook(pp. 386-394). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.