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 My advising training and experience at a small college included a document that outlined expectations of advisers and advisees. All new students received this information and I personally reviewed it with my advisees. In my opinion, the expectations were quite reasonable: being prepared, attending appointments they initiated, having some familiarity with available documented resources, participating in their own advising. If an advisee is unable to complete these tasks with some support and prodding from me, I think that an adviser should be able to terminate the adviser-advisee relationship. I think my responsibility as an adviser includes pointing out the problem areas and giving the student the chance to improve, but the advisee must be willing to participate.~ Denise Davidson, October 3, 2005 First, the student's benefit should always come first, and secondly, not everyone is going to like how I do my work as an adviser or my personality. Aside from obvious threats to harm, the adviser should persist at remaining available. If the student is communicating but does not find benefit from the mentoring relationship, then I would encourage the student to seek out all those faculty or staff persons who do “light their fire” to move forward. More power to them, but I would never tell them I cannot be there for them.~ Linda Amos, Coastal Georgia Community College, October 3, 2005 Yes. There comes a time when the advisee is responsible for his/her own academic success. Any advisee who becomes too dependent should be told they must start
making their own decisions.~ Jerry O'Connor, New Mexico State University (retired), October 3, 2005 No! Period! What are “teaching moments” about? There are advisees who don't listen and who need even more help afterwards. We are here to guide students to their degree. Hate to go scriptural, but think of the parable of the prodigal son. I've got lots of them as advisees, and it's my intention to help them no matter. Sometimes it's the worst ones that you hear from a half dozen years later who then say “thanks . . . if it weren't for you . . .” I have made a commitment to help the students. Haven't we all?~ Michael D. Chiteman, Penn State Behrend, October 11, 2005 Ask any academic adviser, they will tell you academic advising is never just academic advising. Students often seek out advisement when their lives are under stress. It is ridiculous for us to assume that their stress is only academic in nature. Students have complicated lives and are experiencing multiple stressors, including mental health concerns. Half of the world's population will at some point in their life suffer from some type of mental illness. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. Advisers providing help to students online need training and supervision in handling mental health issues online. ACA and NBCC have both created ethical guidelines for such service delivery; however, these standards have not been widely infused into current online practice. It is irresponsible of institutions and professionals to offer any less to their most precious resource, their students.~ Julie Bell, M.Ed. LPC, Oklahoma City Community College, October 13, 2005 An adviser who views advising as a profession will have a hard time turning any student away. It is in our nature to continue to help all students, even when they make the relationship difficult. We might say we are going to get “tough” with a student, but how many of us actually do it the first time we say that to ourselves? It takes something extreme for me to turn the student over to my director. Fortunately, I've only had to do it once.~ Criselda Marquez, Purdue University, October 14, 2005 Of course an adviser should be able to “fire” an advisee! However, such action should follow serious assessment of the relationship and an honest admission (by the adviser) that continuing the formal advising relationship is unproductive for the advisee. At some point, advisers need to admit to themselves that they are NOT the best solution for every individual, and that someone else can prove to be a much better resource for the student. It's the same principle that applies in counseling when referral is necessary—the well-being of the client comes first.That being said, “firing” an advisee just because they are an inconvenience—now that's just not right! ~ Rob Mossack, Lipscomb University, October 26, 2005 The Mentor is published by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |
