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An approach to this difficult scenario can be to remind students that they are consumers. Post-secondary education is big business. We operate colleges and “sell” or provide degrees in exchange for tuition. Anyone making an investment should do so with full knowledge. We all know we can sell hopes and dreams to all kinds of people. We are pressured to make enrollment goals. We advertise with fancy, artistic brochures but obscure information about our colleges that is not terribly impressive. Our professional and ethical behaviors with students should point out options for them. Sound, comprehensive career services and developmental advisement will provide students with the resources needed to make informed decisions about how to invest their money. Steve Stolar, director of advisement, Transfer and Career Services, Cumberland County College, Vineland, NJ, September 2, 2009 I would never “discourage” students, because I do not have a “crystal ball,” and I believe most people will live “up” or “down” to the predictions you impose on them. Was there not a time when people of color were “discouraged” from seeking the Presidency? I would point out in no uncertain terms the sacrifices required and perhaps low odds of success for certain paths, but I believe such conversations should also include alternative options that are available to the student, because ultimately the decision and outcomes are theirs to live with. Linda Albert, senior academic advisor, Northern Kentucky University, September 2, 2009 This topic becomes extremely relevant when advising student athletes, who must be in a major by the beginning of their junior year. After they are in their majors, only degree-counting credits may be used toward eligibility. Not much time to explore majors and careers. Sandy Meyer, academic/athletic counselor, Penn State University, September 4, 2009 At my university, we often attract people who are more interested in our accelerated academic calendar and time to degree, evening classes, and innovative delivery options than in our specific degree programs. As an adviser at a school with a laser-like focus on a small number of discrete occupational areas, I occasionally need to suggest to potential students that we may not be the best place for them given their career and life goals. Likewise, with our emphasis on distance learning, I often explore learning styles very carefully with transfer students who bring with them spotty performance at previous institutions. Sometimes I'm open with them about “forgetting” that I work for the institution and speaking instead about what's best for the individual person. However, I view my role as making sure that people have all of the information that they need in order to make informed decisions, not making those decisions for them. So I will go ahead and admit and enroll students against my better judgment if they are qualified, hear me out, and then make their decisions. Marc Kaplan, academic advisor/international student advisor/English tutor, Cleary University, September 4, 2009 Early in my career as an adviser, I “discouraged” a young woman whose stated educational and career goals seemed (to me) to be unrealistic. Years later, she blind copied me on an e-mail survey our university sends to graduating students to get their feedback on their experiences. She had so resented my “patronizing” negative advice that it motivated her to strive harder to achieve her goals. She was very successful as a student and had landed a good job with a major employer in her chosen field. In her response she said that I should never discourage a student for having “dreams” they wish to pursue. I have taken her criticism to heart ever since and am always conscious of how I approach this sensitive issue, striving to be as objective as possible about the challenges they may face and focusing on strategies and tactics that can improve their chances for success. Karl Adams, senior academic advisor, Georgia State University, September 4, 2009 I think that advisers must always be held to high ethical standards when they work with students. They should be prepared to be honest and to point out what path they think is in the best interest of the student. Unfortunately that may mean that their advisement may be contrary to the interests of the institution they serve. Ultimately if a student is bankrupted and disappointed by a program at a college that does not serve their needs, the institution suffers. Word of mouth is still a powerful force. Deirdre Constant, academic advisor/RIMI student advisor, Mercy College, New York, September 8, 2009 I don't think that we should discourage students, but sometimes it is necessary to show them “alternate realities.” I advise primarily science and mathematics majors, so a large portion of my advisees are pre-health bound. Many students will self-select to not continue in that path based on previous poor academic performance, but other students have a hard time seeing the additional difficulties they may have to endure to get to their goal (additional course work, summer school, required grades to have a competitive GPA, etc). I would never tell a student that their goal is impossible to reach, but I think it is my professional responsibility to help them view the situation from multiple angles. Sometimes looking at the situation from a different vantage point helps students make decisions that they need to make, without any other input from me. Sarah Howard, academic advisor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, September 9, 2009 I think “discourage” may not be the appropriate word, it conjures many negative images. To me, helping students to “reframe” the way they see themselves and their education is key to us doing our job as advisers. By reframing a situation you are not discouraging the student from attaining his/her goals. Rather, the point of reframing is to help the student see things from a different perspective. Too often students are caught up in the self-esteem glut that has been the hallmark of secondary education for the last twenty years. There are all these kids with lots of self-esteem but no self-efficacy. Helping students to reframe means to help them transform the way they've approached their education and help them to reevaluate how they see themselves and their abilities. It may be pointing out the realities of certain professions and lining up their abilities with the demands of a particular career path. This is not meant to shatter their dreams but to make their dreams achievable and realistic. I've never told a student, “you can't do this.” I don't feel it is my place to be dictating to others how they should or should not be living their lives. I do feel it is my place to point out discrepancies and make students aware of what they are getting into. It is my role to help students develop, grow, and change . . . that's what education is all about. It's also about understanding yourself better, developing your strengths, and realizing your limitations. Jose F. Rodriguez, assistant dean, Honors College, Florida International University, September 15, 2009 Discouragement is a reality in academic progress of every student. Academic advisers need to be skilled in assisting students to deal with discouragement. Exploring risks and options, and gathering relevant information to include in any decision is the joint responsibility of the student and adviser. I was certain I was going to play professional baseball after my I received my undergraduate degree. My adviser, who saw me play several times, had a different idea. She gathered data on how many university students make the cut and survive in major league ball. She also identified those that had a continuing career in the game. She then asked me to compare myself as a player to those that were successful. The comparisons were discouraging, but the adviser wasn't. She helped me realize that my goal was unrealistic; that I needed a plan B (and C and D). She also used the joke that she had planned to be a Rhodes Scholar, but the only thing that held her back was her grades. The best part of this experience was the way in which she assisted me to handle my discouragement. She let me own it; she acknowledged it; she didn't try to talk me out of it or agree with me. Instead she asked questions about options. Looking back I'm glad I didn't pursue the dream of playing professional ball. It turns out I'm allergic to drugs. Rey Carr, CEO, Peer Resources, September 16, 2009 The process of education is one of life's halcyon moments and I believe no matter the perceived concerns by an adviser a student should never be discouraged to pursue this lofty goal. The value of education is beyond price in terms of its potential to fulfill and the possibility of creating new life opportunities. An adviser is neither judge nor jury in the relationship with a student but mentor and a person called to a vocation dedicated to the highest good for her students. This noble profession must not be sullied by inauspicious advice given on preconceived notions or even supposed knowledge of a student's situation. The student is the ultimate arbiter of her future and I am here to reflect the highest good in that person through my actions and support. Show the student the path up the mountain and let her determine how to negotiate it. To do less or inappropriately advise is a grave disservice to both the adviser's vision and the student's belief in herself. John R. McCluney III, academic advisor, Kaplan University Online, September 17, 2009 As an academic adviser, I should never discourage students. Rather, I need to be frank and honest with them regarding their potentials for a given degree program. I should provide them the needed information for them to succeed in their chosen career path. I believe our private conversation should also include alternative options that are available, because ultimately the decision and outcomes are theirs to live with. Whatever decisions they'll come up, I must support. Baby P. Rejas, dean of instruction, CVSCAFT-Main Campus, Bilar, Bohol, Philippines, September 18, 2009 Unless the topic of conversation concerns deadlines or university policies, I don't see it as my role to tell students what they should or shouldn't do. My advising philosophy has always been to provide as many options as I can to the student so that s/he can make a well-informed decision. That doesn't mean that I will gloss over poor grades or a student's financial difficulty. I think as advisers, it's our job to (1) provide options and (2) provide a realistic picture of the student's current situation. Amy Kim, academic counselor, University of California, Irvine, September 18, 2009 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 | |
