Advising Basics

Advising Mission & Goals:

The Office of Advising & Co-Curricular Programs serves as a resource hub of resources for students, offering academic guidance, support for academic achievement, tutoring services, and transitional programs. Our primary aim is to cultivate a safe and supportive environment where students feel a sense of belonging enabling students to be recognized, and empowered to succeed on their individual journeys toward their personal and professional growth at lafayette.

What is Academic Advising?  It is the pathway that supports students in unlocking the full educational advantages within the Lafayette College learning environment. This involves assisting students in recognizing their capabilities and leveraging the college’s resources to achieve their educational, career , and personal objectives. Academic Advising here is founded on a partnership between student and faculty, promoting ongoing development, improvement, and clarification aiming to advance both institutional advising objectives and targeted outcomes for students. At Lafayette it is essential that academic advising incorporates the following 3 components:

  1. Conceptual- It is essential for advisors to understand why advising is necessary.
  2. Informational- It is essential for advisors to demonstrate knowledge of curriculum and resources.
  3. Relational – It is essential for advisors display skills in relaying information and building rapport.

Advising Relationship & Expectations:

Academic advisors work with students to achieve the following goals:

  • Clarify their personal values and career aspirations.
  • Assist in formulating tailored educational plans
  • Guide students in selecting suitable courses and educational opportunities
  • Support students in assessing their advancement towards educational objectives and meeting program requirements specific to their studies.
  • Foster an awareness that decision making, both in advising and in life is a collaborative responsibility.
  • Encourage students to access college support services and enhance their understanding of available resources.
  • Address the unique academic advising requirements of individual student populations.

Advisor Role:

  • Educate students about the advisor student dynamic.
  • Initiate regular communication.
  • Function as an academic mentor (course selection, major/minor declaration, short/long-term goals)
  • Communicate advising availability hours.
  • Guide students and direct them to additional resources if issues arise in the following areas: attendance, financial, employment, or personal challenges requiring specialized assistance.
  • Explore connection between academic pursuits and career ambitions, guiding students in linkin their intellectual goals to future professional aspirations.Refer students to the Gateway Career Center to assist students in identifying non-credit internships, externships, and career opportunities.
  • Prioritize active listening to students needs and concerns

Helpful Links:

Concept of Academic Advising

Core Values of Academic Advising

Core Competencies of Academic Advising

Understanding the Advising Learning Process 

Constructing Learning Objectives for Academic Advising

Supporting Students as Faculty Advisors: Lessons Learn from Navigating a Pandemic

Motivational Interviewing in Advising: Working with Students to Change

Advisee Role:

  • Be well prepared for advising session.
  • Familiarize yourself with your advisor’s office hours.
  • Reach out and schedule appointments with your advisor when necessary or seeking guidance.
  • If unable to attend the scheduled appointment, inform your advisor.
  • Acquire familiarity with institutional policies, procedures and criteria.
  • Follow up with suggestions outlined during each session, particularly referrals.
  • Clarify your personal values, skills, interests, and objectives.
  • Acknowledge your ultimate responsibility for all decisions made.

What if?

You are a new faculty advisor?

Please attend the Scenarios in Advising Series. This is a series of conversations between faculty and administrators using real life advising scenarios to provide helpful tips and strategies for academic advising sessions. These conversations happen both in person and virtually. All sessions are recorded for continual learning and access. For additional details, please see Tim Cox, coxt@lafayette.edu. Kindly review the helpful links provided above.

You or the student is considering a change in faculty advisor assignment. 

When you perceive ongoing personality differences between yourself and te student hindering the process, and over time, you find communication with the student ineffective. For FY’s, please contact Alexis A. Smith, smithale@lafayette.edu. For all other class years, please contact your respective DH.

You are not an expert in your advisees intended major?

It’s ok! You are the student’s pre-declaration advisor. Your role is to provide mentorship, support, and advice to help students explore their academic interests, align their goals with the major’s requirements, and successfully progress through their academic program until Declaration of Major. Develop a routine of contacting colleagues across various disciplines to support your advising efforts. Additionally, consider referring your advisees to seek guidance from faculty in their field of interest. Keep in mind, this is a chance to grasp new knowledge and apply it to assist another advisee.

It’s Registration and the students top course selections are no longer available?

Encourage students to explore. We are a Liberal Arts College and Lafayette incorporates the Common Course of Study (CCS) requirements to allow students to explore and take classes outside of their intended majors. It’s part of the experience. At times it is this experience that assists students in choosing a major or minor that they would never have chosen before.  All of these requirements are needed for graduation.

Can’t remember specifics about one of your many advisees?

Make it a habit to document important details between you and your student in DegreeWorks after each session.At the top right corner of the students audit are 3 dots, click and select notes. This feature will allow you to go back and review your last conversations, recommendations and any information that you may need to follow up. You may also record any advising strategies you used to help you assess what approaches/styles work best for you.

Referrals

When: 

  • The issue is of a personal nature, and you have a personal relationship with student.
  • The student is hesitant to discuss the issue.
  • The issue extends beyond your expertise or if the student asks for information that surpasses your level of competency.

How:

  • Refer the student to a specific person whenever possible rather than to an office or agency in general. Familiarity with the personnel and the function of each office will help you to determine the right person to select for each situation. The list of appropriate individuals on this campus follows this section.
  • If appropriate and possible, offer to assist the student in making an appointment with a specific person at the office. This may give important help to an already overly anxious student.
  • Unless appropriate, do not transmit information about the student to the referral source in the presence of the student. This may create the feeling that everyone on campus knows the particular problem. Always secure the student’s permission before relating personal information to other campus officials.
  • When the student returns from the referral, inquiring as to whether or not he/she kept his appointment is usually enough for the student to volunteer whatever information is necessary to continue your working relationship as an advisor.Resources that can support your advising sessions:Resources that can support your advising sessions:

Resources that can support your advising sessions:

Gateway Career Center

Academic Resource Hub (Accessibilities, Tutoring, SI, etc…)

Resources for International Students

Class Year Deans

OnePard

Academic Catalog

Office of the Registrar (Deadlines, Ferpa, Transcripts, Registration, Petitions, Exam Schedules)

Course Selection Resources