Advisors,
you have an important role in helping students intentionally plan a meaningful college experience. You may also be helping them declare a major and start preparing for graduate school, service, or employment. You will build strong relationships with students and will encourage them to connect with people, extra-curricular programs, and off-campus experiences. Your advisees will look to you for guidance in developing their skills and talents, for making connections with what they're learning, and to help launch their next steps after college.
Principia's Philosophy of Advising
Advising at Principia is based on the pillars of advising from the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).
The NACADA Concept of Advising is an Advising as Teaching model, comprised of outcomes for learning, curriculum, and pedagogy. As advisors, we equip students with needed information and skills, and then empower them to express their agency and create a uniquely meaningful college experience. Empowering students could look like using this range of approaches, as needed, with any individual student, at any moment in time: model, instruct, assist, encourage, expect. Though advisors each have their own style with students, we aim to find effective ways to both help and empower students as unique individuals. Check out the workshop videos and articles for more information!
The NACADA Core Competencies are reflected in the outcomes of advising.
- Conceptual: We help students to understand a liberal arts education, the College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes (CWSLOs), and how these concepts relate to student goals, planning, and success -- including beyond college.
- Informational: We help students to understand the curriculum and to use available resources to plan short- and long-range college experiences.
- Relational: We help students learn to effectively engage in the advising process; we develop rapport with students in ways that help them feel cared about, respected, and empowered.
The NACADA Core Values include Caring, Commitment, Empowerment, Inclusivity, Integrity, Professionalism, and Respect
Advising Responsibilities
In order to be an effective advisor, you will need to:
- Read and be familiar with the Principia College Catalog.
- Meet with advisees for course planning at least once per term.
- Be alert to deadlines, such as add/drop, withdrawal, petitions, applications for study abroad programs, etc.
- Sign forms once they are filled out properly.
- Arrange coverage for your advisees if you will be off campus.
- Use the Educational Planning Guide to help students with short and long-range planning. Departments may develop and use their own version.
- Understand on-campus resources that are available to support students and refer your advisees to them when appropriate.
Supports For Advisors
AASC provides the following supports for advisors:
- Initial advisor training, usually during spring term (Experienced advisors can also attend for a refresher!)
- Cheat Sheet to help plan advising meetings (Contact Joy Trout for the most updated one!)
- Ongoing workshops on topics of current import
- An Advisor Briefing each semester in preparation for the upcoming round of advising
- Timely prompts during the term regarding advising activities
- Q&A at any time - contact Joy Trout at joy.trout@principia.edu or (618) 374-5149.
