Advising Fundamentals
Ground your advising practice in these practical advising fundamentals.
1. Practice our mission.
Align your advising practice with advising mission, definition, and student learning outcomes.
2. Take a Strengths-Based advising approach in your advising practice
Learn more about Strengths-Based Advising
3. Be Proactive
Students need and expect proactive outreach and support from their advisors. Don’t wait for your advisees to come to you. Send clear, explicit, and supportive messaging to your advisees, follow-up if needed, and provide prompt responses. Use the Advising Calendar/Proactive Outreach Plan.
4. Be Adaptable
Offer communication methods that are effective for both you and your advisee(s):
- Video (e.g. Zoom) allows you to evaluate non-verbal cues and share your screen - valuable teaching tools for an advising sessions. However, students may be using a phone, have poor or no connectivity, etc., which will negate the positives of Zoom.
- Phone.
- In-person
5. Make effective referrals for students who need help from their instructors, academic support services, or community resources
6. Use advising resources effectively (both knowledge and technology resources)
- Advising Calendar/Proactive Outreach Plan
- Aviso and Aviso User Resources & Reference Guide (in the MyNIC portal)
- Advising in Self-Service (in the MyNIC portal)
- Advising Mission, Definition, and Student Learning Outcomes
- Interest Area and Advisor Contacts
- Advising Services
- Transfer Center
- College Catalog and program pathways (part-time and full-time)
- NIC COVID 19 Updates
7. Ask for help and guidance when you need it
Advising Services, professional advisors, and interest area faculty advisors are available to support you in the development of your advising practice and providing information you need to best advise your students.