Academic Advising Handbook

2008-2009

An Introduction to Advising at MHC

The Mount Holyoke academic advising system has as its guiding principle the belief that academic advising is a natural component and extension of faculty teaching. The quality of academic advising thus depends on the active participation of all faculty and the commitment of faculty members to advising excellence.

Being a "good" advisor begins with good listening and involves engaging students in dialogue rather than merely conveying "advice." Some students will tend to view advisors as authorities who will tell them what to do, but a good advisor encourages students to consider their own roles in preparing for and building their advising relationship. Prescriptive advice may not meet the needs of a specific advisee. Dialogue is the best route toward learning about your advisee and offering appropriate suggestions.

Being a “good” advisor requires learning about the needs of your advisees. As strong advisors, we develop our knowledge of the curriculum and requirements, and know where to refer students when their questions go beyond our own information base. One of the purposes of this manual is to provide a reference for advisors so that such information is readily available. Academic advising usually involves more than simply providing information. The extent of advising depends on the concerns of the individual student and the expectations of the faculty advisor. The important thing is for each to understand the "terms" of the relationship early on.

It is especially important to help first-year students develop their own individualized "advising team." This requires follow-up meetings in which advisors guide students toward appropriate additional mentors and advisors, including internship advisors in the Career Development Center, faculty from other disciplines, staff members, and peer advisors in the residence halls. One of our roles as advisors is to help advisees assemble their own advising teams as their interests evolve.

During her four years at Mount Holyoke, an advisee will make a variety of transitions that will shape her Mount Holyoke experience. An advisor who can meet a student "where she is" upon arrival is in a better position to help the student both accept these transitions and assess her progress along the way.

Advising frequently requires sensitivity to the interplay of the many dimensions of student life. At times, an advisor will have an advisee for whom personal or extrinsic factors become overwhelming to the extent that her academic progress is in jeopardy. Advisors are not expected to have the professional background to address the needs of students under such circumstances, but rather to know about the support services available and to guide a student to the appropriate resources.