Academic advising: how to leave the office with more than your DARS
By Megan Krause, Campus Life writer
April 25, 2007 | 6:30 p.m.
When there is trouble in academia, students look toward their academic advisers; however, not everyone is comfortable with his or her adviser or the advice they offer. If it’s time to make a change, Speakeasy can help.
Acceptable reasons to request a change of adviser
The most common reasons for adviser changes include: transferring from a regional campus, changing your major, or having a conflicting schedule with your adviser's hours. “Usually it’s one of the previous reasons or some other reason they’re not physically here,” said Floyd Doney, Student Services coordinator and academic adviser for the College of Education. However, other cases are considered and approved based on each individual situation.
When it comes to changing your adviser in the University College, they take another approach. According to assistant dean of Student Services and adviser Laura Chapman, requests are made and granted on the spot. "They could simply come in the University College and ask for another adviser and we give it to them no questions asked," said Chapman. Chapman added that adviser changes do not necessarily have to do with competence of the adviser, but with his or her style of advising.
Procedures on changing advisers vary among the colleges and it is important that you contact Student Services to find the right procedure for your program.
Choosing your adviser
When requesting a change of adviser, it is possible to request a certain faculty member. However, depending on the situation the request may or may not be possible. According to Doney, each adviser is available for only a certain number of students. If an adviser is popular, a student may not be able to change to that faculty member.
Assistant dean of Student Services for the College of Business Michael Bila agreed, “If they [advisers] are offering a good service we tend to have people gravitate toward those people.”
Notifying advisers of the change
When a change of adviser is requested, the student may or may not have to confront their current adviser. In the College of Education, the form to request an adviser change requires a signature from both the student’s current adviser and their new adviser along with the reason for the change. According to Doney, it is not required for the student to ask permission from the new adviser, but the request is more likely to be approved if they agree to advise the student in advance.
However, the College of Business does not require the students to inform their adviser. According to Bila, it is understood that when a student changes advisers there is a good chance they are not comfortable talking to that person. “Requiring them [the students] to go back and have an exit interview wouldn’t be very productive,” said Bila.
The key to having a good relationship with your adviser
According to Chapman, when looking for a relationship with an adviser it is important to realize it is just as important for the student to do what is expected of them. "It's a two-way street. You both have a role to fill," said Chapman. "If your adviser gives you something to do, follow through."
The College of Business approves requests for change of advisers about 60 percent of the time. The 40 percent that are not granted permission to change their adviser are those students who have not put forth sufficient effort. Bila explained that this would include students who complain that their adviser is unreachable when they have only attempted to contact them a few times. In these cases, Bila suggests that students attempt contact through e-mail, a note, or a phone call before coming to this conclusion.
According to Chapman, a set of rules for how the relationship should be are in the student handbook and were developed a few years ago by a university committee and the Student Senate. Responsibilities for both the adviser and the advisee are listed clearly, such as advisers posting office hours and advisees finding a new adviser.
Chapman also pointed out that advising is not just about scheduling. "I think it should be a relationship and lots of the time it isn't," said Chapman. She suggests that students establish an unofficial advising relationship with someone they feel comfortable with. Relationships with advisers are established when you see them on a regular basis. The handbook states that “communicating professionally (clearly and politely) and developing relationships with your adviser and each professor/instructor are important to your academic success.”
Other ways to seek academic advice
Most of the colleges on campus provide an alternative way to get help other than a student’s assigned academic adviser. According to Bila, business students always have the option to come to the student services office for help. “They [the students] can work through moments of temporary frustration pretty easy around here,” he said.
The College of Education also offers general advising services in their department of student services. “We hope to give folks lots of opportunities to meet with people whether it’s the faculty adviser or the general adviser here,” said Maureen Coon, dean of student affairs and academic advising for the College of Education.