Academic Advising Handbook: Academic Advisor Expectations

Curriculum, requirements, policies, procedures, systems:

• Major and degree requirements
• What courses are required and why
• How to help students make efficient progress towards graduation (knowledge of pre-requisites, toxic course combinations, complementary minors, course availability, etc.)
• University policy and procedures
• FERPA and privacy regulations
• How to use sytemss such as KSIS and Navigate

Campus resources:

• Be acquainted with the various student support resources, opportunities for enrichment, and possible career and other post-graduate outcomes

Student characteristics and needs:

• Understand characteristics and needs of student populations and sub-populations (e.g., student athletes, first-generation students, adult students, veteran and military affiliated students, students from underrepresented and historically marginalized populations, etc.)
• Know the fundamentals of how students develop in college; the cognitive, social, and identity development arcs

First-responder insights:

• Recognize signs of distress related to belongingness, loneliness, depression, and finances
• The limitations and boundaries of their skills and role (and make appropriate referrals)

The curriculum:

• Teach students about their responsibilities
• Help students set short and long term goals
• Be creative and inventive in recommending coursework and enrichment opportunities in accord with student interests
• Adapt advising style to the student and circumstances
• Teach students processes such as major change, schedule change, how to enroll
• Inform students about opportunities in their field of study (e.g., internships, study abroad, undergraduate research)
• Help students make meaning of the their college experience
• Promote self-authorship in students
• Teach students processes such as major change, schedule change, how to enroll
• Inform students how their transfer work applies to their degree

Standards of practice:

• Be responsive and timely in interactions with students (including following up on information that requires investigation); timely = 1-2 business days
• Make appropriate referrals
• Take advising notes
• Use Navigate as the platform of engagement for academic advising
• Keep learning through professional development
• Share information and support advisors across the university
• Engage proactively with students at key touchpoints during the academic term (e.g., to promote enrollment, after faculty progress reports)
• Create a welcoming and open climate supportive of students from historically underrepresented and marginalized populations
• Be accessible and available to meet with students
• Check in about sense of belonging, financial needs, overall well-being
• Protect student information and preserve confidentiality
• Participate in academic advising assessment activities
• Communicate effectively
• Build trust
• Some advisors participate in recruitment activities

• All K-State students have the potential to succeed, and this success is indvidually defined
• Students come first: we help students find their path, including changes of major or transfer
• Diversity makes us stronger
• Excellent advising focuses on building relationships rather than processing transactions
• Students are multi-dimentional and excellence in advising attends to all dimensions
• Advisors should be prepared and present for each student interaction
• Advising supports student autonomy and self-reliance
• Collaboration with other advisors and referral units improves the student experience