Advising is a teaching process that takes place outside the classroom. It addresses the student's entire undergraduate experience. Quality advisement must be based on the shared responsibility of the student and their academic advisor. Advisors serve as mentors, role models and career guides through their unique position as the coordinator of the undergraduate experience. Good advisors help students to realize the maximum benefits available to them and how to best obtain a quality and well-rounded educational experience.
Components of Successful Advising Program at Northwest
- Proper advising is an entitlement of all students throughout their academic career at Northwest.
- A critical ingredient of student recruitment, retention and ultimately, student success.
- A developmental and at times proactive process that meets the changing needs of students through the various stages of the educational experience.
- The understanding that students have the responsibility to engage interactively in the advising process. The ultimate responsibility for making decisions about goals and educational plans rests with the student. The advisor aids by helping to identify and assess alternatives and consequences of decisions.
- An operationally decentralized advising program facilitated by the central institutional support of student services offices.
- A collaborative process and a collective responsibility. Occurring primarily between students and faculty, professional and peer advisors, but also involves other University personnel in student academic support activities.
- A responsibility shared by all faculty.
- All advisors who are positively involved in advising services should be properly trained, evaluated and rewarded.
