My Advising Role

My advising role is constantly evolving to meet the needs of my advisees. However, there are principles that I adhere to in my role as an advisor at IPFW and student learning and developmental outcomes I hope my advisees achieve.

According to IPFW's Academic Advising Handbook, advisors are expected to "assist students in the development of meaningful educational plans." Towards that end, IPFW advisors should contribute to the following student learning and developmental outcomes: intellectual growth, effective communication, realistic self-appraisal, enhanced self-esteem, clarified values, career choices, leadership development, healthy behaviors, meaningful interpersonal relations, independence, collaboration, social responsibility, satisfying and productive lifestyles, appreciation of diversity, spiritual awareness, and achievement of personal and educational goals.

In line with these institutional expectations, I focus on a few key student learning and developmental outcomes during my advising sessions including::

1. Intellectual growth-- To facilitate this, I engage the student in learning opportunities with regard to IPFW general education, major, graduate school, and career requirements.

2. Career choices-- To aid students in their career choice, I help students clarify their career goals and direct them towards resources that will help them learn more about these careers. I also help them develop an academic plan that is consistent with this choice.

3. Achievement of personal and educational goals-- In every advising session, I work with the student to reassess his or her personal and educational goals. We talk about whether or not the student's current academic plan aligns well with those goals and what changes (if any) need to be made to meet educational, career, and personal goals.

Overall, I hope to build a positive, meaningful relationship with all of my advisees by expressing enthusiasm and support, helping my students think critically about their educational plans and career choices, and helping them map their educational experiences onto their life goals.

Are you a second semester junior or a senior? If so, please click here.