Academic Advising

Academic Advising: Why do tertiary students need to be advised? What role does academic advising play in student retention? Who should advise students? Which model of advising is best suited for which institution? How should faculty advisors be compensated for the advising that they are engaged in? Central to the learning environment, academic advising is not confined to course selection done at registration periods or on sporadic unscheduled visits with an advisor. It is a developmental process which engages the holistic experience of the learner based on a tripartite conceptual framework: Conceptual Issues: definition of advising, role and responsibilities of advisees and advisors, and support and career services Critical Issues: policies, procedures, and guidelines governing the operations Informational Issues: the role of teaching in advising, communication, rapport building, and decision making Founded on the developmental-prescriptive continuum suggested by Crookston; It can be considered one of the best means of promoting intellectual, personal, and social development of students.