A Three-Strategy Approach to Advising Appointments

A THREE-STRATEGY APPROACH FOR IMPACTFUL ADVISING APPOINTMENTS

NEW ADVISOR LEARNING MODULE COMPLETION TIME: 5-7 MINUTES

INTRODUCTION

Effective academic advising involves using a student-centered strategy to engage students and guide them toward degree completion. Research shows that student-centered advising impacts a student’s engagement, belonging, and completion (Babb et al., 2023).

Reference: Kathryn Babb, Megan Mitchell, Stacy Van Horn; A Solution-Focused Model: Integrating Counseling Concepts into Higher Education Academic Advising. NACADA Review 1 December 2023; 4 (2): 68–77. doi: https://doi.org/10.12930/NACR-22-18

Learning Objectives

• Learn three strategies for effective advising appointments.

• Demonstrate the ability to apply these techniques in an advising scenario.

WHY USE STRATEGY

• Establish a method for your advising approach. Be curious!

• Understand what student demographics expect from an advising appointment to improve student outcomes and impact student success.

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”― Maya Angelou

THREE STRATEGIES

PROVIDE SOLUTION(S)

ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS

LEVERAGE ESTABLISH RESOURCES

How to apply strategY

LEVERAGE ESTABLISH RESOURCES

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PROVIDE SOLUTIONS

ASK CLARIFYING QUETIONS

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scenario

Kai scheduled an advising appointment because it's a required check-in. At the start of the meeting, Kai says, "I’m here because I need to complete an advising appointment to register for my first semester classes. I don’t know where to start or what to ask.” As their advisor, you see this as an opportunity to help Kai discover something new or clarify their next steps.

QUESTION 1

QUESTION 2

• What strategy will you try in your next advising appointment?

• What strategy will you enhance at your next advising appointment?

ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS

LEVERAGE ESTABLISH RESOURCES

PROVIDE SOLUTION(S)

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123-456-7890

Advising@email.com

advising.utah.edu

These two questions center on the student’s needs at the beginning of the advising conversation. For example:

• What brings you in for an appointment?
• Defines the purpose of the meeting.
• What would you like to accomplish during this meeting?
• Establishes a goal for the meeting.
• Ask this before and during an advising appointment to catch potential changes to a student's goal.
• Avoid using advising jargon by (re)stating your questions in a descriptive way.

The goal of using established resources is to avoid reinventing something and to help make your job easier. For example:

• Use guides from your department to help a student create a map of coursework.
• You can do certain activities each time you meet with a student, even if the interaction is short.
• Identify a point of contact for your questions (e.g., policy or course changes)

Provide a solution to the student's problem or need by the end of the meeting. For example:

• It’s okay to say “I don’t know” however, follow up with an answer.

• This approach allows for learning of new information to share with the next student who comes with a similar question, need or problem.

• When appropriate, refer the student to another resource or department to better assist them with their need.
• Career or major exploration
• Mental health counseling