Professional Advisor Responsibilities
While one-on-one meetings with students comprise a major part of the work that our professional advisors do, there are a number of other responsibilities that professional advisors are committed to fulfilling throughout the academic year. Below you will find lists of many of those responsibilities and details as to how they are completed.
Registration Outreach
Work with Registrar's office to determine un-registered students. Connect with students to determine next steps. Report outcomes back to Registrar's office.
Meet with all 1st year students as part of required advising initiative. Engage in discussions about program planning, degree progress, and adjustment to campus.
Assist departments in determining available seats in courses. Work with Dean's Office in making adjustments/changes.
Begin outreach to students to determine academic planning for upcoming year. Outreach includes group advising sessions, social media posts, and in-class visits.
Advisors receive lists from the Registrar's office showing students who have registered for a class they already have credit for. Advisors will reach out to students to see if it makes sense to take the class again or recommend substituting a different course.
Advising and Registration
These 30-minute meetings take place either 1:1 in-person, virtually through Zoom, or over the phone. Advisors will assist students with questions ranging from course planning to graduation questions and everything in-between. Advisors will also refer students to other campus support services as appropriate.
Work with incoming first year students during the summer (May-August). Offer sessions in-person as well as over Zoom. Before meeting with the student – advisors evaluate AP, dual enrollment, and IB credits the student is bringing in. During the meeting, help student register for both Fall and Winter courses. Zoom sessions last on average 1.5 hours. In-person sessions are full day. After meetings, advisors also review schedules to ensure appropriate selection of courses.
Work with incoming transfer students during the academic year – including spring/summer. Create packets showing the student how their coursework will transfer, a proposed schedule for their start semester(s), and provide resources about the university. Meetings take place both in-person or over Zoom and typically last 1.5 hours.
Work with incoming international students during the academic year – including spring/summer. In conjunction with PIC, advisors create a proposed schedule for their start semester(s), and provide resources about the university. Meetings take place both in-person or over Zoom and typically last 1.5 hours.
Advisors, in collaboration with faculty, review and when appropriate revise major curriculum guides.
Student Retention and Success
Advisors use the Navigate platform to contact different groups of students. This outreach can vary based on center. Examples range from students applying to secondary admit programs to students on Academic Probation/Jeopardy of Dismissal. Advisors attempt to meet with these students periodically throughout the academic year to check on academic progress.
Advisors receive lists from Registrar showing students with a D/F grade at midterm. Contact is made with those students to determine what resources may be needed to ensure success. Students are then flagged in Navigate and kept up with during the semester.
In conjunction with Admissions, advisors review and update the transfer plans on the Admissions website. These guides are used when working with incoming transfer students.
Communication
Centers send out monthly newsletters to students as a way to alert them of upcoming events. Events can range from faculty workshops to semester career fairs. Additional support service events are also promoted as needed.
Centers utilize social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) to connect with students. Posts range from faculty profiles to notices about upcoming events.
Centers provide support to college events. Events can be for prospective, current, and K-12 students. Advisors utilize these events to talk with interested students about their majors/programs as a way to encourage students to attend GVSU.
As necessary, advisors will assist colleagues from the Division of Student Affairs on applicable events.
Assessment
Each Advising Center is required to participate in assessment through the University Assessment Committee. As part of that assessment, centers have agreed to assess the following outcomes:
Objective 1: Students will be better informed of the university requirements for graduation.
Objective 2: Students will be better informed of the general education requirements for graduation.
Objective 3: Students will be better informed of their major requirements for graduation.
Measure 1: The Appointment Summary in Navigate will include questions that address each objective, and advisors will use observational assessment to determine if students are better informed of each requirement for graduation after the advising appointment.
Measure 2: A post-appointment survey will be sent to students, asking if they are better informed of all of their graduation requirements after meeting with their advisor.
Objective 1: Students will be referred to other academic and co-curricular university resources.
Measure 1: The Appointment Summary in Navigate will include questions that address if and where a referral was made.
Measure 2: A post-appointment survey will be sent to students, asking if they were referred to another resource at GVSU during their academic advising appointment.
Centers are able to add additional assessment outcomes as they see fit.