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Academic Advising: Leverage Point for Systemic Change Initiatives?


Posted: Nov 29 2017 by
Sean Bridgen
Kansas State University
Sean Bridgen, Pennsylvania State University-New Kensington
Change Topics (Working Groups): Policy
Target Audience: College/University Staff, Non-tenure Track Faculty, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Institution Administration
Program Components: Professional Development:Advising and Mentoring, Supporting Students:Academic Support, Professional Preparation

I am beginning my sixteenth year as an academic adviser; I have worked at large research universities, a small state college, and a small private college. My experiences and scholarly work have taught me that the day-to-day decisions academic advisers make can have a significant impact on how the university functions. Academic advising is structurally designed to include one on one conversations with students regarding the direction of their education, what their current challenges are, what they have learned, and what they want to learn in the future. As a result of this structure, advisers are uniquely positioned to have in-depth conversations about the university's mission, and why the curriculum is structured the way it is; this unique position can also allow advisers to function as a leverage point for change initiatives. More

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