2008 Woodie Awards
SGA survey to determine effectiveness of advisers
By Jessica Rupell
Rocket Focus Editor
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: News
But while students are satisfied or not, the advising does go on.
Brinjak said all faculty members are expected to advise students under conditions of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculty contract.
"Students can offer their peers suggestions but cannot officially advise," Brinjak said. "Secretaries can't either; only faculty are allowed to officially advise."
Brinjak said each department is different with how faculty are assigned students, with the department chair deciding what advisees each adviser is given.
As far as if new faculty members are assigned advisees is also up to each department.
"Some departments do assign brand new faculty to the university advisees, while others wait a year or so after the faculty have been there," Brinjak said.
All new faculty are required to attend a two-day training when first hired, with advising being one of many topics discussed. However, faculty are not given any additional training regarding advising after that.
"You kind of learn as you go along," said Patricia Campbell, an associate professor in the geography, geology and the environment department. "Advising gets better as you know your program and the liberal studies programs better."
Campbell said the process also gets easier for students as they get older.
"The system can be very frustrating for freshmen," Campbell said, "And the DARS is confusing, too."
Yet some students, such as sophomore human resources major Beth Neel, think the scheduling process works, but are frustrated with advisers simply not listening to their advisees.
"It would be better if the adviser actually listened to what students are trying to tell them," Neel, 19, said. "For example, I work in the evening, so I don't want an evening class, but my adviser kept pushing them."
But Neel also said she does not believe all advisers are doing a bad job.
"I think it has a lot to do with the personality (of the adviser)," Neel said. "I started as an exploratory major and my adviser there was very helpful."
Brinjak said all faculty members are expected to advise students under conditions of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculty contract.
"Students can offer their peers suggestions but cannot officially advise," Brinjak said. "Secretaries can't either; only faculty are allowed to officially advise."
Brinjak said each department is different with how faculty are assigned students, with the department chair deciding what advisees each adviser is given.
As far as if new faculty members are assigned advisees is also up to each department.
"Some departments do assign brand new faculty to the university advisees, while others wait a year or so after the faculty have been there," Brinjak said.
All new faculty are required to attend a two-day training when first hired, with advising being one of many topics discussed. However, faculty are not given any additional training regarding advising after that.
"You kind of learn as you go along," said Patricia Campbell, an associate professor in the geography, geology and the environment department. "Advising gets better as you know your program and the liberal studies programs better."
Campbell said the process also gets easier for students as they get older.
"The system can be very frustrating for freshmen," Campbell said, "And the DARS is confusing, too."
Yet some students, such as sophomore human resources major Beth Neel, think the scheduling process works, but are frustrated with advisers simply not listening to their advisees.
"It would be better if the adviser actually listened to what students are trying to tell them," Neel, 19, said. "For example, I work in the evening, so I don't want an evening class, but my adviser kept pushing them."
But Neel also said she does not believe all advisers are doing a bad job.
"I think it has a lot to do with the personality (of the adviser)," Neel said. "I started as an exploratory major and my adviser there was very helpful."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Aly
posted 11/30/07 @ 7:56 AM EST
In my situation, I would disagree with the fact that advisors are not helpful. My advisor is amazing, he helps you find classes, he knows basically every class in the system and its course number and when they are provided, he goes through your DARS and figures out how many classes you need and when you will take what classes in order to graduate, i. (Continued…)
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