What does an academic advisor do?

All first-year students have the opportunity to meet with their academic advisor three times during their first semester and must be authorized by their advisor before registering for spring classes. Most students are assigned to an academic advisor in the Academic Advising Center based on their major, and the advisor helps them develop a plan to meet their academic goals.

Students directly admitted into the colleges of business, engineering, public health, or nursing meet with an advisor from their college.

Maureen Schafer, senior associate advisor in the Academic Advising Center, explains the role of academic advisor.

Q: How is an academic advisor different than a guidance counselor?

A: We understand that students come to the university with varied experiences with guidance counselors. What students can expect to be different, however, is that their relationship with their academic advisor is one that has some structure to it. It’s very intentional—we are not just here to answer questions when students have them. We assume there are many questions they don’t know to ask, and that’s why we require appointments. While we answer the questions they do have, we also are proactive and guide them with our own questions, like “How are you feeling about your major?”

Q: Do students come to you with questions that are not academic in nature?

A: All the time. We can be a good point person at the university, helping students find the best resources on campus and making referrals. Some of that is academic, and some of it is not. In fact, sometimes they’re surprised when they come in for their first planning appointment and we start by asking, “So, where are you living, and how do you like it?” or “What have you gotten involved in outside of class?” Students often expect the appointment to be all business, but we really are interested in their overall university experience.

Q: What changes have you noticed in students since you became an advisor
in 1999?

A: We have seen an increase in mental health concerns, and that’s a nationwide issue. Parenting itself has changed over the years, and our students have varying levels of their own self advocacy. Students who don’t have a lot of skill in making their own decisions have a harder transition, and we see our role as helping empower students to advocate for themselves and also to really engage in their own education. We don’t want them to think it’s overwhelming; we want them to think it’s exciting.