Fletcher- Week 5- University Academic Advising Center

Note: I have been researching for a week, but I still do not know if "advisor" or "adviser" is the correct spelling of the word. There are currently multiple online debates about the spelling, Microsoft Word marks both as a correct, and Webster's dictionary lists both words as alternate spellings of each other. For now, I will stick to "advisor" until I am instructed to do otherwise.

Activities:

Observed and aided 5 advising sessions

Administrative tasks (i.e. making copies, sending faxes, filing, and greeting students)

Began working on instructional pamphlet for academic advising during orientation

Begin creating an instructional document that will help future practicum and internship workers with the necessary tasks during this job.

Discussed observations and thoughts with academic advisors and my supervisor

          The initial shock of working at University Academic Advising Center has subsided. I am becoming more and more comfortable every day with the daily routines and tasks associated with my practicum. I would not go as far as to say tasks that I perform are second nature, but I am much more comfortable overall. Now that the simple mechanics of my practicum have become fine-tuned, I find myself focusing on the atmosphere created by and relationship between students and their academic advisors. One thing that I absolutely love about this practicum is that every single student session is completely different from the one before it and the one after it. No two sessions have been the same thus far. Each student comes to the academic advising sessions with unique wants and needs for their future plans. Some students enter the center with a list of classes they would like to take and a list of careers they would like to pursue. Some students come into the center without any idea of what they would like to major in or of any subject that particularly interests them. Also, each student comes to academic advising at a different developmental level. Each advisor has a very unique way of connecting with the student and communicating with them. From the furniture arrangement to the color of the walls, every advisor has a particular way to make students feel comfortable and safe. Advisors are very mindful of making the computer screen visible to the student while signing them up for classes. One advisor always makes a point of having the student sit in his chair and use his computer to register for a few classes during the advising session. This is to ensure he/she becomes familiar with the banner registration system. I really enjoy sitting in on sessions like this because I feel the relationship between the student and the advisor is egalitarian and highly beneficial. Not all advising sessions are comfortable and free-flowing. In fact, some are downright awkward. These sessions typically include the advisor, the student, and an overprotective or agitated parent. While the advisors first priority is to ensure the student leaves with a schedule that he or she likes, it is difficult to do such a thing when a parent is talking over the student or making suggestions for the student. A few times, I have witnessed advisors ignore the parent's rambling and set their concentration directly on the student. For a people-pleaser like me, this is going to be hard to do in the future. However, I know it is necessary in order to fully benefit the student. I admire the courage and persistence of the advisors at my practicum. They honestly care about the student and his or her future. One day, when I'm an academic advisor (fingers crossed), I hope that I can portray the same passion and thoughtfulness that I've witnessed here at the academic advising center. I can't wait to dive further into observation during advising sessions in the coming weeks!

Kimberly