Academic Advisors, Teachers: One in the same?
Jasmine Pacheco
Issue date: 9/29/08 Section: News
Academic advising is important to many college students. Advisors help students plan the rest of their college semesters with suitable classes that are crucial to obtaining their degrees. While some students find their advisors to be extremely helpful, others struggle in searching for answers to their questions. Many times, these questions go unanswered. There might be other ways advising could be managed for it to be more effective.
Professional advising is a trend seen at other universities. While Lewis does offer its students professional advisors, often times, these advisors teach several classes throughout the semester. Schools like Moraine Valley, in Palos Hills, and Loyola University, in Chicago, each have professional advisors who only work with helping students plan the rest of their college days, without the stress of also handling classes.
Unfortunately for some students, misleading and unclear advising can lead to unnecessary and avoidable problems. One student explained that her advisor, "always approves classes that I don't have to take; so I end up dropping them and picking up another class that I actually need. That's fifty dollars every time." -----what student said these quotes?
Besides having to pay fines, some students aren't given the correct answers to their questions. Another student said "our meeting time is spent walking around trying to find someone who knows the answer and can help," about scheduling meetings with her advisor.
When asked what she would change about advising, the student replied, "I would change the lack of knowledge about basic schooling information that I feel an advisor should know. Also, I would change or want to keep the information consistent between all the teachers in the same department. It seems everyone gives you a different answer to the same question." This dilemma begs to question how advising could be altered to provide students with correct information, free of costly mistakes.
Professional advising is a trend seen at other universities. While Lewis does offer its students professional advisors, often times, these advisors teach several classes throughout the semester. Schools like Moraine Valley, in Palos Hills, and Loyola University, in Chicago, each have professional advisors who only work with helping students plan the rest of their college days, without the stress of also handling classes.
Unfortunately for some students, misleading and unclear advising can lead to unnecessary and avoidable problems. One student explained that her advisor, "always approves classes that I don't have to take; so I end up dropping them and picking up another class that I actually need. That's fifty dollars every time." -----what student said these quotes?
Besides having to pay fines, some students aren't given the correct answers to their questions. Another student said "our meeting time is spent walking around trying to find someone who knows the answer and can help," about scheduling meetings with her advisor.
When asked what she would change about advising, the student replied, "I would change the lack of knowledge about basic schooling information that I feel an advisor should know. Also, I would change or want to keep the information consistent between all the teachers in the same department. It seems everyone gives you a different answer to the same question." This dilemma begs to question how advising could be altered to provide students with correct information, free of costly mistakes.
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