Building a Relationship

Students have a better chance of being retained if they have a relationship with a faculty member. Advising may provide the only sustained relationship a student may have at Southern Poly. It is important that we as advisors show concern and interest in our advisees. Students will value the information and are more likely to follow and seek out the advice of a faculty member that shows genuine interest and concern. There are many different ways to show concern and interest:

  • Remember your advisees' first name and call them by it. 
  • Remember interests and hobbies of your advisees
  • Smile
  • Show a positive attitude of respect and openness
  • Be a good listener
    • Keep eye contact
    • Pay attention to non-verbal communication (crossed arms, posture, etc.)
    • Suspend judgment
    • Repeat back, to clarify what you think you have heard
    • Do not Interrupt, Argue, Criticize, or Judge
  • Use open-ended questions to promote communication. These questions will help your advisee think and spur communication while closed-ended questions can be answered in a few words and can close down communication.



Advising Students toward Academic Success

One of the most important roles of the advisor is to promote academic success. Below are several tips you can give to and discuss with your advisee. These points may seem silly and you would already expect the students to be doing them. However, a lot of freshmen (and transfer students) do not know how to succeed academically. In high school or a previous college, the student may have coasted by, but Southern Poly is a difficult school, and the student may need some study tips.

  • Attend every class. 
  • Stay healthy. (sleep, diet, exercise)
  • Use the two hour rule. (two hours of study for every hour in class)
  • Get involved in school activities. (Sports, Student Organizations, Volunteering)
  • Get to know your professors. (Every professor has posted office hours and would love to get to know his/her students. Students that make a connection with their professors are more likely to succeed.)
  • Know where the campus resources are and how to access them. (Learning Resource Center, Career Service, and the Counseling Office are just a few.)
  • Academic Planner. (This is one of the first steps to time management)



Advising Students in Academic Trouble 

One of the most challenging aspects of an advisor is dealing with the student in academic trouble.
If a student is in academic trouble, it could be for several reasons:

  • un-prepared academic rigor of SPSU
  • unmotivated
  • poor test taking skills or study habits
  • working too many hours (a big problem at SPSU)
  • family or personal problems
  • lack of direction or in wrong major

To address these problems:

  • Speak candidly with the student about what will happen if this continues. (probation, suspension, etc.)
  • Ask for the student to see you mid-semester.
  • Review the student's transcripts and past history to see if there is a pattern.
  • Refer the student to our on campus resources.
    • Learning Resource Center
    • Counseling Department
    • Career Service