Values of Academic Advising
- Advisers as Educators
- Advising professionals incorporate teaching, counseling and problem solving methods utilizing models that match their unique styles and training. Diverse advising styles are embraced and supported as a part of the University of Washington's academic mission. Research about advising outcomes and effectiveness is part of an ongoing effort to provide quality advising and education for all students. Professional competencies and development for all advisers is encouraged and supported.
- Advisers as Leaders
- Advisers are change agents and active academic community members who partner with faculty, staff and administration at all levels of the institution to further the mission of the University of Washington. As such, they actively participate in decision making at all levels of the university structure, including standing committees and special appointments from the presidential to the departmental level. They are advocates for students and advising issues that pertain to university wide academic and student development endeavors.
- Collaborative Learning
- At the heart, advising embraces collaborative learning. Advisers partner with faculty to create a dynamic curriculum, learning goals and intellectual outcomes. They partner with staff and programmatic units to provide students with rich experiential learning opportunities. Advisers partner with students engaging in a reflective dialogue and inquiry process throughout their educational tenure. This dialogue incorporates the transformative elements of both in and out of classroom learning. The advising partnership helps students articulate learning goals and educational outcomes that encompass their total transformative experience.
- Empowering Students
- Student empowerment is critical to academic success and transformation. Effective learning includes access to critical services, policies, procedures and programs. Advisers advocate for and facilitates students' access to university systems. Advisers educate students so that they can learn how to effectively navigate within a bureaucratic system. Considering many personal, professional and academic issues influence student success, advising staff members strive to be sensitive to and provide resources for these varied concerns. Student empowerment contributes to satisfaction and success, encouraging retention toward completion of educational goals.
- Diversity
- The value for diversity in thought and human experience is demonstrated throughout the advising profession. Diversity of thought, the center of academic freedom is reflected in the respect for varied academic advising approaches considering theoretical and experiential orientations toward our work. Advisers are committed to maintaining an awareness of and sensitivity to diversity issues for all students. Our intent is to serve as diversity educators and advocates. Our role is to help eliminate actual or perceived university barriers so that all students may achieve their academic goals.