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Communicating With Your Advisee
According to NACADA, Communication in Advising "underpins every student interaction that an advisor will encounter." Frequent and focused interactions can build trust, help your advisee feel comfortable and supported, and provide you with important information to help guide positive and productive advising sessions.
Questions to Ask During an Advising Appointment
Asking questions that are thoughtful and focused can build trust, help your advisee feel comfortable, and provide you with important information to help guide positive and productive advising sessions.
What brings you in today?
Sometimes this question can come as a surprise to a student because they assume you know why they are there, if it is required for them to meet with their advisor. Asking this is helpful to get the conversation started and help the student take ownership of their advising relationship.
How is your semester going? What have you learned about your major that surprises you? When friends or family ask about Humboldt, what do you tell them?
These type of questions help you ascertain your advisee's level of well-being and happiness, both at Humboldt and in their major
Lead into a discussion about whether their major is a good fit. Sometimes students will be hesitant to share if they are struggling or unhappy in their major. They don't want to offend you. It is important to read into their answer and look for nonverbal cues. It is helpful to remind them that you are most concerned about their well-being and success, even if it means they will change majors. 75% of Humboldt students change majors, so it is very possible they may not stay with their declared major. Helping them figure that out early will help them more in the long run.
What classes did you like the most this semester? The least? Why?
This can help garner further information about if their major is a good fit, as well as possible suggestions to refer to available resources.
Tell me about your plans after you graduate from Humboldt? What types of careers are you interested in?
Exploring the major from the career perspective can help identify any gaps in expectations about the major or career.
What other interests do you have? Are you involved in any clubs or activities? Have you thought about other ways to enhance your degree?
This shows that you care about the person as well as the student. It also gives you opportunities to encourage campus involvement, which lead to greater sense of belonging and increased retention.
Completing a minor, studying abroad, internships, taking on leadership roles in clubs and activities can all help to enhance a degree.
Have you encountered any difficulties?
This could relate to any area of the students life - personal, academic, at work, dorms, home, etc. You don’t have to solve their problems, but being aware of what they are dealing with will allow you to refer appropriately as well as show them they are not alone.
Tell me about any campus resources you've used or are familiar with?
Learning Center, Academic Advising Center, etc. If you can engage in a discussion of which ones they use, you reinforce the availability of resources and the importance of taking advantage of the support offered at Humboldt.
What courses are you thinking of taking next semester?
Asking them for their suggestions before offering yours helps reaffirm the advising partnership and extends ownership to the student. It is not just you telling them what to take, but together, you develop the best plan for the student.
In addition to your studies, what other responsibilities do you have such as work or commitments?
It is important to have a broader understanding of the commitments and responsibilities students have as these will affect their class schedule. They may need to take less credits, or it may be necessary to put off more rigorous courses (if possible) for a future semester when/if the demands are not so high.
Is there anything else you would like to discuss?
Email Templates for Regular and Timely Semester Communications
(under construction)
Please feel free to copy and modify the following email example templates to fit your style, student and department needs.
Dear <STUDENT NAME>,
Welcome to the <MAJOR> major. My name is <INSERT NAME> and I am your academic advisor. I'm looking forward to getting to know you over the course of our time working together. My role as your advisor is to support you. I can help you plan your progress to graduation and connect with resources available at Cal Poly Humboldt to help you succeed.
I recommend that we meet soon to talk about your new major. I am eager to learn about you and your goals for your time at Cal Poly Humboldt.
To schedule an appointment: <INSERT SCHEDULE INFO.>
You can learn a bit more about me <INSERT LINK TO CAMPUS BIO>. I'd also like to share the following statements that align with my advising philosophy:
I consider my office to be a place where you will be treated with respect, and I welcome individuals of all ages, backgrounds, beliefs, ethnicities, genders, gender identities, gender expressions, national origins, religious affiliations, sexual orientations, abilities as well as other visible and non-visible differences.
I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference so that I may make a note of that in my records. If you wish to change your pronouns in your Student Center, instructions can be found here.
I want to acknowledge that Cal Poly Humboldt (and my home) is on the unceded territory of the Wiyot people. It is surrounded by the traditional, ancestral, and present homeland of several indigenous nations including the Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Tolowa, Wailaki, and Yurok that make up Humboldt County.
Looking forward to meeting you,
Dear <STUDENT NAME>,
Welcome to <FALL OR SPRING> semester! It’s a busy time and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Know that there are people all over campus ready to help you if needed. I am looking forward to working with you this semester as your academic advisor.
Here are my office hours and appointment scheduler: <INSERT SCHEDULE INFO.>
General Drop-in Academic Advising is available as well: humboldt.edu/advising
The Academic Advising Center offers drop-in advising in Lower Library 27 and via Zoom, including support with your class schedule. Questions academic advisors can help with:
- What if I’m waitlisted for a class?
- What if I want to add or drop a class?
- Do I have enough units? Or too many?
- How do I change my major/add a minor?
Upcoming Deadlines: Please visit humboldt.edu/events/academic-deadlines for full details:
- Waitlisted Classes: If you are position #5 or less, attend the first class meeting.
- If you are enrolled for classes you do not wish to take: It is your responsibility to officially drop the class.
- Deadline to DROP or ADD a class without a permission number: <INSERT DEADLINE>
I’m excited to meet with you! Feel free to schedule an appointment with me so that we can discuss your academic goals, and plan for this semester and beyond.
Have a good week!
Dear <STUDENT NAME>,
I hope your semester has started off well. The deadline to add or drop a class is coming up on <INSERT DATE at 11:59 PM>. Please note, that if you want to add a class between now and then, you will need a permission number from the course instructor.
- Instructions to add a class with a permission number.
- Step 10 explains how to use the permission number to add a class.
- Instructions to drop a class. After the drop deadline, a request for permission to withdraw with a documented serious & compelling reason will be required.
If you would like to discuss adding or dropping a course before the deadline:
- Schedule an appointment: <INSERT SCHEDULE INFO.>
- If you are in urgent need of help with adding/dropping classes, visit Drop-in Advising humboldt.edu/advising, with the Academic and Career Advising Center.
Please let me know if I can help with anything,
Dear <Student Name>,
I hope you're doing well and have the resources and support you need to succeed in your academic journey! I want to be sure you're aware that the deadline for changing the grade mode of a course from a letter grade to Credit/No Credit (Cr/NC) is <INSERT DATE>.
Some things to consider before switching a course grade to (Cr/NC):
- Only one optional course can be switched to Cr/NC per semester.
- Not all courses can be switched to Cr/NC.
- It's not always a good idea to switch to Cr/NC.
- Getting “no credit” can impact financial aid.
To help decide whether changing a class to Cr/NC makes sense for your situation, please email me or schedule an appointment: <INSERT SCHEDULE INFO.>
If you are urgently concerned with the Cr/NC deadline, you can visit Drop-in Advising Hours with the Academic Advising Center, in-person or via Zoom.
Best wishes,