At this time of year, it’s common to walk down the hall of one of our classroom buildings in Keiper or Harris Hall and see that all the professors’ office doors are open. Inside each office sits a faculty adviser and a student. What are they discussing?

I remember meeting with my own academic adviser at Oberlin College. Our advising sessions were dry affairs. I told my adviser which courses I intended to take, and he signed off perfunctorily. I was often disappointed by the lack of connection. I wanted to discuss more than my course schedule; I wanted to tell him how my classes were coming together, how I still didn’t know what to do with my life, but how excited I was to be discovering subjects that engaged my whole self. 

As the director of academic advising and a faculty adviser myself now, I support the practice of holistic advising. Academic advising theory suggests that we think in terms of practicing both prescriptive and developmental advising with our students. Taken together, these two modes of advising address the student’s whole experience.

Prescriptive advising is practical. Advisers review the classes our advisees have already taken; we tally the number of general education courses they still have to complete or the outstanding courses in their majors. We count credits. We look at advanced placement credits. We ask questions and make practical suggestions. We plot ahead; we count. Does a student have time to finish a double major? A joint major? A joint major and a minor? Will those plans allow them to study off campus for a semester? We make notes and fit the puzzle pieces together.

But we also practice developmental advising. Here the adviser prompts the student to reflect. Which courses have they enjoyed the most? Which college experiences have touched them? What have been the challenges so far? What are their dreams for the future? How do their courses intersect with their lives and daily concerns?

 It’s been said that advising is a form of teaching, and at its best, it is. Through a combination of an adviser’s knowledge and skillful questioning, students are encouraged to learn who they are intellectually and how they want to use their college education to play a vital part in the world.

I enjoy this time of year when academic advising is central. I start by contacting my advisees and setting up appointments. My sustained relationship with my advisees has taught me how quickly students grow in college, deepening their knowledge and their understanding of themselves in ways that transform.

When the advising period ends, many of us faculty advisers will miss these encounters — but we’ll also sigh with relief when we see our students registered for yet another semester of classes that will challenge them to thrive both intellectually and emotionally.

Academic Advising at F&M

Check out our year-by-year guide to academic advising for a clear overview of the support available to F&M students, from their first day to graduation.

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