Advising is a developmental process that assists students in the clarification of their life/career goals and in the development of educational plans for the realization of these goals. It is a decision-making process that assists students in realizing their maximum educational potential through communication and information exchanges with an advisor; it is an ongoing, multi-faceted process and is the responsibility of both student and advisor. The advisor serves as a case manager, facilitating communication; coordinating learning experiences through course and career planning and program progress review; and connecting and referring students to other campus services as necessary.
The primary purpose of academic advising is to assist students in their growth and development by constructing meaningful educational plans that are compatible with their life goals. It is a continuous and consistent process that is built upon the basis of frequent, accumulated personal contacts between the advisor and student. Effective academic advising is considered a cornerstone of the student's experience at Radford University.
The academic advisor's role is an active rather than passive one. The process of effective advising requires the following objectives to be met for and with each student:
Academic advisors who possess the following characteristics are most successful with students:
The advisee is an equal partner in the advising process. As an advisee, the student is ultimately responsible for their educational choices and decisions. Students are, therefore, expected to: