Best Practices

Navigate Teaching Excellence

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Academic advising is a partnership between students and faculty/staff. These best practices will help you get the most out of the experience.

Be available and prepared

Use an electronic appointment scheduling system for students to make appointments
Dedicate advising hours during peak advising times
Offer a variety of advising appointment times to accommodate diverse schedules
Send reminders for students to schedule and attend advising meetings (*recommendation: use the �鶹��Ƶ Advise bulk emailing feature)
Ask students to complete an academic plan and bring it with them to meetings (e.g. classes they need/want to take, certification tests they need to take, program application dates, etc.)
Review student file to familiarize yourself with their needs before the meeting
Consider the unique needs of regarding advising
Check out the D2L page to provide resources for student success:

Set a minimum one quality appointment per semester to discuss courses selections, progress towards graduation, career/graduate school goals
Increase contact with students with high risk scores in �鶹��Ƶ Advise, low grade performance, excessive absences, etc.
Regularly update notes in students’ �鶹��Ƶ Advise file after meetings or send a follow-up email through Advise to document conversation
Review advisor alerts in �鶹��Ƶ Advise

Empower students to make informed decisions and plan for their future
Provide accurate and timely information about degree and career-related requirements
Advise from an integrated perspective (general education major, minor, certificates, experiential learning/internships, etc. )
Understand campus policies and procedures (e.g. FERPA, Title IX, ADA, Financial Aid, Student Billing, etc.) and help students find the answers to their questions when you do not know the answers
Make appropriate campus referrals when necessary

Get to know your advisee
Consider how a student’s race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration status, ability, or other factors may affect their experiences and advising needs
Raise alerts regarding the student’s needs if necessary (via �鶹��Ƶ Advise)
Follow up with struggling students to see if they have received assistance or if they need additional help

Recommendations based on DePauw University Best Practices.

Center for Teaching Excellence
Rachel DeSoto-Jackson, Director
105 Stabley Library
429 South Eleventh Street
Indiana, PA 15705
Phone: 724-357-7800
teaching-excellence@iup.edu