Meetings During the School Year
Week Two Individual Meetings
· This is not a required meeting, but many advisors find it to be a good idea. It allows you to establish more consistent contact with the students (rather than disappearing until registration time), and gives you a chance to have a longer informal meeting than you did at Fall Connection. Finally, it can help you to identify which of your advisees might be having some troubles.
· If you’d like, you might make these more informal small group gatherings: you might, for instance, invite 2 or 3 students to join you for lunch in the College Center, or drink in the Coffee Shop.
· There is not a definite agenda for this meeting. But there are a range of things you might ask your advisees about: what majors are they considering, and why? How well are they adjusting to college life? How are they doing in classes? (ask specifics here: have you had a grade in that class? did you do the reading for class yesterday?) How has college been different than they expected? What do they hope to get out of college?
Group Pre-registration Meetings (Week 5 or 6)
· Touch base regarding adjustment issues. These meetings can serve in part as a social gathering: many advisors supply food during these meetings (pizza, etc…).
· Distribute Reflection Handout (APPENDIX).
· Explain/review advising and registration process. This is especially important for the meeting in the fall.
· Explain/review your expectations of student preparation for advising meetings.
· Review recommended courses for intended majors.
· Review WebAdvisor. Pay particular attention to the process of registering for a class, but you might also review how Program Evaluation works.
· Plan social gathering/other group events.
· Schedule individual pre-registration meetings.
Individual Pre-registration Meetings (Weeks 7-8)
IMPORTANT NOTE: to ensure that first year students meet with their advisors, they will all have a hold placed on WebAdvisor. They will not be able to register until you contact the Registrar’s Office to remove the hold.
· Review academic/adjustment progress, including mid-term grade reports.
· Especially in the fall meeting, review the students’ transcript (on Webadvisor), and make sure that any AP or transfer credits have appeared on the transcript. If they have not, the student will contact the institution that sent the scores/ grades in order to have them sent/ resent.
· Review Reflection Form with student.
· Have students prepare course schedule. Be sure they have 4-5 alternatives on their preferred section list on Webadvisor (this is the “shopping cart” list that appears when a student chooses a course but has not yet registered for it).
· Review registration dates and WebAdvisor procedures with student. Be sure to show the student Program Evaluation each time they come in: it usually takes a couple semesters before students become aware and comfortable with this tool.
· Report students of concern to Evelyn Campbell or Mike Augspurger; refer as appropriate to RWC/Counseling Service/Dean of Students
· In the course of the year, you will want to discuss a number of larger topics with your advisee:
What do they hope to get out of college? How is it different than they expected?
What majors or careers have they considered? What has led them to these interests?
Do they plan on studying abroad? What do they plan to do in the summers?
Do they feel comfortable at Augie? What has been difficult about the transition to college?
etc., etc…..
Social Meetings
Advisors and peer mentors should also plan at least one group activity for each term. This activity is a way to encourage students to take advantage of the many events that are available on campus or in the area.
While not everyone in the group will participate, a core group of 5-6 students will appreciate these opportunities. Students might be encouraged to bring a friend. You might also consider pairing up with another advising group.
Each advising group has $100 to spend on such activities during the year. (Submit receipts to Mike Augspurger for reimbursement).
Some low-cost group activities:
§ Augustana event (play, concert, movie, lecture)
§ Bowling
§ Ice Skating
§ Hike Blackhawk
§ Service project (Community Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, etc.)
§ Visit a museum
§ Holiday events (pumpkin carving; cookie decorating, Secret Santa)
§ Game night (at your home or a campus location)
§ Casual gathering in Brew by the Slough
