Improving Students’ Relationships with Advisors

Shirley Rose

English 106

July 23, 2003

Definition of Problem

Many Purdue students do not get good academic advising because they do not develop good relationships with their advisors.

Causes of the problem

• Possible cause: Advisors are unavailable

• Possible cause: Students don’t have time to get to know their advisors

• Probable cause: Students don’t know how much or what kind of support their academic advisors can provide

Some Possible Solutions

• Possible solution: require students to schedule regular meetings with advisors

• Possible solution: create a print and/or online document with guidelines for getting to know your advisor

• Better Solution: Develop a 10-minute video on Getting to Know your Advisor

Recommended Solution

• 10-minute online video on Getting to Know Your Advisor

• Reasons why this is the best solution– Reason: Required meetings might waste

students’ and advisors’ time in some cases– Reason: Students are more likely to watch a

video than to read a pamphlet– Reason: A video will make a longer-lasting

impression than a written document