"The Advising and Helping competency area addresses the knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to providing counseling and advising support, direction, feedback, critique, referral, and guidance to individuals and groups."
(ACPA & NASPA, 2010, p. 6)
Throughout my professional career, I have had the opportunity to advise and assist various student groups, including orientation leaders, resident assistants, programming boards, and honor societies. How to advise each student varies, as they all have individual personalities and experiences that shape who they are and how they work in a group setting. As such, when considering theory there are many different advising models that can be utilized. One such model is Jennifer Bloom's Appreciative Advising Model, which emphasizes an advisors need to "work together with students to understand the larger context of students' unique situations, analyze the contextual factors, and help reframe problems into opportunities" (Bloom, Hutson, He, & Konkle, 2014, p. 1). The most significant aspect of this model is the ability to disarm and discover. I make sure to present myself as a welcoming and approachable individual whose office door is always open. During one-on-ones, I encourage students to share aspects of their personal life while making connections to my own experiences. To me, knowing students on an individual level is one of the most crucial aspects of being an advisor. Other phases of the model focus on dreaming, designing, and delivering. When I meet with students, I devote a portion of the time to the development of S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely). I encourage having multiple goals, which can be personal, academic, or student group based. Once a goal has been identified, we then brainstorm specific action steps that they can take between now and our next meeting in order to achieve that goal. During these conversations, I make sure to empathize that, while I will listen to their complaints and concerns, I also expect them to come to me with a plan on how they intend to address that particular issue, whether the action be on their part, my part, or from other individuals. It is important to remember that this model may not work with every student, and that theory and practice should be considered together when working with student leaders.
Advising and helping students and assisting with their learning and development are areas that are crucial to a student affairs professional. Being able to interact with students on an individual level provides professionals with the opportunity to develop personal relationships and better encourage student growth.
REFERENCES:
ACPA & NASPA. (2010). Professional competency areas for student affairs practitioners. Washington, DC: Authors.
Bloom, J., Hutson, B., He, Y., & Konkle, E. (2014) The appreciative advising revolution training workbook: Tranlating theory to practice. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing L..L.C.
Chetnik, M.R., & Neville, K.M. (2006). Selecting a style of advising. In N.W. Dunkel & C.L. Spencer (Eds.), Advice for Advisors: Empowering your residence hall association (3rd ed., pp42-59). Columbus, OH: Association of College and University Housing Officers-International
Reynolds, A. (2009). Helping college students: Developing essential support skills for student affairs practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
I have had the opportunity to advise programming boards that have existed for many years (Program Council (PC) at Salem State University), and others which were just newly formed (Student Activities Council (SAC) at Olin College of Engineering). Given their different purposes and functions, the ways in which I approach students within these groups are very different. According to Chetnik and Neville (2006), "advisors need to be prepared to change and adapt their advising style to each unique situation based on an understanding of group dynamics and the individual needs of leaders" (p. 44). Within their Situational Advising Model, Chetnik and Neville (2006) identify four quadrants in which student groups operate. Each of these quadrants has a different level of advisor involvement that can range from hands-on directing to simply watching and observing. I am more active with SAC because it is so new, where as I can take a step back when working with PC since the students are more comfortable and confident in their abilities. A primary component of situational advising is that it is fluid. The quadrant in which you operate can vary depending on the students or task present, and it is therefore important that recognize these environments and adapt accordingly.
It is often thought that once a student has made it to college they are already set up for success, however, being in college only means that there is now a new set of trials students must overcome and changes they must face. In order to be an effective advisor, it is important to be aware of the different ways in which we can provide support to students. This support can come in the form of one-on-one meetings, leadership trainings, or simply being aware of the dynamics in which students operate. By presenting myself in an open and welcoming manner, and by utilizing various advising models, I am better able to meet the needs of a wide range of students.
Being an effective advisor means being able to mediate conflict. During the summer of 2015, I served as an intern for the Office of New Maverick Orientation at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Rather than directly supervise students, the role of myself and the other interns was to be a mentor to a small collection of both first year and transfer orientation leaders (OL's). During our one-on-one conversations, we were able to identify an emerging situation that was creating dissent among the group (gossip, "bossy-ness" of other OL's, etc.). In order to address the issue, the other interns and I held a mid-summer retreat which focused on the topic of teamwork and communication. The activities used provided a means for OL's to interact with one another and have their opinions heard in a safe and respectable environment (Reynolds, 2009). Through this process, orientation leaders were able to learn about how their attitude –both the positive and negative aspects of it –impacted their co-workers. Following the retreat there was a substantial improvement in group relations.
In addition to advising student groups at Salem State, I also worked with the Associate Director of Student Involvement and Activities on providing training to student clubs and organizations. Session topics were suggested by students, and have included group development, motivating members, budgeting, and retention and retainment (see right). During these sessions, I encouraged students to engage in conversations with one another and share ideas as many of the issues faced by one group have also occurred in others.
 Paint Night on Campus |  Program Council Rae Srummard Concert |  Comedian Zoltan in Viking Cafe |
|---|---|---|
 Program Council table at NACA |  Program Council Winter Ball |  Program Council E-Board |
 Program Council Retreat |  Program Council Retreat |  Orientation Leader Retreat |
 UT Arlington Orientation Leaders |  UT Arlington Orientation Leaders |  UT Arlington Orientation Session |
 UT Arlington Orientation Session |  NODA Interns at UT Arlington |  Campus Center Staff Retreat |