Advisor Tips for Student Organizations

Good Advising Practices

Provide a good example for your students
Ask questions instead of making statements
Encourage open communication
Provide leadership training and/or encourage students to take advantage of institutional leadership workshops
Hold personal meetings with each executive officer to understand their goals and needs
Arrange a meeting for officers to transition information
Try to encourage members to see issues from all sides during discussions
Serve as a resource and support system for students

Do not be discouraged if your organization is not as welcoming to having an advisor as you would like them to be. Try to show them through your actions the benefits of having an advisor.
Be friendly and accessible to students. If they are comfortable around you they will share more about themselves and the organization.
Celebrate success through recognizing group and individual accomplishments at meetings and nominating members for campus rewards
Provide constructive criticism that provides suggestions for how to fix similar problems in the future. If the group or individual knows that you have faith in their abilities they will respond well.
Listen to the student needs and accept criticism. If they see you are willing to change and grow they will be more likely to grow as leaders also.
Advisors should provide advice to their members. Students should always have choices and learn from their decisions.
Have a sense of humor and have fun as an organization. If your meetings are not enjoyable no one will participate.
To have an effective advising relationship mutual trust and respect must be present between the organization and advisor. Through involvement with the organization both students and advisors share responsibility for its growth and success.
Treat every student as an individual. Each member will have different leadership development needs.