Principles of Advising

 

Academic Advising Defined

Academic advising is a developmental process, which assists students in the clarification of their life/career goals and in the development of educational plans for the realization of these goals. It is a decision-making process by which students realize their maximum educational potential through communication and information exchanges with an advisor; it is ongoing, multifaceted, and the responsibility of both student and advisor. The advisor serves as a facilitator of communication, a coordinator of learning experiences through course and career planning and academic progress review, and an agent of referral to other campus agencies as necessary.

Often, advising is defined in simpler terms: academic advising is the delivery of information in a timely, accurate manner which assists students to positively progress through their academic program while assisting with progression through life's developmental stages, thereby, attaining both academic and career goals.

NACADA Statement of Core Values for Academic Advising

The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) is an organization of professional advisors, faculty, administrators, students and others from a variety of settings who do academic advising; or otherwise work to promote quality academic advising on college and university campuses. The Core Values identified and discussed here provide a framework against which those who advise can measure their own performance.

In no way does this Core Values statement try to dictate that all academic advising needs to be done in precisely the same way by everyone, or that there is one particular advising philosophy or model. Instead, these are reference points for professionals to use. Furthermore, the Core Values do not carry equal weight. Advisors will find some Core Values more important than others, depending on their own philosophies and those of their colleges or universities.

Students place a great deal of trust in their advisors. That trust warrants quality programs and services. It is through our Core Values that students' expectations of academic advising are honored.

Beliefs about Students:

Like other educators, academic advisors work to strengthen the importance, dignity, potential, and unique nature of each individual served within the academic setting. Our work as advisors is guided by our beliefs that:

  • students can be responsible for their own behavior;
  • students can be successful as a result of their individual goals and efforts;
  • students have a desire to learn;
  • learning needs vary according to individual skills, goals and experiences;
  • students hold their own beliefs and opinions.

Why our Core Values are Important

Out of these beliefs grow our Core Values. Regardless of our professional preparation and experience, each of us in the field of academic advising is ultimately guided in our work by what we perceive as important, what we value, and what we believe about those we serve--primarily students, but also others in the institutions within which we work, and even the institutions themselves. 

We recognize the complex nature of academic advising, the wide variety of settings and tasks for which academic advisors are responsible, and the diverse backgrounds and experiences of academic advisors. Yet, while values and beliefs are by their very nature individual, there are many that are subscribed to by those who advise students. Through this statement of Core Values we communicate to others what they can expect from us. These Core Values may be used to validate our conduct in our diverse roles and our relationships within the academic community.

The Core Values

Students deserve dependable, accurate, respectful, honest, friendly, and professional service. In order to serve students well, academic advisors understand that they are responsible to many constituents who comprise our academic communities. This is the foundation on which the following Core Values rest.

Advisors are responsible to the students and individuals they serve. The cooperative efforts of all who advise help to deliver quality programs and services to students. These include, but are not limited to, giving accurate and timely information, maintaining regular office hours, and keeping appointments.

Advisors help students develop a perception of themselves and their relationship to the future. Advisors introduce students in a nurturing way to the world they are entering--teaching them to value the learning process, put the college experience into perspective, become more responsible, set priorities and evaluate sequences of events, and be honest with themselves.

Advisors encourage self-reliance by helping students make informed and responsible decisions, set realistic goals, and develop thinking, learning, and life management skills to meet present and future needs. Advisors work with students to help them accomplish the goals and objectives they have established for themselves. Advisors encourage students to be responsible for their own success and progress. They respect students' rights to their individual beliefs and opinions but are not dictated to by them.

Advisors work to modify barriers to student progress; identify burdensome, ineffective, and inefficient policies and procedures; and work to effect change. When the needs of students and the institution are in conflict, advisors seek a resolution that is in the best interest of both parties. Advisors inform students about appropriate grievance procedures in cases where students find the resolution unsatisfactory.

Advisors recognize the changing nature of the college and university environment and student body. They support students in appropriate ways (e.g., advocate at the administrative level for recognition of these changes; offer varied office hours; and acknowledge the special needs of all students and the pressures on them to juggle study with work, family, and other interpersonal demands).

Advisors are knowledgeable about and sensitive to federal, state, and their own institution's policies and procedures, especially those governing such matters as sexual harassment, personal relationships with students, privacy of student information, equal treatment, equal access, and equal opportunity.

Advisors respect the rights of students to have information about them kept confidential. Advisors share information with others about students and their programs only when both advisor and student believe that information is relevant and will result in increased information or assistance, assessment, and provision of appropriate services to the student.

Advisors gain access to and use computerized information about students only when that information is relevant to the advising they are doing with that particular student. Advisors enter or change information on students' records only when legitimately authorized to do so.

Advisors need to document advising contacts adequately to aid subsequent advising interactions.

Advisors are responsible for involving others, when appropriate, in the advising process. Effective advising requires a broad-based, or holistic, approach to working with students. Academic advisors develop crucial ties with others who assist students in diverse areas, such as admissions, orientation, financial aid, housing, health services, athletics, course selection and satisfaction of academic requirements, special physical and educational needs (e.g., disabilities, study skills, psychological counseling), foreign study, career development, co-curricular programs, and graduation clearance.

Advisors are facilitators and mediators. Responsible academic advisors recognize their limitations and use their specialized knowledge effectively.

To make connections between academic advising and other aspects of students' lives, advisors seek out resources provided by others. Referrals to these resources provide students with further assessments of their needs and access to appropriate programs and services. With others, advisors are responsible for helping students integrate the information they are confronted with and for helping students make well-informed academic decisions.

If peer advisors are used, the supervising advisor will closely monitor the peer advisor regarding adherence to appropriate policies and practices.

Advisors are responsible to the college or university in which they work. Advisors respect the opinions of their colleagues; remain neutral when students present them with comments, questions, or opinions about other faculty or staff; and are non-judgmental about academic programs.

Advisors increase their collective professional strength by sharing their philosophies and techniques with colleagues.

Advisors keep administrators who are not involved directly in the advising process informed and aware of the importance of academic advising in students' lives, and of the need for administrative support of advising and related activities.

Advisors abide by the specific policies, procedures and values of the department and institution for which they work. Where injustices occur and might interfere with students' learning, advisors advocate for change on behalf of students with the institution's administration, faculty, and staff.

Advisors are responsible to higher education generally. Academic advisors honor (and are protected by) the concept of academic freedom as practiced on our campuses. In this spirit, advisors hold a variety of points of view. Academic advisors are free to base their work with students on the most appropriate and optimum theories of college student development and models of delivery for academic advising programs and services.

Advisors accept that one of the goals of education is to introduce students to the world of ideas. One goal of academic advising is to establish a partnership between student and advisor to guide students through their academic programs so they may attain the knowledge gained and offered by faculty.

Academic advisors believe that it is ultimately the responsibility of students to apply what they learn to everyday situations. Advisors help students in understanding this process.

Advisors advocate for students' educational achievement at the highest attainable standard and support student goals, as well as the educational mission of the institution.

Advisors advocate the creation or strengthening of programs and services that are compatible with students' academic needs.

Advisors are responsible to the community (including the local community, state, and region in which the institution is located). Academic advisors interpret the institution's mission, standards, goals, and values to its community, including public and private schools from which the college or university draws its student body. Likewise, advisors understand their student body and regularly inform the schools from which their students come about appropriate preparation so that students may perform successfully in higher education.

Advisors are sensitive to the values and mores of the surrounding community, sharing these with and interpreting them to students. Advisors are aware of community programs and services and may become models for students by participating in community activities themselves.

Advisors are responsible to their professional role as advisors and to themselves personally. To keep advising skills honed and interest high, advisors are encouraged to seek opportunities for professional development through classes, workshops, conferences, reading, consultation with others, and interaction in formal groups with other advisors (e.g., professional organizations like NACADA).

Advisors understand the demands on themselves that emerge from the service nature of the work they do. Advisors develop skills for taking care of themselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They learn how to detach themselves from students' problems while maintaining a keen listening ear and providing sensitive responses. They establish and maintain appropriate boundaries. They need to be nurtured by others within the profession and they need to nurture their colleagues. They seek support for themselves within and outside the institution.

Academic advising lends itself well to research. Advisors may engage in research related to advising, and are encouraged to engage in research related to their own particular training and disciplinary backgrounds. Each research agenda must honor the institution's safeguards for privacy and humane treatment of subjects.

The intention of the Statement of Core Values is to provide the guidance, which many academic advisors have sought. The Statement should be reviewed periodically, adding relevant material and rewording existing language to bring the Statement in line with current professional practices and thinking. The National Academic Advising Association encourages institutions to adopt this Statement of Core Values, to embrace its principles, and to support the work of those who do academic advising.

Academic Advising Standards and Guidelines

Approved as amended by the Council for the Advancement of Standards Board of Directors 5/2/97

Part 1: Mission

The academic advising program must develop, record, disseminate, implement, and regularly review its mission and goals. Mission statements must be consistent with the mission and goals of the institution and with the standards in this document.

The primary purpose of the academic advising program is to assist students in the development of meaningful educational plans that are compatible with their life goals.

The institution must have a clearly written statement of philosophy pertaining to academic advising, which must include program goals, and expectations of advisors and advisees.

The ultimate responsibility for making decisions about educational plans and life goals rests with the individual student. The academic advisor should assist by helping to identify and assess alternatives and the consequences of decisions.

Institutional goals for academic advising should include:

  • development of suitable educational plans;
  • clarification of career and life goals;
  • selection of appropriate courses and other educational experiences;
  • interpretation of institutional requirements;
  • enhancement of student awareness about educational resources available (e.g., internships,  study abroad, honors, and learning assistance programs);
  • evaluation of student progress toward established goals;
  • development of decision-making skills;
  • reinforcement of student self-direction;
  • referral to and use of institutional and community support services;
  • collection and distribution of data regarding student needs, preferences, and performance for use in making institutional decisions and policy.

Part 2: Program

The formal education of students is purposeful, holistic, and consists of the curriculum and the co-curriculum.

The academic advising program must be (a) intentional, (b) coherent, (c) based on theories and knowledge of teaching, learning, and human development, (d) reflective of developmental and demographic profiles of the student population, and (e) responsive to the special needs of individuals.

The academic advising program must promote learning and development in students by encouraging experiences which lead to intellectual growth, ability to communicate effectively, realistic self-appraisal, enhanced self-esteem, clarification of values, appropriate career choices, leadership development, physical fitness, meaningful interpersonal relations, ability to work independently and collaboratively, social responsibility, satisfying and productive lifestyles, appreciation of aesthetic and cultural diversity, and achievement of personal goals.

The academic advising program must assist students in overcoming educational and personal problems and skill deficiencies.

The academic advising program must identify environmental conditions that may negatively influence student academic achievement and propose interventions that may neutralize such conditions.

The academic advisor must review and use available data about students' academic and educational needs, performance, aspirations, and problems.

The academic advising program must assure that academic advisors collaborate in the collection of relevant data about students for use in individual academic advising conferences.

Individual academic advising conferences must be available to students each academic term. 

Through private, individual conferences with students, the academic advisors should provide assistance in refining goals and objectives, understanding available choices, and assessing the consequences of alternative courses of action. Course selection, understanding and meeting institutional requirements, and providing clear and accurate information regarding institutional policies, procedures, resources, and programs may be carried out individually or in groups.

The academic status of the student being advised should be taken into consideration when determining caseloads. For example, first-year, undecided, under-prepared, and honors students may require more advising time than upper division students who have declared their majors.

Academic advising caseloads must be consistent with the time required for the effective performance of this activity.

When determining workloads, it should be recognized that advisors may work with students not officially assigned to them and that contacts regarding advising may extend beyond direct contact with the student

The academic advising program must provide current and accurate advising information to academic advisors.

Supplemental systems for the delivery of advising information, such as on-line computer programs, may be employed.

Referrals to appropriate institutional or community support services should be made as needed.

The academic advising program should make available to academic advisors all pertinent research (e.g., about students, the academic advising program, and perceptions of the institution).

Part 3: Leadership

The institution must appoint, position, and empower the leader of the academic advising program to accomplish stated missions. Leaders at various levels must be selected on the basis of formal education and training, relevant work experience, personal attributes, and other professional credentials. Expectations of accountability must be defined for academic advising program leaders, and their performance fairly assessed.

Leaders of academic advising programs must exercise authority over those resources for which they are responsible to achieve their respective missions. Leaders must articulate a vision for their organization; set goals and objectives; prescribe and practice ethical behavior; recruit, select, supervise, and develop others in the organization; manage, plan, budget, and evaluate; communicate effectively; and marshal cooperative action from colleagues, employees, other institutional constituencies, and persons outside the organization. Leaders must address individual, organizational, or environmental conditions that inhibit the achievement of goals. Leaders must improve programs and services continuously in response to changing needs of students and institutional priorities.

Part 4: Organization and Management

The academic advising program must be structured purposefully and managed effectively to achieve its stated goals. Evidence of an appropriate structure must include current and accessible policies and procedures, written expectations for performance of all employees, and organizational charts. Effective management practices must be evident, including clear sources and channels of authority, effective communication, procedures to make decisions and resolve conflicts, responsiveness to changing conditions, accountability systems, and recognition and reward processes.

The academic advising program must provide channels within its organization for regular review of administrative policies and procedures.

The design of the academic advising program must be compatible with the institution's organizational structure and its students' needs. Specific advisor responsibilities must be clearly delineated, published, and disseminated to both advisors and advisees.

In some institutions, academic advising is a centralized function, while in others, it is decentralized, with a variety of people throughout the institution assuming responsibilities. Whatever system is used, students, faculty advisors, and professional staff should be informed of their respective advising responsibilities.

Part 5: Human Resources

The academic advising program must be staffed adequately by individuals qualified to accomplish its mission and goals. The academic advising program must establish procedures for selection, training, and evaluation of advisors, set expectations for supervision, and provide appropriate professional development opportunities.

An academic advisor must hold an earned graduate degree or must possess an appropriate combination of education and experience.

Graduate students, interns, others in training, student employees, peer advisors, and volunteers must be carefully selected and adequately trained, supervised, and evaluated. When their knowledge and skills are not adequate for particular situations, they must refer students or others in need of assistance to a qualified professional staff member.

The academic advising program must have sufficient support personnel to accomplish its mission. Such staff must be technologically proficient and qualified to perform activities including reception duties, office equipment operation, records maintenance, and mail handling.

Appropriate salary levels and fringe benefits for academic advising program personnel must be commensurate with those for comparable positions within the institution, in similar institutions, and in the relevant geographical area.

The academic advising program must intentionally employ advisors who reflect the diversity of the institution's student population, ensure the existence of readily identifiable role models for students, and/or enrich the campus community.

Affirmative action must occur in hiring and promotion practices to ensure diverse staffing profiles as required by institutional policy and local, state/provincial, and federal law.

The institution must designate a specific individual to direct the academic advising program.

The director of an academic advising program must possess either an earned graduate degree or equivalent combination of academic and educational experience, previous experience as an academic advisor, and knowledge of the literature of academic advising. The director must be skilled in fiscal management, personnel selection and training, conceptualization, planning, and evaluation tasks.

Academic advisors should have an understanding of student development; a comprehensive knowledge of the institution's programs, academic requirements, majors, minors, and support services; a demonstrated interest in working with and assisting students; a willingness to participate in pre-service and in-service workshops and other professional activities; and demonstrated interpersonal skills.

Sufficient personnel should be available to meet students' advising needs without unreasonable delay. Advisors should allow an appropriate amount of time for students to discuss plans, programs, courses, academic progress, and other subjects related to their educational programs.

Academic advising personnel may be organized in various ways. They may be full-time or part-time professionals who have advising as their primary function or may be faculty whose responsibilities include academic advising. Paraprofessionals (e.g., graduate students in practice, interns, or assistants) or peer advisors may also assist advisors.

Support personnel should maintain student records, organize resource materials, receive students, make appointments, and handle correspondence and other operational needs. Technical staff may be used in research, data collection, systems development, and special projects.

Technical and support personnel should be carefully selected and adequately trained, supervised, and evaluated.

Part 6: Financial Resources

The academic advising program must have adequate funding to accomplish its mission and goals. Priorities, whether set periodically or as a result of extraordinary conditions, must be determined within the context of the stated mission, goals, and resources.

Special consideration should be given to providing funding for training and development of advisors, particularly those for whom the advisory function is a part-time and/or secondary assignment.

Financial resources should be sufficient to provide high quality print and non-print information for students and training materials for advisors. Also, there should be sufficient resources to promote the academic advising program.

Part 7: Facilities, Technology, and Equipment

The academic advising program must have adequate and suitably located facilities, technology, and equipment to support its mission and goals. Facilities, technology, and equipment must be in compliance with relevant federal, state/provincial, and local requirements to provide for access, health, and safety.

The academic advising program must assure that technology-assisted advising includes appropriate approvals, consultations, and referrals.

Computing equipment and access to local networks, student databases, and the Internet should be available to academic advisors.

Privacy and freedom from visual and auditory distractions should be considerations in designing appropriate facilities.

Part 8: Legal Responsibilities

Academic advisors must be knowledgeable about and responsive to law and regulations that relate to the academic advising program. Sources for legal obligations and limitations include constitutional, statutory, regulatory, and case law; mandatory laws and orders emanating from federal, state/provincial, and local governments; and the institution through its policies.

Academic advisors must use reasonable and informed practices to limit the liability exposure of the institution, its officers, employees, and agents. Academic advisors must be informed about institutional policies regarding personal liability and related insurance coverage options.

The institution must provide access to legal advice for academic advisors as needed to carry out assigned responsibilities.

The institution must inform academic advisors and students, in a timely and systematic fashion, about extraordinary or changing legal obligations and potential liabilities.

Part 9: Equal Opportunity, Access, and Affirmative Action

The academic advising program must ensure that programs and services are provided on a fair and equitable basis and are accessible to all students. Hours of operation must be responsive to the needs of all students. The academic advising program must adhere to the spirit and intent of equal opportunity laws.

The academic advising program must not be discriminatory on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religious creed, sexual orientation, and/or veteran status. Exceptions are appropriate only where provided by relevant law and institutional policy.

Consistent with the mission and goals, the academic advising program must take affirmative action to remedy significant imbalances in student participation and staffing patterns.

Part 10: Campus and Community Relations

The academic advising program must establish, maintain, and promote effective relations with relevant campus offices and external agencies.

Academic advising is integral to the educational process and depends upon close working relationships with other institutional agencies and the administration. The academic advising program should be fully integrated into other processes of the institution.

The academic advising program should provide academic advisors, for referral purposes, a comprehensive list of relevant external agencies, campus offices, and opportunities.

Part 11: Diversity

Within the context of the institution's unique mission, multi-dimensional diversity enriches the community and enhances the collegiate experience for all; therefore, the academic advising program must nurture environments where similarities and differences among people are recognized and honored.

The academic advising program must promote cultural educational experiences that are characterized by open and continuous communication, that deepen understanding of one's own culture and heritage, and that respect and educate about similarities, differences, and histories of cultures.

The academic advising program must address the characteristics and needs of a diverse population when establishing and implementing policies and procedures.

Part 12: Ethics

All persons involved in the delivery of the academic advising program must adhere to the highest of principles of ethical behavior. The academic advising program must implement statements of ethical practice. The academic advising program must publish these statements and ensure their periodic review by all concerned.

Ethical standards or other statements from relevant professional associations should be considered.

The academic advising program must ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all records and communications (i.e., paper and electronic) unless exempted by law.

Information disclosed in individual academic advising sessions must remain confidential, unless written permission to divulge the information is given by the student. However, all academic advising personnel must disclose to appropriate authorities information judged to be of an emergency nature, especially when the health and safety of the individual or others are involved. Information in students' educational records must not be disclosed to non-institutional third parties without appropriate consent, unless classified as "Directory" information or when the information is subpoenaed by law. The academic advising program must apply a similar dedication to privacy and confidentiality to research data concerning individuals.

All academic advising personnel must be aware of and comply with the provisions contained in the institution's human subjects research policy and in other relevant institutional policies addressing ethical practices.

All academic advising personnel must recognize and avoid personal conflict of interest or appearance thereof in their transactions with students and others. All academic advising personnel must strive to ensure the fair, objective, and impartial treatment of all persons with whom they interact.

When handling institutional funds, all academic advising personnel must ensure that such funds are managed in accordance with established and responsible accounting procedures.

All academic advising personnel must maintain the highest principles of ethical behavior in the use of technology.

All academic advising personnel must not participate in any form of harassment that demeans persons or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive campus environment.

All academic advising personnel must perform their duties within the limits of their training, expertise, and competence. When these limits are exceeded, individuals in need of further assistance must be referred to persons possessing appropriate qualifications.

All academic advising personnel must use suitable means to confront unethical behavior exhibited within the educational community.

Part 13: Assessment

The academic advising program must regularly conduct systematic qualitative and quantitative evaluations of program quality to determine the extent to which stated mission and goals are being met. Although methods of assessment may vary, the academic advising program must employ a sufficient range of measures to ensure objectivity and comprehensiveness. Data collected must include responses from students and other affected constituencies. Results of these evaluations must be used in revising and improving the academic advising program and in assessing the performance of personnel.

Responsibilities of Advisors and Advisees

Advisors have the responsibility:

  • To help students clarify their values, goals, and better understand themselves;
  • To aid students in understanding the nature and purposes of a college education;
  • To assist students in developing a well-planned exploratory program to facilitate choice of major and career;
  • To provide accurate information about educational options, requirements, policies, and procedures;
  • To help students plan educational programs consistent with the requirements of their degree program and with their goals, interests, and abilities;
  • To assist students in continual monitoring and evaluating of their educational progress, and in solving problems that inhibit that progress;
  • To help students identify and integrate the many resources of the University to meet their unique educational needs and goals;
  • To encourage students in refining career goals and interfacing with career services;
  • To act, in appropriate circumstances, as an advocate for the student;
  • To have basic interpersonal communication and counseling skills;
  • To provide an advising delivery system that includes privacy, reasonable access, and appropriate record keeping;
  • To proactively contact advisees on a regular basis, showing students that there are people who are concerned, and who want them to succeed;
  • To seek out and participate in professional development opportunities. 

Advisees have the responsibility

  • To schedule and keep academic advising appointments in a timely manner throughout their academic careers so as to avoid seeking help only during busy registration periods;
  • To learn the requirements of their particular academic program, selecting courses that meet those requirements in an appropriate timeframe, and monitoring their progress toward graduation;
  • To read all college communications (e.g. the catalog, class schedule, letters, e-mails, etc.) and meet critical deadlines for functions such as registration, add/drop, and application for graduation;
  • To consult with an advisor before changing an approved schedule, changing majors, transferring, or withdrawing from the University;
  • To be prepared for advising sessions (i.e., by bringing a list of questions or concerns, having a tentative schedule in mind, and/or being prepared to discuss interests and goals with their advisor);
  • To continue asking questions until all concerns are addressed;
  • To accept final responsibility for all decisions;
  • To seek help when needed, not waiting until a crisis develops;
  • To inform the advisor of important changes that directly affect academic performance and educational goals;
  • To discuss with the advisor any unsatisfactory academic performance and its implications in order to develop a program of action since the advising process is built on open and honest communication.

--Adapted for The University of Texas at Dallas from a document developed by the Provost's Council for Academic Advising, 1996 The University of Texas at Austin

Legal Issues

Academic advisors hold critical positions within the University, and the success or failure of the student's education and growth is influenced greatly by the advising function. In today's litigious atmosphere, the advising function is more critical than ever. The increasing number of court decisions dealing with classroom and academic matters attests to the growing judicial sensitivity to the student's rights in academic affairs. Advisors must understand the legal issues involving four major areas:

--Young, D. Parker, "Legal Issues Regarding Academic Advising," NACADA Journal, November 1982

The contractual relationship between students and institution.

Through its publications, most notably the catalog and departmental materials, the university establishes contractual obligations between the institution and students. Responsibility for knowing requirements ultimately rests with students, and advisors will not be held personally liable for negligent, irresponsible, or capricious behavior of students. By keeping complete and accurate notes of advising sessions, advisors can forestall future disputes as well as protect themselves against claims of erroneous advising.

Guidelines governing privacy of student records.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment) establishes students' rights to access and challenge the content of educational records. It also controls the distribution of record information to outside parties. Under the law, institutions must:

  • Give students the opportunity to challenge records that are inaccurate;
  • Get written consent before disclosing personally identifiable information about students;
  • Keep records of third parties who request or obtain student records;
  • Provide students with information about their rights under the law;
  • Provide students with access to educational records (e.g. advising records).

Any notes should be written with this in mind; notes of a personal nature should not be included in the file. University officials with a legitimate interest may view student files but other parties may do so only with student permission. For example, advisors should not reveal specific information about students to parents or spouses unless they have permission written permission from the student to do so.

Please direct all inquiries for student information to the Records Office.

Privileged communication.

Even though students have a right to privacy, advisors may discuss confidential information with other appropriate university officials in an effort to help the student. Courts generally respect this right and do not hold advisors liable for statements considered as privileged communications. At times, students will come to advisors with personal problems; normally these problems should remain confidential. In some instances, however, a student may tell the advisor of certain intentions that would prove harmful to the student or possibly to others, such as the intention to commit suicide or the desire to harm another person. Although the statements are made in confidence, a legal obligation rests with the advisor to disclose such information to an appropriate party, such as parents, an intended victim, the counseling center director, Dean of Students, or police.

Academic due process and the need for grievance procedures.

It is good policy to recognize the limitations of the role of advisors. Knowing when and where to refer students who present questions or problems that extend beyond the scope of advising or the individual advisor's knowledge can help avoid charges of inappropriate or inaccurate advising and the possible consequences of such allegations. Advisors who are confronted with student grievances concerning academic affairs, such as erroneous advising, should be familiar with the catalog and inform students of appropriate administrative remedies.