The Life of a First Year Adviser: Plaid vs. Stripes Lindsay Dobucki

Presentation Overview Brief Overview of Academic Advising at Miami Adviser Roles and Responsibilities Surviving and Thriving during Advising Season Planning your Schedule Activity Questions

Overview of Advising All first-year students receive academic advising through the Office of Residence Life and New Student Programs (you!) –FYA, AFYA, Commuter, Practicum Very unique system

Positions in Detail FYA = First Year Adviser –Full-time, live-in, Masters-level professional staff member, serves as both resident director and academic adviser for the residents in his/her hall AFYA = Assistant First Year Adviser –Graduate student, live-in, works together with First Year Advisers in larger buildings, is supervised by the full-time FYA

Positions in Detail Commuter Student Adviser –Graduate student, live-off, is responsible for the overall administration of the Commuter Center and serves as the academic adviser to first-year commuter students and the Evans Scholars Practicum Students –Graduate students, some with ORLNSP, others are not, for-credit experience, # of advisees is based on # of credits, reports to FYA

Roles & Responsibilities All Positions –Provide quality developmental academic advising to all first-year students at Miami University taking a holistic approach to help students integrate all pieces of their college experience

Roles & Responsibilities Live-In Staff –Living Learning Community, Judicial, Counseling, Advising, Supervise Staff, Advise Hall Council, Build Community Live-Off Staff –Advising, Counseling, Living Learning Community, Help with Community Building during all interactions

Plaid vs. Stripes Different positions = Different roles & responsibilities –But we are all operating under the same overarching philosophy Although we can list the different pieces of our positions (our stripes), we can’t separate them out in practice. Everything is integrated (think plaid!).

Surviving and Thriving during Academic Advising Season Surviving is important. Thriving is elegant. -Maya Angelou

What is “Advising Season?” Returning Staff –September 12 – November 8 –8 weeks New Staff –September 19 – November 8 –7 weeks Why the difference? –New staff will be observing returning advisers the week of Sept

Surviving and Thriving Rule # 1: Be Prepared –Read through the Advising Manual Rule # 2: Stay Organized –Use your binder! –Start creating files Rule # 3: Share the Load –Utilize your Hall Assistant –Collaborate with other advisers Rule # 4: Take Care of Yourself

Scheduling your Time Utilize MeetingMaker Appointment Length –Based on personal preference –To be truly developmental, no less than 45 minutes Office Hours Scheduling time for YOU

Scheduling your Time Let’s look at some examples… 1.FYA (me) during Week 2 of Advising Season 2.AFYA (Audrey) during Week 3 of Advising Season 3.FYA (me) during First Year Registration in November

Activity Time Let’s pretend that we just entered Week 3 of Advising Season. Take the blank MeetingMaker schedule and plan your week.

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