Sinclair Community College views the service performed by faculty and staff advising student organizations as an important contribution to the total mission. Student organizations closely aligned with academic departments or course of study ordinarily select faculty advisors from those departments. Student organizations sponsoring extracurricular activities not directly related to an academic department select members of the faculty and staff at large as advisors. 

 

The requirement of full-time or part-time faculty and/or staff advisor of student organizations are based upon several premises. Faculty and staff are generally familiar with the policies and procedures of the College and can assist the students in the accomplishment of their goals and objectives by helping them to work smoothly within the framework of Sinclair Community College. The most important of these is that meaningful educational relationships will develop between student groups and their advisors and that these relationships are beneficial to the students, advisors, and the college as a whole. Advisors can aid in growth and leadership of students within the group, provide a high degree of continuity from year to year as students pass through the organization, and contribute to the total education of the students. 

 

 

Yes, you have assumed an important responsibility. You will be called upon to give your time, energy, commitment, and enthusiasm and share your talent. Along with having a wonderful experience, what you will gain is the knowledge that you have helped young men and women help themselves, as well as others, and the thanks of the students with whom you have worked.

 

 

Many students will come to see their advisor as a mentor. At times, students will seek out someone to assist with their personal development. In this capacity, a mentor will have a basic understanding of students’ needs and perspectives, a desire to challenge students intellectually and emotionally while providing support to meet the challenge, and the ability to listen to students’ verbal and nonverbal communication. 

 

Team building is important because it enhances the relationships of the students between one another and the advisor. Positive relationships help the organization succeed and to work through conflicts and difficult times.

Inevitably, students are going to join the organization with different agendas, goals, and ideas about how things should function and the direction they should be taking.

 

As an advisor, you may have to motivate students to excel and to carry out their plans and achieve their goals.

 

As a representative of the college administration to the organization, the advisor is constantly in the position of interpreting the institution’s policies and regulation pertaining to student organizations.   He or she should, therefore see that his/her group and its officers know what the policies are, why they exist and the channels to followed to obtain exceptions to or revisions of these policies.

 

You may have to motivate students to excel and to carry out their plans and achieve their goals. Some students are easily discouraged and at the first sign of difficulty they may want to quit.

 

As an advisor you will assume numerous roles and all possible roles are not mentioned. A key to remember is that you are an advisor not the leader. You provide guidance, insight, and perspective to students as they work on projects, but you should not be doing the work. 

 

v Oversee club meetings and provide supervision at club activities.

v Remember to let the students make decisions while you provide guidance and advice.

v Read the group’s constitution.

v Know your group’s limits. Help students find a balance between activities and their academic responsibilities.

v Assist club officers in planning and promoting club activities and develop the yearly calendar, to ensure that all activities are consistent with the goals of the club.

v Communicate regularly with club members and officers.

v Attend all student club meetings and training sessions, including the sessions for advisors offered by the Student Leadership Development office.

v Make sure that all activity forms are collected and submitted to the Student Leadership Development office in a timely manner.

v Act as liaison with the manager of Student Leadership Development and staff, and convey problems, questions and/or concerns as may be necessary.

v Plan and encourage attendance with the leadership training provided by Student Leadership Development office.

v Be knowledgeable of the organization’s purpose and help the general membership adhere to them.