Advisor Roles, Styles & Skills

The role of the Advisor is a key role to ensuring the success of student clubs/organizations. Each organization is as unique as the students that make up its membership. In order to fully support the organization, the Advisor needs to work with the student leadership to determine the role of the advisor, and the style of advising that the organization needs that particular year, and then utilize various skills to support the student leaders.

Advisor Position Description

Per the SGA Bylaws, the responsibilities are as listed below:

1. An Advisor is either a High Point University Faculty/Staff member or a person who has been bonded and background checked by the University and has insurance in accordance with High Point University;
2. Advisor responsibilities:
   1. Meet with the club President and Executive Council at the beginning of each semester to:
   2. Review budget;
   3. Monitor club activities to make sure they are concurrent with club goals and objectives;
   4. Review and approve all bills that will be presented to the Student Government Association Student Senate;
   5. Attend Student Affairs Committee meetings when the club is requested to be present;
   6. Accompany the club on any trips:
      1. If the Advisor is unable to go on a trip, the Advisor should help find a suitable replacement to accompany the club;
3. If the Advisor fails to meet these requirements, the club’s Executive Council can ask the Advisor to step down and appoint a new Advisor

Advisor Roles

Mentor

• Willingness to connect students to a network of professionals or community resources.
• Challenge students intellectually and emotionally while providing support.
• Encourage students to reflect on their successes and failures.

Motivator

• Offer encouragement.
• Recognize student efforts.
• Provide guidance, insight, and perspective.
• Encourage team building to enhance relationships.

Policy Interpreter

• Understand the SGA Constitution & Bylaws.
• Understand the policies, procedures, and rules of High Point University.

Team Builder

• Turn the students from individuals with separate goals and expectations into a team.
• Conduct a workshop or a full-scale retreat that includes team building.

Conflict Mediator

• Hold meetings with members who are experiencing conflict.
• Ask how their conduct is helping the group achieve its mission.

Reflective Agent

• Provide for students to reflect on how and what they are doing.
• Give students the opportunity to discuss their performance with you and then provide honest feedback.
• Have students reflect on their successes and failures.

Educator

• Your role as an educator will often come through modeling behavior, guiding students in reflection on their actions, and being there to answer questions.
• Allow students to make their own decisions even if they do not agree with your ideas.

Advising Styles

Your advising style will be situational and dependent on the developmental needs of the individual or organization you advise.

Directing 

• Provide specific instructions and supervise closely.
• Use with groups that have a low level of readiness.

Coaching

• Explain decisions, solicit suggestions, and support progress while also supervising.
• Use with groups that have a higher level of readiness and identifiable leaders.

Supporting

• Facilitate and support efforts toward accomplishing tasks.
• Share the responsibility of decision-making with students.
• Use with groups starting to “get it” and have a high level of readiness.

Delegating

• Empower students to conduct their own decision-making, problem-solving, and delegating.
• Use with groups that have a high level of readiness.

Advising Skills

Flexibility: Moving from one style to another in order to meet the needs of your students and their circumstances.

Diagnosis: Determining the needs versus the wants of students and advising appropriately.

Contracting: Coming to an agreement with your students on which advising styles they need from you.