Advising the Undergraduate Student Organization: This Worked for Us!1

NACTA Journal, Mar 2007 by Whittington, M Susie, Cano, Jamie

Abstract

New faculty members are often assigned the task of advising undergraduate student clubs and organizations, but new faculty are typically unprepared for this role. Not only are new faculty members unprepared for the advisorship, they are often unmentored in transitioning the club or organization from one advisor to the next. In addition, balancing the important role of organization advising with the expectations of promotion and tenure can be frustrating for new faculty members. Therefore, my colleague and I wrote this article for the purpose of sharing our undergraduate organization advising experience. This is what worked for us as we transferred the advisorship of a large, active undergraduate student organization from one advisor to another. For this article we wrote practical, general suggestions for advising undergraduate student clubs and organizations. Specifically, though, we are sharing guidelines that worked for us during an advisortransition year.

Introduction

As an undergraduate student, I chose to become an active member of the department's undergraduate student organization. This choice proved to be valuable in my undergraduate career. In fact, being elected as an officer in the organization became the major variable in my decision to return to college after winter break of my sophomore year (I almost left college to accept a full-time job). Knowing I had made a commitment to the organization was the catalyst for my decision to return to campus, which, again, was a wise decision for my undergraduate career and beyond.

At the beginning of my graduate assistantship, I was excited to be asked by the department head to serve as a graduate assistant advisor to the same undergraduate organization I had led several years earlier. Today, many years after my first introduction to the organization, I am pleased to serve the organization as its faculty advisor.

Many new faculty members find themselves answering a similar call from the department headto serve as the faculty advisor for an undergraduate club or organization. "The first form of departmental or university service experienced by new faculty members is the role of a faculty advisor for an undergraduate student organization," writes Dee (1999, p.1). Fortunately for me, I have a history with the organization, which gave me a bit of necessary and welcomed insight. My concern, however, is most new faculty members are thrust into advising student organizations with no background information about the organization, and with no experience to prepare them for the role of the faculty undergraduate organization advisor. In addition, faculty members have had no preparation for transitioning from the previous advisor to the current advisor.

Undergraduate Education and Organization Faculty Advisors

An effective undergraduate education reaches far beyond the classroom. Currently undergraduates are encouraged to enrich their education through such endeavors as required minors, internships, and study abroad experiences. These out-of-classroom opportunities are designed with career competence in mind. Development of the whole person, though, not just their career competence, is the ideal model for undergraduate education. Rosovsky (1990) stated that learning involves the development and practical application of those human qualities that will assist the college student in becoming a leader in the community.

Developing the whole person involves cognitive, psychomotor, and emotional maturity as a student. University coursework and internships are designed for developing cognitive and psychomotor maturity, but emotional maturity does not tend to be a topic of discussion at university curriculum meetings. Therefore, undergraduate organizations are a natural fit for assisting with the necessary emotional maturity that evolves as a critical component of the undergraduate experience. Hughes (1992) suggested that undergraduate organizations assist students in making the transition into college, especially in a large university.

Advisors of undergraduate organizations, therefore play a significant role in the development of students. Advisors, for one thing, are usually one of few consistencies throughout a student's undergraduate experience. Yarbrough (2002) believed that students and their organization advisors develop a heightened personal investment in the success of the individual. Therefore, advising in general, and advising specifically during a transition from one advisor to another, deserves care and attention for an efficient and effective year in the life of an undergraduate student.

Advisor Transition

Advisor transition is an important event for a viable undergraduate student club or organization.

Listed below are guidelines for shaping a seamless transition year, and for running the organization smoothly for many years thereafter.

Declaring the change. A "special meeting" of the officer team, the old and new advisors, and the department head is important. At the special meeting the department head shares the news of the change. It is appropriate at this time that the department head asks to be added to the agenda for the next meeting of the organization for the purpose of making the formal announcement to the organization. An official meeting of the organization is the right time to visually exchange the advisorship as well.