Each institution shall have a program for the advisement of its students. Academic advisement is a primary responsibility of faculty and should be integrally related to the education process. Effective advisement shall be credited toward retention, tenure, and promotion. It should be a specific topic of faculty evaluation.
Through its program of academic advisement, Dalton State College endeavors to discharge effectively this responsibility and to implement advisement as defined by the System Task Force on Academic Advisement:
Academic advisement is the continuing interaction between advisee and advisor in a developmental process that involves the exchange of information and setting of goals, a process which enables the student to understand realistically the educational and career options from which choices are made.
Academic advisement is an integral part of the educational process. As suggested by the Task Force, advising is what connects the student with the faculty. When effective, academic advisement assists students in realizing the maximum educational benefits of their college experience by helping them to better understand their interests, abilities, needs, and goals and to use productively the varied resources of the College. In this process, 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.
Academic advisement is nothing more nor less than the practical expression of the concern of the faculty and the institution for the student as an individual. It is part and parcel of one’s commitment to teaching as a humanistic profession. Through this process, the faculty and the College foster the fullest possible development of each student’s potential, assist in the establishment of realistically challenging goals, and encourage an appreciation of the opportunities available at this and other institutions of post-secondary education.
Academic advisors should aspire to more than routine course scheduling. As a practical service to the student, advisement should be based on a clearly defined program of study that is consistent with the student’s interests and abilities and should include a careful monitoring of the advisee’s academic progress. When conscientiously undertaken, academic advisement facilitates the student’s progress toward career and academic goals, increases student retention, and ultimately enhances the reputation of the advisor and the institution. It is an opportunity for the faculty and the college to express a special interest in both the personal and the academic welfare of the student.
Source: Dalton State College Advisors' Handbook (2011).