A Message From Lance Schachterle
Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs
The Committee on Advising and Student Life, with strong support of the Office of Academic Advising, has assembled an up-to-date Advisor's Handbook for the benefit of the WPI community. The handbook is full and detailed, as the list of contents demonstrates. While the committee could not hope to anticipate every question or issue that an advisor might encounter, they have in fact illuminated many situations all of us have faced – or have wondered about – as advisors.
The electronic text will be periodically updated and faculty will be advised by e-mail of these updated sections. The handbook is not available in printed copies.
If you have the opportunity to look at only one section of the handbook, I'd suggest you devote your time to the part, Getting to Know the Student, Section 2, which talks about establishing communications with advisees. The well-known truth that collectively the students stay the same age – while we on the faculty do not – does not come home to me more forcibly than the annual first meeting with new advisees. Since the current culture does not promote easy relations between those on the opposing side of the age 21 barrier, all of us can use the advice here on avoiding the potential "turn off" that seems to come so easily if these first meetings aren't managed well.
This Handbook was Developed by:
The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) has designated this handbook as a "4-Star Advising Guide" (highest rating) for Academic Advising Resources on the Internet, one of only four publications selected to receive this award.
NACADA's publication, Transforming Academic Advising Through the Use of Information Technology cites WPI's handbook as thorough and easy-to-use. "The WPI manual's emphasis on the advising process rather than institutional rules and regulations is particularly notable."
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: June 07, 2007 12:53:38