Responsibilities of Advisors
- To provide accurate, current information to students.
- To make students aware of the resources available to them at DCCC and to assist them in taking advantage of those services.
- Be aware of the student's current educational level and recommend that students prepare themselves in the manner most appropriate for the individual student (ex: developmental coursework, Student Success, Personal and Career Development).
- Ask students about educational goals. (Why did you come to DCCC? What major are you interested in? Is there a career you would like to pursue? A school you would like to transfer to?)
- Be available to students with regular office hours, email or phone.
- Create an academic plan with the student. Help the student to decide how long he or she would like to attend DCCC and figure out how many classes per semester the student must take in order to reach that goal. Creating a number of plans may be helpful to some students to help increase their options and envision a goal for graduation.
- Inform students of their registration options (Web, Records Window, Career Center).
- Discuss scheduling options with students. Make students aware of the various campuses, the choice between day or evening, and the choice between traditional classroom settings or distance learning.
- Inform the student of his or her responsibilities (ex: paying the bill on time, regular attendance, etc.).
- Provide student with the materials he or she needs to better understand the academic process (course catalog, student handbook, etc.)
- Discuss both successes and failures with students. Compliment superior grades and discuss possibilities for people with strengths in that area. Recommend taking additional courses in strong areas or with instructors the student has built a positive relationship with. Discuss poor grades with students. Find out why the student was having difficulties (working too many hours, difficulty with instructor, personal problem, etc.). Help student to understand options for preventing future problems.
- Treat students with respect and take a genuine interest in their success.