Introduction to Advising & Supporting
The Advising and Supporting competency encompasses student support and guidance in individual and group settings. All interactions with students, however small, are informed by this competency. Especially for directly student-facing roles, higher education professionals play a part in advising and supporting students to help them achieve their goals and prepare for life after college. Professionals should have the skills to give direction and feedback to students while maintaining a solid perception of self and general wellness. When advising and supporting students, professionals should develop skills in active listening, conflict management, group dynamics, and handling and referring mental health issues. Advising and supporting concerns knowing how to appropriately challenge and support students and allowing them to make meaningful decisions within the context of their own learning and development as well as in a community.
Application of Advising & Supporting
Advising and supporting students has been the most dynamic aspect of my growth as a student affairs professional. It requires flexibility and the ability to be present with students. At the beginning of my graduate assistantship at Robsham, I began with a tentativeness that came from a lack of confidence. I was still in my transition from undergraduate to graduate student, and it was hard to maintain a strong sense of ability to advise and support students. In my first advising meeting, I struggled to exert confidence and not try to fix all of the student’s emotions. Over the course of my graduate studies, especially with courses like College Student Experience and Counseling Techniques in Higher Education, I have been able to hone my skills to change the dynamics of how I interact with students. Developing active listening, problem-solving techniques, and support avenues for students have been crucial for my improvement in this competency. This has also come with practice and time. The more I talk to students, advise and support them regarding their lives, the more I can draw from my experiences and theirs to guide and support them better. An artifact that demonstrates this work tangibly is my final for my Counseling Techniques course, in which I detail my response to a fictional crisis where my counseling and advising skills would be used. The prompt deals with an LGBTQ+ student in crisis and with issues of campus demonstration. As I am looking to work with LGBTQ+ students extensively in my career, it was highly insightful to parse out how to advise and support students, especially within a crisis where multiple stakeholders depend on my guidance. This exercise not only demonstrates my ability to advise and support, but is one that has helped me prepare for future scenarios.
Progress & Future Growth
In the future, I plan to grow my conflict resolution skills further and look into restorative justice practices to better inform my support for student leaders and student groups I engage with. Additionally, it serves me to continue to learn about differing cultural and social environments that students are immersed in to better cater my advising and supporting to students from all backgrounds. To achieve this, I will seek professional development opportunities in these areas and continue to read and learn after completing my degree.
Emma Roney 