"All About Advising" educates faculty and staff 
Academic advising plays a crucial role in helping students achieve their educational, professional, and personal goals. Knowledgeable advisors facilitate students’ decision-making processes regarding career and educational goals, and provide information about programs of study, degree requirements (including courses and prerequisites), registration, institutional policies, support services, and the transfer process.
To ensure that faculty and staff possess the information needed to successfully advise HCC students, an academic advising orientation and in-service training is held each semester. On January 20, HCC’s Academic Advising Task Force hosted “All About Advising,” a professional development day that offered workshops on topics such as transfer, course withdrawal, advising liberal arts students, career exploration, counseling, and resources for students struggling with economic hardship or personal stress.
Professor Karen Riedl’s workshop, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” covered the ramifications of withdrawing from a class. “Withdrawal can affect a student’s financial aid,” she explained. “That, as well as the impact on their GPA, and whether a course is required or an elective, must be considered when a student is deciding whether to take a low grade or withdraw from a class.”
HCC Counselor Kathleen Keough led “Where Do I Turn Now?” a workshop that provided resources and tips for assisting students in crisis. “I’ve had faculty walk students to my office, because they came to class with visible bruises,” said Keough. “But if you teach an evening class, the counselors aren’t on campus, and you need to know what resources exist” she continued. In addition to providing thick packets of information, Keough’s departmental website provides comprehensive resources for students and faculty.
Participants in Richard Powers’ workshop, “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!” were led through the Holland Code Assessment and other tools used by the Career Center to help students discover areas of interest and related occupational options. “Explorations of majors and careers are launch points for conversation,” said Powers. “The goal is to support each student’s process as they identify and narrow down their interests.”
“These workshops are so valuable,” said Leah Russell, a faculty member in the Business Division. “We need to be able to advise our students, and not just those we are formally assigned to advise. Students in my classes regularly ask questions and seek advice. They want to sort out where to go, academically and career-wise, and what they need to get there.”
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