Kim Roufs, Director, kroufs@d.umn.edu, SCC 82, 726-8761

Vince Repesh, Associate Director, vrepesh@d.umn.edu, SCC 78, 726-7779

Rebecca Thelen, rthelen@d.umn.edu, SCC 80, 726-8863

 

Featured Faculty Advisor

Helen Mongan-Rallis, Associate Professor of Education

Why is advising meaningful to you?

It really means a lot to me to be able to be there for students, and to help them be successful. The reason I became a teacher and university professor is to help make a positive difference in the lives of young people. I love doing this both in the classroom and also through the more informal, one-on-one relationship I have with my advisees. It gives me such pleasure to guide them in helping to make decisions about their lives. Additionally, I learn so much from all of my students. I am constantly humbled when I learn what they are accomplishing, often against tremendous odds.

I believe that advising is a key component of providing effective support for students and creates a foundation for their experiences at UMD. Although our role as advisors is very minor in most students’ lives, I think it matters a lot that they know that they have someone to whom they can turn to for guidance and support, both in planning their proposed course of study and as an advocate and caring adult if they experience problems.

How does advising fit into your role as a faculty member?

I see it as one of my most important roles along with my classroom teaching. I see my role as a guide, helping students to learn to make their own informed decisions not only about their program of study, but also about the choices they make in directing their lives.

What tips do you have for establishing an advising relationship with a new student?

• Send an email out at the start of each semester welcoming your advisees back to campus and reminding them (and informing new advisees) how and when they can reach you, and inviting them to stop by.
• Keep in regular communication with your advisees. I have found that when I send out an email to my advisees updating them on something happening on campus, or about due dates for  something or other, that  this email will often result in some advisees contacting me about some other issue unrelated to the email. Just hearing from me reminds them that I am here for them, and they are more likely to seek me out.
• Be open, inviting, and non-judgmental.
• Advisees need to know that they can turn to you and trust you to be honest, to have high expectations, and also to help them without them feeling judged or put down when they make mistakes.
• Keep detailed advising notes on all communication and meetings with advisees, and use these, along with checking their records in ePortfolio and the Graduation Planner, to prepare for advising sessions. That way you can make the most of advising sessions because you are well informed and can build on what the two of you have talked about in the past. It means a great deal to students when they know that you have taken the time and care enough to prepare for meeting with them.

What piece of advice do you have for new faculty advisors?

• Try to listen more and talk less (I need to take my own advice here more… but this advice is something I strive to follow!)
• Keep detailed notes on all of your advisees so I you provide informed help and support (you can take notes during your meeting – this helps you listen more and talk less – and also means that maintaining these notes is not a burden, as you don’t have to do paperwork after the advising session is over).

What are two of your best advising practices?

• I have found that using a wiki to enable my advisees to sign up to see me has been one of the most invaluable tools. This has meant that I no longer have to play email/phone tag with advisees to arrange a meeting, and advisees know that they can count on seeing me at the appointed time without having to wait in line. (e.g. See my wiki at: http://helens.wikispaces.com/office_hours )

The other most helpful tools have been:

•  UMD’s Adviser Connect system that enables me to quickly and easily email my advisees and pass along information updates to them. See http://genapps.d.umn.edu/adviser/
• Graduation Planner: I have students use this before meeting with me so that I can see what they are planning and give them advice based on what they have tentatively planned. This also helps students come to advising meetings better prepared. See: https://onestop2.umn.edu/gradplanner/home.jsp
• ePortfolio: I use this to prepare ahead of time for meeting with my advisees so that I know how they are doing. See: https://portfolio.umn.edu/portfolio/index.jsp

Champ the Bulldog gets advice from Jerolyn Bruns of UMD's International Education Office

Advisement Coordination Center Mission Statement

The mission of the Advisement Coordination Center (ACC) is to support the campus-wide developmental advising program.

The ACC collaborates with the collegiate Student Affairs Offices and Academic Support and Student Life to help students develop sound educational, professional, and life goals.

The Advisement Coordination Center supplements and supports the University of Minnesota Duluth's faculty-based advising initiatives.

The Advisement Coordination Center provides walk-in access for any student.

We strive to make our website universally accessible. Suggestions for increasing the accessibility of these pages are welcome. Please email rthelen@d.umn.edu.