Advisors to Student Organizations
- Responsibility of Advisors to the Organization
- Responsibility of the Organization to the Advisor
- Changes in Advisor
- Advisors and Student Organization Travel
The University recognizes that co-curricular activities are vital to academic excellence and personal development. To promote the success of student organizations, the University requires each organization to have an advisor. These must be drawn from the faculty or staff at Western Connecticut State University.
Advising a student organization is personally and professionally rewarding. Advisors impact the direction a group takes, the goals it achieves, and the leadership qualities it nurtures in its members.
When an organization cannot locate a permanent advisor, the Associate Director of Student Life/Student Activities will attempt to arrange for a temporary advisor for a maximum period of one semester.
Student organizations must keep the Student Life/Student Activities Office and the Student Government Association aware of any impending changes in advisor.
An advisor:
- Ensures that the organization fulfills the stated aims of its constitution.
- Guides activities by assisting the members with planning of all proposed projects.
- Maintains familiarity with University policies and procedures governing student organizations to ensure compliance.
- Functions as liaison with the Student Life/Student Activities Office.
- Oversees the organization's finances and approves all official expenditure forms. The advisor's signature does not imply personal or financial responsibility on the part of the advisor.
- Is aware of all programs and problems within the organization and should work to highlight any potential liability issues that may exist.
- Maintains an open dialogue with the officers and members concerning the progress, plans and problems of the organization.
- Attends meetings and events scheduled by the organization.
- Attends meetings of advisors held by the Student Life/Student Activities Office
- Attends programs as required by the Large Events Protocol and/or University Alcohol Policy.
Responsibility of Advisors to the Organization
Advisors promote the growth potential of student organizations, assist with their maintenance, and stimulate the development of programs that not only enrich the campus, but also aid the development of the students.
Promoting Growth - Advisors offer input that improves the operation and strengthens the effectiveness of the organization.
Assisting Maintenance - An advisor is counted on to provide advice on the history and traditions of the organization, to arbitrate disputes within its membership, to underscore its values and its impact on the University. An advisor also helps the organization understand the importance of public relations for the organization and the University, and to clarify the policies and procedures already in place as its guides.
Program Development - Advisors stimulate the intelligence and abilities of students in areas that complement the formal curricular offerings of the University. By encouraging organization members to apply classroom principles and concepts to program design and development, and by supplementing this process with insights that point out new perspectives and directions, advisors provide students with on-going academic and social leadership.
The advisor's objective should be to make membership in the organization an educationally meaningful experience. The student organization advisor should go beyond the roll of passive bystander and be prepared to provide active on-going academic and social leadership to the student organization.
Advisors should not direct the activities of the organization. Students need to make their own decisions and learn from those experiences. Failing is part of the learning process. Mistakes and poor decisions will happen. While an advisor's first reaction might be to intervene and fix the situation, this is not the role of the advisor. The advisor needs to take the failure and turn it into a "teachable moment" for the students. On the other hand, it is the advisor's responsibility to ensure that students understand the consequences of their decisions. Therefore, a proactive stance is appropriate when a potentially controversial situation arises. Back to top.
Responsibility of the Organization to the Advisor
Organizations should recognize that advisors are obligated to give counsel and advise in areas of experience and in regard to good taste and conduct. The officers of the organization are responsible for keeping the advisor well informed of activities. Organizations should consult with advisors before any changes in policy, purpose, or programs are undertaken. Back to top.
To resign, an advisor should notify, in writing and with at least one month's notice, the organization, the Student Government Association and the Student Life/Student Activities Office. A two-thirds vote of the active student organization membership is required to request the resignation of an organization's advisor. The organization's President should meet with the Associate Director of Student Life/Student Activities before the vote is taken. Back to top.
Advisors and Student Organization Travel
The policies as to the role of a student organization advisor in regards to student organization travel can be found in the Student Organization Travel section of the Guidebook. Back to top.
