The educational approach of Global College is empowering to students.  It allows them a great deal of latitude in planning their own educational agendas.  It provides access to far richer learning experiences than in institutions that rely solely on classroom-based lectures.  And it offers far more resources around the world than almost any other college or university.  But in other fundamental ways our educational goals remain similar to that of other schools.  Our faculty have a responsibility to guide student learning and to teach, even if our form of teaching is expressed more through advisement or in tutorials than in more formal institutions.  We must also try to help students identify and insist on their own and others' high academic standards, whether in a research, artistic or action-oriented project.

Since it is our primary mode of instruction, advising must be done regularly and conscientiously. This is a responsibility both of the advisor and of the student.  It bears repeating:  This is a responsibility both of the advisor and of the student. Since advisement is so important in our Program and we base our curriculum around it, advisement cannot simply take the form of casual hallway chats or the occasional phone call.  Advisement is to be scheduled, planned for, and documented by both the student and the faculty advisor.  Global College and individual Centers have developed a variety of "Advisement Record Forms" and "Advisement Logs" over the years.  It seems best to leave the report form up to the particular situation and individuals' needs, but experience shows that the most helpful forms include the date (of actual or attempted/scheduled contact); the form of contact (e-mail, in-person, letter or paper to/from, phone call, fax, etc.)   Brief notes regarding the status of current work and/or questions/suggestions/next steps are usually included. 

"Improved advising" is a frequent suggestion by both students and faculty within Global College.  It is important to assess and evaluate what a call for "improved advising" means.  Is it that the quality of advice needs improving?  Is it a perception that questions and suggestions are not heard and answered?   Is contact too infrequent?  Are technical problems interfering with successful contact? 

It is the responsibility of each Center and each advisor to orient current students about advisement procedures.  Who is to set up the first appointment?  What form of advisement is preferred, and under what circumstances?  (office only?  phone calls to home?  how late?  what days?  how frequently?)  What format does an advising session typically follow?  Students bring different advisement experiences – and, consequently, assumptions -- with them to a new Center, and unless the new Center's expectations are made explicit, severe misunderstandings can occur between an advisor and her or his advisee.

As an example, the Advisement Record contained in the Program Handbook was designed to help structure the advisement session even as it serves as a record of the discussion.  Every session is different, of course, and different needs are addressed.  Nevertheless, the Advisement Record focuses discussion on the student's current needs and what support the faculty advisor can offer. 

It is the Program's policy and expectation that advising must take place every two weeks at a minimum, more often if necessary.  Ideally the student and faculty advisor discuss in person; if this is impossible, bi-weekly advisement sessions may be done by other means.