Your Advisor and SLI

Along with your student members, your advisor is an integral member of your organization! An advisor isn’t just someone who signs off on your paperwork. While their advising style may be active or passive, they can be a valuable resource for your organization if you take the time to cultivate a good relationship. An advisor can assist in sorting out conflicts within an organization, act as an impartial sounding board for ideas, and help you stay on track if you find your organization is becoming too scattered. The following are a few ways you can encourage a close working relationship with your advisor, and build strong lines of communication with them.

  • Notify your advisor of organization meetings and invite them to attend. When you do so, include a copy of the meeting’s agenda so the advisor can decide whether their presence is necessary.
  • Send copies of the minutes after meetings.
  • Make a standing appointment to meet with your advisor once or twice a month. This is a good time to go over the “state of the union” and ask for advice or go over any concerns the two of you may have.
  • While advisors are an incredibly valuable resource, don’t forget they have many other demands on their time! Remember they are volunteering a part of their schedule to be of help to you, so don’t forget to thank them every once in a while.

Student Leadership & Involvement is also a very important resource on campus for any organization. In addition to a beautiful resource room dedicated to the creation of banners, posters, and other organization memorabilia, SLI can assist in helping to connect you with other student leaders and opportunities for programming across campus, as well as providing several forms of advertising for your events. As the hub of all student organizations on campus, SLI is happy to talk through your plans and activities with you and guide you to the appropriate resources as necessary. Make an appointment to meet with one of the staff by emailing sli@allegheny.edu, or stop by to see if someone is available.