Advisor Training

Advisor Training - Conference for Staff and Faculty

At the annual two-day Advisor Training, advisors from all departments and academic faculties at Humber will gather to discuss, share and learn about advising techniques, skills and issues that affect us all. Each year we continue the conversation, learn more about the theory and practice of advising and make connections with fellow advisors on campus.

NACADA Competencies

NACADA Core Competencies

Underpinning the core competencies for academic advising and serving as the foundational elements for effective advisor training programs and advising practice are three content categories - the conceptual, informational, and relational. An understanding of these three major areas provides advisors the knowledge and skills to be effective guides for their students.

Core competencies in the Conceptual component (concepts academic advisors must understand) include understanding of:

	The history and role of academic advising in higher education.
	NACADA's Core Values of Academic Advising.
	Theory relevant to academic advising.
	Academic advising approaches and strategies.
	Expected outcomes of academic advising.
	How equitable and inclusive environments are created and maintained.

Core competencies in the Informational component (knowledge academic advisors must master) include knowledge of:

	Institution specific history, mission, vision, values, and culture.
	Curriculum, degree programs, and other academic requirements and options.
	Institution specific policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
	Legal guidelines of advising practice, including privacy regulations and confidentiality.
	The characteristics, needs, and experiences of major and emerging student populations.
	Campus and community resources that support student success.
	Information technology applicable to relevant advising roles.

Core Competencies in the Relational component (skills academic advisors must demonstrate) include the ability to:

	Articulate a personal philosophy of academic advising.
	Create rapport and build academic advising relationships.
	Communicate in an inclusive and respectful manner.
	Plan and conduct successful advising interactions.
	Promote student understanding of the logic and purpose of the curriculum.
	Facilitate problem solving, decision-making, meaning-making, planning, and goal setting.
	Engage in on-going assessment and development of the advising practice.