Advisor Guide
The Point
Registered Student Organization Advisor Guide
Student Involvement
Dear Registered Student Organization Advisor,
I want to thank you for agreeing to serve as advisor to a registered student organization. To be registered with SUNY Oswego student organizations must have a faculty or staff member agree to serve as their organization’s advisor. Student Involvement is committed to helping students, student organizations and their advisors in their development and operations. Should you have any questions in regards to advising your student organization please contact our office so that we may be of assistance to you.
“Student involvement in co-curricular activities such as student organizations, leadership positions, and activity in campus residence halls has a positive correlation with retention and academics.” (Kuh and Pike, 2005)
Advisors help with the growth and development of our students through their co-curricular involvement with student organizations. In addition to Kuh and Pike’s work Alexander Astin’s seminal work, “What Matters in College? Four Critical Years Revisited” chronicles the importance of student contact with faculty and staff beyond the classroom setting.
I would also like to invite you to visit Laker Life and to join the Student Involvement page; https://lakerlife.oswego.edu/organization/thepoint in addition to the page of the organization that you advise. Student Involvement publishes its newsletters in the documents section of our Laker Life page along with listing many of the events and deadlines for student organizations.
Sincerely,
Michael Paestella
Assistant Director of Campus Life - Student Involvement
131 Marano Campus Center, The Point
315.312.5420
Student Involvement, the Student Association and the registered student organizations at SUNY Oswego have come together to create the collaborative resource center, which is The Point.
The staff and students of The Point offer the following programs, services and workshops:
- Advisement and assistance provided to Student Organizations
- ALANA Leadership Conference & multicultural programming
- Assistance to Student Organization Advisors
- Fraternity & Sorority Standards of Excellence, advisement & guidance
- Leadership Development
- Laker Life administration, training and support
- Organizational Development
- Registration & Creation of Student Organizations
- Risk Management Training
- Student Activities Programming
- Student Governance
- Student Involvement Awards Ceremony
Student Involvement Staff:
Michael Paestella, Assistant Director of Campus Life - Student Involvement
Kashonda Watson, Assistant Director of Campus Life – Greek Life
Maggie Rivera, Student Involvement Advisor
Brandon Woolfolk, Student Involvement Advisor
Madeline Ewig, Administrative Assistant to Student Involvement
Student Association Officers and Staff:
Takeena Strachan, President
Matthew O’Donnell, Vice President
Ryan Green, Director of Finance
Elizabeth McGrath, Professional Finance Manager
Selena Ferguson, Student Association Clerk
Laker Life
Laker Life is an online community for SUNY Oswego’s registered student organizations, residence halls, various campus departments and student centered programs.
Laker Life is where each student organization renews its registration at the start of the fall semester along with inviting you, the Advisor, to the organization to join their page. As part of the registration form in Laker Life the organization will share your name and contact information with Student Involvement.
You can join the page of the organization you advise in a couple of ways:
1) Accept an email invitation from the organization to join as the Advisor.
2) Log into Laker Life and “Join” the page and then have the President assign you to the role of Advisor.
Registered student organizations are able to do the following with their pages in Laker Life:
- News – share news releases through Laker Life to the campus community
- About - share their mission and purpose
- Events – publicize events on Laker Life’s home page & the Events Calendar
- Roster – invite people to join, update officers, message members
- Gallery – create photo albums from events and programs
- Documents – store and share their agendas, minutes, constitutions, etc.
- Forms – create forms to help with organizational needs
- Service Hours – log and maintain service hours
- Elections – facilitate organization elections
- Finance – SA budgeted organizations will learn more in SA training about this feature
Advising Do’s & Do Not’s
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Do’s: |
Do Not’s: |
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“Try not. Do. Or do not. There is not Try.” - Yoda
Advisor Roles
The following are a listing of a variety of roles you can take with the organization you advise. This list is given to you to help you develop your relationship with the organization, it is not an expectation that you play each of these roles and you are not limited to these roles if you and the organization agree to other appropriate roles.
Teaching and Coaching
Advisors assist in organization, officer and membership development.
Consultation
Officers and members will consult with the advisor for their opinions on matters facing the organization.
Provide Continuity
Advisors may have the longest history with the organization and can share this perspective with new officers and members.
Counseling
Advisors can counsel the organization and its members on everything from policy to assistance in member’s personal lives.
Interpretation of Policy
Advisors can help officers and members interpret campus policy.
Facilitation & Management
Advisors may assist in the facilitation of certain projects, elections or other areas as requested by the organization.
Meeting Emergencies
Advisors can assist organizations and members in times of crisis.
Financial Guidance
Some organizations request advisors to review financial records and ask for assistance with budget development.
Social Activities
Where appropriate Advisors should attend organization events and advise organizations in planning events and making sure they follow campus policies.
Organization Meetings
Advisors should establish an agreement with organizations as to what meetings and events they will be attending so all parties know what is expected of them.
Scholastic Eligibility
Advisors should challenge members to keep their grades up and direct them to places that can assist them with academics.
Organizational Records
Advisors should be given copies of constitutions, agendas, minutes, calendars and organizational materials so they are aware of what is going on and so that they have records to help present and future members. Being active with the organization’s page in Laker Life can assist with this as well.
Advisor Responsibilities
The relationship of the advisor to the organization will vary according to the needs of the organization. The advisor has three major areas of responsibility:
I. Responsibility to the Organization
- Assist with the development of the organization’s group dynamics
- Help in the organization’s goal setting process
- Guide organization to stay within it’s mission & purpose
- Play the role of “Devil’s Advocate”
- Be available to the organization
- Serve as a liaison between the organization and the college
- Link organization to it’s past
II. Responsibility to the Individuals
- Assist in officer transitions
- Help with needs of individuals and refer them to appropriate campus offices that can further assist them
- Be available to individuals
- Help individuals find balance in their involvement
- Show individuals their importance in relation to the organization’s goals and success
III. Responsibility to SUNY Oswego
- Represent SUNY Oswego in a responsible manner
- Guide organization so that they stay within the policies and procedures of the college and all laws
- Allow students to grow and make mistakes as long as no one is hurt in the process
- Utilize Student Involvement for advice and assistance in working with your student organization
Advisor Information
From the SUNY Oswego Student Handbook:
Student Organizations policies and procedures, which includes the policies language on Organization Advisors, can be found in the College Policies section of the SUNY Oswego Student Handbook:
http://www.oswego.edu/student/handbook.html
For your convenience the “Organization Advisers” section is listed below:
Organization Advisers
a. All registered student organizations are required to have an adviser who is directly affiliated with the College such as faculty, staff, graduate assistants, and non-student employees of Auxiliary Services, the Oswego College Foundation and the Student Association. Student organizations seeking assistance in adviser selection should contact the Assistant Director of Campus Life for Student Involvement.
b. The general purpose of an organization adviser is to provide insight and guidance that assists a student organization in furthering its purpose and enhancing the meaningfulness of organization membership.
c. Registered student organizations are strongly encouraged to take full advantage of the valuable role an adviser serves.
d. As a general rule, the adviser should counsel the organization in the exercise of responsibility, be familiar with the organization’s programs and be familiar with College policies and procedures. Advisers do not have authority to control the policies of an organization.
e. Specific written duties or expectations of an adviser shall be mutually agreed upon by the adviser and the student organization. These responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Provide continuity for the student organization by assisting with the transition of officers;
- Be reasonably informed of the purpose and activities of the student organization;
- Assist the student organization in complying with this policy, on registered student organizations, the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, and other written College policies and procedures;
- Accompany and/or assist, as needed, organization officers in their dealings with College or outside public on behalf of the organization;
- Be reasonably informed of the student organization’s financial matters;
- Assist the student organization in setting goals and objectives;
- Be available to the organization’s officers and members for consultation;
- Provide constructive feedback;
- Accept the student organization’s invitation to join their Laker Life page after the president lists them on the “Student Organization Registration Form;” in Laker Life.
- Assist in other responsibilities mutually agreed upon between the adviser and the student organization.
f. Advisors to registered student organizations involved in campus governance are appointed by the Dean of Students after consultation with the organization’s student officers and other interested parties, as appropriate. Other registered student organizations may select a new adviser as the need arises. Notification of a change in adviser shall be filed with the Assistant Director of Campus Life for Student Involvement, The Point, 131 Marano Campus Center, by the president of the student organization within five (5) class days after such change takes effect. Additionally, the president of the student organization needs to invite the new Advisor to join the organization’s page in Laker Life.
g. In carrying out their responsibilities, organization advisers shall be protected from liability in accordance with the Public Officers Law of the State of New York.
SUNY Oswego Hazing Policy
The SUNY Oswego Hazing Policy as found in the Student Handbook:
The College recognizes that co-curricular activities can significantly enhance the campus community and the learning and development of its individual members. When students affiliate in groups with a common purpose, a “group think” or “test of loyalty” may develop that sometimes results in mistreatment.
In accordance with New York State Penal Law Sections 120.16 and 120.17., The College adamantly prohibits any form of hazing conducted or condoned by any member of the campus community.
1. Hazing is defined as any act, or creation of, or participation in the creation of any situation, which endangers mental or physical health or which involves the consumption of alcohol or other drugs for purposes of initiation into or affiliation with any group or organization.
2. Activities that may be construed as hazing include, but are not limited to:
- Activities that disrupt or interfere with an individual’s pursuit of academic endeavors
- Activities which harass or intimidate
- Activities that expose members or prospective members to potentially dangerous or hazardous circumstances, including lockdowns or overcrowding rooms and locking exits
- Activities that deprive individuals of sleep, edible meals, or personal hygiene (deprivation of sleep includes maintaining pledging or affiliation activities after midnight on school nights, Sunday through Thursday)
- Activities which have a foreseeable potential for resulting in personal injury
- Activities which involve illegal acts
- Activities that involve tests of endurance; leaving a person in a location without means of identification or communication or return
- Activities that are physically exhausting
- Activities that involve the forced or required consumption of food, beverages, alcohol, or other drugs
- Activities that impart pain or cause mutilation or alteration to the body
- Any activity which by its nature has the potential to cause severe mental anxiety, mental distress, panic, human degradation, or public embarrassment
3. It shall not constitute a defense to the charge of hazing that the participant(s) took part voluntarily, that they voluntarily assumed the risks or hardship of the activity, or that no injury in fact was suffered.
4. Hazing is a violation of New York State law and is subject to criminal prosecution.
Advisor Guide Resources
- Astin, A.W. (1993). What matters in college: Four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- The Do’s and Do Not’s page was adapted from organization advisor information utilized at Syracuse University and SUNY Geneseo.
- The Roles & Responsibilities of Advisors incorporate a compilation of experiences of working with student organizations along with adaptations of materials utilized by the University of Wisconsin System, including UW-Whitewater, while reflecting the intentions of the ACPA Code of Ethics.
- SUNY Oswego Student Handbook: http://www.oswego.edu/student/handbook.html
- Yoda’s quote is from Star Wars the Empire Strikes Back, Lucas Films.