"That's Not What I Said:" Communication Gaps in Advising

Authors

  • Ann Lieberman Colgan West Chester University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26209/mj1961243

Abstract

The ability to comprehend, act upon, and disseminate essential communication plays a critical part in student success in higher education. Yet many faculty, staff, and administrators can recollect dozens of stories about students who missed important information, and the resulting consequences ranged from hilarious to tragic. Therefore, academic advisers must read the signposts of missing comprehension; advisers must detect students' selective hearing, partial reading, or limited grasp of complex, detailed instructions. Acquiring diagnostic skills, including practices from other disciplines, enables advisers to engage students in an I-You dialog where the adviser actively participates in the student's understanding.

Author Biography

Ann Lieberman Colgan, West Chester University

Ann Lieberman Colgan, Ed.D., is Assistant Professor and Interim Director of Exploratory Studies at West Chester University. She can be reached at acolgan@wcupa.edu.

References

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Published

2017-10-02

Issue

Vol. 19 (2017): The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal

Section

Articles

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