Campus clubs and organizations are required to have an adviser in order to become an active, college-sponsored club. Advisers must be a faculty, manager, administrator or full‐time staff member. A mentor's primary role is to serve as a resource to the club and help guide them in effectively operating the organization.
The student members of the club and the mentor should have a conversation early on to determine the role and expectations of the mentor and the mentor's expectations of the students.
Benefits of Being an Adviser:
There are many benefits to becoming a mentor to a club. These include, but are not limited to
-
Working with and helping students as they learn and develop new skills
-
Sharing one’s knowledge and experience with others
-
Meeting and interacting with new students outside of the classroom
-
Working with students who have the same interests as you
-
Helping students to think critically to navigate complex problems and learn to effectively lead an organization
Adviser General Responsibilities:
Advisers need to be familiar with the club's and Associated Student Government (ASG) constitution and bylaws, Student Development processes, College and District policies, local, state and federal laws and rules that govern the student clubs and ensure that these are followed by the club(s) they are advising.
-
Advisers should be available to meet with club officers and/or members when they request help and when planning an event to make sure that the club is prepared to hold each event that they plan.
-
Mentors are responsible for reviewing and approving all financial transactions.
-
Mentors can assist students in the development of skills such as time management, problem solving, delegating, communication and leadership.
-
Mentors can share the history of the organization and explain why past decisions were made to new officers.
-
If a club has more than one mentor, it is important that both of them are working together and aware of what the other is doing in regards to the club at all times. If the mentors are not working together, the club may become divided and ineffective.
-
Empower students to take action in seeing the organization succeed or fail. Some of the greatest learning moments come from setbacks. Mentors will help students reflect and learn from both success and failures.
Advisers are invited and welcome to contact the Student Development Office (x4616).
Contact us for assistance with any questions and/or problems, or to discuss club status that may be of interest or importance to the college.
The Inter-Club Council provides support to the Clubs and is available as a resource to club officers and mentors by providing guidance for planning events and activities.
The Student Development Office is located in the Student Services Center Room 207.
For more information regarding Adviser responsibilities and benefits please view the Adviser Handbook here.