Become an RSO Advisor

• Be listed in the Wisconsin Involvement Network (WIN) as the RSO advisor.
• Be a UW-Madison employee or a United States-based community member (18+ years old) with experience relevant to the organization.
  • UW-Madison graduate students may advise undergraduate-only organizations. Undergraduate students are not eligible to be advisors.
  • Advisors may advise remotely as long as they are otherwise US-based.
• Complete Mandated Reporter training, a Criminal Background Check, Campus Security Authority (CSA) training and serve as a CSA, and an RSO Advisor orientation.
• Contribute at least 3-5 hours per month advising the RSO including serving as a mentor and/or coach.
• Provide support and guidance to the RSO by answering inquiries, clarifying relevant campus policies and resources, and monitoring the overall well-being of both the organization and its student members. If unable to provide an appropriate response, refer the organization to the Office for Student Organizations, Leadership & Involvement for further assistance.
• Be knowledgeable about campus policies (e.g. RSO Code of Conduct, Hazing) related to RSOs, make a good faith effort to advise the RSO to remain compliant, and contact the Office for Student Organizations, Leadership & Involvement if concerned that the RSO will not be acting compliantly.
• Participate, as possible, in volunteer RSO Advisor trainings and the RSO Advisor Community of Practice (Wiser Advisor Connect).
• Contact the Office for Student Organizations, Leadership & Involvement with questions and for support if needed. Or, if the RSO is dual registered, may also contact the dual registration partner department with questions and for support.
• Notify the Office for Student Organizations, Leadership & Involvement if no longer able to meet the conditions of being an RSO advisor.

A student organization advisor is asked to assume many roles. These will vary greatly, depending on the philosophy of the advisor and the student group. Some of the roles an advisor may be responsible for include:

• Teacher or Educator- Advisors do teach though the classroom is informal and attendance is voluntary. It’s a “raw” type of education. Advisors must lay themselves open to students’ calling on their expertise, knowledge, and human relations skills to enable effective teaching.
• Resource Person- As the years go by, advisors gain a great deal of experience, which becomes extremely valuable to an organization. Knowledge of university policies and services, where to find pertinent information, and an historical perspective are just some of the dimensions of a resource person.
• Coordinator and Expediter- This role is certainly close to both that of a resource person and a teacher, but it tends to be more action involved. The advisor can act as a motivator and an overseer for the organization. Step in, as need be, to provide direction and to be a communication link towards the group goal.
• Listener- The ability to lend a listening ear and offer suggestions to the student is important. If there are concerns about a student, the advisor should make a referral to the Office of Student Assistance and Support: Refer a Student of Concern.
• Accountable Administration Official- The advisor possesses the skills of follow-through and consistency, especially in matters of university policies and paperwork. There may be times during the year when the advisor must work through the proper channels, straighten unresolved matters, and cut through red tape.

An understanding of student development can be extremely beneficial to advisors. Below are brief overviews of both Nevitt Sanford and Arthur Chickering’s models of student development.

Nevitt Sanford created one of the most widely used models for working with students. He proposes that there must be sufficient challenge present in order for students to grow. If the challenge is too great and there is an absence of appropriate support, students will not develop and may retreat back to earlier stages of development. It is important to have a good balance between challenge and support. When advising a student organization, be sure to see that student leaders are gently pushed and encouraged into new involvement opportunities but are not thrown into positions too challenging for their level of development (Evans, Foreny, & Guido-DiBrito, 1998.)

Another student development theorist, Arthur Chickering, proposed that student development occurred along the lines of seven developmental vectors (areas of competence.) He used the term vectors because each seems to have direction and magnitude, although the direction may be more appropriately represented by a spiral than a straight line (Evans, Forney, & Guido-DiBrito). Learning more about each vector can provide you with useful insight as you work with student leaders; you can use this knowledge to help identify and meet needs of organization members so that they are more satisfied with their overall experience.

The following is a summary of Chickering’s seven vectors (Evans, Forney, & Guido-DiBrito, 1998):

• Developing competence– this vector involves three areas of competence: intellectual competence, physical and manual skills, and interpersonal competence. Students in this vector are developing the confidence to cope with challenges and achieve goals successfully.
• Managing emotions– with this vector, students develop the ability to recognize and accept emotions in addition to expressing and controlling them in a responsible manner. The feelings a student may face range from negative emotions like anxiety, anger or guilt to more positive emotions such as caring, optimism, or inspiration.
• Becoming autonomous– this vector results in increased emotional independence, which includes freedom from continual and pressing needs for reassurance, affection or approval from others. Students also develop instrumental independence, which involves self-direction and problem-solving skills. As students become autonomous, they hope to be viewed as adults capable of making their own decisions while maintaining positive relationships with others.
• Developing mature interpersonal relationships– in this vector, students develop intercultural and interpersonal tolerance as well as the appreciation of differences and the capacity for healthy relationships with partners and close friends.
• Establishing identity– this builds on the other vectors that come before it and includes comfort with body and appearance, a clear self-concept and comfort with one’s roles and lifestyle. Students who are facing identity issues often struggle with the identity given to them by others and are seeking roles and lifestyle that they will find meaningful.
• Developing purpose– with this vector, students develop clear vocational goals, make meaningful commitments to specific personal interests and activities, and establish strong interpersonal commitments. This also includes intentionally making and sticking with decisions, even in the face of opposition. Students who are developing purpose are sometimes attempting to find a life direction that makes sense for them.
• Developing identity– there are three stages associated with this vector. They include humanizing values, personalizing values, and developing congruence. Students’ progress from rigid, moralistic thinking to a more humanized value system where the interests of others are balanced with one’s own interests. Students examining their own personal value system where values have implications for actions.

Arthur Chickering is widely used as a model for determining what types of educational programs to offer students. He suggests development can be enhanced if the following occurs:

• Students are engaged in making choices.
• Students interact with diverse individuals and ideals.
• Students are involved in direct and varied experiences.
• Students are involved in solving complex social and intellectual problems.
• Students are involved in receiving feedback and making objective self-evaluations.

While these are only a couple theories of student development, it is important to consider when working with students where they are in their development. As an advisor, you must be aware of how to best serve your students and the organization and being aware of these theories can help the organization and its members grow and prosper.