Advising scores around campus

Students across Texas Tech campus seem to either love or hate their advisors.

According to the 2009 Red Raider Orientation Executive Report, the first key component listed for orientation is “meeting with an academic advisor.”

During Red Raider Orientation, students and their family members participated in a three-day program where they rated the various sessions and the different college advisors.

The orientation participants consisted mostly of freshmen and transfer students.

The top-rated advisors in the different colleges on Tech’s campus came from the College of Mass Communications. The College of Human Sciences came in a close second.

Peter Williams, a junior personal financial planning major at Tech, transferred from South Plains College to Tech last semester and sought advising from the College of Human Sciences.

Williams said Ann Bush, the now retired coordinator of the undergraduate program, advised him. He said she made it easy for him to “stay on track with graduation.”

Williams said the experience was quick and he and Bush corresponded mostly by e-mail.

“She didn’t give me the run around,” Williams said, “and was very timely in contacting me.”

Williams said he needed to add another course that required an override from Bush. She responded the next day and completed the override within the week. Williams said he expects to graduate on time in December 2011.

Marijane Wernsman, assistant dean for student affairs in the mass communications building, said that students do not have one common problem for advisors.

“All sorts of problems can occur,” Wernsman said, “students can get sick, change majors, or not pass something they should have.”

Wernsman said she supervises the career center and advising center, and advises athletes. Students who also need to be overridden into a class are also sent to her.

Wernsman said students can come to the office to be advised, go to group advising held in Room 223 in the mass communications building, or correspond with advisors through the advising center Web site.

Wernsman said one reason for mass communications advising is rated highest might be because they advise similarly to the Rawls College of Business and the College of Human Sciences. All three operate with a central office instead of departmental advising.

“It’s much more efficient for the students to have one advising office,” Wernsman said.

Wernsman has taken over for Janet Wright this semester as head of advising and talked about making some minor changes.

“Well, we’re going to have the advisors a little bit more involved with the different departments and I want to involve them more in the college itself,” Wernsman said. “I want them to get to know the students and what each department does.”

On the Web: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/advising