What To Do If Advisees Not Doing Well Academically | University of Portland

What To Do If Advisees Not Doing Well Academically

Category: Faculty FAQs

What do I do if one of my advisees isn’t doing well academically?

Success is ultimately the student’s responsibility. However, the advisor can play an important role in supporting academic success. First, it is important to identify academic problems as early as possible and realistically discuss those problems with the student. Second, help the student develop a clear plan for improvement. Usually, students don’t turn things around with vague plans such as “I will try harder.” Is sleep, a demanding job, an engaging student activity, a roommate problem, an illness, disorganization, lack of preparation, or some other problem the cause of their difficulties? Such a plan sometimes involves referring the student to the appropriate resource or having them withdraw from a class. See the sections on referrals for more information.