Academic Advising Portfolio - Division of Continuing Education ...

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knows about Brandon’s options, what his family has advised Brandon to do, and how much
weight Brandon attributes to his family’s opinion. It is also critical at this point to identify if
Brandon is experiencing acculturation issues that may be bringing him into conflict with his
parents, creating additional stress. Fortunately, Brandon may have added “support” members
in his teammates, which the advisor should also consider when gathering information and
identifying support networks.
“Strategies”
Finally, the advisor can work with Brandon to develop strategies to alleviate his worry
and to aid him in his decision‐making process. Chickering (1994) reinforces the idea that in
order to move through a transition, students need to be very aware and realistic about their
situation, supports, coping mechanisms, and themselves. This reinforces that the other three
“S”s should be brought to the forefront before considering strategies for moving forward.
To start working with Brandon, the advisor should review general ground rules with
Brandon, including reinforcing confidentiality, FERPA, appointment‐setting, and should also
develop with Brandon several mutually‐agreed upon goals to work toward. Brown and Rivas
(1994) underscore the importance of structure in working with students of multicultural
descent. Brandon’s culture may interpret advising as counseling, which may limit an advisor’s
ability to engage in self‐exploratory behavior or cognitive development with him (Sue & Sue,
2003). Student‐athletes, especially males, are also sometimes exposed to additional scrutiny
regarding seeking help from “counselors;” if the advisor senses hesitation on Brandon’s part it
may be helpful to find out the source of the hesitation and reassure him of the intention of
advising (Ferrante & Etzel, 2009; Stevens & Scholefield, 2009). However, structure may also be