Marquette Student Government representatives and faculty members met last Friday to brainstorm ways to improve the advising process.

In the meeting, senators on MUSG's academics committee met in Straz Hall with three representatives from the Committee on Academic Procedures, or CAPS, a university-wide committee primarily composed of assistant and associate deans.

Janet Matthews, director of teacher education, Gary Meyer, associate dean of the College of Communication and Joe Terrian, assistant dean of undergraduate programs for the College of Business, were the representatives from CAPS.

The students brought a list of five problems with advising and possible solutions to the meeting. Sophomore Kate Stolowski, chair of the academics committee, said the list was derived from concerns listed by the senators' constituents.

The five problems included the quality of advising, adviser training, a lack of preparation by students and faculty, the quality of the relationship between the adviser and advisee and the fact that students are required to attend advising sessions.

The hour-long meeting was characterized by a "frank discussion about the real issues and challenges around advising," Meyer said.

Both the students and faculty at the meeting expressed concern over the lack of preparation shown by advisers and advisees. Members from both MUSG and CAPS told stories about professors who were not familiar with what classes are required and students who came in with no idea of which classes to take.

The meeting concluded with a goal for both groups to brainstorm a list of what students should expect from faculty for the advising process and vice versa. The ideas will then be discussed at the next meeting, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20.

Stolowski said the meeting opened her eyes as to how faculty and administration operate.

"As a student you don't realize how much work is involved," she said. "It's good to have their perspective to say what is feasible or not."

Meyer said the meeting was a good beginning to identifying the issues that students and faculty have with advising.

"Some very real kinds of changes can be made from the students' suggestions, but not overnight," Meyer said.

Yet Meyer said he was optimistic about the work ahead.

"I truly believe change and progress can be made this year," he said.

Senior Mary Kate Havlik, MUSG legislative vice president, said she hopes to have a set of guidelines for advisers and advisees in place by the beginning of the next school year.

Havlik said the guidelines would not only include what is expected of faculty and students during the advising process, but possibly a template to govern how advisers are trained.

"Advisers should know how to assess the needs of their students," Havlik said. "They have a great impact on their students, and they should use that influence responsibly."

Meyer said he hopes a culture is developed at the university where students feel more free to see their adviser on an ongoing basis and develop a relationship beyond picking classes so that they can discuss career aspirations and possibilities for graduate work.

According to Stolowski, MUSG has been working to evaluate the advising process since spring 2003 when a university-wide assessment, the Noel-Levitz survey, showed student dissatisfaction in that area.