Adviser as Teacher Rubric
Draft 1
Philosophy - Effective education reaches far beyond the classroom through a co-curricular approach to student activities. Among the goals of student organizations is the opportunity
for development of the whole person and for creating a sense of belonging. A critical component is leadership development, which may encompass experiences at the university,
college, department, or community levels. The adviser holds the key to the progression of leadership development. The Adviser as Teacher approach to advising is antithetical to the
laissez-faire position, which holds that the responsibilities for organizations reside fully with students.
The following benchmarks recognize the elements that contribute to excellence in advising:
5-4
Standards
Exemplary
Institutional Responsibility Benchmarks
Value for the role of student organizations in student learning and development Perceives value of student
organizations and
encourages alignment of
goals with the curriculum
Standards for institutional recognition of student organizations Requires that student
organizations meet
standards for chartering
Commitment to a support system and recognition of advisers Has a well-established
program for supporting
student organizations and
recognition of advisers
Technical support and training Conducts an annual training
program for student officers
and advisers
Expectations of accountability Requires annual registration
of officers and adviser(s),
filing of bylaws, and audited
financial report
Commitment to staffing of advisers Acknowledges advising in
tenure and promotion
Plan for providing continuity of advising for the organization Establishes a system for
continuity of advisers
Commitment to funding adviser participation in National Conference Establishes grants for
2006 – Dorothy I. Mitstifer – page 1
3-2
Satisfactory
Perceives value of student
organizations
Requires student
organization registration
Responds to requests of
support and adviser
recognition
Responds to requests for
support and training
Expects student
organization to be
accountable to national or
international headquarters
Staffs advisers of student
organizations at department
level
Establishes a system at
department level
Supports adviser
1-0
Score
Unacceptable
Shows no interest in
student organizations
Lacks standards for
chartering student
organizations
Has no support system nor
adviser recognition
program
Has no technical support
or training program
Has not requirements for
accountability
Gives no credit for
advising student
organizations
Shows no interest in
continuity of advising
Does not support adviser
 adviser participation
Criteria for assessing adviser performance Establishes a university-
wide method for assessing
advising
Adviser Selection Criteria Benchmarks
Relevant education, training, and work experience Requires chief adviser to be
a faculty member and
requires participation in at
least one adviser training
program
Personal skills and competencies Sets minimum criteria for
personal skills and
competencies
Potential for promoting student learning and development with effective Has skills in mentoring,
educational practices team building, goal setting,
and establishing the
environment for student
motivation
Enthusiasm for the role of student organizations in learning and development Shows enthusiasm and
encourages others to support
student organizations
Belief in the role of adviser as teacher Accepts the role of adviser
as teacher and sets goals for
improving competency
Adviser Responsibility Benchmarks
Awareness of institutional procedures, standards, and regulations Knows institutional
procedures, standards, and
regulations and interprets
for students
Commitment to the following functions: maintenance or custodial, group growth, Works with students to
program content increase the effectiveness of
the organization in
achieving its goals
Commitment to personal relations and task functions Is effective in mentoring
students and facilitating
leadership development
Continuity and history of the organization to new members Helps students communicate
organizational outcomes to
2006 – Dorothy I. Mitstifer – page 2
participation at department
level
Establishes a method for
assessing advising at the
department level
Requires at least one adviser
to be from the academic
program
Accepts skills and
competencies of faculty
Is effective as an educator
Shows commitment
Accepts the role of adviser
as teacher
Knows how to find
information about
institutional procedures,
standards, and regulations
Shows concern for
developing the group and
delivering programs
Develops relationships with
students and helps them
identify organizational tasks
Helps students plan
recruitment
participation
Has no criteria for
advising
Has no criteria for
advising
Has no criteria for skills
and competencies
Has no interest in
promoting learning and
development
Fills role without
enthusiasm
Holds laissez-faire
position
Lacks knowledge of
institutional infrastructure
Commits to maintaining
the organization
Does not develop personal
relations with students
Holds laissez-faire
position
 attract new members and
plan for recruitment
Resource for ideas and solutions for the organization Creates environment that
seeks a variety of ideas and
solutions for decision
making
Commitment to modeling leadership principles Models leadership and sets
goals for increasing
effectiveness
A climate and structure that facilitates leadership development Engages students in
developing a leadership
development program
Coach and consultant for individuals in their duties within the organization Creates a system for
mentoring and coaching
Expectations of accountability Engages students in
planning for accountability
Gives public support to
Assessment of student performance – give positive and negative feedback positive student
performance and gives
feedback regarding negative
performance in private
Commitment to helping students
Teaches basics of
Effectively conduct meetings parliamentary procedures so
that meetings are effective
in achieving goals
Helps the officers focus on
Build group feeling and purpose building relationships and
strategic thinking to
establish goals
Helps members set high
Set high standards standards for organization
Helps officers develop and
Articulate a vision and mission for their organization communicate vision and
mission to members/recruits
Helps members identify
Set annual and long-term goals based upon the needs and capabilities of the needs and set short- and
2006 – Dorothy I. Mitstifer – page 3
Suggest ideas and solutions
when requested
Models leadership
Show commitment to
leadership development
Offers to provide coaching
and consulting for
organization leaders
States expectations for
accountability
Gives feedback about
student performance
Works with officers to plan
agendas
Believes that building
relationships and
establishing vision are
important
Has interest in organization
standards
Accepts national vision and
mission
Believes that goal-setting is
important
Offers no ideas
Does not model leadership
Is unconcerned about
leadership development
Holds laissez-faire
position
Show no concern for
accountability
Does not assess student
performance
Holds laissez-faire
position
Holds laissez-faire
position
Shows no interest in
standards
Lacks information about
vision and mission
Holds laissez-faire
position
 long-term goals
population served
Assists officers and Helps group develop action Holds laissez-faire
Establish action plans, including budget, and implement programs to achieve committees to adhere to plans position
goals calendar of activities
Helps officers establish Shows interest in Holds laissez-faire
Be accountable for follow-up plans for evaluation and accountability position
follow-up of items in the
action plan
Helps members set goals for Believes that organizations Shows no interest in
Promote student learning and development learning and development should promote student student learning and
learning and development development
Helps members interpret Values role of ethics in Shows no interest in the
Prescribe and practice ethical behavior ethical behavior in organizations ethical component of
organizations organizations
Helps students examine Helps students follow Holds laissez-faire
Recruit, select, supervise, and develop others in the organization bylaws and policies to established policies position
improve recruitment,
selection and initiation of
members, supervision, and
student development
Helps students evaluate Helps students follow Holds laissez-faire
Manage financial resources rules and policies and established policies position
change those that would
strengthen internal controls
Helps student review Helps students follow Holds laissez-faire
Maintain up-to-date governance documents and policies governance documents and established policies position
policies to strengthen the
organization
Helps students evaluate the Helps students follow Holds laissez-faire
Maintain centralized storage of organization records and documents efficacy of present policies established policies position
for storage of records and
historical documents and
strengthen them
Helps students evaluate use Helps students follow Holds laissez-faire
Coordinate human resources of human resources and established policies position
strengthen them
Helps students evaluate Helps students follow Holds laissez-faire
Apply effective practices to educational and administrative processes educational and established practices position

2006 – Dorothy I. Mitstifer – page 4

 administrative practices and
strengthen them
Helps students examine Helps students follow Holds laissez-faire
Communicate effectively communication methods established practices position
and vehicles to increase
effectiveness
Initiate collaborative interaction between individuals and agencies that Helps students identify Helps students continue Holds laissez-faire
possess legitimate concerns and interests in the organization other partners and choose established partnerships position
those that promote interests
Helps students examine Encourages students to give Holds laissez-faire
Assessment of student performance – give positive and negative feedback practices to improve feedback position
feedback
Helps students examine Helps students continue Holds laissez-faire
Celebrate accomplishments and recognize leadership ways to improve celebration established practices position
of accomplishments and
leadership; explores
opportunities for
organizational and
institutional recognition
Helps student examine the Helps students continue Holds laissez-faire
Conduct election of officers and implement officer transition processes of electing established practices position
officers and transitioning so
that they can be improved

Conduct annual evaluation in order to

Helps officers evaluate Encourages students to Holds laissez-faire
Determine quality of programs programs and make evaluate quality of programs position
recommendations for the
future
Help officers evaluate Encourages students to Holds laissez-faire
Improve chapter based upon evaluation chapter operations and evaluate chapter operations position
activities and make
recommendations for
improvement
Helps officers evaluate Encourages students to Holds laissez-faire
Improve leadership development and officer training leadership development and evaluate leadership position
officer training and make development and officer
recommendations for training
improvement

2006 – Dorothy I. Mitstifer – page 5

 Helps officers evaluate
Improve structure for member input into setting goals for chapter structure for member input
activities in setting goals and make
recommendations for
improvement
Improve process for planning annual activities to respond to goals Helps officer evaluate
planning process and make
plans for improvement
Learning Benchmarks
Co-curricular activities that enhance academic goals Helps students make
contacts with program
administrators to identify
activities to enhance
academic goals
Educational activities that respond to shared goals Helps officers to obtain
input about goals from
members in order to choose
educational activities
Commitment to leadership development Helps officers prepare for
increasing interest in
leadership development
Participation in national initiatives Helps students explore
national program initiatives
and choose initiatives based
upon shared goals
National Support Benchmarks
Technical assistance for operational procedures Help officers take advantage
of the available technical
assistance
Guidelines for maintaining chapter excellence (benchmarks) Provides training in using
benchmarks to evaluate
chapter excellence
Effective distribution of orders and supplies Helps officers give input on
effectiveness of distribution
of orders and supplies
Awards and recognition for excellence Helps officers make plans to
take advantage of awards
and recognition
2006 – Dorothy I. Mitstifer – page 6
Encourages participation of
all members in giving input
Encourages students to
evaluate planning process
Helps students identify
activities to enhance
academic goals
Encourages interest in
identifying shared goals for
educational programming
Encourages interest in
leadership development
Encourages participation in
national initiatives
Makes officers aware of
available technical
assistance
Provides national rubric for
evaluating chapter
excellence
Distributes order forms and
supplies
Provides information about
awards and recognition
Holds laissez-faire
position
Holds laissez-faire
position
Holds laissez-faire
position
Holds laissez-faire
position
Holds laissez-faire
position
Holds laissez-faire
position
Is not aware of national
support and resources
Is not aware of national
support and resources
Is not aware of national
support and resources
Is not aware of national
support and resources
 opportunities
Standards for Chapters in Good Standing Helps officers meet Makes officers aware of Is not aware of national
standards for chapters in standards for good standing support and resources
good standing
Program resources Helps officers examine Provides information about Is not aware of national
resources and choose those program resources support and resources
that fit program planning
goals
Officer training program Help officers conduct Provides national plan for Is not aware of national
officer training officer training support and resources
Adviser standards (benchmarks) Uses benchmarks in Is aware of national rubric Is not aware of national
evaluating practices for evaluating adviser support and resources
excellence
Leadership training program Helps officers institute a Provides leadership training Is not aware of national
plan for annual leadership resources support and resources
training
Legal structure for protecting the rights of members Helps officers make Is aware of constitutional Is not aware of
members aware of protection of rights constitutional protections
membership rights for the rights of members

2006 – Dorothy I. Mitstifer – page 7