Departmental Mission

Through effective instruction and innovative advisement, department faculty support student learning and personal development.

Advising Philosophy

Shippensburg University is a unionized environment which, through the collective bargaining process, has determined that advising is a faculty-driven responsibility and activity. As such, advising activities and duties are established by the departmental faculty and guided by national standards of best practice. The following outlines a dynamic narrative that represents the collective, professional voice of the Academic Engagement and Exploratory Studies faculty related to advising endeavors.

It is imperative that our actions are uniquely contributing to the access, success, and retention components of the students we serve. We believe advising impacts student success, both directly and indirectly; thus it is important for us to continually examine and document the advising process. Furthermore, we value a culture that appreciates and recognizes quality advising.

The Department of Academic Engagement and Exploratory Studies (AEES) believes that academic advisement is an exploratory partnership which is a transformational, interactive educational process designed to enhance intellectual growth and empower students to new levels of autonomy and achievement of individual goals. Advisors are expected to develop expertise in the informational, conceptual, and relational components of quality advising.

We value the varying needs of our students who come from various backgrounds and experiences. As a result, departmental advising is student-centered. Therefore, a “one size fits all” model of advising does not effectively or efficiently meet student needs.