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VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

APRIL 15 2013

GET STARTED TODAY!

Are you a person who loves the higher education environment? Do you enjoy working with diverse groups of people? Are you committed to helping others achieve their dreams? Then a career in advising may be the job for you! Before you get started on your path to success, take a look at our newsletter to learn the ins and outs of academic and career advising at Winona State University!

OUR MISSION:
The mission of the Warrior Success Center (WSC) is to provide free and accessible services and resources for student success. We actively collaborate with a variety of programs and departments at WSU, as well as community partners. The WSC services include: Advising and Career Services Tutoring Access Services (for students with disabilities)

SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ADVISOR?

What does it take to be an advisor? Caring and compassion? Interpersonal skills? The ability to correspond through verbal and written communications? Certainly! These skills are the ones you will need to advise successfully on a daily basis. But before you settle down into advising, here are some common questions asked by students pursuing advising as a career: Q: What degree do I need for advising? A: Educational requirements for advisors vary widely. A few institutions require only a bachelors degree while most will not consider candidates who do not hold a masters degree (which WSU requires of its employees). Many job openings do not require a specific degree discipline, but do require that the candidate possess some prior advising experience. Q: What activities can I involve myself in to prepare me for the job? A: WSC offers internship and assistantship opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students. Many of our undergrads work in the Tutoring Center, in Darrel Krueger Library, or at the Resume carts in Kryzco Commons. Likewise, internships are available for undergraduate students. Graduate students have the opportunity to apply for an assistantship in the WSC. The purpose of this graduate assistantship is to provide a student with practical experience in an academic support office in a higher education. The student will be involved with multiple activities of the office, including advising, orientation, academic planning and programming, presenting, placement testing, and providing intervention with high risk students.

HAVE YOU MET BARB?

Barb Oertel is the Director of Academic Services. She received her B.A. and M.A. in English at Winona State University. Barbs intentions were to be an English teacher. When a position opened up in advising around the time she graduated, she decided to advise and teach as an adjunct instructor at the same time. She wanted to leave her options open. After a few years, she transitioned into advising full time, and later she applied for the Director position. Barb has worked at WSU for 20 years and has 1 enjoyed every day of her experience.

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These are only two of the primary questions asked by students. If you have any more questions, please come in and make an appointment with one of our advisors!

TRANSITIONING INTO A NEW WRITING CULTURE

One of the questions asked by students transitioning into the fulltime advising field is what types of writing may be expected on the job. Have no fear! Many students find that there is a smooth transition from academic writing to professional writing. Common features found between academic and professional writing are: Both are persuasive and informative Both use research, data, and facts to inform the readers Both need to be clear, precise, and easy to follow for multiple audiences Both use journals and reports (or white papers) to present new information about the field of study Of course, there are some differences between academic and professional writing. Some common types of writing that you will see on the job are emails, student notes, memos, power points, brochures, posters, and development reports. The criteria for these forms of writing are: Need to be clear, concise, and easy to read for students, parents, higher administration, and faculty Need to persuade and inform the readers about the services at the WSC Have no worries! Even if you have never seen these types of writing before, Barb and the advisors encourage graduates, interns, and new advisors to ask questions and to look at templates for help.

Our goal is to help students coming into the institution. We are with them every step of the way. Barb Oertel, Director of Advising Services CONTACT US:
Warrior Success Center Maxwell Hall 314 Phone: 507.457.5878 Email: advising@winona.edu Fax: 507.457.5516

Warrior Success Center Maxwell Hall 314 Winona State University Winona MN, 55987 Corey Dressel 828 Saddlewood Court West Salem WI, 54669

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