Academic Advising Dossiers: What Are They and Why Should You Make One

What is an Academic Advising Dossier?

As academic advisors gain proficiency in the profession, they must continuously strive to improve their advising practice, stay up-to-date with the latest research and trends in the field, and demonstrate their expertise to students, colleagues, and institutional leadership. Building on the concept of professional portfolios, I suggest that an academic advising dossier, a comprehensive record of an advisor's work and philosophy, can help academic advisors reflect on their successes and areas for improvement while showcasing their experience, education, professional accomplishments, and approach to advising. In education, teaching dossiers are already recognized and often used in tenure applications for faculty, demonstrating the value of compiling and documenting one's work.

An advising dossier is a compilation of artifacts and documents that provides a comprehensive overview of an advisor's experience, education, and approach to advising. Similar to a teaching dossier, it should be concise, well-organized, and authentic, reflecting the advisor's commitment to their work and their dedication to supporting student success. It should also provide a snapshot of the advisor's advising style and approach, allowing the reader to gain insight into how the advisor values student learning and success. This post will explore the benefits of creating an academic advising dossier, provide tips for developing an effective dossier, and discuss different options for housing the dossier. Whether you are a new advisor just starting out or an experienced professional looking to take your advising practice to the next level, an academic advising dossier can be a valuable tool for showcasing your skills and expertise.

Benefits of Developing an Advising Dossier

Creating an academic advising dossier can offer a wide range of benefits to academic advisors. Here are some of the most notable benefits:

• Demonstrate expertise: An academic advising dossier can showcase an advisor's expertise in their field. By providing evidence of their education, experience, and professional accomplishments, advisors can demonstrate their skills and knowledge to readers.

• Identify areas for improvement: An academic advising dossier can help advisors reflect on their work and identify areas where they can improve their advising practice. By reviewing assessment data and feedback from students and colleagues, advisors can identify areas where they may need additional professional development or support.

• Enhance professional development: An academic advising dossier can be a valuable tool for documenting professional development activities and demonstrating a commitment to ongoing learning and improvement.

• Differentiate from other advisors and student supports on campus: An academic advising dossier can help an advisor stand out from other staff.

• Support student success: Ultimately, the primary goal of an academic advising dossier is to support student success. By providing evidence of an advisor's skills and expertise, and demonstrating a commitment to ongoing improvement, an academic advising dossier may help build trust and confidence between advisors and their students, leading to more successful advising relationships.

An academic advising dossier can be a powerful tool for academic advisors who are looking to improve their advising practice, differentiate themselves from other advisors, and demonstrate their commitment to supporting student success. By investing time and effort into creating a comprehensive dossier, advisors can set themselves apart in their field and enhance their effectiveness as advisors.

Considerations Before You Start

Now that we've explored the benefits of creating an academic advising dossier, let's dive into some tips for developing an effective one. By following these tips, you can create a comprehensive and compelling dossier that showcases your skills and expertise as an academic advisor. ​

• Determine your purpose: Before you start creating your academic advising dossier, it's important to clarify your purpose. Are you creating this dossier for personal reflection or to showcase your skills and expertise to others? Maybe both? Who is your audience? Understanding your purpose will help you determine what materials to include in your dossier and how to present them.

• Organize your materials: A well-organized academic advising dossier is critical for communicating your skills and expertise effectively.

• Choose the right format: There are a variety of formats you can use for your academic advising dossier, including a binder, a personal website, or a digital portfolio platform. Consider which format will best suit your purpose and audience.

Developing an effective academic advising dossier requires careful consideration of your purpose, organization, and format, as well as a thoughtful selection of materials to include. By following these tips, you can create a comprehensive and compelling dossier that showcases your skills and expertise as an academic advisor.

Start Collecting Materials

Creating an academic advising dossier can be an effective way to showcase your experience and expertise as an advisor. But what should you include in your dossier to make it effective? In this section, we'll outline some key components that you may want to consider including in your academic advising dossier. From a resume or CV to assessment data and letters of recommendation, these components can help you document your professional accomplishments, showcase your advising philosophy, and demonstrate your commitment to supporting student success. By no means, does your advising dossier need to include everything listed here. Rather, these are suggestions to get you thinking. ​

• ​Advising Philosophy Statement: An advising philosophy statement is a document that outlines your beliefs about academic advising and your approach to working with students. This can help readers understand your values and approach to advising, and help them decide if you're a good fit for their needs.

• Assessment Data: Assessment data can include data on student success rates or evaluations of advising services. This can be useful for demonstrating the impact of your advising services and identifying areas where you can improve.

• Advising Resources: Advising resources can include handouts, articles, or other items that you provide to students to support their academic success. This can demonstrate your commitment to providing high-quality advising materials and your knowledge of best practices in academic advising.

• Professional Development Activities: Professional development activities can include a list of workshops, conferences, or other professional development activities that you have participated in or facilitated to stay current in or contribute to the field of academic advising. This demonstrates your commitment to continuous improvement and your willingness to enhance your skills as an advisor. Consider including:

  • advising-related publications authored

  • advising-related conference presentations facilitated

  • advising-related workshops delivered

  • advising-related workshops attended

  • participation in departmental committees related to academic advising

  • membership in advising/student services-related professional associations

• Letters of Recommendation: Letters of recommendation can include letters from students, supervisors, campus partners, or other advisors who have worked with you.

• Qualitative Feedback: In addition to traditional letters of recommendation, consider including qualitative feedback from students or colleagues that speak to your advising strengths, approaches, and overall impact. This could include quotes from emails, student evaluations, or other feedback that demonstrate your commitment to student success and your ability to make a difference in their academic journeys. Including this type of feedback can help to showcase your advising style and the impact that you have had on previous students.

Select the Format That's Right For You

One of the benefits of creating an academic advising dossier is that it provides a convenient way to organize and showcase your skills and experience as an advisor. But where should you house your dossier? Here are some options to consider: ​

• Hard copies: Some advisors might prefer to keep a physical copy of their academic advising dossier in a binder or folder. This allows them to easily access and review their materials and can be useful if they prefer not to share their dossier publicly.

• Personal website: A personal website, such as one created using Weebly, can be a great option for advisors who want to share their dossier publicly. A website allows you to showcase your materials in an interactive and visually appealing way and can be easily updated as your experience and skills evolve.

• Digital portfolio platforms: There are a variety of digital portfolio platforms, such as Portfolium, that are specifically designed for organizing and showcasing professional materials. These platforms can be a great option for advisors who want to keep their dossier online and easily accessible to potential clients or employers.

• Social media platforms: While not necessarily the best option for all advisors, some may choose to showcase their academic advising dossier on social media platforms such as LinkedIn or Twitter. This can be a great way to increase your visibility within the academic advising community.

• Cloud storage services: Another option is to store your academic advising dossier on a cloud storage service, such as Google Drive or Dropbox. This can be a convenient way to access your materials from anywhere and easily share them with others.

• Institutional websites: An advising unit may choose to house advising dossiers for all their advisors as an organization on an institutional website. This can be a great way to showcase the expertise of the advising team and increase visibility within the institution. The creation of individual dossiers could be included as part of the advising team's professional development experience.

Regardless of where you choose to house your academic advising dossier, it's important to consider your audience and purpose. Housing your academic advising dossier in a physical binder, personal website, or digital portfolio platform are all viable options depending on your preference. While each has its own advantages, what matters most is that the format you choose is easy to access, professional, and effectively communicates your skills and experience as an academic advisor. If you're sharing your dossier publicly, make sure that it's professional and well-organized. If you're keeping a hard copy, consider using dividers or tabs to separate different sections. Whatever format you choose, make sure that it's easy to navigate and effectively communicates your skills and expertise as an academic advisor.

Concluding Thoughts

Hopefully, you can see how an academic advising dossier could be an effective tool for academic advisors to showcase their experience and expertise, reflect on their successes and areas for improvement, and demonstrate their commitment to supporting student success. By creating a comprehensive and well-organized dossier, advisors can differentiate themselves from their colleagues, stand out to students, and enhance their effectiveness as advisors. ​ To develop an effective academic advising dossier, advisors should clarify their purpose, organize their materials, and choose the right format. By including key components such as an advising philosophy statement, assessment data, and professional development activities, advisors can create a compelling dossier that showcases their skills and expertise as academic advisors. With the help of an academic advising dossier, advisors can work to continuously improve their practice, support student success, and achieve their professional goals.