Although Andover’s faculty began discussion about three potential advising programs at a Monday meeting, the Advising Council has not yet decided whether the proposals will reach the faculty for a vote. The three proposed advising models were dorm-based advising for all boarding students, “all-in advising” where every faculty member would serve as an advisor, and a system in which there would be two individuals assigned to each student instead of just one advisor. One individual would serve as an ally and mentor for the student, while the other would be responsible for helping the student select academic courses. The Advising Council, a group of faculty members, discussed these three models and compared them to the current advising system. According to Associate Dean of Studies Betsy Korn, who is Chair of the Advising Council, these discussions will not necessarily lead to a faculty vote on a new system. “If Advising Council thinks that changes should be made, only then would it be brought up as a proposal to the faculty,” Korn said. Currently, the advising system at Andover is comprised of small single-sex groups based on dorm and cluster for boarders and larger groups with students of both sexes for day students. Day students have the same advisors throughout their Andover careers, whereas boarders are assigned to new advisors after Junior year, whom they have for the rest of their Andover careers. Kathleen Pryde, Instructor in Physics and the advisor to Junior girls living in Nathan Hale, said that she is “perfectly happy with the advising system as it applies to me. I have no complaints.” Associate Dean of Students Carlos Hoyt said, “The Dean of Studies office is working hard to find out what works well and what could use improvement.” “My sense is that there is not one perfect system for any student or any school. We are dedicated to trying to find the best model or models to serve our students,” Hoyt said. Catherine Carter, Instructor in Classics and a member of the Advising Council said, “I like how the advising system works in my dorm because I live with most of my advisees and get to know them well.” Carter is a house counselor to Junior girls in Isham Hall. Advisors recognize that opinions on the advising system are mixed. “I recognize that some people have worries about the advising system,” said Pryde. Hoyt said, “I think our system serves most kids most of the time, the question is when it is not serving some kids… We are looking at any instances or any areas which we could do better.” “I think at the end of this process we may end up with big changes or we may not, for me the important part is to take the time to really re-evaluate and based on that evaluation figure out what we need to do,” Hoyt said.
