Section 7: Advisor Resources

A Student Organization Advisor is critical to the success of a student organization. Every organization is required to have an Advisor. But what does an advisor do?

Student Organization Advisors take on multiple roles within the organization. They are mentors, team builders, motivators, conflict mediators, reflective agents, and educators.

Student Organization Advisors as Mentors: Advisors help students grow into their role as student leaders and help them develop their leadership skills. Every student has a different leadership style. Your job is to help the students find that leadership style and have the confidence to lead.

Student Organization Advisors as Team Builders: Advisors transform a group of individuals with specific goals to a team with shared goals. When students first enter their leadership roles, they will all have their own individual goals and ideas for how the organization should be run. You will need to help them find a way to combine these ideas and learn to work together.

Student Organization Advisors as Motivators: Advisors empower students to make decisions and put their plan into action. The students in your organization are student leaders, but often they do not come into the role with the confidence they need to lead. You can help them by empowering them to lead others. 

Student Organization Advisors as Conflict Mediators: Conflict is natural and expected in an organization. In fact, conflict can often be helpful as long as students can move forward. If you can help remind the students of their shared goal and the fact that they all want what is best for the organization, conflict can help make the organization even stronger.

Student Organization Advisors as Reflective Agents: Advisors should provide the time and space for students to reflect on their performance. Help the student reflect on both their strengths and weaknesses and how those can be implemented to help the organization in the future.

Student Organization Advisors as Educators: Advisors give students the resources they need to make informed and educated decision. Students are only in their roles as leaders for a few years and do not have the same level of institutional knowledge that Advisors have. You can provide the students with the historical context for the organization and help them understand University policy. By providing historical context, you can help ensure a successful transition between leaders and prevent the loss of institutional knowledge.

Both the Advisor and the students should complete the checklist individually with their personal opinions about what an Advisor should do. Once each party has completed the checklist, have a meeting with the students to go over the checklist and come to a shared understanding regarding the expectations of the Advisor. These expectations should serve as the blueprint for your relationship with the students during the year. To account for different leadership styles between boards, you may find it helpful to complete this exercise annually.

The Link is our campus Student Engagement Platform. Student organizations use the link to submit events, keep track of organizational membership, host elections, manage organizational finances, advertise their organizations, and more! All students have access to the Link and are able to search for organizations and events based on their interests.

All student organizations are required to add their Advisor onto their Link page during Re-Registration. Beyond that, how you use the Link is determined by you and your organization. 

Wake Forest University is committed to diversity, inclusion and the spirit of Pro Humanitate. In adherence with applicable laws and as provided by University policies, the University prohibits discrimination in its employment practices and its educational programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and veteran status.

Any person (whether or not alleged to be the victim) may report discrimination. Wake Forest strongly encourages all employees and other members of the Wake Forest Community to promptly report concerns regarding suspected or known discrimination/harassment/misconduct. 

Reports concerning discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex and gender should be made to the Title IX Coordinator. Reports concerning discrimination or harassment on the basis of other protected characteristics of statuses should be made to the Law School's Dean of Students or HR.

If a student makes a report to you, tell the student about the available resources and ask them if they would like you to file a report on their behalf.

For more information, please see the Wake Forest Title IX Website. 

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act final rule of November 1, 1999 designates certain members of the university community as Campus Security Authorities (CSAs). This group includes but is not limited to: a dean of students who oversees student housing, a student center, or student extra-curricular activities; or a director of athletics, team coach, or a faculty adviser to a student group. 

A Campus Security Authority who receives a report of a possible Clery crime from anyone must promptly report it to University Police via the Campus Safety Authority Crime Statistic Report Form which is located on the WFU Police Department's website. If the person who originally makes the report to you does not want the report to go further than you, you should explain that you are required to submit a crime report for statistical purposes, but the report can be submitted without inclusion of personally identifying information about the victim or others involved. 

The following offenses are reportable under the Clery Act.

• Murder/non-negligent homicide

• Negligent homicide

• Aggravated assault

• Sex offenses (rape, sexual harassment, etc.)

• Robbery

• Burglary

• Motor vehicle theft

• Arson

• Relationship violence (domestic violence, dating violence, stalking)

• Hate crimes

• Liquor law violations, drug law violations, weapons possession violations

If you are unsure whether an incident is a Clery crime, still report it to the WFU Police Department. Once reported to the appropriate authority, the CSA's obligations under the Clery Act are met and no further action is necessary.

CSAs should not attempt to persuade reluctant reporters to report to the police or the University nor should they investigate crimes or try to determine whether a crime was actually committed.

For more information, please see the Campus Security Authorities section of the Title IX website.