EDITORIAL: A closer look at advising system

Administrators should work with the UA and others to restructure the poor advising system. An anonymous Wharton junior adequately summed up the sad state of Penn's advising system, saying "I do nothing." Well, it's time advisors started doing something. The UA Academic Committee didn't simply say the system was bad. They also put forth ideas for improvement. It is these suggestions we urge administrators to examine more closely. We are pleased that Provost Stanley Chodorow said he will incorporate suggestions from the report into the 21st Century Project. But advisors also need to see the benefit of the report's findings. Saying the UA didn't "get the whole picture" or that the report may be inaccurate based on the standard of deviation doesn't help to solve the problem. The committee members have done their homework in generating this report. And while the idea of having residential advisors assume the role of peer advising may not be entirely feasible, at least it is a possible solution, aimed at correcting the failures of the system. We realize that not every school's advising system is the same. Each should cater to the needs of their student bodies. But, they aren't. The University has set up guidelines for what an advisor's job is and they should be followed. Advisors --Estudents and faculty -- need to be available to students, especially during advance registration. Not only is availablity an issue, but the quality of the advising is what needs to see the most improvement. There should be better trained advisors in offices during scheduling times. Administrators should look at the Benjamin Franklin Scholars program -- which received the highest rating in the report -- examining why it works and possibily generating restructuring ideas from that program. The report should be the beginning of an intense look at restructuring the advising system at Penn. Administrators, faculty and student advisors and students all need to participate in thinking of ways to improve advising. Even if it means scrapping the entire system and starting over.