The School of Speech recently hired three undergraduate advisers to revamp an academic advising program that students say was in dire need of new energy.
The change was made after administrators budgeted money at the request of the Undergraduate Budget Priorities Committee, a group of five students who make requests for Northwestern’s yearly budget process.
The advisers will divide Speech students into three groups based on their majors, and each adviser will focus on the students in a particular group.
Susan Dun takes care of communication studies students; Jennifer Barker is responsible for those in radio-TV-film; and Lynn Kelso already is advising theater majors. All three have experience teaching in Speech.
Students previously were assigned a department adviser from the faculty and stayed with that adviser for their four years at NU.
Speech senior Kate Duffy said she has met with her departmental adviser twice during her time at NU.
Duffy said she and most other students usually go to Speech Assoc. Dean Cathy Martin instead of their advisers, who often do not know about areas beyond their major.
“The education you get is a lot more than the classes within your major,” Duffy said.
Martin said that under the old system, advisers had to spend a lot of their time teaching and researching, which left little time for counseling students.
“I actually think (the departmental advisers) were very effective if students went to see them,” Martin said. “I think the problem is when a student needs to have help, their faculty major isn’t there. They’re out teaching class.”
“It’s wonderful (that) with these three people, there’s more time they will be in their offices, so they’re more accessible,” Martin said.
Students in the smaller departments, such as dance, performance studies, and human communication sciences and disorders, will continue to see Martin for questions. Eventually, those students also will become the responsibility of the three new advisers.
Dun, a communication studies lecturer, is teaching Research Methods in Communication Studies this quarter in addition to advising.
She said she has seen about 50 students since the quarter started two weeks ago to discuss degree requirements, graduate school and other issues.
“(Advising) gives more of an opportunity for one-on-one time than you get in the classroom,” said Dun, who advised a research group last year. “It’s fun to get paid to do this.”
Speech senior Christina Chen said she had trouble reaching advisers under the old system but has noticed an immediate improvement since meeting with Dun to discuss options for graduate school.
“She’s been a great resource concerning graduate school and how to do things, basically all the inside info,” Chen said.
Barker’s office is at Annie May Swift Hall. Kelso can be found at the Theatre and Interpretation Center. Dun and Martin work in Frances Searle Building.
