Students and faculty collaborated Wednesday to discuss problems with advising at this month’s Chancellor’s Liaison meeting.

The monthly meeting allows students and faculty to voice their opinions on a topic chosen by Student Body President Kelly Hook at the Presidents’ Roundtable. Chancellor Randy Woodson said the University needs to work together to develop a process for seeing the roadblocks for advising.

“This is something we’ve got to fix,” Woodson said.

One solution members of the group proposed was the need for an adviser evaluation at the end of each semester. John Ambrose, interim dean of the undergraduate academic program, said the University needs a system for measuring students’ experiences.

“We need to start measuring things, not just testimonial-type evidence,” Ambrose said.

Student Government and other student representatives voiced their concerns, often with advising horror stories, while Woodson and faculty discussed the advising process.

“We see academic advising as a weak point,” Student Body President Kelly Hook said.

According to Tom Stafford, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, there are two ways to approach the issue of improved advising.

“Deciding how to improve the process is one option, Stafford said. The other is moving to a whole new model.

One of the central concerns students raised was that every University department has a different advising method, causing problems for students who transfer from one program to another.

Margery Overton, a civil, construction and environmental engineering professor doubling as an adviser, said this is a legitimate concern.

“There are a lot of different models for advising,” Overton said.

 Ambrose said University-centralized advising could be a solution. This option could give students a bit of reality by providing information like how many seats are available in the college they’re hoping to enter, he said.

Mike Giancola, director of the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service, said the problem originates at the admission level.

“How do we admit students?” Giancola said. “Every campus is having this discussion. 17- and 18-year-olds coming to campus knowing what they want to do for the rest of their lives is a fallacy.”

Student leaders initially discussed issues with advising at the Presidents’ Roundtable held in early October and Hook chose the topic to be the central focus of the Chancellor’s Liaison meeting.

According to Hook, the Chancellor’s Liaison meeting focuses on one selected issue voiced at the Presidents’ Roundtable. The Chancellor then gathers the University’s most relevant faculty and staff to voice the processes and their opinions.

Hook said there are a number of ways for students’ to raise concerns at these meetings.

“Talk to people,” Hook said. “Make sure they have a representative at the Roundtable.”