While the Relational component provides skills (the “how” of advising) and the Conceptual component (which you will learn about in a few weeks) provides context (the “why” of advising), the Informational component provides substance – the “what” of advising.

As a large, decentralized institution, it is important to know your resources and where to look for information as changes happen frequently and are not always communicated quickly to every stakeholder. Bearcats Landing will typically have the most up-to-date information for many offices and is the best place to start when looking for answers. You can find key offices that you may need to reference frequently in the Resources module in this course!

I1: Institution specific history, mission, vision, values, and culture.

- These reflect the institution's environment and often influence its policies and procedures.

- Understanding these pieces allows advisors to better explain the “ins and outs” of UC and help students navigate the institution.

I2: Curriculum, degree programs, and other academic requirements and options.

- Credibility is critical to retaining student trust, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with this information and to make sure you are aware of updates/changes.

- - This includes knowing (and acknowledging) what we don’t know!

- In order to ensure advisors are aware of proposed curricular changes, it is important to have collaboration and communication with the academic program(s) with which you work.

- - Hint: The Relational skills that apply to students also apply to working with faculty and staff across campus!
  - Tip: Ask your supervisor how this process works with your academic program(s).

- Help your students understand what an academic advisor is and familiarize them with “higher ed lingo” and acronyms.

I3: Institution specific policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.

- Knowledge about who/where to ask when you don’t know is just as (if not more) important as knowing the answers outright.

- Helpful resources to locate this kind of information include (but are not limited to) the UCAADA Team and weekly newsletter, the Advising Resource Guide on Bearcats Landing, and the Bearcats Landing pages for the Registrar.

I4: Legal guidelines of advising practice, including privacy regulations and confidentiality.

- Includes federal (FERPA), state, and local regulations.

- - Because these change, it’s important to keep up to date on the latest policies and regulations.

I5: The characteristics, needs, and experiences of major and emerging student populations.

- Resources on NACADA on working with various student populations.

- The Advising Diverse Students UCAADA Advising Community is a great resource to help you best serve various student populations at UC.

- - Are there similar committees or groups within your college or unit?

- Hint: R3 (Communicate in an inclusive and respectful manner) is closely tied to I5!

I6: Campus and community resources that support student success.

- UC Campus Life: https://www.uc.edu/campus-life.html

- UC Dean of Students: https://www.uc.edu/campus-life/dean-of-students.html

I7: Information technology applicable to relevant advising roles.

- Catalyst and CaRT

- Slate

- Zoom

- Office 365 (Outlook, Teams, etc.)

- Civitas tools (My Bearcat Network, My Graduation Plan, Create My Schedule)

WEBINAR: Building Advisor Competency: Informational Knowledge Component

Note: While we find these webinars helpful and strongly encourage everyone to view the Relational and Conceptual webinars, the Informational one is optional. The webinar goes through each competency and provides examples of how they are implemented at various institutions; to provide context that is more specific to UC, the summary above describes how we implement these here. If you choose to watch this webinar, we recommend focusing on minutes 2:10–40:21 for the most relevant content.