Graduate College Unveils a New iPOS Feature to Improve Student-Advisor Relationships

The Graduate College has unveiled Manage Staff Advisor, a feature of the Interactive Program of Study (iPOS) that allows units to assign students to specific advisors. It helps personalize the student-advisor relationship by providing students access to their advisor’s personal profile on their MyASU and in their Interactive Plan of Study (iPOS).

By displaying the advisor’s photo and contact information in their iPOS, students are able to put a name to a face when looking for support from their program. “The Manage Staff Advisor tool helps students connect more personally with their advisor because they can see us and know who we are. We’re no longer just a name and email address to them,” said Lynn Pratte, graduate advisor for the Electrical Engineering programs. 

The Manage Staff Advisor tool also helps improve efficiency for the entire team. “Previously, a newly admitted student would email everyone on the advising team since the iPOS displayed everyone’s name, which created a lot of confusion and unnecessary email traffic,” said Pratte. “Now, students know right away who to contact with any questions and we know they are getting the help they need!”

In addition to the benefit for students and advisors, administrative units who receive inquiries from students know exactly who to contact or connect the student to by going to the student’s MyASU page. 

The Graduate College’s new Manage Staff Advisor tool helps to build a more personalized experience for graduate students as they progress through their programs and to improve student-advisor relationships.