Peer Academic Advisor Courses: UNIV 220/320
Any PAA who wishes to enroll in these 1-credit hour professional development courses may do so by contacting the OAA instructor listed for each of the courses below. Both courses are offered every fall and spring semester.
UNIV 220: PAA Professional Development (Advising Here and Now)
This course meets every other week during the lunch hour and is capped at 10 students per semester. PAAs will learn about best practices in advising and see that being a peer advisor is more than just recommending classes to fellow students. Topics covered in previous semesters include:
- Self-authorship theory
- First generation college students
- Reflective listening and effective questioning skills
- Advising resources and research
- Importance of a liberal arts education
The course is meant to help PAAs think differently and more critically about their roles as peer advisors, as well as to demonstrate the power PAAs have in helping create positive change on campus and in the experiences of individual students.
Instructor: Joyce Jones (jmj3@rice.edu)
UNIV 320: Advanced Advising Practicum
Prerequisite: UNIV 220. The advanced practicum is a supervised project proposed by the PAA and overseen by a professional staff member in the OAA. The project is meant to enhance the PAA program, enhance advising on campus or in a residential college, gather more information about a need on campus, or anything else related to advising and the student experience. UNIV 320 is an individualized practicum, with no set class meeting time. You will work individually with an OAA advisor to carry out the project on terms that you both set. All PAAs interested in UNIV 320 should contact the instructor prior to the start of the semester for more information on how to get started.
Instructor: John Fierst (jf51@rice.edu)