Any full-time or part-time faculty/staff member of Johns Hopkins University may serve as an Advisor. Graduate students are also eligible to be Advisors, but it is more beneficial to have an Advisor who will be with the university for a longer term. Alumni and community members may co-advise with a faculty or staff member. Students are not eligible to be advisors.
This is really up to you. If you choose to attend all meetings and events, it could be 1-4 hours per week. If you choose to meet with the group’s officers and attend occasional events, it could be as little as 1-4 hours per month. You may choose to allow students to drop by your office at any time or may ask them to schedule appointments. Your availability should be made clear to your organization from the start.
This area is also flexible and should be discussed between the organization and yourself. We want advisors to be more than just a name on paper, so we would encourage you to attend meetings and events as time allows. We would also suggest that you assist the group with transitioning and training officers, understanding university policies and resolving potential conflicts.
There are many benefits to serving as an Advisor. You will have the opportunity to interact closely with a group of students, often in a capacity very different from your regular job. We hope that you will find the position rewarding because you will make a positive impact on the lives of students. You may develop new skill sets that can assist you in your current jobs. You may feel a greater connectedness to the university as a whole.
You are there to help the organization make sound decisions, but ultimately, the students are responsible for those decisions. As long as you are partaking in official student organization meetings or events, you are insured by the university in the role of an Advisor. Use your best judgment is deciding which activities you would like to attend. Note- it is not recommended to transport students in your own vehicle at any time, as your personal insurance would have to cover any incidents.
No, university employees cannot be paid to serve as Advisors.
If you are interested in serving as a Student Organization Advisor, please contact the Office of Student Activities at studentactivities@jhu.edu or (410) 516-4873.
To see a list of student organizations, please visit: http://jhu.mystudentgroups.com. By clicking on individual groups, you will be able to see if they have a registered Advisor.
Click here to read a helpful excerpt from Dunkel and Schuh's Advising Student Groups and Organizations (Jossey Bass, 1997)
Click here to view ACPA's Commission for Student Involvement Advisor Manual
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