University of Phoenix provides its students with academic counselors, professionals who work side-by-side with students to help them explore paths to fulfilling their career goals. The University believes that a student’s academic program does not simply encompass the completion of courses on a predetermined list of classes. Rather, academics are focused on exploring various paths and opportunities to find the best career fit for each student. The University’s academic counselors help make this possible.
The Importance of the Student and Counselor Relationship
According to University of Phoenix, one key to a student’s success is a strong relationship between counselors and students, something the University works to foster from the beginning. Counselors serve as a touchpoint for support and resources offered by the University. These resources include academic support as well as informational content and career readiness.
The student-counselor relationship is established within the first two weeks of a student’s enrollment in University of Phoenix. This connection is nurtured throughout the student’s educational career until their graduation. Students work with a single, dedicated academic counselor but can pull resources from the hundreds of University of Phoenix counselors available. Each one of these professionals is also ready to serve the student’s needs across various areas.
Why Does This Relationship Matter?
In a press release in December 2020, Angie Quinones, vice president of advertisement and student solutions for University of Phoenix, stated, “At the beginning, we work with the student to tap into their motivation.” She continued, “Once we establish why they have chosen UOPX, we can begin to talk through the fundamentals of getting established and then work forward with skill building.”
Planning the Success Through Careers
One focus for academic counselors is cultivating conversations with each student about career goals and needs. Every student gets a clean slate, as the University believes no two experiences will be the same. Students work toward self-reflection while identification tools help them refine academic goals in line with career goals. The entire process is interactive to facilitate the best level of learning and development.
Informational conversations occur when a student initiates the conversation like a request for assistance. In addition, internal alerts triggered by the University’s system warn academic counselors when a student may be at risk, such as when students struggle to complete coursework. The student’s counselor may reach out to start a conversation and identify opportunities for improvement.
The academic counselor works to engage with students and encourage them based on their goals. This often requires problem-solving skills or strategies for creative thinking to resolve concerns or overcome obstacles.
University of Phoenix aims to remain purpose-driven in its ability to work closely with students and keep them on the path moving forward. This can help students gain access to the tools and resources they need to take the proper next step to meet their future goals and needs.
Follow University of Phoenix on Twitter