The mission of academic advising at Missouri State University at West Plains is to assist students as they develop meaningful plans to help them achieve their life goals. Academic advisors subscribe to the philosophy of proactive appreciative advising.
Proactive advising means the institution takes the initiative. Advisors do not wait for students to have academic problems, but contact them to set up appointments throughout the course of the year. All academic advisors receive in-service training. An important aspect of proactive advising is the process of helping students clarify their short-term goals and develop educational plans to meet those goals.
Appreciative advising is the intentional collaborative practice of asking positive, open-ended questions that help students optimize their educational experiences and achieve their dreams, goals and potentials.