Student Organization Advisors
Student groups and organizations play an important role on campus and in a student’s education. Faculty and staff advisors can help keep these organizations on track and serve as important mentors and sounding boards to participants.
Consider these key questions:
Which Organizations Need Advisors?
Some colleges and universities require all recognized or registered student groups to have a faculty or staff advisor. It’s a good practice to require an advisor if the group’s activities involve a heightened risk of injury or harm and the group is closely connected with or funded in whole or in part by your institution. Depending on the group’s complexity, some institutions let graduate assistants or others in the campus community serve as advisors if they meet the necessary qualifications.
Requiring advisors, however, may increase the potential liability of an institution for injuries or wrongful acts of student organizations. This is especially the case if the advisor acts within the scope of his or her employment and fails to take reasonable steps to prevent negligent or wrongful acts. Nevertheless, many institutions will prefer to have advisors to positively influence student behavior and prevent harm from occurring.
What Is the Advisor’s Role?
Providing good advice is a balancing act between allowing students to take ownership and ensuring the group acts in your institution’s best interests. In some instances, the faculty or staff member will need to intervene or report misconduct to your institution. In other cases, the advisor should help the group think an issue through and allow the students to make their own decision. Ultimately, advisors represent your institution and are expected to ensure the group follows campus policies.
What Is the Advisor’s Personal Liability if Something Goes Wrong?
Faculty and staff members are understandably concerned about whether they can be held personally liable for the student group’s actions. Discuss this important issue with your liability insurance carriers so you can provide guidance to advisors. Frequently, the insurance carrier will agree to provide coverage with your institution’s consent as long as the advisors act within the scope of their assigned role, follow campus policies, and don’t make false statements or withhold information.
What Policies and Training Are Needed?
Address the following topics in your written policy, and also consider training advisors on them:
- Qualifications of advisors
- Roles and responsibilities of advisors and student groups
- Applicable school policies, including student organization registration, student travel policy, facilities use guidelines, and financial guidelines
Additional Resources
Auburn University: Student Organization Advisor Resources
Penn State University: Student Organization Advisor Resources
About the Author
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Alyssa Keehan, Esq., CPCU, ARM
Director of Risk Management Research & Consulting
Alyssa oversees the development of UE’s risk management content and consulting initiatives, ensuring reliable and trustworthy guidance for our members. Her areas of expertise include campus sexual misconduct, Title IX, threat assessment, campus security, contracts, and risk transfer. She previously handled UE liability claims and held positions in the fields of education and insurance.