Academic Advising as Friendship
We present a theoretical basis for engaging in academic advising as friendship and offer examples of the applicability of friendship in advising. We begin with interconnections between civic friendship and personal friendship in the context of academic advising. Next we overview theoretical work on communication and friendship that offers characteristics and ideals of friendship relevant to academic advising. Then we provide a dialectical framework describing six tensions that potentially emerge in the advising relationship viewed as a friendship. We argue that advisors and advisees must negotiate the tensions and benefits that potentially arise from practicing the academic advising relationship as friendship.
Contributor Notes
William K. Rawlins is the Stocker Professor in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University, where he teaches and advises undergraduate and graduate students. His ongoing research examines how communicating as friends serves the well-lived life for persons and societies. He can be reached at rawlins@ohio.edu.
Sandy P. Rawlins is an academic advisor and instructor for undecided students in University College at Ohio University. She previously advised communication, economics, and business majors at Purdue University.
