Advising College Students in the 21st Century

At the beginning of the new millennium professional advisors are challenged to examine the theory and delivery of services to students. Professional advisors must adapt to changes in institutional and student needs and take full advantage of available resources. This article suggests that effective advising practices can be found on a continuum from prescriptive advising, developmental advising, and counseling. Technological tools of positive intervention with students, such as Web sites, listservs, and E-mail, are related while knowledge of developmental theories and the use of narrative, knowledge of defense mechanisms, and reframing are discussed in detail.