By Cynthia Merritt, APEX Scholars

As a product of a family who valued service in so many ways, it is to be expected that my views on serving others would be so important. My father served as a police officer during a time of civil upheaval in the City, rising through the ranks and retiring as Commander from the Detroit Police Department. During her work tenure, my mother served as a union officer advocating for federally employed women and as a committee member of Friends of Belle Isle, as well as on committees, conferences, and church and community organizations too many to name. Moreover, other family members in my immediate circle have impressed upon me the importance of service, the benefit of involvement, and the enormity of respecting the philosophy of collectivism. In my view, there has been a need to be an active part to help address the injustices and disparities within the community and our society. So, the question is not “why is volunteering and contributing to our communities such a high priority for me?” The question is “why wouldn’t it be?”

I have wondered about my decision to pursue a career in the college personnel and advising field, and why I have sustained such a long-term professional relationship to this field. Just as my parents, I have gravitated toward opportunities to volunteer and serve in various capacities since my young adult life. This connected nature of service and advising leads me to another question, “can advising be defined as serving?” My conclusion seemingly would be "absolutely!"

Service Defined

While the dictionary defines service as, “the action of helping or doing work for someone,” I would expand this definition to what advising professionals are often called to do: serve students.  One may presume that service or volunteerism is isolated to particular organizations and charities. However, with the support systems and resources on college campuses, advising functions by mutually serving students and the campus community, thus expanding in a broad sense how service is defined.  In our roles as academic advisors, one goal is to encourage and motivate students toward their success, accomplishments and achievements. This in turn can translate to “actions that help others” or “doing work that helps others.” Therefore, advising students can be defined as service to students. 

Benefits of service

While volunteering and serving others has an obvious benefit of elevating and supporting our communities, there are some not so obvious benefits that can be extracted from serving others. In my experience, I have encountered students and colleagues engaging in a number of service-oriented actions. Helping at Gleaners Community Food Bank; advocating for developing better urban food systems; racing for a cure, and even biking one hundred miles to raise scholarship funds for a university program are all actions that have a clear benefit to our community or society. But I would offer that committing to serve others can have a personal and emotional value as well. During these unprecedented times of living in a pandemic when, just for a moment, the opportunity presents itself to be distracted from devastating or overwhelming life experiences, it certainly can be an advantage in more than one way; as a way of community-preservation and as a way of self-preservation. Furthermore, when the attention is not self-centered and is focused on others, there can be a sense of relief from the daily life challenges that arise. The intentional act or decision to serve others helps to preserve our mental and emotional health by remembering others who are more in need. When others feel that someone can empathize with them and cares about their situation, this can be a way to uplift and sustain our communities. Additionally, according to one article, other benefits of service are linked to a sense of belonging and purpose, to feelings of renewal and rejuvenation and even to living longer ¹. 

Why It Matters

Imagine a society without volunteers or service. Imagine a college where no one served on department committees, or a professional conference with no session facilitators or committee planning leaders. Imagine a religious institution with no ministries, or the Red Cross with no assistance or donations. Imagine if racial and social justice organizations and movements had no protestors. What kind of world would exist if no one was serving or volunteering? How would this affect our interactions with one another? Would we have compassion for others? Or would compassion and empathy be a distant and non-existent idea?

By adopting a service-minded outlook, and with our words of encouragement, guidance and advice, advising breeds opportunities for building trust and for easing worries and anxieties when students express their fears, hopes and/or successes. From a global or macro perspective, when we are socially and morally conscious of serving others, we can influence students to mature as citizens, becoming more empathetic and sensitive to the social, racial and economic disparities that exist in the world. This awareness can be a transformative revelation for professionals and students who seek to make a difference.

One vital aspect that matters to the advising professional is pursuing and securing positive and trustworthy relationships with students. Advisors are committed to serving students while pushing them to reach their goals. But an important point to realize is that advisors can be a catalyst for students to see themselves in a different light.  When we serve students, it can motivate them to serve others. In serving others, it can help to minimize selfishness, to build character, to learn and realize full potential, to trust and be confident to help others, to improve self-worth and esteem in others and to believe in the nature of good. Serving is linked to correcting problems and issues and gives a sense of hope without compensation.This seems to be synonymous with what advising can be for staff, students, and the campus community.

Being an example for students

Those who have been deemed role models and leaders in our society usually have the attribute of reaching back to lift the community by actively engaging through marching, protesting and serving. They have set examples for us to be proud to follow. By assisting and serving students, advisors add to that roadmap of community sustainability. We are reinforcing these foundational stepping stones by adhering and listening to those who served before us. Additionally, sharing our experiences with students and how we have overcome the obstacles we have faced can be a turning point for students. Making the decision to disclose a personal circumstance can show students that advisors are not so different, especially if we have been the recipient of a service action or organization ourselves. Motivation to serve can stem from personal circumstances. When our personal and professional lives intersect through the lens of service, we may never know how a kind act or authentic thought will impacts a student who may be experiencing a distressful circumstance. When we dress in attire that looks, speaks and attracts a service-modeling behavior, we are motivating and setting the example for students to do the same.

Merging Concepts

The NACADA website shares many articles, journals and webinars subscribing to the concept of “Advising as Teaching.” The concept has been evolving and growing among the academic advising profession for some time. When advisors assume a service minded philosophy, it can bridge these two concepts closer together, as we teach students and ourselves that it is not about the “me’ or ‘mine” factor, but more about elevating the power of service to others. The power of serving, of being compassionate, of spreading hope, of shining light at just the right moments are monumental and life changing qualities I hope we as advisors want students to adopt.

Final thought

A routine question advisors ask of students is, “What can I help you with?” or “How can I help you today?”  This question can take on new meaning and can re-energize us in a fresh and inspiring way. The bottom line is we can view our role as advisors to be something much more.

 

1: (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/news/2020/apr/10-benefits-helping-others)