Information for Advisers

The Adviser's Role

Advisers, much like our students, come from a wide variety of backgrounds and have a wide variety of experiences. As such, each adviser may bring a unique perspective in supporting our students. During a University process, the adviser is tasked with offering support and providing counsel and advice to their advisee. This may mean spending time one-on-one with the advisee to help them make a decision as to how they want to respond to an allegation of misconduct and in what capacity and to what degree that student would like to participate in the Conduct or Title IX Process. 

Advisers can draw on their experience and expertise to help students along the way. However, it is important to remember that they are assisting a student in a process. While the adviser can act as a sounding board and help the student understand all of their options, it is crucial that the student remains in control of the decision-making surrounding the process. 

The University will rarely speak directly with an adviser. Advisers are welcome to attend any meeting between the student and the University regarding the process, take notes, and help a student process the information shared at those meetings. However, advisers are expected to not be directly involved in the discussions. If an adviser has questions related to the rights, options, or resources available to their advisee, they should contact the Respondent Support Coordinator for more information. 

Another important element of the adviser’s role is to support the Respondent’s well-being during a meeting. Students react to sharing their story, learning about the process, or hearing updates of their case in a variety of ways. Advisers can play a critical support role by gauging how their advisee is feeling during a meeting and by requesting a break in the interaction to give the student a minute to gather their thoughts, consider the information that was shared, or discuss options away from a University representative.  

In Title IX cases, advisers are required to participate in the cross-examination of parties and witnesses as required by the Department of Education. 

Expectations for Advisers 

• Attend meetings with the student while allowing the student to interact with the process. 

• Take notes to help the advisee remember the contents of the meeting.  

• Refrain from asking questions or participating actively in the discussion. 

• Support the advisee when they need a break or need to process new information. 

• Assist and advise the student in deciding how they wish to respond to the allegations of misconduct. 

• Serve as a sounding board for advisees as they prepare for hearings. 

• Participate in the cross-examination of parties and witnesses for Title IX Cases.