University of Phoenix positions students to work alongside academic counselors as a component of their educational career. The university also stresses that its counselors do more than just create opportunities for students to pick classes and to obtain a degree. Rather, academic counselors serve as a key touch point for various aspects of student needs.

What Is the Goal of the Student-Counselor Relationship?

Effective academic advising goes beyond helping a student choose courses or a career path. One of the most important steps is to understand a student’s specific areas of interest so that they can refine what they learn to achieve specific outcomes.  The counselors at University of Phoenix facilitate this understanding and growth through interactive tools, self-reflection, and other services.

The student begins working with their counselor on career-specific goals within two weeks of enrollment. This forms a relationship that is beneficial throughout the student’s education journey. Students have a single core counselor, but they also have access to other University of Phoenix counselors who are well versed in serving student needs.

Fostering Career Conversations

From the early days of their enrollment, students have opportunities to meet with and work with their counselor. The academic counselor takes cues from the student to direct conversations. Angie Quinones, vice president of advisement and student solutions at University of Phoenix, states, “The resources we would recommend for a student who is an employed professional looking to make a career change may look different from the resources we recommend for a student who has little to no work experience and is looking for immediate employment opportunities.” This information, provided in a press release, offers insights into the options and support available to students.

Various Conversations for Numerous Needs

University of Phoenix uses both informational and formal engagement and conversations with students throughout their educational career. For example, students can reach out to counselors at any time when they need help and support. In addition, if a counselor notices a student struggling with course work or other negative indicators are triggered, they can reach out proactively to students to find ways to resolve concerns.

All conversations about work, school, and life are student-centric. Academic counselors at University of Phoenix focus on keeping students on the right path to achieve their long-term goals. The University developed a counselor program capable of meeting the needs of the student with various backgrounds and skills to ensure every student has the tools they need to thrive. Counselors are problem solvers dedicated to thinking outside of the box to support student success.