Faculty Advisor - Key Element

You have become Phi Alpha Theta faculty advisors in many ways. Some of you are veteran advisors, and some are new. Some of you are already effective, and some wish to improve your leadership. Many of you commenced your duties with little or no guidance. This manual will be the guide for all of you.

If the advisors are different, the chapters are more so. Some chapters are located at large universities, but others are at small colleges. Some are old, and some are young; some strong and some weak. The great diversity among the more than 850 chapters is both an asset and a liability. Yet we were able to create a practical and useful manual based on the experiences of this varied group.

The role of the faculty advisor has been a subject of unending discussions among faculty advisors at our regional meetings and biennial conventions. The general consensus is that all advisors need guidance at some time, and that both Phi Alpha Theta and its individual chapters will benefit if the advisors’ responsibilities are clearly outlined.

We cannot overemphasize the basic point that the faculty advisor plays a key role – the critical role – in the functioning of the chapter. The advisor is clearly the single most important individual in the operation of any chapter.

The advisor’s role is critical in at least two ways. First, the advisor, along with his or her departmental colleagues, represents the historical profession to Phi Alpha Theta student members and has the opportunity to shape more dedicated historians. Through them, the advisor can hope to influence the course of historical thinking in today’s society. Second, student officers often serve for only parts of their junior and/or senior years. The constant turnover is a major problem for which advisors provide of solution of continuity.

The advisor’s role extends to that of chapter representative or liaison to other constituencies, such as: National Headquarters; the Phi Alpha Theta region; the college or university; the student officers and chapter members; other campus groups (e.g., the history club); and the local community.