Innovative Practice

Empowering Success: Leveraging the Advisor-Student Relationship to Foster Thriving

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Abstract

The measure of a college student’s success should be multifaceted to extend beyond mere academic achievement to encompass well-being, engagement, and overall thriving. Advisors play a pivotal role in supporting students through the complex transitions of college life. This article explores the concept of thriving as a holistic framework for student success (Schreiner, 2013; Schreiner et al., 2020) and examines how the advisor-student relationship can be strategically leveraged to promote it. Advisors can implement practical strategies and enhance the student experience by understanding pathways to thriving and the use of Appreciative Advising (Bloom et al., 2008), to cultivate student well-being and engagement. This approach empowers advisors to move beyond transactional interactions toward a more transformative model that fosters student thriving.

Keywords: college student thriving, Appreciative Advising, student success, student-advisor relationships, Appreciative Education Conference