University Advising
Office of Undergraduate Education
Welcome to the Supervisor Toolkit!
Great supervision starts with the right tools and resources. Whether you’re new to supervising or a seasoned leader, this toolkit provides practical guidance to help you lead, support, and develop your academic advising team.
New to supervision? Start with the Supervisor Training Course to build a strong foundation and gain confidence in your role. Experienced supervisors can also revisit the training for a refresher or explore resources specific to supervisory needs.
Further down the page, explore resources on hiring and onboarding, managing staff and teams, developing advisors, and strengthening your leadership skills, all designed to support you and your team at every stage.
The pages below dive into recommended tools, templates, and guidance to support supervisors in academic advising, from hiring and onboarding staff to managing teams and operations to strengthening your leadership skills.
Make a copy of the onboarding checklist for new academic advisors and adjust as needed. This checklist is 8 weeks in length and is closely aligned with the New Academic Advisor Training Course in D2L.
Supervisors may access a supervisor copy of the New Academic Advisor Training Course to see a full overview of what academic advisors are learning throughout the course.
Make a copy of the Supervisor Responsibilities Checklist for onboarding new academic advisors and make adjustments as needed.
This guide includes steps for requesting, verifying, and updating Campus Solutions (SIS) access for academic advisors, as well as requesting access to ESAF and Registrar Systems.
Michigan State University uses a wide range of acronyms in everyday communication. To help, the Office of Research and Innovation maintains the MSU Acronyms Search database, a searchable resource that allows users to quickly look up unfamiliar acronyms and their meanings. Encourage new advisors to bookmark this resource and use it whenever they come across an unfamiliar term.
To begin developing unit-specific resources for your team, create a centralized Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Guide that can serve as a comprehensive training, onboarding, and reference resource for both current and future employees.
This activity helps new team members intentionally build relationships across both operational and student support networks so they can effectively navigate student needs during their first term.