The one-on-one is centerpiece of the week. This is the space where you get to have a meaningful dialogue with your Chapter Advisor, whether that’s having a first conversation, deepening your relationship, or meeting with other Christian faculty who want to join a team of advisors! We have created email templates for inviting and following-up with advisors, as well as outlined recommendations for different advisor relationships. Click below to jump to the context that best matches with your situation:
Finding an Advisor
Some campuses require a chapter advisor to register InterVarsity as a student organization, while others don’t have that requirement. Whether or not it’s required, having a Chapter Advisor is a tremendous blessing. Chapter advisors might do everything from mentoring students to speaking at Large Groups to advocating for our ministry on campus. If you don’t have a Chapter Advisor, now is the perfect time to recruit one! For your Faculty Week one-on-one, meet with a Christian faculty member (or administrator) who might be a good fit to serve as an advisor. Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips and resources to help you find a potential advisor and have a good meeting with them!
Tips
- Don’t know any Christian faculty or administrators? Ask your students if they know any. You ask a campus chaplain who may know Christian faculty who would be interested in getting plugged into the chapter. If none of those options turn up any contacts, consider hosting a gathering for faculty and see who comes!
- Not getting a response back to your email or phone call invitations to meet? Consider stopping by their office to set up a time to talk a little longer. If you stop by, come with the gift. Keep your hand on the door as an indication that you don’t plan to stay long.
- As much as you’ll want to share about the chapter, make sure you ask questions to get to know them! Remember, we want to build impactful relationships with faculty, not just someone to sign off on our organization registrations!
Resources
Connecting with a Current Advisor
Nearly three-quarters of Chapters Advisors surveyed about their experience with IV said they wanted MORE engagement with the campus’ chapter and staff! Chapter Advisors value your ministry, even if they don’t always have time to attend everything we host. Meeting regularly with your Chapter Advisor isn’t just helpful for planning events...it helps them feel better connected and cared for by you! Your Faculty Week one-on-one should include updates on the chapter and exploring ways your advisor wants to be involved, but it needs to include an expression of deep gratitude for what they do for the campus and the chapter!
Tips
- Make meetings with your Chapter Advisor a staple of your annual rhythm. Aim to meet with them between two to four times a year.
- One way to help advisors feel connected to InterVarsity is to get them signed up in our Chapter Advisor database. Tell them about the form when you meet and send it to them in your follow-up email.
Resources
Building a Team of Advisors
You know what’s even better than having a Chapter Advisor? Having multiple advisors! Many IV chapters have been blessed to work with multiple faculty members. Consider meeting with a Christian faculty member you don’t know as well and see where their passions might align with the mission of the chapter.
Tips
- Ask your Chapter Advisor if they know other Christian faculty. If they do, they may even be able to do an introduction!
- Learn about the faculty member before you meet with them. You can learn more about them on their university webpage, social media, and publications.
- Make sure to follow-up with them after meeting!
Resources
