Online Advising Toolkit

Through online advising, faculty advisors are able to support students wherever they are.

Zoom is the recommended tool for online advising because it is a free, feature-rich program available to all WSU students, faculty and staff. This toolkit focuses on best practices for using Zoom to provide online advising to students.

In addition to Zoom, advisors can choose alternate platforms such as Skype, Adobe Connect, WebEx, and others. Consult with TLT to discuss various technology options and training.

Additionally, advisors should have a firm grasp of advising pedagogy before they begin offering online advising services. Contact Advising Services at 507.457.5878 or advising@winona.edu for support in understanding your role as an advisor.

By using Zoom, you can set up an easy-to-use, online room to meet with your students. This room provides web cam video, voice/audio, text-based chat and document sharing.

Learn about Zoom and and set up your personal meeting room.

Once your Zoom account is set up, you can invite students to an online meeting by sending them the Join URL for your Personal Meeting Room.

We recommend that you set both host and participant video settings for your Personal Meeting Room to ON, by default.
Send your student the Join URL to your meeting room in advance and encourage the student to arrive five minutes before the start of the meeting. Consider using earbuds or a headset to avoid feedback. 
Also, send your student a phone number to call in case they are not able to join due to technical difficulties.
Here's a few tips to start your meeting successfully:
  • Consider plugging in your computer to the Ethernet to ensure a high-quality connection.
  • Sign in to Zoom
  • Confirm this is the correct student using photo or some other form of identification (last 4 of SSN, Warrior ID, DOB, etc.)
  • To ensure student privacy, check to make sure you have only one student signed-in.
With these steps completed, you will be ready to start the advising portion of your meeting.

After a few online advising sessions, you should be comfortable with the basic functions of Zoom.

However, technical problems can arise. Try these suggestions if you experience technical difficulties.

  • Can't See the Meeting Options? Keep your mouse on the video to see options for screen sharing, chat and more.

  • Trouble sharing a document? Sharing the screen is a simple method for reviewing documents.

  • Student video not working or choppy? The student may not have high speed internet access where they are. Consider not using video if this is the case. If you are using a wireless connection, try plugging into the Ethernet to see if this resolves the issue.

  • Sound issues? If sound isn’t working, consider using the chat function to communicate and/or having the student call in via phone. If you are getting feedback, both you and your student should use earbuds or a headset.

  • Still stuck? Call TLT at 507.457.5240.