Faculty Advisors

Student chapter faculty advisors play an important role in guiding, supporting and motivating students. Use the information below to help make your chapter enjoyable and successful.

Advising and mentoring students

Faculty advisors can offer essential knowledge and support to chapter members. In advising and mentoring students, your role can include:

• Helping students develop organizational, administrative, and communication skills
• Encouraging peer mentoring among students to foster personal and professional development
• Providing information on what chemical professionals do, career options, both traditional and non-traditional, and helping students plan their career path

Guiding Student Chapters

Drawing on years of “real world” experience, faculty advisors can help elected officers and other members create and sustain successful chapters by:

• Overseeing the governance of the chapter and the maintenance of records
• Assisting the chapter in securing financial and program resources from your institution, industry, professional organizations, and federal and local governments
• Attending chapter meetings and working closely with the chapter's executive committee
• Advising the chapter on matters of policy, such as the institution's regulations on facilities, insurance, custodial services, etc.
• Providing continuity to the chapter as the membership changes throughout the years

Networking with the community

Faculty advisors serve as a representative of ACS to students and the academic community by:

• Acting as an ACS spokesperson
• Explaining ACS benefits and services
• Encouraging students to become Student members
• Serving as a liaison between the chapter and the community of chemists, including other faculty, the administration, industry, neighboring schools and chapters, the ACS national office, ACS local sections, and other professional organizations
• Choosing a non-faculty member from nearby industry or the ACS local section to act as a professional advisor to help officers work with the ACS local section, industry, and the community