The purpose of this document is to facilitate a shared understanding of the responsibilities of the Faculty Advisor of a student-run program/organization.
This role of the faculty advisor is specific to student-run programs/organizations that do not interface significantly with persons or entities outside the WCM campus community and that generally do not participate in or sponsor activities that pose significant risk to students or others involved. The faculty advisor role may apply to the following categories: Academic Interest Groups, Policy and Advocacy Groups, Diversity Organizations, Special Interest and Recreational Groups. If your student program/organization involves any of the following functions or services, it will require a faculty leader instead of a faculty advisor:
- student interaction with:
- persons in a patient or client relationship
- minors (person < 18 years of age)
- external funding agencies o outside organizations
- the general public through a web, social media or other media presence
- student participation in, or student sponsoring of, activities that pose elevated risk to participants (e.g., activities outside of WCM that might result in possible physical harm, legal risk, or otherwise).
If during your service as faculty advisor, your group chooses to engage in these “externally-facing” activities, you or your student leaders must alert the Office of Student Life immediately before any such activity is pursued. The faculty advisor may share responsibility for the program/organization with a faculty co-advisor.
The faculty advisor will have communication with the overseeing Medical Education Dean on an as needed basis. Responsibilities of the advisor are meant to be advisory and faciliatory to the student leaders and the group’s operation, in the service of the group’s student leadership.
- Responsibilities of the faculty advisor include, but are not limited to:
- Advising student leaders upon their request
- Facilitating, if requested, the student leaders’ procurement of needed resources (e.g., space, equipment, faculty or staff time or input, etc.)
- Facilitating, if requested, ability of student leaders to interface with other WCM offices, as need arises
- Advising on and/or troubleshooting challenges that student leaders are facing (e.g., group operations, management of student participants, communication and functioning of leadership, etc.)
- Assisting student leaders with planning of activities, upon request
- Assisting with recruitment of, and collaboration with, co-advisors, if need arises
- Funding and budget:
- Groups who have a faculty advisor should generally not be funded by, or seek funding from, sources outside of WCM. The usual sources of funding for such groups include MSEC (Medical Student Education Committee), the central offices of medical education, and WCM academic departments.
- Faculty advisors will provide facilitated oversight of the student leaders’ responsibilities over managing their budget, or direct the student leaders to the Office of Student Life if questions about budget arise
- If a faculty advisor learns that their group is receiving funding, or seeking funding, from an outside source, they should contact the Office of Student life/overseeing Medical Education dean
- Informing the Office of Student Life/overseeing Medical Education dean immediately if the frame or scope of your student group is changing, especially if the activities of the group will be transitioning to higher-risk activities or services, such as interfacing with the public, with patients, with minors, with the media (digital or print, including a social media presence of any sort), or activities with an elevated risk for harm to student participants.
- Facilitating transition of your faculty advisor role to a new faculty advisor, with approval of the overseeing Medical Education Dean
Please review to the Governance of Medical Student Organizations and Groups (
Student Handbook -->
Class Officers and Representatives & Student Organizations -->
Governance of Medical Student Organizations and Groups).