Pros
Not many...a lot of cool co-workers at one point, but they were all miserable working there and left. But, they were able to get better jobs so...
Cons
The UAC operates like an advisement sweat-shop. All they care about are "numbers". Students are treated as numbers, and your performance as an advisor is evaluated by your "numbers", specifically, how many students have you seen. No focus on the type of advisement you're giving, or whether the student has gotten what they came for, but strictly how many did you see. You're given percentage quotas to meet and your numbers are compared to your other co-workers. Keep in mind that students aren't required to come to you, so you have to badger the students to get them to come in so you can meet your quotas. In addition to seeing as many students as you can possibly squeeze into each day, other responsibilities include: documenting each and every appointment in several different places. I was told by management that my notes should look like a novel after every appointment. Maintaining the largest excel spreadsheet you've ever seen with useless information; you will be required to teach a freshman orientation class that you won't be paid for, and won't be given time to prepare for; calling campaigns to students who haven't paid their bills as if you work for GSU collections; turnover there is horrible and when people leave, the train doesn't stop rolling...the rest of us would be responsible for taking over others' student populations and still hold you responsible for meeting your original quotas..i.e. yesterday I had 300 students and responsible for seeing 90% of them, but today, because 3 advisors left, I have 500 and still have to meet the 90%! Micro-management is an issue. I don't know what my supervisor's responsibilities were other than telling me I need to get my numbers up...peeking in my office to make sure a student was in there at all times. It wears you out and can make you forget why you wanted to work in a field like academic advising, which for most of us was to help students. In the UAC you only help GSU. All of the accolades GSU receives for being innovative with regards to retention and progression is earned on the backs of the adviors in the UAC. They burn you out and replace you when you quit.
