--- title: "Disarm Before You Advise: Can AI Help Build Trust in Academic Advising?" description: What if students felt welcome before booking an appointment? Explore how AI can support the Disarm stage of Appreciative Advising and build trust early. image: https://joinadvisorai.com/hubfs/Disarm%20Before%20Advise.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://joinadvisorai.com/blog/disarm-before-you-advise-can-ai-help-build-trust-in-academic-advising#main-content) [![Logo](https://joinadvisorai.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Home%20Page/Logo-Black%20(1).jpg?width=150&height=75&name=Logo-Black%20(1).jpg)](https://joinadvisorai.com/) - WHO WE SERVE Show submenu for WHO WE SERVE - [Campus Leadership](https://joinadvisorai.com/campus-leadership) - [Enrollment & Recruitment](https://joinadvisorai.com/enrollment-management) - [Advising & Student Success](https://joinadvisorai.com/academic-advising) - [Career Services & Workforce](https://joinadvisorai.com/career-services) - PLATFORM Show submenu for PLATFORM - [Key Capabilities](https://joinadvisorai.com/core-capabilities) - [Implementation](https://joinadvisorai.com/implementation) - [Integrations](https://joinadvisorai.com/integrations) - [Pricing Model](https://joinadvisorai.com/pricing-options) - [USE CASES](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases) Show submenu for USE CASES - [Traditional Learners](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Dual Enrollment](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Adult Learners](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Undeclared Advising](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Program Advising](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Proactive Advising](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Career Exploration](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Internship Preparation](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Workforce Readiness](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - TRUST Show submenu for TRUST - [The Advisor AI Advantage](https://joinadvisorai.com/why-advisor-ai) - [Information Security](https://joinadvisorai.com/information-security) - [Responsible AI](https://joinadvisorai.com/responsible-ai) - [Trust Center](https://app.vanta.com/joinadvisorai.com/trust/77m8qtqgmb8veiyv1uptmn) - RESOURCES Show submenu for RESOURCES - [Case Studies & Resources](https://joinadvisorai.com/blog/tag/resources) - [In the News](https://joinadvisorai.com/newsroom) - [Press Releases](https://joinadvisorai.com/blog/tag/press-release) - [Appreciative Advising](https://joinadvisorai.com/appreciative-advising-and-advisor-ai-unite) - [NACE Partnership](https://joinadvisorai.com/nace-advisor-ai) - [ABOUT](https://joinadvisorai.com/about) Open main navigation Close main navigation - WHO WE SERVE Show submenu for WHO WE SERVE - [Campus Leadership](https://joinadvisorai.com/campus-leadership) - [Enrollment & Recruitment](https://joinadvisorai.com/enrollment-management) - [Advising & Student Success](https://joinadvisorai.com/academic-advising) - [Career Services & Workforce](https://joinadvisorai.com/career-services) - PLATFORM Show submenu for PLATFORM - [Key Capabilities](https://joinadvisorai.com/core-capabilities) - [Implementation](https://joinadvisorai.com/implementation) - [Integrations](https://joinadvisorai.com/integrations) - [Pricing Model](https://joinadvisorai.com/pricing-options) - [USE CASES](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases) Show submenu for USE CASES - [Traditional Learners](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Dual Enrollment](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Adult Learners](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Undeclared Advising](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Program Advising](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Proactive Advising](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Career Exploration](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Internship Preparation](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - [Workforce Readiness](https://joinadvisorai.com/use-cases#use-cases) - TRUST Show submenu for TRUST - [The Advisor AI Advantage](https://joinadvisorai.com/why-advisor-ai) - [Information Security](https://joinadvisorai.com/information-security) - [Responsible AI](https://joinadvisorai.com/responsible-ai) - [Trust Center](https://app.vanta.com/joinadvisorai.com/trust/77m8qtqgmb8veiyv1uptmn) - RESOURCES Show submenu for RESOURCES - [Case Studies & Resources](https://joinadvisorai.com/blog/tag/resources) - [In the News](https://joinadvisorai.com/newsroom) - [Press Releases](https://joinadvisorai.com/blog/tag/press-release) - [Appreciative Advising](https://joinadvisorai.com/appreciative-advising-and-advisor-ai-unite) - [NACE Partnership](https://joinadvisorai.com/nace-advisor-ai) - [ABOUT](https://joinadvisorai.com/about) - [Contact us](https://joinadvisorai.com/contact) [Contact us](https://joinadvisorai.com/contact) Oct 21, 2026 # Disarm Before You Advise: Can AI Help Build Trust in Academic Advising? ![Picture of Sarah Khan](https://joinadvisorai.com/hs-fs/hubfs/sarah-khan.png?width=50&name=sarah-khan.png) [Sarah Khan](https://joinadvisorai.com/blog/author/sarah-khan) Share: [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://joinadvisorai.com/blog/disarm-before-you-advise-can-ai-help-build-trust-in-academic-advising) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://joinadvisorai.com/blog/disarm-before-you-advise-can-ai-help-build-trust-in-academic-advising) [Share this page on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://joinadvisorai.com/blog/disarm-before-you-advise-can-ai-help-build-trust-in-academic-advising) What if institutions could make students feel welcome before they even book an appointment? It's 9 a.m. on a Monday, and you are preparing to meet with the first student booked for the day. While you wait for the caffeine from your morning coffee to kick in, you quickly review their GPA, current program, course history, and previous notes from academic advisors. The student walks in half-asleep, perhaps still in their pajamas, and you greet them with an enthusiastic "Good morning!" only to be met with a mumbled, barely audible response. The student plops into the chair, and you notice your enthusiasm automatically dip to match their body language and energy. The first minute of a student interaction is critical to the [Disarm stage of Appreciative Advising](https://joinadvisorai.com/appreciative-advising-and-advisor-ai-unite), which emphasizes providing a warm welcome, monitoring body language, building rapport, and creating a safe and welcoming environment (Bloom et al., 2008). But what if the Disarm stage could begin long before the student walks into an advisor's office? The first challenge for students and advisors alike is not always the advising appointment itself, but making students feel comfortable enough to ask for help and confident enough to take that first step in reaching out. A student's lack of enthusiasm for an advising appointment may reflect a range of circumstances. Perhaps they have an exam and were up studying all night. Perhaps they are experiencing food insecurity and haven't had breakfast. They may be navigating mental health challenges that have affected their academic performance, or they may simply be nervous about seeking help because of uncertainty or fear of judgment. As advisors, we cannot always know what a student is experiencing when they first walk through our doors. But we can be intentional about creating an environment where they feel comfortable opening up. This becomes particularly important for students experiencing academic difficulties or those who have never met with an academic advisor. --- ### **Are We Making It Easy Enough for Students to Seek Help?** Recent research suggests that the challenge goes beyond simply making students aware of available services. According to Tyton Partners' [*Listening to Learners 2026*](https://tytonpartners.com/listening-to-learners-2026/support-services/), among students who did not use available support services, 51% cited uncertainty about the relevance of support or felt they did not need it, while 26% identified inconvenient hours or access as barriers. Only 9% cited a lack of awareness (Tyton Partners, 2026b). Perhaps the challenge is not simply making students aware that academic advising exists, but helping them recognize when they need it, understand its value, and feel comfortable taking that first step. This is where AI-powered student services could play an important role in supporting the Disarm stage. Imagine a student receiving an academic warning for the first time. Instead of navigating unfamiliar policies and terminology alone, an AI-powered student service could help them understand their GPA and academic standing, explain institutional processes in clear and nonjudgmental language, and identify useful questions to ask during their appointment. Students could also be introduced to their academic advisor before the appointment through personalized welcome messages or digital advisor profiles, helping them understand who they will be meeting and what to expect. By the time the student meets their advisor, some of the uncertainty surrounding the appointment may already have been reduced. --- ### **Creating More Space for Meaningful Conversations** The potential benefits extend beyond student preparation. Tyton Partners (2026a) found that, on average, [44% of students prefer some form of AI involvement](https://tytonpartners.com/listening-to-learners-2026/ai-for-student-supports/) in student support services. Students were generally more open to AI for transactional and administrative support while continuing to value human interaction for complex, relationship-dependent services. The same research found that administrative tasks consume nearly half of an advisor's daily bandwidth. For academic advisors managing large caseloads and competing responsibilities, this presents an important opportunity. AI-powered student services could help students access routine information, understand institutional processes, and prepare for appointments before meeting with an advisor. In turn, advisors may be able to spend less time explaining terminology, navigating policies, and answering repetitive questions, and more time listening, building rapport, identifying student strengths, and exploring meaningful solutions. This does not mean every student will arrive fully prepared or that every advising conversation will become easier. However, it could create more opportunities for relationship-centered conversations that are at the heart of Appreciative Advising. --- ### **What Does This Mean for Institutions?** For institutions, AI-powered student services could offer more consistent and welcoming first-contact experiences, accessible information outside regular office hours, earlier engagement with academic support, and better use of advisor capacity. The Tyton Partners research also identifies [24/7 availability](https://tytonpartners.com/listening-to-learners-2026/ai-for-student-supports/) as the leading reason students prefer AI-based support (Tyton Partners, 2026a). This is particularly relevant for students whose academic, employment, or personal responsibilities make accessing services during traditional office hours difficult. However, accessibility alone does not create trust. Institutions must ensure that AI-powered services provide accurate and accessible information, protect student privacy, use nonjudgmental language, and offer clear pathways to human advisors when students need additional support. Equally important is involving students and advisors in designing these services so that technology responds to their actual needs rather than simply automating existing processes. Of paramount importance is recognizing that AI should support advisors, not replace the genuine human relationships that make Appreciative Advising effective. --- ### **Disarming With Advisor AI: A Snapshot into How To Build Trust** ![Disarm Before You Advise\_1](https://joinadvisorai.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Disarm%20Before%20You%20Advise_1.png?width=772&height=418&name=Disarm%20Before%20You%20Advise_1.png) Advisor AI provides advisors with a summary of the student's progress, which captures four important resources: Engagement Summary, Advising Notes, Chatbot Summary, and Suggested Next Steps. This helps advisors plan their advising sessions before meeting the student, which supports the Disarm stage of Appreciative Advising. The option to email an individual or a group of students is built into the system along with a designated space for note-taking, enabling a holistic approach to student support and coordinated wraparound services across campus partners. Without that context, advisors often spend much of an appointment getting to know a student, sometimes asking questions the student has already answered. With large caseloads, that leaves less time to build trust and meaningful relationships. Advisors can review whether a student has taken the recommended steps from previous meetings and are empowered to tailor conversations around the student's academic plan. The discussion changes from "What are you interested in?" to "I see that you're interested in environmental science. Let's look at some courses to take." The Disarm stage reminds us that a successful advising relationship begins before conversations about academic planning, course selection, or academic support. It begins with creating a warm and supportive environment where students feel welcome — physically, mentally, and emotionally. While Appreciative Advising promotes human-first interactions, AI-powered student services have the potential to make that first step easier for both students and advisors. Perhaps the greatest opportunity for AI in Appreciative Advising is not simply helping us answer more student questions but helping us create the conditions for better conversations. By supporting each stage of Appreciative Advising, Advisor AI has the potential to transform the advising experience for students, advisors, and institutions alike. --- **References** Bloom, J. L., Hutson, B. L., & He, Y. (2008). *The appreciative advising revolution*. Stipes Publishing. Tyton Partners. (2026a). *Learners are open to intentional AI-augmented student supports*. In *Listening to Learners 2026: Balancing aspirations, academics, and AI*. [https://tytonpartners.com/listening-to-learners-2026/ai-for-student-supports/](https://tytonpartners.com/listening-to-learners-2026/ai-for-student-supports/) Tyton Partners. (2026b). *Student supports' key hurdle is awareness and capacity*. In *Listening to Learners 2026: Balancing aspirations, academics, and AI*. 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