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AATP Levels 1 & 2 Curriculum Overview

Currently there are two levels of AATP training available to University of Toronto administrative professionals in a variety of areas. The completion of AATP Level 1 is encouraged prior to AATP Level2.

A woman advising a student in an appointment

AATP Level 1: Foundations of Advising

Foundations of Advising (Level 1) introduces the core theories, concepts, and skills of the academic advising profession while deepening participants’ understanding of advising at the University of Toronto. The program is open to administrative staff in a broad range of student-facing roles (e.g., registrarial services, student life, academic units) and is designed to be valuable for advisors at all experience levels. 

Program Components: 4 core modules (22 hours synchronous). Reflection activities are required (pre-program, module-specific, and post-program). 

This module orients participants to the U of T advising landscape by exploring how institutional mission, culture, history, and community context shape advising practice. Participants also build foundational awareness of privacy and policy responsibilities (including documentation and record-keeping) and begin developing reflective advising habits through an introduction to positionality and feedback in advising interactions. 

This module introduces key theories and approaches that inform academic advising practice, drawing on student development theory, coaching and change approaches, learning theory (including advising as teaching), and communication strategies. Participants explore how different approaches shape advising interactions and consider how to plan purposeful, effective conversations across common advising modalities, including the opportunities and limitations of email advising. 

This module focuses on the knowledge and reflective skills advisors need to support students equitably and build inclusive advising environments. Participants are introduced to foundational concepts such as anti-racism, anti-oppression, anti-colonialism, intersectionality, and unconscious bias, with an emphasis on how these dynamics can emerge in advising relationships. The module also highlights the lived experiences and needs of Indigenous, Black, and racialized students and supports advisors in strengthening culturally responsive approaches to advising.

This module explores how advisors support students in educational planning and goal-setting by integrating knowledge of academic pathways and co-curricular opportunities with structured approaches to decision-making and problem-solving. Emphasis is placed on student-led planning, supportive referrals, and helping students connect present academic choices to longer-term goals (including future/career considerations and transition out of university).

AATP Level 2: Advancing Advising Practice

Advancing Advising Practice (Level 2) builds advisors’ fluency in integrating theory, institutional knowledge, and day-to-day practice, with a particular focus on developing a professional practice to support a diverse student population. Participants explore models for translating theory into action and apply concepts through collaborative learning and reflection.
Level 2 is open to administrative staff in a broad range of student-advising roles (registrarial services, student life, academic units). Completion of AATP Level 1 is encouraged prior to Level 2.

Program Components: Program components: 4 core modules (22 hours synchronous), 1 elective module (2 hours synchronous), and 1 external professional development experience. Reflection activities are required (pre-program, module-specific, and post-program). 

Participants deepen their understanding of the scope and practice of advising by reflecting on the assumptions, beliefs, and biases they bring to the work. The module emphasizes clarifying and communicating the role and boundaries of an academic advisor and begins the development of an advisor positionality statement to support ethical, reflective practice.

Participants apply theories of student learning and identity development to advising, with attention to how the advisor, the student, and the campus environment interact to shape students’ experiences. A key focus is building advising practice that supports belonging and mattering, responds to changing student populations, and connects advising intentions to clear outcomes for student learning and growth.

This module focuses on inclusive, effective, and supportive advising interactions. Participants strengthen practical strategies for communicating across difference, asking purposeful questions, and responding to student needs with care and clarity. The module also addresses advising within the realities of complex student circumstances, including supporting students in distress and using appropriate referral, triage, and de-escalation approaches within the scope of the role. 

Participants explore what it means to partner with students to set goals, navigate challenges, and build capacity over time. The module draws on theory and evidence-informed practices related to autonomy, support, challenge, and motivation, and challenges advisors to apply these concepts in a series of case studies.