Foundations of Academic Advising

1. Jayne Drake emple University Foundations of Academic Advising

3. Potential of Advising �Academic advising is the only structured activity on the campus in which all students have the opportunity for an on-going, one-on-one interaction with a concerned representative of the institution.�

4. Let�s Take a Trip Down Memory Lane

5. The Year Was 1953 �Advising is a process with a long and dignified history in colleges and universities . . . involving, as often does, tedious clerical work combined with hit and run conferences with students on curricula. It is a most cordially hated activity by the majority of college teachers.� M S. Maclean, Personnel and Guidance Journal

6. And in 1960 . . .Prescriptive advising �The task of advising is concentrated in the opening days of registration and enrollment and consists of aiding students in the selection of courses.� Asa Knowles, Handbook of College and University Administrators

7. The 1970s and Developmental Advising Advising is �concerned with not only the specific personal or vocational decision but with facilitating the student�s rational processes, environmental and interpersonal interactions, behavioral awareness, and problem-solving, decision-making and evaluation skills.� Burns Crookston

8. Or try this 1984 definition �A systematic process based on a close student-advisor relationship intended to aid students in achieving educational, career, and personal goals through the use of the full range of institutional and community resources.� Winston, Miller, Ender, and Grites

9. In the 1970s and 80s, Developmental Advising: Became a dominant advising paradigm Extended advising beyond mere scheduling Drew on student development theory Emphasized individual student growth Emphasized shared responsibility

10. A new approach ~A new focus �An excellent advisor does the same for the student�s entire curriculum that the excellent teacher does for one course.� Marc Lowenstein, 2005

11. NACADA Definition of Advising http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/definitions.htm Multi-dimensional and intentional Grounded in teaching and learning Has its own purpose and content Has specified outcomes for student learning

12. Focus on the advisee as learner What is it we want our students to demonstrate they Know Are able to do Value and appreciate As a result of academic advising?

13. Advising as Teaching and Learning Advisors teach students. . . To value the learning process To apply decision-making strategies To put the college experience into perspective To set priorities and evaluate events To develop thinking and learning skills To make choices NACADA Core Values

14. Advising programs (as with the academic curriculum) should promote student learning and development by encouraging experiences that lead to: Intellectual growth The ability to communicate effectively Leadership development The ability to work independently and collaboratively Appropriate career choices Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education

15. �College is more than a collection of courses or a ticket to a trade.� Exploration of educational and career goals Exploration of life goals Selection of an academic direction Selection of classes Scheduling of classes

16. Students are NOT customers! Students, unlike customers, are not always right. The role of the teacher/advisor is to produce �benign disruption� or �cognitive dissonance.� I TOLD you I needed an �A� on my history exam.

17. At the heart of advising isthe art of conversation Definition: �The art of conversation is the ability create a dialogue that others will willingly join.�

18. Knowing the language is essential to conversation �You cannot enter any world for which you do not have the language.� Wittgenstein

19. Three Basic Types of Conversations Advisors Have with Students Conversations that are informational: University policies and procedures Requirements Important dates and deadlines Programs of study All too often advising conversations stop here and do not progress to the next two types.

20. Conversations about the individual student Core values Aptitudes/interests Strengths Areas for improvement (study skills, time managements, e.g.) Level of involvement in the life of the institution

21. Conversations about the future Goal setting and posing questions: What do I want my future to be? (career and personal life) What steps do I need to make this future a reality? How am I changing as a result of my education?

22. If you should ever ask students. . . . What does good advising mean to you? The power of relationships with the advisor and with the faculty (get to know a faculty member reasonably well)

23. It also means. . . . Making connections between advising and students� personal lives �At key points in their college years, an academic advisor asked questions, or posed a challenge that forced students to think about the relationship of their academic work and to their personal lives.� Richard Light

24. It�s More than Scheduling Advising conversations that extend beyond course selection, scheduling, and registration into �Bigger Ideas� are those that students find most helpful and that contribute to student persistence.

25. Ask the What, Why, and How Questions Why are you at UNC-Pembroke? What exactly do you mean by �a great education�? Why do you want to major in English, in Accounting, in Political Science? How could joining a campus organization help you meet your personal and career goals? What kinds of electives would be a good supplement to your education?

26. Why Students Leave Academic boredom Personal reasons Academic under- preparedness Uncertainly about major/career Transition/adjustment difficulties Failure to connect with the institution

27. Advising and Retention �Effective retention programs have come to understand that academic advising is at the very core of successful institutional efforts to educate and retain students.� Vincent Tinto Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition

28. Retention Is Related to Excellent classroom instruction and student interaction with faculty Caring attitude of faculty and staff Students don�t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

29. And. . . . The level and quality of student interaction with their peers through, e.g., learning communities, extracurricular activities, collaborations between academic affairs and student affairs Early intervention Assistance with external pressures both personal and financial

30. Students bonding with an institution Faculty and professional advisors having an understanding of the principles of human learning and development Advisors assisting students in developing realistic expectations.

32. Graduation Rate Outcomes Study No one �magic bullet� guarantees success in retention, persistence, and graduation rates. Success instead means carefully reading the campus culture, aligning people and programs and making a collective commitment to be in it for the long haul. AASCU (American Association of State Colleges and Universities) Student Success in State Colleges and Universities

33. The Organization Create a shared vision of student success that is embedded in the institution�s mission and culture Set high standards for students inside and outside the classroom and balance challenge with support Provide complementary policies, practices, and resources to support students academically and socially Faculty and Professional Advisors should play strategic roles in these important initiatives

34. The Collaboration Advising requires coordination and collaboration among units across campus that provide student support / services. �Every time you see a turtle on a fencepost, you know it didn�t get there by itself.� Alex Haley

35. What do students really really want from an advisor? Accurate information �Do they know?� Accessibility �Are they there?� Caring attitude �Do they care?�

36. Tip 1: It�s not about you. Use the names of your advisees in your meetings with them, and avoid using the first person singular. Instead, draw the students out by asking them to articulate their own thoughts, ideas, points of view, etc.

37. Tip 2: Be available. Establish a clear way for advisees to contact you. Schedule your office hours at times when students are most likely to be on campus and available to meet with you. And then be sure to be there during those posted office hours. Let them know if you use email or other methods through which they might reach you.

38. Tip 3: There�s no way around it. You need to learn UNC-Pembroke�s policies, procedures, requirements, rules, and regulations. This information forms the foundation upon which advising contacts are built.

39. Tip 4: Never guess. If you don�t know the answer to a student�s question, admit it, and make a point of finding the right answer (best way) or referring the student to the appropriate office (second best way). Do not perpetuate the runaround. Keep handy a list of campus resources along with their telephone numbers, email addresses, and contact people�especially the folks in the Center for Academic Excellence.* *I strongly recommend you treat them to pizza and chocolate from time to time and especially when you need a really big favor.

40. Tip 5: Set limits. It is a truism that you will never or rarely see some of your advisees, and the rest will camp out at your office dorr to complain, seek sympathy, for find a familiar comfort. For these frequent visitors, it would be wise to set limits on appointments.

41. Talk Advising to Me