MAKING EFFECTIVE CAREER PLANNING ADJUSTMENTS IN COLLEGE

1. MAKING EFFECTIVE CAREER PLANNING ADJUSTMENTS IN COLLEGE Harriet Cornachione, Civil Engineering Marla Edge, Registrar Kathleen Sale, Natural Sciences

2. Value of Higher Education • Should everyone obtain a college degree? • Situation: multiple credits; no degree • Student Query: Should I go to college? • What is academic success? • Situation: Certificate? AA? BS? • Student Query: What do I want to do [in life]? • How is student retention improved? • Situation: [develop ]commitment to career goal • Student Query: What is my educational path?

3. Overview • Review OIT Student Success Approach • Review OIT advising system & training • Showcase current advising approaches • Biology / Health Sciences • Retention rate: 83.3% (Fall, 2007) • Civil Engineering • Retention rate: 90.5% (Fall, 2007) • Workshop / Discussion – “The Hard Talks”

4. Deterrents to Student Success • Inadequate academic preparation • Inadequate (or no) support network • Insufficient financial resources • Unrealistic personal expectations or goals*

5. Typical Interventions for Student Success • Academic interventions • Career guidance • Counseling • Financial assistance • Advising & mentoring*

6. How does OIT compare? Six-year graduation rates (Fall 2001 first time freshmen) U of O 68.7% OSU 65.6% WOU 56.2% National average (public, 4 yr.) 52% OIT 50.2% SOU 46.4% PSU 39.1% EOU 37.5% Source: OUS Institutional Research Services Associate degrees are counted if earned within 3 years. Includes students transferring within OUS after initial enrollment.

7. Freshman Retention One Year Retention Rates Fall 2006 FTF U of O 84% OSU 82% OIT 76% System average: 78% WOU 73% National average: 71% PSU 67% SOU 66% EOU 64% Source: OUS Institutional Research Services

8. Transfer Student Retention One year Retention Rates – Fall 2006 Transfers ENGINEERING 81% Civil Engineering 100% HEALTH 82% Health Science 90% MANAGEMENT 71% ARTS & SCIENCES 60%

9. OIT Students • Older population –average age ~ 25 • Often first generation college students • Higher than national average disabilities • Primarily non-residential – all campuses • Typically multiple competing responsibilities

10. The OIT Advising Model Strengthening advising across the curriculum to improve student retention rates

11. Intrusive • Require mandatory advising each term • Use alternate PIN registration (faculty provides) • Require signatures to add or drop after 2nd day of the term • Provide departmental faculty advisors for new students during summer registration events

12. Advising Personnel • Advisors are departmental full time teaching faculty • in most of the departments all or large percentage of faculty advise • New faculty do not advise for first year • All new faculty attend advisor training during Winter term – begin advising Spring or Fall

13. Advisor Training • Time commitment: 1.5 hours each week for term • Covers developmental and “nitty-gritty” of advising • Features guest speakers on resources and partnering with academic affairs and student service • Provides numerous discussion and scenario experiences

14. Training Resources • Dedicated faculty trainer • Advisor manual – printed and on-line • Incorporates NACADA standards and best practices • Class resource notebook • Enthusiastic guest speakers • Good models in departments

15. Summer Registration Resources • Students meet with Departmental faculty • Writing and Math Faculty available for consultation • Advising folder with student assessment • Group briefing of all advisors prior to each event • New policies covered • New courses pointed out • Notebook with all reference materials, forms • Discussion opportunity

16. Student-Advisor Relationship • Get to know each other from the first term • On-going relationship • Advisors know the field and the student potential/weaknesses • Many faculty become strong mentors when needed • Ability to change advisors easily when relationship not productive

17. Challenges • Though the campus recognizes the value of advising has not found a good way to evaluate advisors and to reward good advisors • Some departments have overload of advisees • Not all faculty make good advisors • Time intensive process for faculty – competes with other responsibilities • Students have to be taught how to be an advisee and to also utilize advisors

18. Advising – One Faculty’s Approach …Under Construction

19. Advise for Two Majors • Bachelor of Science in Biology • Pre-medical Professions Emphasis • General Biology Emphasis • Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

20. Before I Meet With the Student • Examine transcripts • Grades • Courses completed • Trends • Type of courses • How transfer courses populate the degree program and possible substitutions • Look at math and reading placement tests • As well as ACT and SAT scores

21. Initial Appointment • Begin by explaining what an advisor does • My responsibilities to the student • The student’s responsibility • College lingo and structure • Encourage students to come in and talk to me any time they are having academic or personal/social problems that impact their academic progress

22. Initial Appointment • Advisee Questionnaire • What is your major, and what do you plan on doing with your degree? • How many years do you plan on taking to get your degree? • What responsibilities do you have outside of school, i.e. work, family, etc.? • If you work, how many hours per week are you working?

23. Initial Appointment • Student is sure of career choice • Discuss what is required to reach desired career • Reality check using transcripts and questionnaire • Student unsure • Referral for career counseling • Show website: www.studentjobs.gov • Discuss options

24. Subsequent Advising • Students that are having academic difficulties (we are notified by the Registrar’s office at the end of each term) • Follow up with appointment • Discuss options with student

25. Subsequent Advising • Reality check for student’s who are not achieving at a level to pursue their goals • I.e. starting with a 2.09 GPA for the first term when they want to be a reconstructive surgeon. • Have the hard discussions early in the student’s career

26. Advising in Civil Engineering A Departmental Approach

27. Advising System in Civil Engineering • Advising Coordinator • Administrative issues • Student Advising Handbook • Transfer student evaluation • Summer advising • Advisor mentoring • Selected Faculty Advisors • Current with program changes • Follow consistent policies

28. Advisor Responsibilities • Prerequisite checking • 1st & 2nd week • Scheduled advising appointments • 7th week for following term • Review course progress (recommend path) • Academic distress • Beginning of following term • Drop-in mentoring

29. Typical 7th Week Session • How are things going? • OK, details, chat • AARGH! details, probe (what, why & how to fix) • What are you planning? • Coursework • Extracurricular check • Goals check • Provide PIN number

30. Supporting Retention Efforts • Academic Progress Petitions • Hard discussions – why did you fail, goals check, how will you improve / change • Term planner & advisor support memo • Freshman Sequence • Student success approach • Three term sequential • Student computer laboratory facility • Holistic departmental career mentoring

31. Conclusions • Many facets to institutional student success • Role of advising critical to retention • Institutional support crucial to successful advising • Effective advising necessitates initiating “thehard discussions” with students

32. Thank You!

33. “THE HARD DISCUSSIONS”( …. Practice probing & mentoring) • Three person teams • Student • Advisor • Observor • Advising scenarios • Summarize “student” experience to share • Summarize “advisor” experience to share • Wrap up review & discussion