Recruiting, Educating and Retaining Advisors

1. Recruiting, Educating and Retaining Advisors Association of College Honor Societies February 7, 2014 Jane A. Hamblin

2. Getting Acquainted • Founding Societies—charter members • 1925-1930 • 1930 – 1950 • 1950 – 1970 • 1970 – 1990 • 1990 – 2010 • 2010 – 2014

3. My Purdue deans

4. Biggest challenge to achs societies in 2010

5. Chapters have changed

6. Mortar Board’s Black Masque in 1906 and Black Masque chapter in 2009 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chapters have changed

7. Advising—advisors-- have changed

8. Best practice • Have an advising program

9. Best practice • Recruitment • Education • Retention • Have an advising program

10. recruitment

11. How do you view Recruiting? • Perfunctory obligation to meet an institutional requirement • Salvation for a weak chapter • Creation of BFFs for your society • Method for ensuring meaningful interaction with collegiate members and fulfillment of your society’s mission • A hose to fill the volunteer pool with younger leaders

12. Best practice • Develop recruitment protocol • in advance of need

13. Advisers (faculty or staff member) must represent the institution in advising chapters of College Honor Societies. The adviser must model leadership principles, establish a climate and structure that facilitates leadership development, determine expectations of accountability, and fairly assess student performance.

14. Workbook—Notes from group discussions on 2/7/14 • Talk to potential advisors about advising being teaching, which might make it seem more relevant. You have to find someone who truly likes students. This is a high priority for some organizations as a base requirement. Students may be the best to visit a professor (or staff member) to recruit, but you should be sure to have talking points. Have a job description for the advisor and share it when you are making the ask. Don’t tell them there isn’t a lot of work or there’s not much to it. It’s a good idea to have more than one advisor, and often the current advisor(s) can do the recruiting. Keep in mind that all of our societies don’t have control over who the advisor is—dean or department head might select. This is all the more reason that someone should reach out to the appointee to follow up with training options. Make an ask for specific amount of time, not for an endless amount. Be sure to listen to the response—no could mean maybe.

15. Needs and benefits of advising • Way to provide engagement, which means increased learning (Schuh) • Loves students • Fun • Good visibility for me • I feel like I am “giving back” • Enjoys being “in the know” or “in charge” • Meet institutional requirement • Meet CAS standard • Care for chapter • Oversee selection • Give consistent local voice to “national”

16. Elements of Recruitment Protocol • Know talking points • Determine target(s) – you could ask a team! • Determine recruiters • Set timeline • Make a specific ask • Listen to the answer

17. EDUCATIng

18. Best practice • Provide new and continuing • advisor education

19. Notes from birthday-month groups on educating on 2-7-14 • Early and often (brush-ups) • Create community • Make info highly accessible (handbook online, FAQ online, officer training, 1-1 appointments) • Grants to advisors to attend meetings of the society and learn more • Mentoring / Job shadowing • YouTube social contacts for advisors • Communication by multivariate ways (email, phone call, in person) • Workshops to address changes • Handbook yes, but timeline or checklist that is simpler and helps provide touchpoints for important times of theyear • Make personal connection to touch base • Workshops and grants that are easily accessible—helps advisors build a community • Whatever method should provide distinction and special education for new advisors • Handbook—communication via short, weekly emails—enewsletter • In-person meetings—having those personal connections makes an impression • Good education sends a message and will cause an outgoing advisor to be helpful to you in recruiting replacements.

20. Elements of advisor education • Mission clarity • Check-in points • Reference material— “how to” • Evaluation expectation

21. MORTAR Board’s lead program will be july 31, 2014, in atlanta

22. Create and maintain a strong advisory team • Use social media effectively • Effectively advise a chapter leadership team • Cultivate relationships among students • Enhance cocurricular education • Help chapter leaders apply their skills • Enhance the advisor’s own interpersonal assets • Apply best practices in student organization advisement

23. Best practice—or at least pet peeve • Have staff expectations for working with advisors, as a part of your advisor program--like communicating with them even on routine matters and having an advisor evaluation system

24. Retaining

25. Best practice • Retain advisors through local and national (international) gratitude, spirit of camaraderie and competition, and an expectation of end date.

26. Notes from Entire group conversation about retaining on 2-7-14 • Anniversary gifts like pens for one year, medallion for five years, clock for 15 years, etc. • Jewels added to badge or pin for length of service • Include ongoing advisors in education of new advisors. • List advisors in publications or on website. Have advisor track at conference. Send your outstanding advisors to LEAD. • Give outstanding advisor awards annually – some societies give cash prizes to the advisor and to the department that supports the advisor’s work. Build healthy competition among advisors. Have winning advisors help select awards the next year. • Annually recognize advisors with letters to their supervisors and institution president/provost/vice president—whatever is appropriate. Allow the advisor to tell you whom to write and realize this is very labor-intensive. • Having an end-date is a way to retain advisors. If a faculty or staff member can plan this into her/his calendar, then you have a definite commitment and won’t be surprised (usually) by an advisor who drops out because it feels like an interminable commitment. • Having evaluation is also a retention tool. Being told you are doing a good job and clarifying roles, often entices performance.

27. Best practices recapped • Have an advising program, not just advisors • Develop a recruitment protocol in advance of need • Provide new and continuing advisor education • Retain advisors through local and national (international) gratitude, spirit of camaraderie and competition, and an expectation of end date

28. Thank you

29. I welcome your thoughts. Jane jhamblin@mortarboard.org