Organizing and Delivering Advising: Models for Success

1. Organizing and Delivering Advising: Models for Success Dr. Peggy King Schenectady County Community College kingmc@sunysccc.edu

2. Organizing and Delivering Advising: Models for Success • Institutional Mission/Advising Program Mission • CAS Standards: Outcomes and Goals for the Advising Program • Organization of Advising Services: 7 Models • Delivery of Advising Services – Who and How • Key Components of Effective Advising Programs • Advising & Other Campus Services/Offices

3. Two Key Resources • NACADA – the National Academic Advising Association nacada@ksu.edu • Gordon, V.N., Habley, W.R., & Grites, T.J. (2008) Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook (2nd Edition)

4. Additional Symposium Sessions • Training Academic Advisors: Conceptual, Relational and Informational Issues (July 16, Tom Brown) • Assessing the Effectiveness of Your Academic Advising Program (July 23, Tom Grites) • It’s All About Change: Negotiating the Culture for Improved Advising (July 28, Wes Habley)

5. Institutional Mission/Advising Program Mission: • Consistency • Advising Program Mission Statement • Identify the primary purpose of advising • Provide a statement of beliefs about students • Provide information on the nature of the advising program, the organizational structure, expectations of advisors and advisees, the rights and responsibilities of advisors and advisees, and the goals for advising

6. Mission Statement (cont.): • Development of the mission statement must include a wide variety of constituencies • The statement should serve as a guide to the decisions we make about what we do and how we do it. • Assessment is critical. • It must be prominently displayed and promoted. • It must be regularly reviewed and, if necessary, revised.

7. Mission Statement (cont.): • It must be visionary. • It must be broad. • It must be realistic. • It must be motivational. • It must be short and concise. • It must be easily understood. • It must be memorable.

8. Advising Program: • Identify relevant and desirable student learning and development outcomes. Provide programs and services that encourage the achievement of those outcomes.

9. Relevant and Desirable Outcomes: • Intellectual growth • Effective communication • Realistic self-appraisal • Enhanced self-esteem • Clarified values • Career choices • Leadership development • Healthy behaviors

10. Relevant and Desirable Outcomes (cont.): • Meaningful interpersonal relations • Independence • Collaboration • Social responsibility • Satisfying and productive lifestyles • Appreciation of diversity • Spiritual awareness • Achievement of personal and educational goals

11. Advising Program Goals: • Promote student growth and development • Discuss and clarify educational, career and life goals • Assist students in understanding the institutional context/environment • Evaluate and monitor student progress • Refer to other campus/community resources • Distribute relevant data re. students for use in institutional decisions and policy

12. Advising Program Leadership: • Advising program leaders must: • Articulate a vision for their organization • Set goals and objectives • Promote student learning and development • Prescribe and practice ethical behavior • Recruit, select, supervise, & develop staff • Manage financial resources/human resources • Initiate collaborative interactions

13. Organization & Management: • Advising programs must be structured purposefully and managed effectively • Advising programs must include development, evaluation, & recognition/reward • The design of an advising program must be compatible with the institutional structure & it’s student’s needs

14. Factors Influencing the Organization/Delivery of Advising • Institutional Mission • Students • Faculty • Programs/Policies • Budget • Facilities • Organizational Structure

15. Organizational Models for Academic Advising: • Decentralized • Centralized • Shared

16. Organizational Models: Decentralized

17. Organizational Models: Decentralized

18. Organizational Models: Centralized

19. Organizational Models: Shared

20. Organizational Models: Shared

21. Organizational Models: Shared

22. Organizational Models: Shared

23. Most Popular Models (ACT 6th National Survey): • 2-Year Public % • Self-contained 29 • Split 28 • Faculty Only 18 • 4-Year Public • Split 46 • Satellite 16 • Faculty Only 12

24. Most Popular Models (cont.): • 2-Year Private % • Faculty Only 36 • Supplementary 21 • Self-contained 12 • 4 -Year Private • Faculty Only 39 • Supplementary 26 • Split 17

25. Organizational Models -Summary: • % of all: • Faculty Only 25 • Supplementary 17 • Split 27 • Dual 5 • Total Intake 6 • Satellite 7 • Self-contained 14

26. Trends in Organizational Models: • Decrease in use of most decentralized (Faculty Only) • Slight increase in most shared models • Institutional size has a significant impact on the choice of model • Academic Affairs is the most common reporting line

27. Advising Delivery Systems: One-to-One Advising • Faculty • Full-time Advisors • Counselors • Grad Students • Paraprofessionals • Peers

28. Factors in Choosing a Delivery System • Access/availability to student • Priority placed on advising • Knowledge of academic discipline • Knowledge of student development • Need for training • Cost to institution • Credibility with faculty/staff

29. Building the Advisor-Advisee Relationship • Non-verbal communication • Verbal communication • Advising strategies • The advising interview

30. Non-verbal Communication • Physical environment • Preparedness • Body language/attending behavior

31. Verbal Communication • Listening • Questioning • Reflecting/paraphrasing

32. Referral Skills • Explain why a referral is necessary • Have a clear understanding of services available • Provide all contact information • Assist in scheduling the appointment • Follow-up with the student

33. Advising Strategies • Advocacy/intervention • Intrusiveness • Challenging/confronting the student • Modeling/teaching decision-making skills

34. The One-to-One Advising Session • Planning and preparing for the session • Personal contact • Review student information, prior advising notes • Plan for uninterrupted time

35. The One-to-One Advising Session • Content and process • Establish rapport • Discuss previous session • Discuss purpose of the current session • Discuss issues/concerns • Identify possible solutions • Summarize the transactions • Conclude session

36. Group Advising - Types • Groups that focus on content (C) • Groups that focus on process (P)

37. Group Types • Orientation (C) • Registration groups (C) • Extended orientation (P & C) • First Year Seminar (P & C) • Learning communities (P ) • Course imbedded (P & C) • Residence Hall (C) • Major (C) • Specific populations (C & P)

38. Groups – Probable Strengths • Reduce advisor ratios • Efficient way to share common content • Frees advisors for one-to-one contact • Reduces redundancy • Interaction with peers • Shared learning • Establish peer contacts • Other?

39. Groups – Probable Weaknesses • Less personal • Ability to meet individual needs • Possible misinterpretation • Group distractions • Inconvenience • Other?

40. Keys to Successful Group Advising • Locating a functional space • Informing students by multiple means of communication – e-mail, flyers, etc. • Preparing engaging materials and handouts that students can take with them to refer to later • Developing a clear agenda

41. Strategies for Successful Group Facilitation • Introductions and icebreakers • Learn names – use name badges/cards • Establish a climate of trust and respect • Don’t allow one person to dominate the discussion • Encourage students to follow-up with their Advisor

42. Use of Technology in Advising - Synchronous • Characteristics • Same time • Same pace • Different place • Person-to-person advising

43. Synchronous Delivery • Videoconference • Internet chat • Audio conference • White board • Telephone • Interactive classroom • Interactive webinar

44. Technology in Advising - Asynchronous • Characteristics • Different time • Different pace • Difference place • Person-to-person advising

45. Asynchronous Delivery • Web pages • E and V mail • Cybercast • Listservs • Bulletin boards • Kiosks • Video/Audio tapes • Telephone info. Lines

46. Asynchronous Delivery (cont.): • Social Networking Sites – Facebook, MySpace, Twitter • Course Management Systems (e.g. Angel) • Podcasts • Blogs • RSS (really simple syndication) e.g. news feed • Webinar

47. Technology – Probable Strengths • Economy • Distance • Accuracy • Feedback • Accessibility • Anonymity • Other?

48. Technology – Possible Weaknesses • Technology limits • Different person-to-person relationship • Anonymity • Other?

49. Why Multiple Strategies? • Different access points • Different student needs • Capitalize on advisor strengths • Offset advisor weaknesses

50. Design a Delivery System • Consider • Institutional type • Student demographics and needs • Probable resources • Probable advisor skills • Design a delivery system • Primary. What else? How? • How does your delivery system capitalize on strengths and offset weaknesses of the various delivery strategies?