academic advising: past, present and future maura reynolds hope college
TRANSCRIPT
Academic Advising:
Past, Present and Future
Maura ReynoldsHope College
In medieval times, a preceptor shared his
knowledge with his students
In 1841, Kenyon College (Ohio)
uses the term “advisor”
In the 1880s,a system of faculty
advisors was established at Johns Hopkins.
In the 1960s,two new delivery
systems were introduced
Centralized advising centers
Peer & professional advisors
In 1972, Terry O’Banion outlined
five dimensions of advising
Exploring life goals Exploring vocational
goals Choosing a program Choosing courses Scheduling courses
In 1977,a national meeting
about academic advising.
Over the next 2 years, NACADA was established.
In 1970s and 1980s, developmental
advising: Became the dominant paradigm
Extended advising beyond scheduling
Drew on student development theory
Emphasized shared responsibility
Learning-Centered d Advising• Academically focused
• Student focused• Mission focused• Advisors = facilitators• Students = active
2006
“Academic advising is integral to
fulfilling the teaching and
learning mission of higher
education.” NACADA Concept of Academic Advising
Preamble, 2006
Advising focuses on helping students make
sense of their education
as a whole, not as a series of
isolated experiences or items on a checklist.
“An excellent advisor does the same for the
student’s entire curriculum that the
excellent teacher does for one course.”
Marc Lowenstein, 2005
“Perhaps the most urgent reform on most campuses
in improving general education involves academic advising.
To have programs and courses become coherent
and significant to students requires adequate
advising.”
Task Force on General EducationAssociation of American Colleges
1988
Learning-centered advising
raises questions like What should students learn through advising?
How might they learn these things?
Why is this learning important—for students and our institutions?
What excellent teachers do:
• Actively engage students in learning
• Teach students how to evaluate information
• Give feedback, encouragement, reinforcement
• Show knowledge, interest, enthusiasm
In recent years… colleges and universities have been working to become more intentional both about the purposes of education and about the
practices that help today’s students succeed in college.
Peer Review, Toward Intentionality and Integration, Fall 2008, Carol Geary Schneider
“It’s hard to imagine any academic function more
important to student success and institutional
productivity than advising.”
George Kuh, The student learning agenda NACADA Journal,1997
High school rigor & good advice:
Setting up students to succeed Center for Public Education
National School Boards Association
October 2012
“Possibly the most surprising finding was the
strength of academic advising
as a factor in persistence.”
“The lesson to colleges is clear:
policies to encourage these (advising) relationships can go a long way toward making sure students are on pace to earn a degree.”
Advising todayWho advises?How is advising organized?
Advising “Loads” What does advising involve?
Does advising have a mission statement and identifiable goals?
Is advising mandatory? How often do students meet with
advisors? What other duties do advisors have? Are student needs being met? Is the program assessed?
Advising is more important than ever—issues now and
in the future Increased demands; decreased resources
Cost of higher education Changing regulations State of economy and job market Expectations of students and
families Pressure to retain and graduate
“on time”