Josh Larson, Anna Adams,

Jason Barkemeyer, Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski University of Utah

Advising is Not a Profession…or is it?

Test Your Clicker – What state are you from?

1. Alaska

2. Oregon

3. Washington

4. Yukon Territory

5. Montana

6. Idaho

7. Alberta

8. Outside Region 8

9. (British Colombia)

How many years have you been advising?

A. Less than 3

B. 3-6

C. 7-10

D. 11-15

E. 16-29

F. 30+

Are you a full time or part time advisor?

1. Full time (30 hrs +)

2. Part time

What is your highest education level?

1. No degree

2. Associate’s

3. Certificate

4. Bachelor’s

5. Master’s

6. Doctorate

Is Academic Advising a profession?

1. Yes

2. No

Do you think advising should be considered a profession?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Not Sure

Objectives For Our Presentation

Consider the historical development and current state of the field of advising.

Discuss the term “Profession” and how it relates to the occupation of advising.

Discuss how advising might change if it obtained the status of a profession.

Early 1900’s (1906) Universities begin using

advisor systems to supervise selection of courses

(1920) Duties begin to be split among entities on campus and away from

faculty

1800’s

(1841) Kenyon College introduces the first known formal system of advising

(1876) John Hopkins University establishes a faculty advising system

1600’s

(1636) Harvard College is founded with the president responsible for advising students.

Advising Timeline Highlights

1961-1972

(1961) Terms “advising” & “counseling” differentiated

(1972) Carnegie Commission on Higher Ed recommends an enhanced emphasis

on advising

1940-1960

(1941) A call goes out to end the perpetual tension between faculty and

professional advisors

(1959) Faculty advisors still recognized as primary academic advisor for

students

Mid 1900’s

(1930s) “Student personnel work” was coined. Advising was rooted under this

term

(1932) University of Chicago implements faculty departmental

counselors

Late 1970’s

(1977) First national academic advising conference held in Vermont

(1979) NACADA established with the purpose of professionalization

1976

First statewide academic advising conference held in California

1972

Crookston & O’Banion establish student development theories in advising, in separate, independent articles

2000’s

(2003) Kansas State offers Graduate Certificate in Academic Advising

(2008) Kansas State offers M.S. in Academic Advising

1999

The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal, first published

1981

First NACADA Journal published

Profession

Sole jurisdiction

Education w/theoretical background

Field is a public service

Self regulation

What is a profession?

Profession

Sole jurisdiction

Education w/theoretical background

Field is a public service

Self regulation

What is a profession?

• Long, tertiary education with theoretical learning

– Education is based in theory - Not step by step or prescriptive

– Cannot just be learned on the job

– Usually PhD but could be MS/MA

Tertiary Education

Educational Programs

• NACADA Clearinghouse currently lists 29 institutions with graduate programs that mention academic advising in their profile.

• Certificate – Kansas State University (2003) – Sam Houston State University (2008) – Eastern Michigan University (2010)

• Graduate Degree – Kansas State University (2008)

THAT’S ABOUT IT…

Why is that all?

• Need research to offer a degree.

• Need a theory of advising to guide research, education, and practice

McGillin (2000) states in her chapter in Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook, “We must first clarify what advising is and is not by generating a theory of academic advising.”

Do you think the Advising Occupation warrants a long-tertiary education?

1. Yes

2. No

Profession

Sole jurisdiction

Education w/theoretical background

Field is a public service

Self regulation

What is a profession?

• Create a Professional organization that advocates for profession and provides professional guidelines or standards

• No managers, other colleagues monitor

• Determine the scope of practice and responsibilities

• Other Advisors enforce standards and practices – remove professional title when necessary

Self Regulation

Are you aware of NACADA or CAS' standards?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Not sure

Do we currently self-regulate?

NACADA

“The NATIONAL ACADEMIC ADVISING ASSOCIATION (NACADA), promotes and supports quality academic advising in institutions of higher education to enhance the educational development of students. NACADA provides a forum for discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas pertaining to academic advising through numerous activities and publications.”

~Retrieved electronically May 12, 2011 from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/AboutNACADA/index.htm

“The Mission of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) is to promote the improvement of programs and services to enhance the quality of student learning and development. CAS is a consortium of professional associations who work collaboratively to develop and promulgate standards and guidelines and to encourage self-assessment.”

“The primary purpose of Academic Advising Programs (AAP) is to assist

students in the development of meaningful educational plans.”

Retrieved electronically April 18, 2011 from http://www.cas.edu/getpdf.cfm?PDF=E864D2C4-D655-8F74-2E647CDECD29B7D0.

CAS

0 50 100

All programs

1/2 of programs

1/3 of programs

Scope of practice: Common Advisor Responsibilities

General education guidance Liaison to academic departments/schools Maintaining academic records

Coordinate orientation programs Train advisors campus-wide Develop advising handbooks Participate in academic policy committees

Prepare registration materials Evaluate transfer credit Monitor degree audits

Advisor roles (2000): Advising at the Millennium

• Survey Demographics (n=2,597)

76% Female

61% advising 1-10 years

62% master’s degrees

89% FT advising appointment

40% from public research institution

• Results reported from a survey to NACADA members • Generalizability is limited.

Reported areas of advising responsibilities (by

institution type)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

public

private

2 year

total

Circled responsibilities are most consistent with graduate level education?

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

100

public

private

2 year

total

Profession

Sole jurisdiction

Education w/theoretical background

Field is a public service

Self regulation

What is a profession?

• The service is needed by individuals

• The client is vulnerable, an expert is needed and great trust is placed on individuals

• Moral and professional obligation to client regardless of time, pay, preference, or other “9-5 norms”.

Public Service

• Only 30% of the US population will earn a bachelor degree or higher. – 40% of the population does not even attempt college

– For the 60% that attend college, only ½ will earn a bachelor degree or higher.

• Education is a costly, life-changing event: – $8,244 per year, public four-year colleges

– $14,092 more per year with a Bachelor’s Degree than w/o

– $16,952 Associate Degree and more than a person with “some college, no degree”

– 42% less likely to be unemployed with a Bachelor’s Degree than those with “some college, no degree.”

– The more educated the longer the life-span

Vulnerable Population?

2010 Since the 1980 survey, over 50% of colleges have improved or developed academic advising programs to increase

retention

(4th national survey)

2007-2009

(2007) Academic Advising does not negatively affect underprepared students’ chance of success, as was

previously theorized in the “cooling out” phenomenon

(2009) Students who experienced congruence between their preferred style and their advisors’ style were more

likely to be and feel integrated into the campus environment.

1980

Empirical link between student satisfaction with academic advising & retention

(1st National Survey of “What Works in Student Retention”)

Academic Advising as a Necessary Public Service

Profession

Sole jurisdiction

Education w/theoretical background

Field is a public service

Self regulation

What is a profession?

– Legally recognized sole jurisdiction over profession • No one else creates the rules, laws, or standards that

govern the profession

• No one else can practice as an advisor

• Often requiring licensure or additional certifications

Sole Jurisdiction

Who else practices as an advisor? 1. Students

2. Faculty

3. Any one available (AA, Chair, etc.)

4. Other offices

1. No one (you)

2. The person before you

3. Chairs

4. Students

5. The institution

Profession

Sole jurisdiction

Education w/theoretical background

Field is a public service

Self regulation

Impact on advising?

Only Credentialed Advisors Masters Degree or Higher (in the field) - cannot be learned on the job

National standards created by other advising professionals

Increased Pay

Recognition and Respect

Autonomy

Increased responsibility and culpability

Loss of “9 to 5 norms”

Get your clickers ready….!

I _____ that advisors should be involved with these types of these activities:

~general education guidance

~new student orientation ~develop advising handbooks

~evaluate transfer credit ~monitor degree audits

~liaison to academic departments/schools

1. Strongly Agree

2. Agree

3. Disagree

4. Strongly Disagree

I _____ that advisors should be involved with these types of activities:

~research & publications

~curriculum: assessment & development ~service (academic committees, national committees)

~accreditation ~student mentoring

1. Strongly Agree

2. Agree

3. Depends

4. Disagree

5. Strongly Disagree

If the occupation of advising required advisors to conduct research and assessment, publish scholarly articles,

participate in curriculum development and accreditation, complete service activities (serve on academic committees, volunteer time), what should be the minimum educational

requirement for an academic advisor?

1. Certification

2. Bachelor’s

3. Master’s

4. Doctorate

5. Licensure w/ Degree

Advisors provide a necessary public service to a vulnerable population who relies heavily on the

advising expert?

1. Strongly Agree

2. Agree

3. Disagree

4. Strongly Disagree

The occupation of advising (the duties, norms, and skills) should:

1. Be relatively consistent nationally

2. Be determined within a State

3. Be local to each institution

Are you willing to forgo 9-5 norms (guaranteed

hours, schedules, sleep) to become a profession?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Maybe

Last Two Questions

Is Academic Advising a Profession?

1. Yes

2. No

Should Academic Advising become a profession?

1. Yes

2. No

3. No, but career opportunities need to be provided

• Anna Adams – anna.adams@utah.edu

• Jason Barkemeyer – jason.barkemeyer@utah.edu

• Josh Larson – joshua.larson@health.utah.edu

• Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski – saiken@uc.utah.edu

THANK YOU!

Analytic Quality Glossary. www.qualityresearchinternational.com/glossary/profession/htm.

Bahr, P.R. (2007). Cooling Out in the Community College: What is the effect of Academic Advising on Students’ Chance of Success?

Beal, RE. & Noel, L. (1980). What Works in Student Retention: The Report on American College Testing Program and National Center for Higher Education Management Systems.

Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2008/03/life_expectancy.html

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm

College Board: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/add-it-up/4494.html

Cook, Sandra. Important Events in the Development of Academic Advising in the United States. NACADA Journal. Vol 29 (2). Fall 2009. pp. 18-26.

References

Crookston, B.B. A Developmental View of Academic Advising As Teaching. Journal of College Student Personnel. Vol 13, January 13, pp. 395-415.

Evetts, Julia. The Sociological Analysis of Professionalism, Occupational Change in the Modern World. International Sociology. Vol 18(2), June, 2003. pp. 395-415.

Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget. Standard Occupational Classification Manual: What is a Profession?, pp. xxviii and 51.

Gordon V. & Habley, W. Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook. 2000.

Habley, W., Valiga, M., McClanahan, R. & Burkum, K. (2010). What Works in Student Retention. Fourth National Survey. Public Four-Year Colleges and Universities Report. Retrieved electronically from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED515220.pdf.

Hale, M., Graham, D., Johnson, D. & Donald, M. (2009). Are Students More Satisfied with Academic Advising When There is Congruence between Current and Preferred Advising Styles. College Student Journal, v43, n2, pp 313-324.

Kolb, Robert W., Editor. Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society, 4th Ed., Pgs. 1694-1696

Klass, Alan A., M.D., What is a Profession? Canadian M. A. J., Sept. 16, 1961, vol. 85, pp. 698 – 701.

Lumina Foundation: http://www.luminafoundation.org/publications/A_stronger_nation.pdf

McGillin, V. A. (2000). Current issues in advising research. In V. N. Gordon & W. R. Habley (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook: San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

References continued

O*Net Online Help. www.onetonline.org/help/online/zones, www.onetonline.org/help/online/scales.

O’Banion, Terry. An Academic Advising Model. Junior College Journal. Vol 42, 1972. pp. 62, 64, & 66-69.

Shaffer, Leigh S. et al. (2010) The professionalization of Academic Advising: Where are we in 2010? NACADA Journal, Volume 30(1), pp. 66-77.

Tuttle, Kathryn Nemeth. Academic Advising. New Directions For Higher Education, no. 111, Fall 2000. pp. 15-24

Wilensky, Harold L. The Professionalization of Everyone. The American Journal of Sociology, Volume LXX, Number 2, September, 1964. p. 137-158.

References continued