dr. peggy king schenectady county community college kingmc@sunysccc.edu

Dr. Peggy KingSchenectady County Community College

kingmc@sunysccc.edu

Organizing and Delivering Advising: Models for Success

Institutional Mission/Advising Program MissionCAS Standards: Outcomes and Goals for the

Advising Program Organization of Advising Services: 7 ModelsDelivery of Advising Services – Who and HowKey Components of Effective Advising ProgramsAdvising & Other Campus Services/Offices

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)

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)

Institutional Mission/Advising Program Mission:ConsistencyAdvising Program Mission Statement

Identify the primary purpose of advisingProvide a statement of beliefs about studentsProvide 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

Mission Statement (cont.):Development of the mission statement must

include a wide variety of constituenciesThe 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.

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.

Advising Program:Identify relevant and desirable student

learning and development outcomes. Provide programs and services that encourage the achievement of those outcomes.

Relevant and Desirable Outcomes:Intellectual growthEffective communicationRealistic self-appraisalEnhanced self-esteemClarified valuesCareer choicesLeadership developmentHealthy behaviors

Relevant and Desirable Outcomes (cont.):Meaningful interpersonal relationsIndependenceCollaborationSocial responsibilitySatisfying and productive lifestylesAppreciation of diversitySpiritual awarenessAchievement of personal and educational

goals

Advising Program Goals:Promote student growth and developmentDiscuss and clarify educational, career

and life goalsAssist students in understanding the

institutional context/environmentEvaluate and monitor student progressRefer to other campus/community

resourcesDistribute relevant data re. students for

use in institutional decisions and policy

Advising Program Leadership:Advising program leaders must:

Articulate a vision for their organizationSet goals and objectivesPromote student learning and developmentPrescribe and practice ethical behaviorRecruit, select, supervise, & develop staffManage financial resources/human resourcesInitiate collaborative interactions

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

Factors Influencing the Organization/Delivery of Advising

Institutional MissionStudentsFacultyPrograms/PoliciesBudgetFacilitiesOrganizational Structure

Organizational Models for Academic Advising:

Decentralized

Centralized

Shared

Organizational Models: Decentralized

Faculty Only Model

FacultyStudent

Organizational Models: Decentralized

Satellite Model

Academic Sub-unitAdvising Office

Student A

Student B Academic Sub-unitAdvising Office

Self-contained Model

AdvisingOffice

Student A

Student B

Organizational Models: Shared

Supplementary Model

Faculty

Student

AdvisingOffice

Organizational Models: Shared

Split Model

AdvisingOffice

AcademicSub-unit

Student A

Student B

AcademicSub-unit

Organizational Models: Shared

Dual Model

Faculty

Student

AdvisingOffice

Organizational Models: Shared

Total Intake Model

AdvisingOffice

Student AcademicSub-unit

Most Popular Models (ACT 6th National Survey):2-Year Public %

Self-contained 29Split 28Faculty Only 18

4-Year PublicSplit 46Satellite 16Faculty Only 12

Most Popular Models (cont.):2-Year Private %

Faculty Only 36Supplementary 21Self-contained 12

4 -Year PrivateFaculty Only 39Supplementary 26Split 17

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

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

Advising Delivery Systems: One-to-One Advising

FacultyFull-time AdvisorsCounselorsGrad StudentsParaprofessionalsPeers

Factors in Choosing a Delivery System

Access/availability to studentPriority placed on advisingKnowledge of academic disciplineKnowledge of student developmentNeed for trainingCost to institutionCredibility with faculty/staff

Building the Advisor-Advisee Relationship

Non-verbal communication

Verbal communication

Advising strategies

The advising interview

Non-verbal Communication

Physical environment

Preparedness

Body language/attending behavior

Verbal Communication

Listening

Questioning

Reflecting/paraphrasing

Referral SkillsExplain 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

Advising StrategiesAdvocacy/intervention

Intrusiveness

Challenging/confronting the student

Modeling/teaching decision-making skills

The One-to-One Advising Session

Planning and preparing for the session

Personal contact

Review student information, prior advising notes

Plan for uninterrupted time

The One-to-One Advising Session

Content and process

Establish rapportDiscuss previous sessionDiscuss purpose of the current sessionDiscuss issues/concernsIdentify possible solutionsSummarize the transactionsConclude session

Group Advising - Types

Groups that focus on content (C)

Groups that focus on process (P)

Group TypesOrientation (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)

Groups – Probable StrengthsReduce advisor ratiosEfficient way to share common contentFrees advisors for one-to-one contactReduces redundancyInteraction with peersShared learningEstablish peer contactsOther?

Groups – Probable WeaknessesLess personalAbility to meet individual needsPossible misinterpretationGroup distractionsInconvenienceOther?

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

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

Use of Technology in Advising - Synchronous

Characteristics

Same timeSame paceDifferent placePerson-to-person advising

Synchronous Delivery

VideoconferenceInternet chatAudio conferenceWhite boardTelephoneInteractive classroomInteractive webinar

Technology in Advising - Asynchronous

Characteristics

Different timeDifferent paceDifference placePerson-to-person advising

Asynchronous DeliveryWeb pagesE and V mailCybercastListservsBulletin boardsKiosksVideo/Audio tapesTelephone info. Lines

Asynchronous Delivery (cont.):

Social Networking Sites – Facebook, MySpace, Twitter

Course Management Systems (e.g. Angel)PodcastsBlogsRSS (really simple syndication) e.g. news

feedWebinar

Technology – Probable Strengths

EconomyDistanceAccuracyFeedbackAccessibilityAnonymityOther?

Technology – Possible Weaknesses

Technology limits

Different person-to-person relationship

Anonymity

Other?

Why Multiple Strategies?

Different access points

Different student needs

Capitalize on advisor strengths

Offset advisor weaknesses

Design a Delivery SystemConsider

Institutional typeStudent demographics and needsProbable resourcesProbable advisor skills

Design a delivery systemPrimary. What else? How?

How does your delivery system capitalize on strengths and offset weaknesses of the various delivery strategies?

Advising Program Resources:

Financial: there must be adequate funding to accomplish the mission & goals of the program

Facilities/Technology/Equipment: there must be adequate facilities, technology and equipment to support the mission and goals of the program

Campus & External Relations:

The academic advising program must establish, maintain and promote effective relations with relevant campus offices and external agencies

Effective academic advising cannot be done in isolation

Advising & Other Campus Services/Offices:

Fiscal AffairsInstitutional ResearchInformation TechnologyFirst Year Seminar/Transfer Student SeminarLearning CenterOffice of Multicultural Affairs

Advising & Other Campus Services/Offices (cont.):

AdmissionsFinancial AidOrientationRegistrarCounselingCareer Planning

Advising & Other Campus Services/Offices (cont.):

Services for students with disabilitiesResidence LifeIntercollegiate AthleticsLearning CommunitiesTesting CenterAcademic Departments

Integration of Services

The effective integration of academic advising with other support services requires a clear communication of who does what for which population and why.

Academic Advising is the only structured activity on the campus in which all students have the opportunity for on-going, one-to-one interaction with a concerned representative of the institution.

Academic advising is the hub of the wheel, with linkages to all other support services on campus.

Two Conclusions:

Understanding the college or university environment and its impact on students is essential for the effective advisor.

Successful advising programs can intentionally enhance a positive campus environment that will, in turn, impact student success.

Thank you!

Additional Questions???