ACADEMIC ADVISING IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL AGEDr. Lauren Lunk, West Georgia Technical CollegeLauren.lunk@westgatech.edu

OUR PROBLEM… 7 County Service area across west Georgia

5 full service Physical Campuses, 1 virtual campus, 3 sites (smaller physical locations)

More than 190 certificate, diploma, and degree programs

GEORGIA’S TECHNICAL COLLEGES AND THEIR SERVICE AREAS

WHAT DID WE DO?

Director of Academic Support

Customer Care and Advising Center

Coordinator

4 Full Time Advisors

3 30 hour Advisors

Student Support Coordinator

Created a new Department, restructured existing staff and hired new staff.

Created a “Brand” so that students and faculty/staff could easily identify our information.

ORIENTATION OF STUDENTS Currently use a online format including a “quiz” allowing us to gage how

well students are paying attention and allowing us to document their participation.

In process of creating a revised on campus option for students.

Pre-healthcare students also have videos made especially towards their program of study explaining our college processes.

Students taking online classes also receive a specialized orientation.

COMMUNICATION Kiosks available for Students

1-855-277-2384 centralized number

Advising@westgatech.edu

Updated web-site Walk-in hours Pictures of staff All contact information Important documents

THE ADVISING PROCESS FOR WGTC Work with our Admissions offices/Enrollment Centers to distribute “steps”

to our students.

Students are directed towards the orientation, then to the Advising Center. All new students (with the exception of Dual enrollment and Truck Driving) are

advised by the Advising Center.

Students may contact the Advising Center in multiple ways but great emphasis is placed on the student email account. Students who call, use the kiosk, or come in the center are advised and the

provided follow up documentation to their student email account.

KIOSKS, TONS OF EMAILS AND CALLS…HOW DO WE ACTUALLY DO IT?

THE ADVISING KIOSK One available at each of the 5 Main

campuses and 2 of the sites

Students pick up the phone and are connected to an advisor during open hours

Cameras allow the student to see the advisor and the advisor to see the student

Computers are available at the kiosks and advisors have the ability to see what the student sees or control the computer if needed.

PHONE CALLS Phone calls ring at the director’s, both coordinator’s, and all advisors’ desks

each time a student calls the line.

Staff answer the calls during non-walk in hours. During peak traffic times such as the first week of registration and automatic

messages directs the students to their email account. During peak traffic times, student workers may assist us in answer calls, taking

messages, and forwarding the information through our email system. Driving our traffic through the email system allows us to keep better track of

which students requested assistance first (especially when it comes to registration of highly desired courses).

MANAGING EMAIL OVER 5 CAMPUSES

CONNECTION WITH FACULTYAnnual Sequencing sheets for determining course order.

STAFF COMMUNICATION Semester - “Training Days”

Staff gather at one campus for intensive session of training, updating, and team building.

Weekly – Conference Call meeting Monday meetings to update and catch up on any urgent information and explain any recent issues,

changes, or questions

Daily – Hangout Our way of remaining in communication each day, and providing the staff a way to quickly find

answers to questions or let everyone know of changes, needs, etc.

Sporadic – Face Chat Use a computer based face chat feature allows us to see one another in groups of 2 or even the whole

staff.

TRACKING

LOGS Each staff member keeps a monthly log of all students they have assisted,

the method in which they met/spoke with the student and any notes of significance.

Banner – SPACMNTN, document any information that other advisors may need to be aware of if they meet or speak with the same student at a later date.

All data is compiled each month and year.   Phones Kiosks Walk-

Ins Appts Emails Customer Care Center New Issues Totals

TOTALS 141 16 171 2 440   801

MORE DATAExcerpt from our most recent report.Advising Center received and logged in 58 online New Student Orientations that were completed during the month.4 students reported to the Advising Center that they had viewed the Healthcare Videos. 6217 student contacts were made via Mass Emails in January regarding advisement and registration. The Advising Center posted 1 announcement on the College’s Twitter account aimed at New Students concerning the online New Student Orientation.

DATE ACTIVITY ADVISORSStudent Contact

2/3/2014 Online Faculty Meeting Deona Carter  

2/3/2014 Coweta Campus Meeting Kathy Johnson  

2/6/2014 VLC Supply Chain Meet and Greet Deona Carter 0

2/1/2014 SAP Review Committee Christy Moore 62/10/201

4 Bright Knight Session - Coweta Kathy Johnson 12/10/201

4 VLC Team Meeting Deona Carter  2/19/201

4 VLC Strategic Planning Mtg - Coweta Deona Carter  2/19/201

4 Red Cross Committee Meeting Penny Santelli  2/19/201

4 Grades First MeetingDiana Hair/Kim Crockett/Lauren

Lunk  2/24-2/27 Walk the Halls Campaign Coweta-Johnson 1242/24-2/27 Walk the Halls Campaign Murphy-Beck and Edmonds 3142/24-2/27 Walk the Halls Campaign Carroll-Moore 1332/24-2/27 Walk the Halls Campaign LaGrange-Lathrop and Crockett 892/24-2/27 Walk the Halls Campaign Virtual Learning – Carter 30

2/25/2014

Assisted with setting up Arts Reception-Douglas Greg Minter  

2/26/2014 Meeting with LS0090 Committee Lauren Lunk and Diana Hair  

2/26/2014

Assisted with Arts Reception-Douglas Greg Minter  

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