document resume ed 221 090 he 015 348 · margaret c. king. some theoreticaland practical...
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HE 015 348
Chando, Carl M Ed..
Impact: Advising Makes the Difference. Proceedings ofthe National Conference bn Academic Advising (2nd,Memphis, Tennessee, October 8-11, 1978).National Academic Advising Association, Pomona, NJ.eOct 7893p.National Academic Advising Association, StocktonState College, Pomona, NJ 08240.
EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available fromi EDRS.DESCRIPTORS *Academic Advising; Adult.Studentw; *Career Planning;
College Freshmen; *College Students; ComputerOriented Programs; *Faculty Advisers; HigherEducation; Innovation; Liberal Arts; Majors(Students); Peer Counseling; Professional Education;School Orientation; Small Colleges; State,Universities; *Student Adjustment; *Studen'tDevelopment
IDENTIFIERS Diversity (Student)
'
ABSTRACTSummaries of papers from the 1978 Natio al Conference
on AcademiC Advising are presented. Among the 58 paper are'thefollowing: "Faculty AdVising as Faculty Development" (Howard Kramer);"Student Self-Assessment Systems and Academic Advisine (John H.Clarke, Christopher Robles, Joanne Yphantis); "Development and,Utilization of a Peer Advising System" (Sara Looney, David L.Anderson, Paul D. Andrews); "A Centralized Academic Advising DeliverySystem for Small Private Liberal Arts Colleges" (Mithael C. Keller,Karen Stefanick, John Teusink); "Integratinsfthe Academic and-CareerAdvising Process for Exploratory College Students" (Virginia Gordon,Joe Weaver); "A Diverse Approach in Advising for a Diverse StudentPopulation" (Anne M. Rice); "NeW Student Origntation and AdVising"(john H. Borgard, Nancy Millner, Stephen Lenton); "Basic Types ofAcademic Advisement" (E. Bruce Potter, Donee L. Shane); "CareerPlanning and Decision Making" (Virginia Gordon, Walter W. Adams, John .
Argeropoulos); "Cognitive Learning Styles:,An Innovative Approach toAcademic Advisement" (Herbert Zagarow, Art Lundahl, Clyde Stearns);"Strategies for Developing Academic Advisor Training Programs" (JuneP. Blatt); "Pre 6 Post Registration Advisement: A Shared-Responsibility" (Joseph Zielinski, Elizabeth Henry); "Small tollegeAdvisement: Campui-lfide without a-Center" (Clifford B. Garrison,Harry M. Langley, Ronald L. Keller); "Fear of Failure/Success inCollege" (Mary Tate, Judith Atlee); "Integrating.Basic SkillsEducation and Freshman'Advising" (William T. Daly, Thomas Grites);"Contracting for Advising Services" (Robert E. Gardner);'"TwêntyTears of Testing;' Counseling and Advising at Penn State" (JamesKelly, H. W. Wall, Eric White, Linda Higginson,' Edward Danis); and"Student Evidluation o Academic Advisors (James T. Caldwell,.DanWesley). (SW)
111
PROCEEDINGS\-
SECOND NATIONALCONFERENCE -ON
MIC ADVISING
5.
"IMPACT:ADVISING MAKESTHE DIFFERENCE"
October 8-11, 1978.Holiday Inn RiverrniantMernphis,Tennessee
Edited byCarl M. ChandoSponiored byMemphis State Unfrersity
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION
EDUCA/oNAL RESOURCES INFORMATION,CENTER (ERIC)
.1 This document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it.
11 Minor changes have been made to improvereproduction quality.
Points of view or opinionsstatedin this docu-ment do not necessarily represent official NIEposition or policy.
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL IN MIOROFICHE ONLYHAS BEEN GRANTED BY
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
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FOREWORD ,
OJ
This publication contains the summaries of the Second Nationalci>
Conference on Academic Aavising held in.Memphis, Tennessee, on October
.8 - 11; 1978:P
Mudh has happened since the historical first ..conference.held
in Vermont in 1977. In.less than Mb years, we have e tabi.ished strong. -
-committees, developed rlaws, ana incorporated: Oui n me is the
-NaCionai Academic Advising Association (VCADA) and chapter pember-
ships are rapidly arriving. ylnal plans have been made for the Third4
National Conference On ACademic Advising. NACADA will mea ip October '
In °Mahar Nebraska. .ar ) ,..
Most of the summaries included were prepared by presenttrs atr
the Memphis conference. It is again our hope that this document wikl
be a comprehepsive resource for conference participants Is well as for
those wbo could not-attend last year. Aufhors may be confacted
directly for additional information.
lOarl Chando was directly responsible fpr,this puhiication. Re
spent hours editing and compiling these conference'proceedings, 'We
are indebted for his compflation of this important dtcument.
Frank M. Dyer, Jr.Conference Coordinator, Second
National Conference on AcademicAdvising and
Treasuter, Steering Committee,NACADA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FACULTY ADVISING AS FACULTY DEVELOPMENTDr. Howard Kramer
Page
STUDENT SELF-ASSESSMENT.SYSTEMS AND ACADEMIC ADVISINGA 2
John H. Clarke, Christopher Robles, Joaisne Yphantis
DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIiATION'OF A PEER ADVISING,SYSTEMDr. Sara Looneor, David Andersbn, Paul D. Andrews
*INTEGRATING THE ACADEMIC AND CAREER ADVISING PROCESS FOR EXPLORATORYCOLLEGE STUDENTS
6Dr. Virginia Gordon, Dr°. Joe Weaver
-A CENTRALIZED ACADEMIC ADVISING DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR SMALL PRIVATELIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES .
7Mictael iaren Stefanick, Mr. John Teusink
*A DIVERSE APPROACH Di" ADVISING FOR /011VERSE STUDENT POPULATION 9Anne M. Rice
NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION ANTADVISING9
Dr. John,H. Borgard, Ms. NancY Millner, Dr. Stephen Lenton.
.*COMPUTERIZED ADVISING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR'AN INSTITUTION AND ITS STUDENTS 11John E. Farmer, Jerry W. Falls, Terry R. Wood
*BASIC TYPES OF ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT12
E. Bruce Potter, Donee L; Shane
*CAgEER PLANNING AND DECISION MAKINGDr. Virginia Gordon, Walter W. Adams, John Argeropoulos
*COGNITIVE LEARNING STYLES: AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO ACADEMICADV/SEMENT
Dr. Herbert Zagarow, Art Lundahl, Clyde Stearns
2 .
'STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING ACADEMIC ADVISOR TRAINING PROGRAMSJune P. Blatt
PRE & POST REGISTRATION ADVISEMENT: A SHARED. RtSPON§IBILITYJoseph Zfelinski, Mrs. Elizabeth Henry
*SMALL'COLLEGE ADVISEMENT': 'CAMPUS-WIDE WITHOUT A CENTERDr. Clifford B. Garrison, Dr. Harry M.:Langley, Ronald L. Keller
*FEAR OF FAILURE/SUCCESS IN COLLEGE .ns.Maiy Tate, Judith Atlee.
INTEGRATING BASIC SKILLS EDUCATION AND FRESHMAN ADVISINGWilliam T. Daly, Dr Thomas Grites
CONTRACTING FOR ADVISING SERVICES.Dr. Robert E. Gdtdner
*THE WESTERN ROUND UP: AN EXAMPLE OF AN INTEGRATED AP.PROACH TOADVISEMENT, COUNSELING'AND PLACEMENT
Susie Ray, Diane Wood
THE BASIC ADVISING PROGRAM:' AN APPROACH TO, FRESHMAN ADVISINGRESIDENTIAL LIBERAL ART4COLLEGE
Dr. Richard Eppinga
THE 707. SOLUTION: THE ADVISOR'S PRESCRIPTION FOR THE 80'sDr. Jane N. Lippmahn
4 APVISING AND COUNSELING THE PRE-PROFESSIONAL STUDENTDr.\Jeahne Lagowski,'Neal A. HarOtan, Jeanne Bunch
s
IN THE,s
' 5
14
15
17
19
20
23
24
27
29
'Page
STUDENT EVAUATION QF ACADEMIC ADVISORS 33Dr. James T. Ca welll Dr. Dan Wesley
,
INTEGRATING ACADE C COUNSELING INTO THE CENXER EOR STUDENT' DEVELOPMENT
Cindy Aldup, Fran Hurley, Ella, Faulkner, Dennis Heitzmann,Tom Osborne
35
UTILIZING PART TIME PARAPROFgSSIONALS AStACADEMIC ADVISORS: A MODEL 37Margaret C. King
SOME THEORETICALAND PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS .FOR ADVISING ADULT STUDENTS 39Mary P. Delaney c
MEASURING AND IMPROVING'ADVISOR EFFECTIVENESS: A RESEARCH REPORTDr. Stepoen C. Brock, Dr. Howard Kramer, Dr. Robert Gardner.
*A MODEL FOR ADVISEMENT INTEGRATING THE USE OF FULL-TIME PROFESSIONALADVISORS AD FACULyY
Katherine Kuhala
40
42
FACULTY MEMBERS AND ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT: A'SOCRATIC PROPOSAL 43Neil J. George, Michael J. Salevouris
*ADVISING CAN REPUCE ATTRITION: A COMPREHENSIVE CONTINUINGORIENTATION PROGRAM ;45
Kay Schotzinger, Dr. Alvin L. Lutetkin, Ledhard I. Shible,Dr. Richard C. Rynearson
ADVISING THE UNDECLARED STUDENT: USING A MINI WORKSHOP DURINGFRESHMAN ORIENTATION 46
Thomas Corigliano, Dr. Paul E. Morocco
AN OFFICE OF ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT DESIGNED TO RAVE AN IMPACT BYREACHING OUT 4
Robert C. Lynch
TWENTY YEARS OF TESTING, COUNSELING AND ADVISING FRESHMAN AT PENN STATEJames Kelly, H. W. Wall, E. White, 4. Higginson, E. Danis _
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM PLANNING FOR ADULT STUDENTSMarilou D. Eldred, Catherie Marienau
DOWN THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD: MOVING TOWARD PROFESSIONALISM INACADEMIC ADVISING
Bonnie McClelland
48
49 .
51
*ACADEMIC ADVISING AND,CAREER PLANNING: A COOPERATIVE MODEL\ 55
Susie Ray, Raymond Ledford. .
.1 ...
PARAPROFESSIONALS IN ACADEkIC ADVISING THE WHYS, WHEREFORES, ANDWHATFORS 56
Qr. Wes Habley, B. J. Marymont '
- .
COMPUTER-ASSISTED ADVISEMENT! AN INNOVATIQU IN ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT .58' t
Erlend D. Peterson, R. Bruce Nielson, LiCrande Eliason.r
*A CENTRALIZED ADVISING MODEL FOR THE SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE 60Wi,lma Reuland /
.
ADVISING THE PREPROFESSIONAL STUDENT: WHAT IT TAKES' TO GET INTOMEDICAL SCHOOL 61.
Josephine A. Capuana, Sandra Burner
**ADVISING HONORS STUDENTSDr. Joseph R. Riley, Dr. Wallace Kay,.Dr. McDonald Williams,Mrs. Elizabeth Julich *
PREPARING AN ACADEMIC ADVISING HANDBOOK FOR A FACULTY BASED ADVISING . ,
SYSTEM i 63David W. King, 1:inli1P-Syrel1
e .
- 4
*A MODEL'PROGRAM FOR ADVISING THE UNDECLARED MAJOR 66Dr. Ray E Maerrow, Dr. Michael Vietti .
A
0
CONSULTANT'S CONORTIUMDr. Tom Gritei% Mr. David Crockett, Mr. Michael McCauley,
' -Dr. Joseph Metz, MS, Toni Trombley .
Page,
TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS AND ACADEMIC ADVISING ( 69Jim HendriCks, E. Michael Walsh
BRIDGING THE GAP FOR,TRANSFER STUDENTS.Henry D. Pope ,
*ONGOING.ORIENTATION TO A UNIVERSITY t'Tharres W. Codnetl, John Gardner
...STRUCTURING YOUR NATIONAL ORGANIFATIONMichael E. McCauley, Toni Trombley, Wennette Pegues, Frank Dyer,RiChar.d Eppinga
THESENERAL ADVISING CENTER: AN OPEN FORUM FOR DIRECTORS ANDCOORDINATORS a
Dr. Dennis Heitzmannn, Ms. Dorothy Dodson
*MATURE STUDENT ADVISING:. DECISION-MAK/NG FOR THE RETURNING ADULTSTUDENT - s
Louise W. Saunders
TRAIfflaNG FACULTY TO CONDUCT LIFE PLANNING WORKSHOPS FOR ADVISEES 79Joan North
*INNOVATIVE ADVISING: oNg UNIVERSITY'S STRUCTURE AND SERVICES . . 80Nadine Emerson, Mary Tate, Judith Atlee
:IVORY TOWER: A SIMULATION OF ACADEMIC PROCESSESSuzayine H. Summers
r
*ACADEMIC ADVISING ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET "Dr.,Machree Ward, Mrs. Bonnie Nigginson, Mks. Robert"Summers
*ON DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE DECENTRALIZED ADVISEMENT SYSTEM..E. Bruce Potth
*ORIENTING NEW STUDENTS TO FACULTY ADVISING 'SYSTEMSDr. Robert E. Gardner
ADVISING0THE LIBERAL ARTS §TUDENT--FROM OgIENTATION TO DECLARATION OFMAJOR
Dr. J. RichardtArndt, H. Rosaline Cowie
*INITIATING A CENTRALIZED ADVISING SYSTEMCaro', R. Patton
THE PEER ADVISING STRUCTURE: SOME ENCOUNTERS AND OtERVATIONSRtchard E. friedman, Student Participants
air
* Program summariesifor these sessions were not received. Abstract was taken from either theoriginal program proposal or summarized from a tape recording 4:)f the iession. For more informationregarding specific content of these sessions, contace program pres ters.
i v
"FACULTY ADVISING: A PART OF FACULTYDEVELOPMENT"Presenter: Dr. Howard C. Kramer, Director of
Research & Planning, Division qfCampus,Life, Cornell University
Advising by faculty may be characterized as-a process that provides benefits for, the insti-tution, _the student 'and the advisor. Advisordevelopment- may be a .significant part of afaculty development effort, and will become soif advising-is perceived by the in;titution asa significant activity and if faculty develop-ment is a need in the organization.
To organize and supervise advising ser-vices, I propose that one person, the coor-
. dinator or mane-ger of advising, be appointed.The coordinator is the advisor of advisors,helping them confront, understand and act onissues that will improve their advising ser-vice, yet serving as a model, an-assistant, aninterrogator, a confidante, to facilitate meeducational prodess of learhirl about self.Thus, the advising coordinator also is aslanager or coordinator of faculty development.
A Helping advisors become better 4dvisors is apQrt of a larger faculty development effort.
Why should we consider such a proposal?Why should advisiiig and development of tacultybl inRed? 4
-IT-Mecause improvement in one sphere offaculty competence may affect thequality of work in another sphere.
2. Because teaching_ and advising makedemands.-on the whole personality of theinstructor. For significant chadge tooccur, emotions and affections must beengaged as well as ideas and cogni-stions.
3. Because-change requires a challenge toa person's Aabit pattern, it must bestrong enough to stimulate new forms ofbehavior bdt not so strong as tooverwhelm the person.
4. Because advising is likely to, tA seen' by those in an institutionstudents,.administration Ad faculty--as anecessity coo be provided-2.thus effortsto prolade comprehensive ahd competentadvising assistance is a justifiedactivity and is sanctioned by institu-tional leiders.
5. BeCause, although important, advisingis not the major work responsibility of
' the faculty memberthus efforts todiscuss, change, improve or evaluate
- advising may be less threatening Chnsimilar efforts in areas of teaching,
, research or other forms of service..6. Because there .may be ,differences be-
tween a person's. espoused theory of'their behavior and .their actual beha-vior.A. That is,- people aren't aware *hat
what they. say they do, their per-ceptions of their behavior,- andtheir ,actual behavior are notalwalss the samee
B. Furthermore, pffrsons don't know whythey do what they do.
C. 'IT questioned, persons likely willuse prior assumptions about causesof their behavior rather thandirect introspection7 to explaintheir behavior.
1
o
,
D. It is difficult to follow (perform)your espoused, theory of behavior,(to do what you say you'd.like 'todo or are doing)..
E. For this reason, persons benefitfrom external assistance to Nelpreacil this goal.
7. Because, motivaticon to change is insuf-ficient. Evidence suggests thatvation :without assistance is lesslikely to result in significant changethan if,as.sistence is provided.
8. Because, although teaching and learhingare individual 'activities, they occurwithin a social context. In otherwords,- by working; with the advisingsystem, the coordinator may help'indi-viduals with change, and help withinstitutional change or ,changes in theenvironment%
9. Because of recent research On adultA
development. We should consider link-ing advising and development ,becauserecent research on adults have begun toAow that complex' and life-alteringgrowth is a natural occUrrence foradults. Adults. may provide sensitiveand helpful assistance to the develop-ment of adolescents in direct relationto the understanding they have of theirown, growth and development. Here
'aglin, the advising coordinatorattemlAs to assist persons, in thiscase advisors, learn and-cope with thedevelopments that arise in their ownlives.
How does one go about such a bask?. How canaavising serve such a purpose?
By ha-VE-TE someone who can deal dircLtly,personally and confidentially with the advisor. c
I propose that thtladvisor coordinator bethis person. Much oir what this person doesconcerns interaction with individual advisors.
The coordinator interacts with the advisorabout advisor perception or behavior in cate-gories described in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Coordinator Intervention Cycle
Motivation for Advising
Consequences ,Advisor Skillsof results Advisor and Abilities
- 1Z#I%-Advising AdvisorResults 77--- Behavior
A-
Some questions, illustrative of thisexchange between coordirator ahd advisor arefound in Figure 2.
. Figure 2
1. How is advising.
defined?2. What does advisor do? .
3. Why does advisor choose this action?4. What results are achieved?5. What, if anything, does the- advisor
desire to chimge?II6. Wha t. aSsistan6e does adviss-r require?
7. -What arj the consequences for theadvisor?' the advisee? the .doordinator?
Lir some wa , the advising manager is
involved i actittities of , specifying andcontract with the advisor. That is, theadvi g manager and the adviser 'review what
advisor has done, will do, ,,should do, to
achieve advisor objectives.According eo Jerry Gaff in "Toward Faculty
Renewal, 1975" faculty will change when:They have knowledge about alternativeways of behaving -
They have the belief that change isdesirable
C. They believe that they _can chdnge inthe desired ways
D. They receive morrt"threatening feedbackabout their-theliavior
E. They are praised, recognized andrewarded for effectiveness and improve-
--ment.program such as that described here pay
- 'be considered:1. When providing or improving advising is
seen as important2. When development of faculty as resour-,
QRS of the institution is perceived asa sound investment foi the future
3. When senior officials provide adequatefinancial support for such rograms
4. When senior officials are willing todeal with the effects of incr asedresentmene and resistance that uchprograms are likely to geneiate.
5 When pressures on the institution indi=cate that to not undertake such,effortsa to weaken or compromise the mis4onof the nstitution, and finally
*6. When linancial constraints indicatethat programs which serNie, two purppses.(A) improving advising, and "(B)improving or assisting faculty, are ofvalue to the ingtitution.
,REFERENCES
Gaff, Jerry G. Toward Faculty Renewal, SanFrancisco: Jcssey-Bass, 1975.
Kramert H. C., & Gardner, R. E. Advising byFaculty, Washington, D. C.: NEA-Publications, 1977,
Kranier, H. C. '& GaVner, R. E. Manaking:Faculty Advising, Unpublished Monograph,Ithaca, New York. Available from theauthors.
A.
B.
"STUDENT SiLF ASSESSMENT4SYSTEMS AND ACADEMICADVISING" 9'Presenters: Dr. John H. Clarke, Instructional
Devy.opment Center, University ofVermontToni B. Trombley, Director,
* Advising Referral Center,Uni,xtersity of Vermont-
Are matriculating college freshmen over-tested.? If we-bothered to search public schoolrecords, we would certainly discover animpressive.volume of statistics for our collegeFreshmen. Most come to us with PSAT and SATscores for ability and achievement. Many comewith ACT scores. Some appear with Merit Testresults. A close record review might revealIowa scores, WISC, Army Alpha apd even CPI orMMPI profiles. Is this testing enough? No.
The results of standardized tests may getstudents past the college admissions office,but ,they prove absolutely useless thereafter.Such scores may help predict a student's suc-cess in college, bdt fail entirely to help stu-dents achieve success. All students who entercollege, whatever their record of standardizedscores might show, need help in clarifyingtheir goals, identifying poteneial problems,selecing a fruitful path through college andevaluating progress toward goals. Studentsneed a testing system, integrated' with anadvising system, that herps .thep know them-selves and the college environment so that they
' can effectively direct their own growth.Conventional tests do not produce results
that help students solve their learningproblems. In the same way, studies of peoplecrushed by trains do not help passengersdiscover beneficial wayp to utilize thetransportation system.t A study of train wreckvictims might start with a count of the parts,analyze through regression volumes E ofdemographic statistics or perhags compare thedifferential effects of locomotive and caboose..."Such a study would miss the main 4uestion: Howcan potential train wreck, victims get on thetrain rather than under it?
How can college students improve theirexperience and avoid the pitfalls of life on acollege campus? Clearly, acftsing thelps answerthis question, but advisors need' tools in theicwork as much as instructors need teachingmaterials: We peed to- build tests that stu-dents can use to "take their own temperature,"working with an advisor who knows how to locatesolutions for any problems that might be iden-tified inA the results. As the following com-parison shows, self assessment testing mightbear little resemblance to conventionaltesting. -
Comparison of Standat:d.:and Self Assessment
Testing,
2
ConventionalPurpose:
' Selection ofStudents
Comparison of-Students
Prediction ofSuccess
Self Assessment
Underitanding of Selfin Cdllege Environ.--ment
Identification ofStrengths and Weak-nesses
Prevention ofProblems
Method:ProfesqionallyAdminfttered
Scores-comparedto statisticalnorm
Admissions
Results:Stratificationof Group
Self Administered'
Scores cbmparad to,personal criteria
Tool Advisini Tool
"Limits"ascribed toindividual
Descriptive"Determinist"emphasis
Motivatibp of' Individual
Cimits removed from
-DiAgnostic"Free choice"emphasis
We envision the development of vhome groWn"self assessment tests, built to connect a spe-cifically defined body of students who facespecifit acadetid problems with campus resour-ces specifically developed to 'help students
, with problems.Stapford Erickson, Directbr for'the Center
for Research on Learning and Teaching at theUniversity of Michigan, 1ikes4to point out thatthe factor's isolated 4by standardized measuresof ability make up ab:but 257. of-the predictionof achievemeut in c%llege. The retaining 757,tied up in the skin of each student, consists
wof skills and attitudes that present tests do_not measure. These are ,skikls and attitudesthat are sq,bject to influence through advising,and that might be revealed and understoodthrough a carefully designed set of self,assessment tests. 'The crucial 757. skills andattitudes -Nshould be regarded as the rightfulprovince of all ef4orts in education.
The University of Massachusetts in Boston ,
began in 1975 to build a self asgessment' testing program frqm aLL entering Freshman. On
a cbnventional moolel, a math diagnostic andwriting sample Were used im advising studentsin the selection of math, science and Englishcburses: Results from the Brown/Holtzman,Survey of Study H tiits' and Attitudes were aZedwith 'limited succ ss to guide students towardcounseling or intensive advising. Moie to the
...point, a "home grown" self assessment test of-study skilr's was produced to move studentstowards vbluntafy participation in 'remedialprograms.'
The ,home grown "Self Assessment -Survey"evolved froM the observation that many of theUniversity's non-traditional students couldnot:
A. Read: 1. quickly .
2. with high comprehension. 3. with interftetive 'skill
..B. Relate 4. facts to conceptsC. Write 5. clear English sentences ' '
b6. in $Onventional focus
.
Fcr aach opf.the six skill areas, a test sectionwas writt*4 and a program of 'tutorials orclasses wds designed: Students scored thetest o. rhemselves and, ip consultAtion with an .
advi:4Q.e, enrolled it't appropriAte remedial'.
services. More than 30% of twelve hundredenterie4 fresh,ien in the first year used theirresults to find the help they needed. However,tests of learning skills cannot identify all ofthe problem areas that may confront a collegefreshman.
If conventionar testing is of limited use-fulness, .to traditignal students, it is evenless useful to non-traditional scudents -people who gain admission to' college on thebasis of criteria other than high school testscores. These days, a college freshman is notnecessarily a young 1.8 year old, straight outof high school studerft. More and more fre-quently, non-traditional students are enteringthe University atter several years of otherexperience. Such students -need testing thathelps them recognize and compersate forproblems they May face. '
Non-traditional students, defined here asbeing 25 years of age or older, can generallybe seen as more work-experienced and sej.f-determined than students who enter college withtraditional preparation right out of highschool. 'However, non-traditional students areentering an unfamiliar environment. Therefore,they may lack confidence in academic skills andability .to ftieet the financial and emotionalcommitments.. Generally, the non-traditionalstudents are married, have children, live off-
,campus, have an inflexible work and studyschedule. They frequently lack knowledge of'how to make use of university resources. Beingminority students they often feel isolated fromthe rest of the student- body. A recent compre-hensive study by
cheUniversity of
Massachusetts at Amherst(1976) supports the,idea that these factofts differentiate, the non-traditional from the Xraditional student.Survival skills are paramount to success incollege, particularly for non-trditional stu-dents. They find themselves in an environment'designed with youriger people in mind. Althoughvtirious university departments could be sen-sitive'to their needs, the students rarely evenapproach them with questions. Isolated fromeach other, they are unaware of the power theyCould carry as a group. Non-traditional stu-dents need to be assertive. 'They muscNcom-municate needs and demands to the University SOthat it wilt become more responsive. Selfassessment testing would enable such studentsto recognize their needs and communicate themclearly to college officials.
Even more, than with traditional udents,advisors of non-traditional students nfst heli;them find . ways to bridge the chasm betweentheir off-campus and on-campus life. The basicskill rieeied for survival is an ahility to ver-balize strengths, limitations, and ambiguitiesin the academic, fi6ancial, social and psycho-logical areas. c.Academic Advisors can helpthese students assess their ability to- dealwith the campus environment. A ,self-assessmentsurvey such as that introduced earlier providesone way in which advisors can aid their stu-dentS. ,A sslf assessment survey is important.because its: implicit glessage to the student is:"given an opportunity, 1 believe that you hatethe resources to fre able, to identify potentialprobleT areas yourself. With this knowledge,you will be able to communicate your neOds, and ,
seek wolutions," .The _role of the advisorfiecomes. one of supiSort and guidance, in theself-assessment process.
3 I a
Once the student has identified areas ofconcern, the advisor can help him or her decideon a plan of action to find the help he or sheneeds in each.of the problem areas. Divtdingthe concerns into realms of influence remindsthe udent and advisor that none of the prob-lems identified can be totally isolated fromone another. The following diagram shows theprobable realms or% influence on the students'experience.
-
EducationalBackgrouhd
BalancingCompeting tommunication. SocialPriorities Skills Skills
Copingmith
'Bureaucracy
Self assessment instruments are needed fqreach- of these areas--and foi all areas com-bined. An idointified aademic remedial need,such as a ath dViciency, can best beunderstood in the 'Setext of the total perSon.For example, to increaNT prof.iciency in math,the student must be al,,are of-competing prior,i-ties (work commitments); educational backgrgund(length of time since he or she has worked withfigures), and so on. Ine information gainedfrom a look at all influences on, the students'experience can aid them making betterchoices and decisions.
Although the experiences that separate the.trad-itional from the non-traditional studentshodld be regarded as valuabLe;, "adjustment tothe University setting is bpund to present somedifficulties. Difficulties ehat exist shouldbe quickly identified. A comprehenL.Je selfassessment survey taking int,o consideration allrealms of influence on Ute'student, can be a
tool to aid in that identification. Collegeadvisors themselves should begin building briefself assessment instruments that give.studentsa comprehensive view' of 4hemselves in thelearning situation. Students armed withknowledge of 'their strengths 4nd weaknesseswill exert greater control over their own edu-cation and improve their- own collegeexperience.
if 4
'"DV/ELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION OF A PEER ADVISINGSYSTEM'Presenters: David L. Anderson, Di/rector, Career
DevelopmentPaul Andrews, CuunselorSara Looney, Director of AcademicAd/fsing 0
ct)elv University at Fredonia, New
BACKGROUND
In the Fall of 1974, a cumittee was formedto review the quality of academic advising atthe State University College at Fredonia. Itwas generally felt that the existing advisingsystem was inadequate. The committee suggestedthat while the problem was obviously multidi-mensional, advising might be improved throughvarying the-delivery system. A survey of stu7dents indicated that 74% of those respondingwould use peer advisors if they were available..Based on this information, a pilot program forpeer advisors was established. During theSpring of 1975 a snip-committee consisting ofacademic and student affairs staff membersoutlined a training program and submitted a
proposal to the caiiipus academic affairs commit-tee for a credit bearing training and practicumcourse. The first tAtning class was selectedand training began in , they Fall of 1975. Whatfollows is an outline of the program as it pre-sehtly exists.
SELECTION OF PEER ADVISOR
Applicants for the program must have at
least a 2.2 grade point average, submit a
completed written application form with threereference letters, and complete a series ofinterviews. The application form asks the can-didate to assess his/her potential as a,PeerAdvisor and to indicate competencies he/she mayhave to develop. Reference persons aredirected to prepare a sLatement of thr'candidate's judgement, reli4ility, ability to
nelate to others, knowledge of the campus, andrelated factors. When application materivalsare received, each candidate has an individUalinterview with a.Program Coordinator and .twogroup interviews with trained Peer Advisors whoconstitute the Selection Committee. Candidatesare evaluated.. on their ability to relate to
others, interest in helping others, openness tosuggestions, problem solving- ability, asser-tiveness, familiarity with the campus, andthoughtfulness in planning their own academicprogram. All intervie,wetos complete a standardinterview evaluation form at the-conclusion ofeach interview. The *election Committee meetswith two of the Program .Coordinators to deter-mine which candidates will be invited to par-ticipate in training.
V TRAIN{NG
Peer Advisors .receive, training in .two
distinct types of sessions: the initialtraining, three day-long sessions, held in* thebeginning of the school year; and the monthlyworkshops and small group meetings, heldthroughout the year, which serve as bothtrainirrg and supervision for the Peen Advisors.
,
/Topics covered in the injt4al training
sessions dnclude communications/ skills, valuesclarification,. career. decisipn-making skills,and academic. advising vringlples. The PeerAdvisingiHandbqok, academi ' policies, programsand procedures, registr 7ion, and financialaids are reviewed. Oth campus referrals andresources are also discussed. Important goalsof these early sessions are to 'develop self-understanding (and recognition of its impor-tance to any counselor/advisor relationship)and to instill a feeling of group cohesivenes's. /
'The focus of communications skills training'is on .basid helping and listening behaviors.Extensive role playiag is used, wieh somesessionallpein g. video-taped and critiqued by theentire group of trainees. There are two termsassignments: an audio-tape of a mock advisingsession, with a critique written by theinterviewer/ trainee; and a written case studyof a student with an advising problem.
The second type of training session,monthly workshops and small group meetings,serve both as further ihstruction for traineesand Peer Advisors and as on-going supervisionfor all the members of the group. The monthlyworkshops are meetings of the total group andusually consist of further presentations byacademic and administrative personnel, and someshort communications skills or values clarifi-cation exercises. Small group supeiVisionsessions meet monthly,to 'provide a forum forPeer Advisors to ask questions, solve problems,and generate ideas.
Peer Advisors are currently utilized by the'following offices:
Office of Academic AdvisingOffice of Admission'sOffice of Student Affai,rsHousing OfficeCareer Development OfficerCounseling Center
1
46 PEER ADVISING HANDBOOK
- Table of Contents
I. INTRODUCTION
II. ADVISEMENTFaculty AdvLs,)rsPeer AdvisorsStudent Affairs
III. ACADEMIC paLicIEsS.tudene iassificationCourse Lo dAcademic StandardsSyllabi'Class AttendanceHoly DaysClass RostergDeclarhtion of MajorDecharation of Dual MajorChange of MajorCourse-GradesLeove.of Absence Policy andCont'inuing Enrollment
Withdrawal and Hclorable DismissalProbation and Reqdired WithdrawalDean's List
5
Graduation.with Honors,Policy on -Final Examipations-Time-Shortened Degree. ProgramVisiting Student ProgramCredit'by ExaminationCollege-Level ExPmination-ProgramEmpire State Coll'ege
4
IV. GENERAL COLLEGE PROGRA/t
V. MAJOR PROGRAMS .
VI. MINOR PROGRAMS
VII. ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE WSFER
VI1I. LISTING OF pEER ADVISORSLISTING OF PEER ADVTSING CONTACT PERSONS
IX. TRAINING MATERIALS
EXCERPT FROVRAINING MATERIALS
DIFFEKENT KINDS OF'Hi:LPING
Some Important Differences in Terms:
COUNALING - a way of helping people bydiscussing their concerns;counseling usually involvesless advice-giving and lessexplanation of facts andvquirements thar might.occur in advisingb..if the'concerns being diScussedare primarily ir sing).earea, counseling may bedescribed as 'career" coun-
% seling, marital counseling,personS1 counseling, etc.
."ISING - refers to specific academicmatEers as course selec-tion, programm.ing, .droppin,andadding courses, select-trig : and chanping ma)ors,and advice randu'red to stu-dents concerning academicprograms and careers
CAREER ADVISING - is used to-describe thatform of academic advisingthat helPs students to,
translate career choicesinto educational goals .andprograms and to relate eta-demic cur..icula to careeropportunities
CAREER. COUNSELING - refers to *the psychologicaf,yrocedures used in helpinga .student, With- self-evaluation and recogaitionof capabilities, interests,needs, and limitations
CAREER PLANNING - the process of relating theoutcomes of . cart. coun:seling t infdsrmati-.currently .available aboutthe world of-work
ACADEMIC
ACADE1C ADVISINO AT SlefREDONIA.
ADVISINGUNDECLARED STUDENTS
1RESIDENCE MELSTUDENTS (400)
PEER
RESIDENCE HALLDIRECTORS (8)
VOCE PRESIDENTACADEMIC AFFAIRS
VICE PRESIDENT-STUDENT AFFAIRS
COORDINATION OF PEER ADVISING 0
10-[VICE PREEICIENTSTUDENT AFFAIRS
DIRECTOR -COUNSEUNG CTR
[Ticc.tii3w1 DIRECTOR -CAREER Ceti
I
IPA STEERING COMM I
ktPEER ACNISORS
VICE PRESIDENTACADEMC AFFAIRS
frDIRECTOR -
ACADEMIC ADVISING
"INTEGRATING THE ACADEMIC AND CAREER ADVISINGPROCESS POR EXPLORATORY COLLEGE STUDENTS"Presenters;, Dr. Virginia Gordon,. Coordinator of
Academic Advisement, Ohio StateUniversityDr. Joe Weaver, University College,Ohio State University
Educationally and vocationally uncommittedcollege students present a challenge to anyacademic adviser and career counselor. Ourresearch has shown .that the undecided student-
:- who enters The Ohio State University represents.
many levels of undedidedness about both/an aca-demic major and occupational choice. A multi-'modal approach is required to meet the diverseneeds of" this particular, college population.
4 Our program is comprehensive in that itincludes:
1. 1,Individual and group academic advise-, meat lased on a deVelopmental approach.2. An individual' and group approach to
helping students in academic diffi-culty.
3. dk required one-credit hour'University'orientation course which is intended tohelp entering dtudents adjust to theUniversity; also inóluded is a careerplanning module which providns studentswith an- overview of 'their edncatipnaloptiOns anct the opportunity to assesstheir own capabilities.
.4. eA special orientation _pcatse for, degree-oriented older iadults wt-to gre
enterrng the University as freshmen.5. An- extensive information network among
University resources including faculty,college counselors, placement director*and student services.
6. A community-based career ' informationservice composed of N)C1 Worlters in,caieer fields, of interest ta college
--students.7. An extensilie aavier training and in-.
service program%,
c,Undergirding-these program approachesis a
c, 6nceptual .framework.based pn adult develop-ment, student development, career developmentand career ddecision eheories. J Academic advis-
are trained to recogni'ze. the individualstt nt's place in, the cognitive developmentscheme. The advising process is structuredaround stirdant's ability to comprehend certainlevels 'of inforhation,".their level of decided-ness and their' place in the -decision-makingprocess.
. Advisers are also trained- -,in career devel-opment concepts and career AdAsing approaches.They ,teach the career planning module in' theUniversity oriqt'ation course -in which unde-cided Students are,.given the opportunity toexplore both'acadbmic and career information aswell as their Own ititerests, abilities andvalues. Academic planning and scheduling isbuilt into .the career planning module. Stu-dents are helped to upderstand the relation-shim between educational and,career decisions.
Since the number of oldero adults isincreasing and since thEir needs are differentfe6m the traditionally-aged students, a specialorientation ttcourse to the University is pro-vided. The course includes 'such topics as timemanagement, study' skills, stress, educationaland career planning and an introduction to
University resources .such as special mathcourses for adults, assertiveness and test-anxiety WorkshoOkf
An advisine'program is dnly as effective asits information base. We wicll describe a modelfor obtaining academic information and main-taining its accuracy through an organizedsystem. Since students need realistic infor-'mation about careers from the working world, wewill 4ascribe the inception and operation of anongortfig "people-bank" composed df volunteers inmost of the fieldst in which Students 'areinterested.in exploring.
Finally we will describe a very con-.
centrated academic adviser .training program"designed 'to "instruct personnel in the 'contentand process of academic and career advising.A variety of 'training methods are usedincluding gimulation, role-playing, videotaping; small group discussion, field trips,and individually-learned modules.
Our program in its Present form has been inexistence foi five years. During that time wehave developed a sophisticated and comprehen-sive system for advising the undecided. Mostaspects' df.our program are possible to repli-eate.in any'educational setting.
"A CENTRALIZED PADEMIC ADVISING DELIVERYSYSTEM FOR SMALCLtBERAL ARTS COLLEGES"Presenters: Michael C. Keller, Director of '
Academic Advising, Counseling andOrientationKaren J. Stefanick, AssistantDirecCor of Academic AdvisingJohn Teusink, Associate Professor,BiologyAquinas College, Gr.and Rapids, MI
Although many large state colleges and uni-versities have adopted centralized academicadvi.sirig delivery system, there have been fewmodels designed specifically for the smallliberal arts cullege with limited resources andpersonnel. Vie purpose of this paper is tohighlight one such model and to,demonsffate howAquinas Col./lege has been able to integrate anumber of academic and student support ser-vices, provide a testing/appraisal dimension, aremedial/developmental dimension, and a career-related dimension to the advising/registrationprocess.
This integration was achieved through thereorganization of student and academic supportservics into an administrative unit called theDivision for Student Development. The choiceof name was hot arrived at by chance: the pur,pose of the reorganization was to place anemphasis on development. This emphasis islogical not only in that the various advising,counseling, and programming functions performedare directed toward the intellectual., social,emotional and physical growth of students, but -
also because the thrust of the reorganizationwas directed at developing a larger, stronger,more stable enr011ment and retention rate forthe college. As presently designed, theDivision for Student Developmgnt ,includes thefollowing units: Recruiting and admissions,financial aid, academic advising, counselingand orientation, career development, studentlife and activities and athletics.
Parallel- with this reorganization thereoccurred a reorganization of advising serviceswhich resulted in a centralized academicadvising delivery system. The advantages are:
-Centrally located AcademicAdvising Center
-Corps of Trained academic advisors-Availabili-y of Academic Advising
Center services- Continuity of contact- Personalization-General rather than departmental
interest-Advisor as interpretor of require-
ments- Accuracy of information-Ease of administration
In addition to these advantages, the central-ized advising system as presently designedcontains the following elements:
- A testing/appraisal 4mension-Registration for classes based on
a wide range of objective datarather than on mostly studentreportedointerests or advisor'ssubjective feel
-A remedial/developmental dimensionto advising/regiAration
-Incorporation of a career-orientedaspeAt to advising/registration
-hn expanded orientation dimension
-Some degree of delegation andsignificantly better controlover the quaLity of advising
As a result, academic advising has becomemore centralized. At this time, I would tIketo discusp eacb of these components in moredetail.
CORPS OF FACULTY ADVISORS
All advisors are hand picked by theDirector of Academic Advising and the AcademicVice-President. Realizing that advisingremains second in importance _only to qualityLeaching, only highly motivated and ' enthu-siastic individuals ere recruited to serve as ,advisors. All advisors participate, in iatraining seesion which stresges the reia-tibnship of career preparation and the liberalarts, institutional policy, curriculum require-ments and alternatives. - Ali advisors par-ticipate in a summer advising/orientation/registration program and work from 4-6 /hoursper week in the Academic Advising Center duringthe aca,demic year. In addition to a modest sumuf money ($400.00) for their services, advisingis vieweV as their total institutional commit-ment in on-teaching areas.
TESTING/APPRAISAL DIMENSION
.-.,_ The basis of the, testing/appraisal dimen-' siOn., is the McGraw-Hill Basic Skills System, a
proggici designed to indicate a student'sstre4the and weaknesses in the skills essen-tial to academic success - reading, spelling,vocabulary, and study skills. The system ha§ 3components - diagnosis, prescription, and rele-vanC instructional materials to devel9p basicskills.
OBJftTIVE DATA BASE FOR,REGISTRATION
Registration for classes is. based onresults from placement tests, the high schoolacademtc record, ACT/SAT scores, and a FreshmanE4ectations Survey..
REMEDIAL/DEVELOPMENTAL DIMENSION i
Based on the results of the McGraw-HillBasic Skills System, students are directed touse appropriate instructional materials,college developmental resources and academiccourses. In addition, there is a peer tutoringservice free to all students.
CAREER-ORIENTED ASPECT
staff, health center personnel and the learningresource center staff.
To implement these components, the AcademicAdvising Center schedules a series of two-dayon-campus summer advising, orientation andregiitration programs. All new students areexpectd to attend' One of these two day ses-sions/ during- Wfilch time the aptitUde, voca-tiona& and' developmental tests .are adminis-tere , academic orientation activities occur,and social events are scheduled to encouragetFé development of new acquaintances.
Class registration occurs in the afternoon/ of the second day and is conducted by the corps
of faculty advisor,s who have been specificallytrained to do career-related academic advising.
It is during the summer sessions that muchof the information is gathered which will beused in. the advising process on an on-goingbasis. As part of Che summer program, a stu-dent developmental profile is assembled foreach student which includes the results of theMcGraw-Hill tests, the Freshman Expectations .
Survey, the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory,the Inventory of Academic and Career Interests,the ACT Profile, grade reports, and pertinentinformation from other college sources.
The following chart shows how all of theelements discussed above are developed into asequential, comprehensive and developmentaladvising'system.
To assist students 'with, career counseling,an Inventory of Academic and Career InterestsLs administered,to all new 'studen4k. In addi-tion, the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventoryand the ACT Profile Report are uped. Anotherresource which is used to relate career with.4cademic course work is a monthly career%ewsletter called Jobservations.
EXPANDED ORIENTATION DIMENSION
During the advising/registration period,stucents attend interest sessions with theprog-am directors in financial aid, studenttutcring, ind career development as well as_theminority student counselor, residence life
8
ENTERING NrW STUDENTS I
CORE OFACADEMIC ADVISORS
2 DAY TESTING ®ISTRATION SESSION
1
SfUDENT-- DEVELOPMENTAL
PROFILE
EVALUATION &GRADUATION AUDIT
L GRADUATION ]
The centralized academict advising ,system
discussed here reflects the genuine 'interest'which Aquinas College fosters for the personal,academic and career development needs of itsstudents and demonstrates how one small liberalarts college can contribute to that growth pro- .
cess enabling students to, integrate knowledgealabil themselves, their educational experienceand career information.
"A DIVERSE APPROACH IN ADVISING FOR'A DIVERSESTUDENT POPULATION"Presenter: Anne M. Rice, Assistant Dean for
Academic Advising, Mercy College,New York
In this presentation I-would like to sharewith my colleagues from similar institutionsthe practical experience we have had over theyears in attempting to design an advisingprogram that meets the needs of a diverse stu-dent body scattered over sev.eral campuses.
As a private, independent college with avery tight budget, we have to work with minimalresources and yet have still made a committmentto offer adequace academic adviseMent and otherrelated services to our students. We operateon the assumption thatz-tfiese serviced do make adifference in the life of the student and thatthere is a correlation between student reten-tion and offering the right package of suppor-tive services.
Our program of advisement has literallyevolved as the student body increased in a tenyear period from 675 to about 7,000 students,from an all female student body to a co-educational institution with a population oftremendous diversity in age, sex, educationalbackground and preparation. ,We have alsoevolved from a program -designed basically forthe full time day stUdent to one servingvarious sectors of the adult community as welland offered in several different geographicallocations with multiple approaches to timeschedu4ng.
Thi's growth..has necessitated change in ourapproach to servicing the needs of the students.I would like to discuss our current program atthe conference, indicating the strengths andweakness of our approach and the lessonslearned in its evolvement. I would like toinclude in the presentation such topics as:our use of peer counselors, the faculty role inadvisement, the Aide of the Learning Center,problems in serving multiple locations, specificservices for adult students, foreign students,transfer students, Honor students, etc.
The format of the program woillabe a pre-sentation '.by a panel including myself asDirector ,,of the Program, an AdministrativeAssistant from one of our off campus sites andtwo adultP'students. I am anxious to includestudents because I believe my perception anddescription of the program should be realisti-cally combined with the students' perception ofthe program. To further elaborate on thestudents' responses to the program of advising,I wish to share with the audience the resultsof a survey, administered to our May 1978 gra-duates and ,afso to present a short slide-tapepresentation, profiling the views qf students,each of whom represents a different segment ofour current population.
For further informapion contact:Anne M. RiceAssistant Dean.for Academic AdvisingMercy CollegeDobbs Ferry, New York
"NEW STUDENT pRIENTATION AND ADVISING"Presenters: Mrs. Nancy Milner, Coordinator of
Orientation ProgramsDr. John H. Borgard, AssistantDean, School of Arts and SciencesVirgi9ia Commonwealth University
For a new freshman, transfei or olderreadmitted student, advising is only one partOf an interaction with a new kind of system--the system of regular class attendance, butalso having a great amount of freedom, learning -
to balance studies with outside employment,deciphering the registration procedure,,learning to deal with different kinds of per-sonalities in instructors, university person-nel, and other students, encountering differentvalue systems, etc. Viewed in this context, anew student orientation that visibly combinesthe efforts of the admissions staff, the stu-dent life office, the computer center, the'registrar, the academic offices, and a team ofspecially selected and trained students isimportant for the new student's understandingof the new system and his or her willingness.and ability to make use of components of it,such as advising, in the future.
ORIENTATION PROGRAMS IN GENERAL
Most , schools acrqss the nation arerecognizing the need for some type of orien-tation of new students and their parents.Because .of the different kinds of institutionsanestudent populations, these programs can anddo vary. Howevor, the most essential componentnecessary for ducoess is that the orientati4$4,programs meet the needs of the institutions fowhich they are designed and of the studentsthey serve.
Most orientation programs have similargoafs with the major goal to help students makea smooth, easy transition to college life'through the development of skills necessary tosurvive happily in a new atmosOhere. This isusually accomplished by introducing students toservices, facilities, people and academic and
9
advi&ing programs of the institutions. Othergoals which are becoming increasingly importantare development of good public relations forthe institutions, assistance in the retentionof students, and the personal development ofstudent.
Traditionally, fall orientation programsaround the country have been held the weekbefore classes started. In recend years therehas been a swing to summer programs--especiallyfor large institutions. Most summer programslast from-one to-four days.
ORIENTATION AT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
Virginia CommonWealth University's new stu-dent orientation for freshmen, transfer andreadmitted students has been going on in itspresent form for six years and may provide auseful example for planning orientationprograms. The orientation program was startedby presidential mandate, (very important), thatVCI begin a student's stay at the uNiversity ina calm one-to-one manner rather than immersing
him or her in the mass orientation that typi-cally takes place at the beginning of the fallsemester. The program draws 79 percent of theusual 2,500 new students entering 'the, univer-sity each fall. The freshman program istightly drAwm ihto a one and one .1-talf dayprogr"m 'that makes use of every ninute. Thesourzes tor a tull student life, imaginativefree time for getting to know other studentsand Richmond: and academic advising arid
registration for classes. When tile studentsleave the orientation program, their nextresponsibility is going to the. first day ofclasses or checking intp the dormitory justprior to the beginning of classes.. The trans-fez 'and readmitted program is one 'day inlength, covering the same eopics as above butin an abbreviated form and without parent par-ticipation.
After the program is completed, it isevaluated each year on the basis of a studentand.parent survey form, a narrative evaluativereport by the summer staff and a series ofmeetings with University personnel involvedwith the program.
Many summer orientation programs.are man-datory. The VCU program is highly encouragedbut not maryilltory. Promotion of t4 programbegins in early wintee when accepted studentsare notified of dates and general plans.Through the spring more information is sent to'the students and their high school counselors.In April, the summer -orientation schedulebooklet is mailed containing a return registra-tion card for the, program. Reminder cards aresent to students just prior to theOeginning ofthe prbgram in June.
-4.Ptudents are invited by school. Withinlarger schools of. the University, the schedulerequests that they come on specified daysaccording to social Isecyrity- number. Thisresults in an attendance of between 40 to 9.0
students per day over a nriod of 26 days inJune and July. There is an abbreviated fallorientation program, in the week prior ,toclasses for the remaining students. The onlycost to the summer orientation students is roomand board if the itudents stay in the dormitorywhile attending the program.
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITYSUMMER ORIENTATION SCHEDULE
.FRESHMEN & PARENTS
1st Day'
PARENTS:
9,30 a.m.-1100 a.m. Check-InW30 a.m. Campus Tour (optilonal)
1200, noon Generil Session1730p7.77- "Parental Information"
Session3!30 p.m Student Panel
5:00 p.m.-6,00 p.m. Social Hourtyeni.s2g, Free
STUDENTS:.
930 a.m.-1130 a.m. Check-In10.30 a.m. Academic Survival 4
Skills tlerptional) ORCampus Tour (optional)
12:00 noon General Session1:15 p.m. Placement Testing
Mathematics and English4115 p.m. Students' "Get
Acquainted" Session600 p.m. Dinner7:15 p.m. Evening Activity
with Student Staff
Znd DaY
8:30 a.m. Campus Tour (optional) 730 a.m. Foreign LanguagePlacement Test
10,15 a.m. Academic Information 9:00 a.m. AcademicSession , -Information Meeting -
12:00 noon Lunch 1015 a.m. Overview ofStddent Services andActivities
100 p.m. Parents' Waiting Room 12 06 noon LunchIT00 p.m. 'Advising and
-kegiltrdtlon
TRANSFERS & READMITS
7:30 a.m. '
8:00 a.m. - 8-30 a.nf.8:30 8.M. - 9:30 a.m.
9:45 a.m. - 1100 a.m.11:15.a.m. 12:36 p.m.
12:301:15 p.m.
Check-InCenral MeetingPlacement Testing
ORCampus TourAcademic InformationRefreshments and Overview If
Student Servides andActivities
LunchAdvising .5 Registration
SELECTION AND -TRAINING, OF STUDENT" LEADERS-
Almost all institutions utilize students inthe orientation process. There is good evi-dence that students communicate welt with other.students. Use of stugentl at orientation also...,allows for strident development on the part of 'the 'student leader and is less expensive. Mostinstitutions do however have a faculty memberor administrator .directing the orientationprogram and participating it.
The selection procedure at VCU bhins inMarch when the orientation positions are adver-tised. Students caniilete an application (whichincludes references) mn& take a test on theirknowledge of the university and its services,sit for a self-evaluated visual taping, andsubmit a transcript showing that they are ingood standing and are scheduled to return to.our institution in the following semester.After the initial screening of the oandidate's,the finalists are interviewed by a panel ofUniversity faculty and" administrators and mem-
/ bers of thetprevious orientation student staff. .The interview is designed to see how, the stu-dent can react in a pressure situation to .
dis.cover what knowledge they do or do not haveabout the University, and-,-to gather personalinformation about the applicant.
Two, weeks before the orientation programbegins, the student staff 'reports for training.Their training's- consists mairay of thefollowing4 -training.about technical -and-cleri---cal tasks they must perform, introduction toUniversity offices and services,' training Angroup dynamics and relate0, skills, and teatbuilding withtn the group itself.
With this training, the students. directlyqhandle" the campus tours, the studeRt panel forparents, placement testing, the student "GetAcquainted' session, the evening activity withstudents, and the overview of student servicesand activities. They also assist in the setupand general maintenance of many of the otherorientation activities.
10
1
PLACEMENT,TESTING, ACADEMIC ADVISING,AND REGISTRATION
0.
Placement tests in English and Mathematicsare administeied to 'all students. They irecomputer scored and results become availablethrough the Computer Center in a 3 or 4 hourturn around. These results are made availabletb thefaculty advisors for advising andtegistration. Foreign language placement isaccomplished through individual testing andpersonal discussions with foreign languagefaculty.
The assistant deans in each of:the scipools°administer the academic advising secti,on of theprogram and ibterface with the registrationportion. Faculty advlsors are selected in the
° spring and given traintng by the assistantdeans prior to the beginning of the summerorientation. ,The faculty advisors hare. paid$10.00.per hour for their work. Depending on
,the size of the freshman class in each school,the faculty members may work from 4 to 32 hoursduring the Summer.-
Advising takes place in one afternoon, witheach student given a one-half hourappointmentassigned 'in the morning. When the 'studentMales to the advisIng session in the afternoon,he will know exactly who are from the areas inwiiich the, students major. Undecided studentsare handled by specially selected faculty, advi-sors. In the half hour interview the student
0.0and the faculty member talk about the major,general requirements, plan ,a schedule ofclasses, and codplete the registration form.
The student moves to the registrar's areaswhere the course schedule is confirmed and thestudent's I.D. picture is 'taken. As each day'sregistration and advising goes on, theRegistrar tallys the course requests and updates'the course schedule book which each advi-sor uses when he or she talks with theregisters a student. If a cott'se closes as astudent is being advised, the advisor is ableon the spot to reschedule the student' intoanother section or course. The student
Nreceives a computer copy .of the schedule in'August.
IftERFACE WITH ADVISING DURING THEREGULAR SCHOOL YEAR
gince VCU uses all faculty to advise, thiskind of summer orientation effectively leadsinto continued advising by faculty members. Itprovides the studenta with an overview'of stu-dent services and introduction to ,the kinds.:ofadvising they will-receive as they progress atthe institUtion. As each inatitution design*its own summer orientation program, it should
t'do so with the institution's kinds of advisingprogram in mind.
"COMPUTERIZED ADVISING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR AN'INSTITUTION AND ITS STUDENTS"Presenters: John E. Farmer, Dean, Student
DevelopmentJerry W. Falls, Systems AnalystTerry R. Wood, Director, Placementand Follow-up .
Florlda Junior.College atJacksOnville
In response to increasing ehrollments,Florida, Junior College at JacksonVille tookadvantage of its computer to assst in theadvising and graduation etaluation of its stu-dents in the Associates iniArts degree programs.In 1971 a program was written to organize thestudent data files into a forth reflecting thefollowing nine catagorieil the general educa-tion requirements (1-5), electives, (6), non-acceptable ..courses for AA degree (7), GPA andhours earned (8), and graduation messages (9).
,Ey redesigning.the student's grade history(transcript) with this format, his graduationstatus can now be made known to him each term.The GSS is mailed to the student each term ofhis enrollment. This facilitates the student'sresponsibility in fulfilling his degree require-ments at FJC. In additiqn the institution.isable to ex'pand and redirect its personnel toassist the student personally. Advisingsessions have become more supportive and coun-seling oriented rathef -than consumed bycompleting forms and recalculating gra0uationstatus each term.-
Graduation evaluations have become moreaccurate and are completed Jnore quickly,resulting in the identificalion of students whomay be unaware Of their eligibility to graduate(up to 257. of those elloilble do not apply).
Management, tiMe,pd money have been saved.in records, follow up, and a ising programs.The institution and stud s nav e been moreaccurately informed, of the students' progresstoward achieving an AA degree at FJC.
The Associate in Science degree has nowbeen adapted -to.the GSS format, ,thus providingall degree seeking' studen,ts with their com-puterized graduation status each term. TheAssociate in Science GSS requires manua.1 inpatof a Ewo-year course plan (individually devel-.oped for each student) with a subsequent GSSgenerated each term reflecting progress towardprogram completion. The same basic .gra4pationVerifications are made.and appropriate messagesprinted where appropriate.
One of the most persistent problems facingthe community college-1s- that of high program---
.enrollments and low program completiops. ,AtFlofida Jdnior College at Jacksonville, the GSSprogramris helping to, provide the administrationwith the information required to begin to quam-tify and manage this problem.
At, first the GSS wad used primarily as an'advising tool; however, it now also providesthe administrationswith the iellowing types ofcurrent information: the number of Assos,iatein Arts students; a list of potential AA grad-uates, by program, based on positive grad-uation evaluations; accurate 'count of prograthenrollment in thg AS degree and identificationof AS studenss without planned programs.' Inaddition, the college can now identiAy AS .stu- 46dents who.were not enrolled during the previoustwo terms and failed to enroll for a third term.The computerized system will also provide theinformation for planning course offerings foreach program based on student's rate of program
completion, By having,rhese types of data; FJCcan morfi effectively provide potential grad-uates with both educational And job placementassistance. Management reports regardingproiram data are more accurate; thus, planningdecisions regarding curriculum and personnelrevisions can .he made more efficiently., TheCSS can not remove the weight of administrativedecisions, but t can provide the types ofipformation to make,aecisions more effectively:
Developing such a system 'Tor the institu-tion andits students required the commit,mentof the Data Center. Having a copputerized stu:Aentdata file installed provided a -foundationfor the development and programmibg of the GSS.The system was developed through the effortsand coordination of the following with the DataCenter; Record Office, Academics, StudentDevelopment and students. Satisfying the user(students apd 'staff members of the instiation)in terms of readability and aceuracy_becameprimary goals. In addition, building in.flexi--bility for updating newer and larger systems,curriculum changes and grgduation policyichangesbecame the real challenge. Currently a GStsoftware package is* being considered formarketing.
Seven years after its implémentation, theGSS has become a major. foundation for FJC com-munication with its students regarding grad=uation and advising. As a management tool, ithas provided an accurate infprmation base of987 and an acCountable tool for the institutionhnd its students. .
"BASIC TYPES OF ACADEMIC APVISgMENT"PresenterA: E: Bruce Potter. Associate Dean
Univeksity CollegeDpnea L. Shane, Director ofAdvisemept, College of Nursing,University of New Mexico
c
Four basic -types of acadethic advisementhave been differentiated. These types havedeveloped among the practices of the- ten
college*ievel advisement centers on the maincampus-of the University of New Mexico. Thepresentation will focus upon a comprehensivedi,scussion of these basic types. ,
The oral presentation will involve both,
.thearetical and practical perspectives, andwill be followed by a question and answer
/ perfod. This topic will have relevance formost adthinistrators, dkrectors, faculty membersand advisers.
Each, of the four advisement types will bedescribed, its ( function within the modelexplained, and, its implications. for such as
staffing, training, budget, and organizationalacctuntability will be discussed. The model i4given below. Particular stress will be placedupon the "explanatory" and "Analytic" typdas ofadvisement.
r 1
A MODEL: DISTINCTIVE TYPES'OF ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
*.
CLERICAL EXPLANATORY ANALYTIC
,..3
THERAPEUTIC
Content s
Navre
Focus_
Purpose
Perspective, '
Setting
Length
Adviser.Qualifications(educational)
Data
Presentation
Data
Informative?,.' ,
Atomistic
Public 4
2-10 min. .
High School
I I ,,
5.
Procedures,policies
Discussion
Institution
Clarification-
Atothistid
,Semi-private
*
5-30 mine
g'ome college
A.
Options,goals
Analysis
Student
Insight
Holistic
Private
20-60 min.
AB or BS
Values,coMmitments
Awareness,
Person. .
Self-acceptance
Introspective.
Private
Multiplesessions
.
"MAI4or hio0er
. 12
"CAREER PLANNI k DECISION-MARING"t AWPresenters: Dr. Virginia 'Gordon; CoordinAtor
of Academic Advisement,, Ohio StateUniversity .
'lialter W. Adams, Associate &rector,Appalachia Educational.LaboratoryJohn Argeropoulos, Diector ofAcademic Advisement, NorthernMichigan University
PROGRAM BASIS
The college course, Career lqanning andQecision-Making, has been under Research andDevelopment leor three years during which timeit has been. field tested at five institutionsand is, in the predissemination or publicationstage. An Instructor's Guide for helcourse iscurrently under development and will be testedduring the 1978-79 school .year. Research andDevelopment on the program has been -conductedunder funding from the National Institute ofEducation to meet a national educationalpriority.
The Career Planning and Decision-Makingcourse is composed of six instructional unitsbuilt around, major carter developmeht tasks:Tasks are defined in terms--61 an Erickson,Perry, and Tiedeman °model of ,human-cognitiveand career development. Each unit focuses uponthe progressive development .of competencythroughoue the course in terms of careercomprehension, career values, and" careeraction.
In Unit I, the student is helped toestablish the personal relevance-of career.Career exploration--learning about self, inrelatiqn to knowledge about work IA Unit II--centers on developing concepts and, a languagein which to identify values and describe whatis importane in culturally relevant terms.
Career Planning and decision-making areintroduced as a linear process (step 'b'y step)in Units III, /IV, and V--culminating\ inexperiencing 'a decision situation--involvingselecting a college major. Finally, in Unit VI,planning and detision-making is presented as acontinuous and ongoing process in which eachaspect (step) -functions concurrently. Thqobjective of the course -is to help studentsunderstand career in personally.and culturallyrelevant terms, and manage .their own career,development.
N
0
"COGNITIVE LEARNING STYIES:-*AN INNOVATIVE'APPROACH TO ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT"Presenters: Dr. Herbert W. Zagarow, Dean of
Students, Eastern Campus ,.
Art S. Lundahl, Counselor, SeldenCampus
04 Clyde E. Stearns, Counselor, Selden4Campus
a . .Suffolk.County Community College
4
The program dealt with the relativelyFecent emergence of the stay ,of cognitivelearning style. Cognitive style is defined asa mode of perteiving, , receiving, storing,remembering, thinking, and problem solving. Ltis the waY in which a person processes informa-tion, this process involves a number of proce-dures Which are,normally taken for granted but
, are stable and relatively endurkngt ,'Over the last ten yeari research in the
field has identified several different kinds oflearning, styles. This research Was evolvedmainly the need to look beyond .basicabiiffles and towards other, constructs ithTeffect and determine human performance. Theprogram gave an overview of, several of hesestyles and tests were administered.to the par-,tipipants to help them. .identify the degrees to.which they are expressing some of these types.
The main differentiating characteriiticbetween cognitive style and ability is . thatstyle is a bipolar phenomenon. That 'is,everyone has a style, its the ,manner in whichit is expressed .that differs from person toperson. Several 3t- the specific types of4_cognitive stYles are:
13
Field Dependence vs IndependenceSystematic vs IntuitiveFocusing vs ScanningAnalytic vs NonanalyticSimpliaty vs ComplexityReflective vs ImpulsiveLeveling vs Sharpening.Constrictive Mb Flexible ControlTolerance vs , Intolerance of AtypicalExperienceRisk Taking vs CautiousnessPreceptive vs Receptive
"IrThe interrelationships of these does exist
in varying degrees although little research hasbeen done to demonstrate any 'consistent pat-terns inmolved. Everyone does fall'somewherealong the continuum between each category.These are not mutually exclusive styles, but__instead; interface with one's . persohalitycharacteristics.
Some of the suggested applications for,determining ones predominant cognitive stylesare the following: ,
- Different methods of advisement fordifferent students
- Course and curriculum selection- Mapping faculty to match students- Mapping counselors to match students
26.a.
"STRATEGIES gOR'PLANNING ACADEMIt ADVISOR.TRAINING pROGRAHS"Presenter, June P. Ellett, Cdordinator of $
, Training, State Univeysity of New.York at Buffalo
1
, Planning an effective training programguaranteed sore dergrke 'of, success requires,straiegy as the predUrsor to the design of'actual training adtivities. There is muchlitegature on training itself but v*Fy littleon a total program development design. Thepurpose of thit workshop is to introduce aviable approach to 'planning and provide aplanning model applicable to most university,and college constituencies, environments andeducational climates.
WORKSHOf GOALS
1. learn planning techniques and* methods2. de:vise a situation and follow the eight
step4metlidin planning3. identify an interdat group among the
workshop. participants for continuingworkshop objectives, by sharing the
' experiences for future contacts, i.e.seminars
VIDEOTAPE PRESENTATION
The tape is an example, of Stage OneConsciousneSs-Raising (Francis model). Threefaculty, a professional advlpor (moderator) anda ptudent discuss the problems' of academicadvising On a multicampus bniversity. Thevideotape presentation was developed by June P..taatt as the first part of a series bringingtogether university oonsitutencies to discussadvising issues. Nina M. Sedita, Advisementsupport staff, and Larry Scott, SUNYABEducational Communications Center, produced anddirected the preentation respectively.
INTRODUCTION TO ELEMENTS OF PLANNING
1. Planning'2. Organizing-3.i Communicating44' Motivating5. Evaluation
FRAMEWORK FOR PLANNING, STEPS ONE THROUGH EIGHT
Step 1--identify target groupsS33p. 2C1arify-justification-for trainingStep 3--Identify training needs ,Step 4--Develop a goal statementStep 5--Specify training objectivesStep 6--Define potential obstacles to planningStep ,7;.-Develop accountability criteria and
methodsStep 8 Project a program outcome
ADVISOR TRAINING PROGRAM PLANNXNG MODEL*
Program ElementsSpeeches, Conferences, Workshop, MaterialsEvaluation of Advising,Policy, Program and S)/tem Changes
14
StagesOne--Consciousness RaisingTwo--Focal AwarenessThree--Subsidiary Awareness
*Model after B. Francis Facult,y DevelopmentModel for Planning.Workshop booklet available upon requesti writeto:
.June P. BlattState Uni,versity of New York at BuffaloDivision of Undergraduate Education205 Squire HallBuffalo, New Yoik 14214
"PRE & POST'REGISTRATION ADVISEMENT: A SHARED,RESPONSIBILITY"Presenters:.Joseph Zielinski, Director,
Counseling and Testing, TarrantCounty Junior College, Texas,Elizabeth Henry, Educational.Advisor,_Tarrant _County Junior_'cOlteie, Texas
This program presented a model for advise-.ment currently in operation on the South Campusof Tarrant County Junior, College. The academicneeds of the 1,0,000 students on this campus aremet thrOugh a model- which features maximumaccessibi4ty, use of paraprofessionals; sharedresponsibilities between instructional and stu-dent development pefsonnel, and a centriliiedadvisement center. Services described includedthose provided throughout the tithe span frompre-registration through graduation.. Thefollowing a twO part Summary discussing thepre-registration advisement process and theAcademic Advisement program.
_
PRE-REGISTRATION ADVISEMENT: IDEINTIFICATION,EXPOSUA. AND 'INFORMATION
The counseling of students, prior to theirregistration can be a source pf frustration forboth new students and staff membErs. TarrantCounty Junior College South Campts has made aconcerted effort to streamline the process,providing 'maximum exposure to available ser-vices, yet accomplishing this pha c.r. of astudent'S academic advisement. efficiemly aswell', as expeditiously. The procedure repllystarts stme weeks prior to the time we commenLeour fre-4egiatration Advisement PrOcess. Oursystem is such khat students,' upon completionof all-admission requirements, are notified to,pick uR a time permit and adirisdr card from theRegistrar of the campus of', their choice_(Tarrant County Junior/ College is a multi-campus District). In Wdition to the stime per-mit and advisOr card, ,students also receive acard :informing them abput pre-testing and thePre-Registration Advisement Process. Becausethe Pre-Regiatratioq 'Advisement Process isoperational not more than nine working days tn'the Fall semester and seven in the. Spring(including actual days,. orregiStration), it iaa great advantage for students to coMplete anYtesting that wfll be required in advance of therest of the process. However; those who choosenot -to- -pre-testmay-- -iso duringOw-regularprocess. / The steps of the system are asfollows:
1. The student picks. up an IBM advisorcard, a time permit ' and a pre-registrationinformation card at the Reglstrar's Office andis told to proceed to Station 1.
2. Station .1 is where a professional staffmember 'Makes a detefmination as to thestudent's status (transfer, re-entry, new) and,specific reason for attendance. In addition,students' are made aware, of Financial Aides'andother assistance that is available. Studentsare also informed about procedures.for applyingfor V.A. benefits and other beoefitt such asSocial Security. It' is at this point that adetermination is made regarding the necessityfof going tprough the entire process anddesignating which portions of testing areappropriate. (It should be noted that not allstudents are required to go through the Pre-Registration Advisement Process. For instanceif a person is attending for the purpose.oftaking only one course, such as Typing, and *has
' -
no intention,of puidiling a degree, then provi-ions can be made for this student to have hisOD her time permit validated and be allowed to,
proceed to registration at the designatedtime.)k THe other students who need to _completethe prbeedure -are,asked--t--Iill out-a self .
inventory type check-list along with a healthinformation card before proceeding with therest of the' Vocess. The filling out of thecard'only takes two or three minutes. ,The'sq-dent then proceeds to the Testing Station,Station 2, if applicable, and then f6116wa onto the' next. table where information is ascer-tained regarding any disabilities the studentmtght have. Here the student also turns in theHealth Information.Card. The .self. inventorychecklist is reviewed and additiOnal infor-mation is 'obtained regarding' eligibility forSpecial Services, a program geared to.meetingspecial needs of minority students, handicappedstudents, disadvantaged students, etc.
3. -*The student at this point has reachedStation 3. Depending tupon testing scores, 4
information recorded_.on the self 'inventorychecklist and area of expressed interest thsmdent ia referred to the appropriate advi-sors. (Our Vrocess makes provison for alladvisors to be pieent 'in a very large room,tHereby facilitating ease of referral to one ormord of the-gmk persons.)"' It is in this area
:7'that students are-exposed to the various spe-cialized prograTs and courses prior to making adecision as to coursw choice for their initialsemester of enrollment. When the 'student hastaleld with 411 advisement personnel he or sNeshRuld have Ole courses to be taken during thefirst seMester reeorded on the advisor card,which is signed by a professional staff member. \
- 4. The seudent then proceeds to anoptional station where student ashistants helphim in making out trial schedules, answerquestions .regarding.,what to expect in theregistration. process and hand out a writEenchecklist of- items ,that will be necesdary forthe seudent to know or bring with hinf when heregisters.
5. Won' completion of this phase of theprocess, a student goes to the lasf station,
, station 4, where the checklist card is taken upand the student's time permit card is vali-dated. (This validation serves as proof thatthe student' has participated in the. Pre- .
Registration Advisement Process and is eligiblefor entry to ehe registration area.)
Generally' speaking this total_ procesalshould not take more than an hour and a half if'the testing is included. In cases where pre--.testing has taken place, the proeess can -bpcompleted in approximately 35 minutes.
Obviously, this process reqvires coopera-tion of a' combination of professioal staff,secretaries, administrators and trained stu-dents who are paid for their services. AllClassifications of people working in the pro-cess receive special training. In the case ofstudent assistants, we use mature individualswho ae sophomore or former students. Regardingthe cost of providing such a service, oneshourd be aware that expenses will varydepending upon how large the process is and howlong it is operational. Use of work study stu-dents can help cut down on expenses in someareas; also 4planning ahead on materials., signs(make permanent ones) and judicipLy use of stu-dent assistants will contrkbute greatly.
The Tarrant County Junior. College program is
rather 'extensive and it costs the collegeapproximately $5000 per year for studentsalaries- However, we think it is worth everypenny OxPended. As far as physical spaceneeded, again depending upon the number of sta-tion and students to be served, the need' willvary. It is better thatceverything be confinedto one building, if possible. One of ,he,majorspin off values of this program has been thefaculty's partcipatipn and the manner in.whichit has enhanced some of their programs. Aswith. all programs and processes of this nature,the most important aspect is that of havingwell-informed, highly "people-oriented" persondworking in the process. It is our contentionthat this type of process -may well determinethe student's.perception of our institution ahduEtimately will affect our' retention rate.This, of course, is just-the first step in pro-
,
viding advisement for our student body. .
-ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT: A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY,
The Academic Advisement program here on theSouth Camput,of Tarrant County Junior College
. has gone through numerous chaRsps. Origihally,all advisement was carried on by the Counselingpersonnel.. However, aas thr> college grew inenrollment, it became increasingly clea'r that acontinuation of this process would not befeasible. Therefore, the program evolved" to ajoint effort betWeen Counseling and selectedfaculty members. Our program has now evolved
*.to a "third phase wherein the college has placedthe -administrative responsibility for advise-ment under the auspices of 'the DireCtor ofCounseling Services who works with and coor-dinates all who participate in the program.
When originally charged with the respon-sibility, the Student Personnel people were inthe midst of designing what is commonlyreferred to as the" Student Development Model.This model makes allowances for Counseling per-sonnel to be a great deal more active in areasof teaching, consultation, and outreach inaddition to their nOrmal personal and voca-tional counseling responsibilities It
appeared that in order eo maintain khe samehigh quality level of academic advisem t,thathad previously existed when counselors ere notinvolved in scope of these other activities,some adjustments would-have to be made. Our_approach was that of attaining a shared facultyand --student_ personnel responsibility foradvisement but also developing a centralizedadvisement center that could be staffed with"well trained paraprofessionals. With this inmind, such a center was initiated and after twoyears of operation, has proven to be extremelyeffective.
Within the scope of our program, theAdvisement Center acts as a central depositoryfor all student records as they pertain todegree plans, offiCial waivers of requirements,and approved course substitutions. , In additionthe Center is responsible for evaluating alltransfer mcrk from other institutions of higherlearning (it has been found that by havingevaluations done through the Advisement Center,lag time is held to a minimum). This is par-ticularly helpful when it comes to dealing withsome of the specialized problems that veteransexperience due to V.A. regulations. Anotherimportant role of the Advisement Center is thecoordination and dissemination of information
xegarding transfer to senior colleges anduniversities. Other responsibilities ofeeqdalimportance are the Treparation and updating offaculty advitot handbooks, the sdesign andimplementation and analysis of. 'an' evaluationsystem in %order to determine the qfeCtivenessof advisement, and_ ttie annual updating of
degree plena for all programs of theinstitution.
Procedurally, our advisement plan works asfollows: all students are.required to have adegree plan, on file by-the end of ale semesterin whith 24 ours of credit are completed..ThOse students who, upon initial entry into theintritutign, have made firm commitments to a
major are urged to make appointments with the
Advisement 'Center, as soon as feasible duringthe first sediesttr of enrollment. 'Students,upon contacting the Advisement Center, areeither made an appointment with a member of the_Center staff or if advisement is to be done bya membet, of the faculty, an appropiratereferral form will be made out and given to thestudent as well as Sell% to the faculty member.In either case, it is ascertained if the stu-dent ha's transfer work that needs to be eval-uate& prior to having the degree plan made.
The Dean of Instruction's office and
Adviselent Center havg agreed to a division oflabor,- relative to reviewing and approving ofdegree plans! Upon an advisor completing a
degree plan, the plan is signed by the advisorand the student, and if the degree plan is anAssoctate of Arts plan it is forwarded tb theDirector of Counseling for review and approval.If it is an Associate of Applied Science plan,ft is forwarded to the Dean of Instruction-'s
office where again, it is reviewed' and
approv,ed. Upon completion of review and appro-val by'either office, the student is sent a
copy of hi....1.,or her degree plan. 1
The second stage pf our' ',advisement programtakes place during thp last *semester in which astudent will be enfolled for completion of
degree requirements. The procedure consists ofthe student going to the Registrar's Office andindicating hf§ or he desire to petition forgraduation. The sudenp is then given what isknown as a transmittal slip along with a copyof his transcript and present course load.These items are then taken by, the student .po a_member of, the Advisement Center staff who withthe exception of si few pxograms, are able to
finalize the student's degree plan and doublecheck to insure that all requirements have beenor are in the process of being met. 'After
having completed this double check procedure,'the student then returns to the Registrar'sOff4ce where a petition for graduation can befilled out and the student can pay his non-refundable graduation fee with a high degree ofassurance that he will be graduating unless hefails to complete some aspect of his present.course load.
Obviously, there are other internal opera-tional procedures whiA .are ,utilized, but it isfelt that it is not necessary to elaborate onthese as each institution will develop its own.
We are now in our third year of using thisshared system. At this point, those who havebeen involVed in our new process think that thecentralized Advisement Center staffed bytrained paraprdfession'als has been a mostefficient and effective, process.
16
1.0
- II
"SMALL COLLEGE ADVIIEMENT: CAMPUS-WIDE-WITHOUT "A CEATER"Presenters: Dr. Clifford B. Garrison, Director
of Curriculum Sr Student Development- Dr. Harry H. LangleyRooald L. Keller, Director.ofAdmisdions and Re6ardsSmall College Consortium,Washington, D.C. .
A lecture/discussion il proposed to review
a
interibstitut,16select colleges in the Sennal data' and' illustrate specific
practices ofCollege Consortium (Title III, BIDP).--' Thefifty-four 'colleges.are members 'of the CouncilApr the Advancement.of Small Colleges and eachcollege has au f.t.e. less than 2000.
' ...tong identified with special concern forthe individual student many of the SCC collegeshave advisement programs that are moving froman assumed and informal'status,to a deliberateand systematic 'approach. Leadership isbecrming facused in director/coordinators buttypically without centers for advising.
A padel of three proposes. .to outlineadviSement philosophies, program models, stafftraining, need& assessment, student prescrip-tion and follow-up.
The central theme will illustrate howexisting personnel-70- offices can facilita ethe student advising process when deliber teaction is taken, often with promptness.
The panel presentation will first summari'some assumption and phtlosophies of advisementat sr.all colleges. Data will be based on afield survey of CASC institutions. Deliberate'concern will be given to relate mission andgoals to the institutional traditions -ofadvisement among the varied college of SCC..
An initial case study will review lhe0results of assessing the advising functions ond campus and .the determination of refined newUrecticins. A program model will be presentedinvolving role definitions and monitoring prac-
, tices. ,Faculv development strategies wtll beillustrated from.a hatdbook of advisement.
'A concluding case, study will. demonstrate'the active operetional supOrt of an institu-tional research and planning office used tosystematically sample campus climate indicators.A comprehensive basic skills dervice will,illustrate ktudent pre-assessment strategies'supported by prescriptive follow-up activities.Finally, one particular division's approachWill'highlight- a manuel for- Humanities devel-.oped to' aid 'students' career assessment anddeveloPment.t This presentation should be of interest todirectOrs (new and old), faculty and studentaffairs personnel. .
^".
1 7-
"FEAR OF FAILURE/SUCCESS IN COLLEGE"Presenters: Judith Atlee, Coordinator
Mary Tate, AdvisorHealth Sciences, University of
.Minnesota
PURPOSE/GOAL
To discuss with participants the fears thatstudents have toward failure and success incollege.
A discussion. of the fears that studentshave toward failure and success in yilegeuincluding health problems, financia constraints. social and emotional adjustment ofstudents, accident, attempted suicide, death,mood-altering chemicals, acedemic performance,life-planning, vocational adjustments, etc.There will be audio-visuals, handouts, and: timefor sharing a variety ofadvising techniques.
I. .THE-PEAN STUDENTS HAVE TOWARD pERSONALFAILURE AND SUCCESS
A. Favorable/unfavorable home condition ofthe student:-Student/Mother relationship; student/father, relationship; mother/father
, relationship; stadent/spouse relation-ship; student/spouse/children. rela-tionship.
-What was .01e home environment like*Were there terrible scenes, constantfriction, harmony and peace, or wagthe environment completely docile' toavoid trouble?
- Student marital statds.;1Parent'marital status.- If student is not married and/or notliving with parent(s), is studentlividg with roomate(s)?' Are there
' conflicts in this living envirRnment?-Student decides to change his/her lifegoal(s) With or without_ parentalapproval. AV-Overdependence on the stodent's -partfor parental intervention..
- Positive/negative conflicts createdJOy home issues.
B. gealth:- Does the student have impairedphysical health?
C. Age of student:- Maturity vs. ' lack of maturity.- The older student.- The- returning student, who has beento college before but had to leave forindividual reasenS.
7D. . Financial Considerations: 0
-Disadvantaged student. ,
-tudent %who hps to work to puthim/herself through schnpl.
E. Sotial/emotional adjuetment of student:.-F. Mood-altering chemicals:
- Is the student using chemicals? Ifso, how 'axe they being, used? Are theybeing used as a result of a lack ofalternatives-- in coping with life?
G. Accidents, attempted& suicidds, anddeath.
II1/0..0.B3UDENT5' FEARS OF FAILURE AND SUCCESSTOWARD'ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
.
A. ,Measurements of performance that can beused to indicate the relative failureor" success of a student..in his/hereourses:
-The number of oourses he/she passesfrom year to year, and the grades'he/she receiVes in these courses.-Standardized tests.
B. Suggeltions that failure might be. dueto -faCtor4 operating at the collegelevel itself: (Aample:. .insufficientstatfing of departments, Inappropriate
' teaching methods, over-rigoroussiandards).'
0 .
-Situation of the teaching/learningerwiroriment; -clad% size; room size.;
instructors' attributesinstructorsbeing able to understand the way inwhich the, student approaches school.(Example: some students think poorlyof ehemselves and think poorly of theinstitution bpcause they are attendingthe institution.),
-It should be discovered exactly, towhat extent old in what way the failureand-success OF studenti are related toeheir abilities, attainments, andqualifications.
C. Student's general. loss of interest:,--Lack of concentration and will power.
D. Grades:, t-Completlon-Academic failure. (Example:Probationary ,students perdeive theclassroom as a high-threat setting.The implications: of working with theprobationary student in a positivo weir'
4 and as a whole persun, not just'as adeficient scholar.)-Some "students' inability ..to (-com-municate with instructor*.-Poor self-image as student in -studentrole. '
,-Frustrations.E. Vocational adjustment:, : , -
-Career 'planding and decision making\Life-planning (wants to do, somethinglasting; wants to be held in highregard; doesn't wadt to be out of-theordinary; wants to exercise Authority.)
F. Self-aisessed study skills:-Resdidg speed.-Note-taking.-Exam preparation.
.-Test anxiousness.-Scheduling/managing personal time.
;II. PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR ADVISORS TO WORKWITH STUDENTS ON, IN REGARDS TO FEARS
OF FAILURE AMY-SUCCESS
-Life-planning (asdist stildellts tobetter understand that what they dotoday will assist them in accomplishingtheir career ana lifè goals.
-Project' students' thoughts Pinto thefuture; what do they.see happening tothem? What do they see themselvesdoing?-Inform students of career-planning anddecisioh-making*courses, workshops and
. seminars.
fr
18
IV.
-Do eality testing with students aimedat producing a more produdtive rola-tionship,to the' classroom.-Run .assertiveness training sessionsfor studenti.
-Have evaluations to include pre- andpost-asseismenty student self-report;
-.student academic self-image.-The- Amportance of individual encour-agement- as helping :the students to
work to the best. c& their abilities.-To make student* feel independent andself-confident.
CONCLUSION41.
In conclusion, time All' be allowed forpresenters and pariticipants - to sharequestions/answers, comments, concerns, and avariety of techniques regarding students' fegrof tailur% and success. Handouts' will beavailable- It this-time for participants to lookover and discuss.
=0'
2,5
"INTEGRATING BASIC SKILLS EDUCATION AND'FRESHMAN ADVISING"
. Presenters: William T. Daly, ProfeSsor ofPolitical Science and Coordihator
\\..of Basic StudiesDr. Thomas J. Grites, Director of
__)Academic AdviaingStockton State College, Pomona,New Jersey
" Since. the Fall of 1976 Stockton has had inplace a skills ;lrogram based on three'assumptions: 1) skills education is a fullylegitimate part of college level education; 2)skills education 'can be effective at theeollgge level; 3).a significant portion of thewoleK necessary to effective skills educationcan be done outside the cfassroom through theadvising system.
Skills educiAion is a legitimate part ofcollege level education, at minimum betauSecollege level competence, in reading, writing,reasoning, and basic computation and statisticsis a neeessaty underpinning for maintainingquality instruction in all areas of the ,collegecurriculum.. If large- nutbers of students arepermitted . to enter the' regular curriculumwithout those skills, ilstructors will beconfronted with the. choide of either failinglarge ,numbers of "Students or lowering theirscandrIrds to the level of the students. lilosthave historically choSen the latter. Butbeyond that minimal justification, skills edu-cation &an be structured to provide studentsboth with an uderstanding of the range of aca-demic and career options available to them andwith the broadly applicable intellectual skillsneces'sary to explore a number of those options,Construed in this way, skillsw education cancom6ine' some of the best features of thebreadth usually associated with the traditionalidea of liberal arts education with the careerpayoffs of specialized profe$sional education.-It may indeed provide a betegf preparation thaneither of those two for the rapidly changing6atUe of contemporary society and of thecurrent job market.
Skills education can be effective at, thecollege level, with a limited expenditure',oftime and resources, because the gap betWeenwhat freshmen need to know and what they know-alretdy is narrower than is commonly imagined.What they need to learn early might best becalled a capacity for "organized selectivity",the ability to boil down both the materialtaken in from lectures, and readill on the onehand ,and their own writing, on the:other, intocentrs1 propositions, logicallYwderivative pro-ositions, and relevant evidence. If they cando that, they can cut reading assignments downto size until their reading spegd improsies withpractice. They can understand the centralthrust of a reading assignment or a lecture,until their conceptual sophistication and voca-bulary permit them to understand all Of .it.And they can construct precise 'and logicallycoherent examination respones and papers, whichmost instructors gratefully will accept, evenbeforc their grammar, spelling and literarystyle improve with practice. - f
Happily, most freshman -already have somecapacity for understanding the logic of anargument, and hence some capacity for"organized selectivity" at tht oral level-r-because they have had to make sense at an orallevel for at least 18 years before entering,college, Whatever their Aifficulties with voca-bulary and diction, almost all Freshman make
sense when they speak. The initial task ofskills education, then, is the manageable oneof helping students to translate a set ofskills which most of them already have at thPoral level into the realm of writtenexpression.
There are three major policy implications,which flow from the above assumptions and whichhave shaped the Stockton skills program.First, if the gap betweeh what students knowand what they need to know is as harrow as we,have argued, they should be able to bridge itin a relatively short period of time.Accordingly, we have tested all incomirig' fresh-men, provided only one semester of mandatoryand intensive skills instruction to those with-skills deficiencies,. provided one additionalsemester of student tutoring for those in heedof it, and dismissed from the zollege alldents who could not demonstrate- skillp profi-ciency by the end of the freshman y,..ar.
Secondly, if survival and even modest suc-cess in ,college require only that studentslearn to harldle in writtea form skills whichmost of theM a4ready pOssess at the oral level,then a'key to-% tile difficult problem of moti-vating skills deficient students is readilyavailable. We -have.dealt with the problem ofmotivation by constructing a° very demandingprogram, as a way of proving to students thatthey are -better than they thoUght they were,
cog and then have ridden with them-the surge ofpride and motivation. which comes from thatrealization. Accordingly, all skills classesare cast at the college level arid carry fullcollege 'credit. Students who cannot keep upare given extra tutori.hg in a Skills Center,rather than slowing down the pace of the classto accomodate them. Confronted with demandingclasses and the thi..at of expulsion if they donot pass them students' have no choice but tomake the maximum effort. Most do, discovertheir considerable capabilities, and develop alevtl of self-confidence and pride that,k theywould not have,developed on their own.
Third, if the central skill "ibr success incollege is the ability to organize ideas andevidence logically, and hence the ability to beintelligently selective T.41.th_ respect to theideas of others, then mostsfaculty and staff,and eveh the better upper-alassmen, have beenprepared by their own educational experiencesto Eeach skills coutses. ,Accordingly, we havestaffei the skills program with only a handfulof specialized skills faculty, to provide con-tinuity and expertise, and have staffed thebulk of the skills classes with faculty andstaff drawn from all areas of dieThey participate in annual workshops duringwhich the skills courses are collectivelycodstructed, and Where.the wisdom of those whohave taught skills classes bdfoe is passed unto a new generation of skills instructcrs.
We Nave also developed a core of freshmanadvisort who reinforce these skills through theadvising, process. Whereas all new freshmen atStockton are assigned to selected freshmanadvisors, the skills deficient students arespecifically "matched" with one of the,skillsinstructors with whom they will be taking a.skills course. In this way at reast one otthese students' instructors also serves as, theadvisor And more frequent advising contactsoccur as well. This approach has been enthu-siastically received by the advisors since it.has incorporated their 'advising lAds into
19 ``,4
their teaching loads. From an advising stand-point, the student is actually meeting with theaerisor two or three times each week.Preliminary'estimates tend to indicate that theretention of these studenes in the institutionhas also increased. This "matching'''. approachof student with advisor-instructor will, hope-fuLly, be expanded to include all new freshmenand all rilshmen advisors in the-next year orS 0 .
Another proposed 4proach to integratetskills instruction and advising is to "team"upperclass students with the freshmen advisorsmho are not teaching the skills courses,. TheseItudents, trained in skills instruction them-selves, Will,provide skills ssistance to the.students who have tested WI of the- skillscourses aRd cannot register or them, Theassumption is this approach is that ill fresh-men can benefit from some -skills instruction,but onby a limited4number of students.9can beserviced by the skills courses.
While the data on this approach to theskills problem are still prellvin,ary, they arevery encouraging. Appfoximatel)t/the lower onethird of each freshmaa.class 4hs usually beenplaced into the skillsf program. Of that group,approximately eighty-five percent usuallydemonstrate competence by the end of theirsecond semester at the college. Fifteen per-cent do not, and ere dismissed. 'More impor-tant, those who survive tF programsubsequently achieve at a level which is as'
high as the upper two-thirds of their class,which tested well enough upon admission to beexempted from the skills program. Thisachievement is evidenced'in terms ortheir per-formance on standardized skills tests, theirgrade performance in non-skilli classes, andtheir persistence/retention at the institution.Finally, the student attitudinal response tothe program on anonymous questionnaire admi-nistered et the end of all sktlls classes, isoverwhelmingly positive.. This attitude pre-vails in spite of the fact that students areevaluating classes into which they have beenplaced mandatorily, which necessarily confrontthem with some potentially insulting factsabout their deficiency in reasonablly basicskills, and which threaten them w45th dismissalshould they fail.
In brief, we have>described one program atone institution which has made a commitment tobasic sRills education. By utilizing regularfaculty, freshman advisors, and 'students wehave been eble--according to earlyN4ndepenGent,research,. results--to change attitudes, toincrease retention, and lmost importantly, toprepare students for better performance in ourinstitution and in our society.
41!
"CONTRACTING FOR ADVISING SERVIOt"Presenter: Dr. R.E. Gardner
Advising and CoUnselingCollege of EngineeringCornell University
Every ihdividual involved with advising,whether student; faculty, or staff, knows whatgood advising is, but if asked, it is rare thatany two persons can agFee,un the definition.This fact, has, been orne out dramatically inresearch at,Cornell, where-laculty Advisers andstudents have indicated on a survey instrumentthe exent to which the student and the adviserare.responsible .for variout advising functions.Not only do faculty members and studentsdisagree,- there are wide variations withinthese groups as well. This makes it clear thatwhen a student and adviser first meet, there isa high probability that they do not agree onthe basic rules and responsibilities of theadvising relationship, and there is a high pro-.bability that they will 11.21:di4cuss these areasof skisagreementr
At.Corall, it has also been shown that thefirst advising interaction is critical: those
.t.students who have a good experience return totheir adviser, those who do not tend to seekhelp elsewhere. Since meetings betweenstrangeks are based on the assumptions of oneperson about the other parson and the role theyplay, the first advising interaction (betweenst ers) is often governed by the assumptionsst dents and faculty hold about the rela-tionship, rather than, the realities presented.by the two persons ti.emselves. In other words,since most students and advisers 'feel dif-ferentlyL about who is responsible for what inadvising', the first meeting is not likely to"get ,off the ground" end the student is notlikely to return because basic differences arenot' directly surfaced and negotiated orsresolved, resul,ting in students and adviserswho are both turned- off about advising.Advising,could be improved if therewere a wayto have students and advisers express their-differences before they meet individually forthe- 'first time.
In our society, one common way of dealingwith situations where the expectations of thetwo principals may vary, or where the rspon-sibilities of the two principals is unclear, isto formulate a contract So 'that these points
4 are clarified and/or negotiated so that bothsides have some assurance of -having theirclaims recorded and recognized. Contracts neednot be spelled out in legal terms to have con-siderable force; the marriage contrdtt, forexample, is broad but "well understood, as isthe contract between patient, and phxsician.Other contracts, particularly betweenstrangers,' tend Co' be more explicit andlegalistic: the contract between mechanic andcar owner similar but less tightly written.Contracts have become more commonplace in'edu-cation in recent years through the use of"contracts" between teachers and learners, theidea being the specifying the objectives andresponsibilities facilitates the transfer ofknowledge.
. Since advising incorporates elements of allof the above relationships, there is reasontobelieve that contracting might be a usefulexercise fAr adviser and advisee, particularlysince this riiight not only allow for a defini-tion of roles and eesponsibilities, but mightalso allow, for a negotiaelion of the various
20 -Pr
a.
points. In fact, if one believes that the moreindefinite a relationship ts the more it mightprofit from a contract,approach, then advisingwould seem to be a particularly promising areaof application.
If the foregoing analysis is correct, it ispossible to construct a contracting approach toimprove the prospects'for establishing,a strongadvising relationship. Such an approach mightinclude:
L. A mechanism to help adviser and adviseeexpress their views of the advisingrelationship in writing so that agree-ments and disagreements concerningresponsibilities could be worked out.
2. Such a mechanism would need to beavailable during or before the firstadvising interaction, that is, beforethe student and adviser meet as indivi-duals (as opposed to a group meeting)for the first time.
3. This mechanism would have to be attrac-tive and useable by both parties witha minimum amount-of prior training.
4. This mechanism would have to includeeach of the advising areas that arecommon to academic advising relation-ships.
5. The mechanism should be such that it isspecific and can pe referred to at afuture date should the need arise.
At Cornell, the mechanism that has beendeveloped , for use is the attached "Adviseegurvey", which is a broad, instrument designedto be used as thb basis lor discussing anadvising "contract," with the process of usingthe fnm referred to as "contracting". It iscritical to recognize that we are referringhere to contracting for advising service, notthe formation of a final contract. We believeit is the process 61Ecntracting that providesthe essential basis for a good advising rela-tionship and that is is not necessary that theend 0:bf the process, the contract, ever becompleted.
At Cornell the Survey has been used in twoways, in groups*and with individual students,depending on the skills of the faculty adviser.In both methods, the first step is to indicateto students during an advising 'Orientationmeeting that they are going to be asked tocomplete a form relating to their views onadvising and that they should give some thoughtto this topic. The second step occurs wheneach faculty member meets with his/her adviseesin a group and gives the form to the students,asking them to complete the form and scorethemselves.
At,this stage, the two approaches differ.If the faculty adviser does not wish to makeindividual contracts, he can address .the formin the group by indicating how he has markedhis sheet (which is similar to the student's)and leading, the group in a discussion. . Inaddition to the group discussion, faculty areencouraged to initiate negotiation by offeringto change on points where they are "outvoted"or calling for students to change. Thisappears to work well, particularly if thefaculty adviser can indicate why he decided ashe did 'and ask students the same question:when this is done, students have a good feelfor their advisers view of the situation sothat even if they do not agree, they know what
the adviser is going to do or not do and canaccomodate to the system. Thus, group,contracting serves.as an orientation to indivi-dua). advisers for studedts so that the rulesare' knwn even if they are not negotiated andthe form or "contract" provides a mechanism forfaculty to put forth their views on advising,something that is difficult to achieve withoutsome sort of written aide.
The individual negotiating 'session is thesecond variation, where faculty do not call for
discussion of the form in a group abut electinstead to ask students to keep their form andbring it with them to their individual adv.isingappointment. At that appointment, the facultyadviser then goes over the form individually,again concentrating on the why's of the'respOnse; however, unlike the group sessionmore time is spen,t on negotiating differencesand coming up with individual contracts.Advisers are encouraged to make a xerox of theagreed upon settlement, retaining one for them-selves and the other is given to the advisee.This method takes more time and establishesbetter rapport with the student but it alsoresults in a variety of contracts that /aresometimes difficult to keep in mind. ,Moreoverwhile it has a great potential for establishinga strong relationship, it also is verythreatening for most students, who are not atall prepared to negotiat.e one-on-one with afaculty member.
Overall, we recommend that faculty usegroup contracting because it makes all of theimportant points but is not as threatening toeither party, making it more likely that bothwill have a .good experience and . see theexercise as a positive one.
The factor that is most critical in thecontracting approach is the training offaculty. Most facul,ty are very frightened ofthe procedures and have difficulty -in 0situations where they may be exposing ,them-selves rather than,dealing from the position of"expert" to which they have become accustomedin their4teaching. It is therefore critical todefuse the threatening parts of contracting andexplain how to lead the discussion and to indi-cate likely response patterns for students.Two devices are helpful in working with facultyon this: first, an analogy game in whichfaculty are asked to think (and list) pairingsthat are similar to the adviser/advisee rel.--tionship (such a's doctor/patient, farmer/seed),
, and to indicate how this pairing is likeadvising, with the group leader tHen askingfaculty to describe the "contracts" surroundingthe relationship, describing these along para-me ers such as formal, written, legal, etc.The second exercise is for the advising co-ord nator to role-play the students in a groupcon racting session, using the same form thatwill be used later. This exercise can be rein-for ed by comparing the scores of the facultyadv sers to those of students who haveprevI4y used the Lnstrument.
In addition to providing._ a format for theprinciples in the advisingdiscuss their respective thwarelationship
tots. on advising,
a contracting approach provides other ancillarybenefits. One important advantage is that oncelearned, the same contracting technique can beused between faculty advisers and the advisingco-ordinator, so, that these two persons also
21 ;"2.'
have a meansof coming ,to agreeMent about whatit is, that the facultfadviser will be doing.A second important advantage Is that contract-ing between 'students and faculty provides aform dk protection for both parties should a,disagreement arise at a later time. This pro-tection will be increasingly valuable as con-sumerism among -students grows and extends intoadvising as well as classroom activities.
Your Advisors Name FORM A - PRE-MAJOR(if known)
THE ADVISEE SURVEY
'This check sheet will give you an opportunityto review your level of readiness before youmeet with your faculty advisor.DIRECTIONS: (Please check (X) the column most
descriptive of your feelings foreach item.)c,
1. Students at thiscollege believe thatseeing an advisor isa sign of weakness.
2. °Chia should -have,tentative plans,programs, or optrOnsin mind prior to theadvising. meeting.
3. As a faculty memberof the college, theadvisor should knowthe answers to my .
questions.4. A review of the
cburse and.colfegecatalogue is usefulpreparation prior ta'seeing.your advisor-
5. My advisor is'responsiWle for -seeing that I meetrequirements'for mymajor andlorgraduation.
6. Reviewing one's highschool performancewith the advisOr'canprovide'informationuseful to advising.
.
7. IC is beat to'together g gagutl'action beforetaking to one'sadVcior..
8.. If-advisors can'thelp,.they know /
other persons orother sources wherehelp is available.
9. If my advisor does agood job of'advisingI will have nodifficulties as anundergraduate.-
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10. It is best to makean appointmentbefore going to my .advisor's office.
11. It isn't necessaryto identifyquestions you wishto have answeredprior to meetingwith your advisor.
12. It is helpful toknow something about
. my advisor's back-ground.
13. Because my advisor'is the host familiarwith me and,my workit is the advisor'sresponsibility to
' assess my situationand proposealternatives..
14. Communicsting myleigh school inter-ests and hobbies tomy advisor can ,provide informationuseful to advising.
15. Since I've suppliedso much informationto the college, myhdvisor already has
- all the importantfacts needed toadvise me.
16. When an advisor andstudent differ thestudent has thefinal say in what isto be done.
17.. The success or'failure of theadvising sessiondepends on the skillof the advisor.
18. It makes sense tosee your-advisoranytime you have aproblem you can'tsolve.
19. If my advisor isunsatisfactory it iseasier to-live withthe situation thantry to change.
20. It is best to con-sider advisorsuggestions sincetheir perspectiveand experience seryeas a check of yourwishes.
22
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- "THE WESTERN ROUND-UP: AN EXAMPLE OF ANSurvey Tally: (Freq.)(Value)(Sum) INTEGRATED APPROACH TO ADVISEMENT, COUNSELINGEven-numbered Strongly Agree x 5 = AND PLACEMENT"
Items Agree x 4 = Presenters: Susie Ray, Coordinator, CooperativeUndecided x 3 =_ EducationDisagree x 2 = , Diane Wood, Counselor, Counseling,
.Strongly Advisement, and Placement CenterDisagree x 1. = Western Carolina University
RemainingItems Strongly Agree x 1 For the National Advising Conference we
Agree R ,2 wpuld like to present a program on the WesternUndecide x Roundup, a project at Mestern CarolinaDisagre x 4 = University which could be a model fOrStrongly establishing the student-faculty relationshipsDisagree x 5 that are so necessary for effecEivg advising.
Total I Western Roundup is a co-operative projectTotal II of the Counseling, Advisement, and PlacementI & II Gra-EU-Total Center. Last fall the project was funded by a
private foundation grant for a small group ofincoming freshmen. When they had been on cam-pus three weeks, student participants spent aweek-end off-campus in the relaxed atmosphereof a camp setting with upperclassmen, facultyand administrators.
We wanted to provide the optimum conditionsto enhance the relationship between studentsand faculty, one whiCh would allow them to seeeach other as persons living together in anacademic community. We hoped that studentswould return. to campus feeling that facultymembers were approachable and genuinelyinterested in them as students.
Another objective of the Roundup' was toencourage students to begin thinking seriouslyabout the Univeraity experience. Discussiongroups, led by upper class student leaders,focused on the questions that ever"Y 'collegestudent faces: Why am I here? What are myexpectations? How will I find my place here?What are my goals and aspirations? How will anacademic career help me to realize them?
The intensity of the discussion groups wasbroken by recreational activities, naturehikes, and bull sessions giving Lfaculty andstudents the opportunity to interact on anotherdimension.
4The response of both students and facultyto the Western Roundup was overwhelmingly posi-tive. Studekts felt good about being a part ofWestern CaroPina University. They began toidentify common problems and share them.Faculty pemhers, who are often far removed fromadolescents, were able to get an idea of.wherethe freshmen Are by having a chance to talk toIhem informally. University administratorswere happy to get acquainted with typicalcollege students since they often deal withonly student leaders or students in trouble.
Since our program involved many elements ofthe University community, our audience may be abroad spectrum of conference participants.Western Roundup could be adapted to virtuallyany situation by anyone who believes in itsworth. Two examples: Western Roundup would bean ideal experience for faculty advisors whoadvise and/or teach freshmen only. Orientationdirectors would be interested in it as apossible enhancement of their present program.Research indicates that a student will notremain in school unless he finds at least oneperson to whom he can significantly relate. Wesee the Western 'Roundup as providing theexperience that is most conducive to the possi-bility of that happening.
23 3,)
"THE BASIC ADVISING PROGRAM: AM APPROACH TO',FRESHMAN ADVISING IN THE RESIDENTIAL LIBERALARTS COLIUME"Presenter: Dr. Richard Eppinga, Associate
Professor of History, Director ofAmerican Studies, Director of BasicAdvising, Anderson College
The purpose of this presentation is 'to
address this year major imbalance whicheccdrred at last year's First National'Con-ference On Academic Advising at Burlington,Vermont--a slighting of the small liberal artscollege. This imbalance was clearly pointedout in the evaluations of last year's con-ference. My fellow members on the ExecutiveSteering Committee and the Memphis conferenceorganizers, with whom I have worked ,closely,were sensitive to the fact that small collegesas well as large universities have advlsingproblems and have developed plans to deal withthem. They have attempted to redress the,,
imbalance this year.This presentation is organized in the
following manner. First is a thumbnail sketchof Anderson College and its definition of"advising". Second, the background and philo-sophical,princip1es and assumptions underlyingthe Basic Advising Program are examined. Amajor criticism of many of last year's presen-tations was that they were long on "how's" "andshort on "why's". At Anderson College, philo-sophy largely determines practice. Third, theBasic Advising Program is examined as it oper-ates throughout the summer and during theschool year. Fourth is an evaluation of theBasic Advising Program--its strengths, weak-nesses, and problems yet to be addressed.Another criticism of many presentationt lastyear was the failure to share evaluations andevaluative techniques. Last there will be aninformal question and answer, period. The finalproblem frequently mentioned in evaluations ofthose who attended the Burlington Conference,which I hope to avoid, was insufficient timeallotted to questions and answers.
Anderson College is an educational institu-tion affiliated with the Church of God,Anderson, Indiana. In the 1978-79 school year,527. of the students are from the Church of God;however, almost all students have a religiousaffiliation. The student body is not local oreven regional in character. Students are drawnfrom almost every state and typically 30 to 50students each year are from foreign countries.The number of full-time-equivalent students inthe 1978-79 school year is 1,759. There are515 freshmen and a total of 650 students(including transfer students) are served by theBasic Advising Program. Anderson College is
largely a residential institution. There .arepver 1300 students in residence halls; 957. ofthe freshmen are in residence halls.
The definition of "academic advising" varieswidely. For some schools academic advising hasbeen simply scheduling for classes, usually bymail during the summer or just before classesbegin. For other schools, advising is giventhe broadest possible definition, and includesscheduling, tutoring, career .pounseling, job
*placement, and a host of other support activi-ties. Advising in the Basic Advising Programlies midway between these two extremes. It isfar more than merely scheduling; however, it is
24
but one componeht of a number of student sup-port services sometimes lumped together by.other institutions under the term academicadvising'.
During the 1975-1976 academic year°, AndersonCollege began implementing a new approach toeducation called "The Anderson College Plan",Made possible by grants from the Lilly Endow-ment. One component of the Anderson CollegePlan is the Student Futures Support System., Itproliides students with academic, -emotional,soCial, spiritual, and life-career supports,such as tutoring,_counseling, career rescrch,job placement, social and religious .
programming, and testing. The basic AdvisingProgram is. one important component, of the.Student Futures Support System.
The Anderson _College Plan, the ,StudentFutures Support System, and the Basic AdvisingProgram are all more or less "home groyt They-are not based upon other programs; i deed, asfar as can be determined, they are unique.They are not the result of exhaustive nd meti-Culous research into how otheF itcstitutionshave dealt with these areas. They.are, ratheran interesting mixture of idealism andpragmatism--a method to deal with things theway they are at Anderson College in the mannerthe Institution believes they ought to be dealtwith. Following are some of the philosophicalprinciples and -assumptions which underlie theBasic Advising Progiam.
The Basic Advising Program operates out ofthe Dean of Students Office. This office hasTHi respoalbility for7-DifTaenting and admin-,istering the Student Futures Support Systemof the Anderson College Plan. Areas in whichstudents may need help in their lives atcollege have been identified and programsinstituted for meeting these needs. ne-impor-tant area where students need support is aca-demic advising, scheduling, and registration.The Basic Advising Program provides this ,sup-port as dile component of the Student Fue4resSupport System.
The Basic Advising Program operateedn theprinciple that advisin& must predeed coursescheduling and registration. More intelliiiHEcourse sale-Mon and planning 44or the future"results when students have undergone a processof self-examination and have been encouraged toact Oh the implications their new' knowledgeabout themeelves has for their lives, and whenadvisers have available tb them this personalinformation and discuss it with the studentsbefore scheduling them for classes.
The Basic Advising Program is a face-to-faceprogram. The college's gerleral philosophy isthat personal attention be given to students.When new students come to campus during the.
summer or before classes begin in the fall,they are advised, scheduled, and tegistered ina personal, .face-to-face manner. Face-to-faceadvising is a major strength of the program.
The advising and scheduling of students isaccomplished through a team of advisers. Theteam is composed of trafria-freulty, staff, .andstudent Residence Hall Assistants.. Each com-ponent of the team brings its own uniquestrengths to the advising and scheduling pro-cess.
Problems that arise in advising .and sched-uling, are solved through a referral process.Advisers consult other members-Cif-lEi-leam or
call on other Ocampus persons or resgurces toflad the answers to their questions.
After summer advising and scheduling, thegasic Advising Program becomes residence 1141-based. Students spend much of their time inthe halls and it makes, sense to utilize thiscampus resource. Concomitantly, the addition
i of advising to residence hall life strengthensthat institution. Trained Residence HallDirectors 'and Assistants, assisted.by facultyin their offices and the referral process,advise and schedule students for January Termand second semester.
At the earliest opportunity, usually thesecond semester of the freshman year, studentsare urged to declare majors and move to upper-division, department-based advising programs.There the studentk'sre advised and scheduled byfaculty members knowledgeable in their owncareer areas.
Anderson College has CC:omitted itself tooffer the best advising program possib-le.7T-Fe---Basic -A-dVIsing Program is continuallyassessed and modifications are made asnecessary or desirable. Ihe administrationlends the program its moral and financial sup-port.
Other aSsumptions are workability,sustainability (after grant' money is gone) andcompatibility with other components of theStudent Futures Support System, so that all thecomponents are complementary, integrative, andmutually supportive.
The'Basic Advising Program operates in thefollowing mAnner 'during the summer. Uponacceptance into the icollege, new students andtransfer' students are mailed a "Thinking-Planning Dbcumene and an "Advising/SchedulingSession' Reservation Form". Students select anyone of about, a dozen sessions scheduledthroughout the summer and before classes beginin the fall. Mling. the -addressed andpostage-paid form to the college reserves aspot at one of the..sessions. Students may alsosecure overnight housing in. a 'residence hallfor the sessions. The Thinking-PlanningDocument requires students to answer a numberof questions akout themselvps, their goals andvalues, their perional strengths andweaknesses, and their reasons for wanting toattend Anderson College.
On the morning of eaCh session the studentsassemble in Decker Hall 133 at 9 a.m. for ,a
y_ the programdirector.and representatives from the Dean ofStudents Office. Next they break down intosmaller groups for their Thinking-PlanningSessions, led usua/ly by Residence HallpireCtors. The purpose of the Thinking-Planning-Session is two-fold. The first a for the stu-dents to become acquainted with each other.When they return to campus foi classes it.willbe' to renew friendships. The second, and moreimportant, objective is for students to reviewthe Thinking-Planning Documents with the inten-tion of learning things about themselves, sothat during advising and after, they can act onthe implications this new knowledge has fortheir lives at Anderson College and for theirfutures. The Thinking-Planning Sessions havebeen 'almost universally well-received andhighly appreciated. One student's evaluationfs typical: "This has been an important dayfor me. I learned some important things aboutmyself I never knew before, and I made A friendfor,life."
A
The completed Thinking-Planning Documents'are placed in PROFILES, which becomes thestudents' own personal records of .their educa-tional and life development at AndersonCollege. Students are introduced to the PROFILE
_concept at the 9:00 a.m. session, and theyd orate or in other ways personalize theirROFILES at their Thinking-Planning SessionS.
The studemts are encouraged to add relevantmaterials to their PROFILES (housed in the Deanof Students Office, with student access) asthey progresS through college so that, beforethey graduate, the PROFILES will be a valuablesource of information for constructing resumes-and preparing for job interviews.
41,
.At 11:00 a.m. a lunch is served by the foodservice in Decker Commons for the students andany parents who have accompanied them. (Whilethe students are in the Thinking-PlanningSessions, the parents if they desire, meetwith the Dean of Students, and then are given atour of the campus and directed to any collegeoffices they wish, to contact.) 'Much time issavdd by offering the lunch on campus; the costof the meal is covered by a modest charge.
,Everyone reassembles in Decker 133 at 11:30for another information sgssion with theprogram d4ector. The presentation treats thecoZlege and its goals and values (so all stu-{dents' know what to expect; Anderson College"wants .them to *tend only if they want toattend And4rson College), the Anderson College
4, Plan (especially the Student Futures SupprtSystem), and the curriculum. Every attempt ismade to speak to the students' immediate needsfor practical and basic .information while aethe same time encouraging ,the students to think
,and plan beyond their first few weeks incollege.
To accomplish this goal, the students arethen treated to an "Opportunities Carousel"--aseries of brief' but interesting exposures toopportunities available to them at AndersgpCollege. Ares covered may include the Tri-S(Student Summer Service) Program, the CareerRe'source Center, Dorm Life, ReligiousProgramming, the Center for Public Service, andSAD (Student Activities Department), :Studies(and retention statistics) have shown that theearliest new students begin to look beyondtheir first semester, the more satisfying theircollege experience.
The students then proceed to Decker 348,9'where they meet with members of the advisingCeam on a: one-to-one basis to go over theThinking-Planning Document and the advisingfile, and .then to work out a class schedule forthe first semester. Allose who are waiting tosee advisers fill out the necessary forms andreceive answers_ to questions they have aboutprocedures. Finally, at the Registrar'sOffice, the forms are collected and the sched-ules entered on the computer. The Registrar'sOffice is the last step for all. At this pointthe summer portion of the Basic AdvisingProgram is finished.
During the freshman year, the Basic AdvisingProgram operales as follows. Most freshmen livein dorms, and during their first year the BasicAdvising Program is residence hall-based.Students meet with Residence 'Hall Assistantsand Directors to work out class schedules forJanuary Term and second semesto. Advisingfiles are housed in the residence halls. Thereferral process plays an important role in the
2547;
advising and scheduling that takes place-in thedorms; advisers know who, to eontact to getanswers to questions or solve problems.
Commuting,freshmen are assigned to one spe-cially trained Residence Mall Director for anadviser. Their advising process is much thesame as with the other freshmen. Transfer stu-dents are assigned a faculty adviser, but mostof these students are eligible to declare amajor during their first semester on campt andthus quickly move to the upper-division,deparment-based advising program.
Studellks exit the Basic Advising Progratwhen they'aeclare a malbr at the office of theRegistrar and are assigned by the Registrar tofaculty ;adviserS in the various academicdepartments. Their advising files are for-warded to their new advisers. Students arenormally eligible to declare a major during thesemester in which they accumulate thirty 'or
more hoUrs. For most students, this is thesecond semester of the freshman year.
A number of techniques are used to evaluatethe 3asic Advising Program. First, there is abriefr written evaluation from ever)i student whois advtsed at a summer advising session. Nospecial form is used; each student is simplyrequested to jot down iimpressions and eva-luations of the session. (These evaluationsare, almost withouE exception, enthusiasticallypositive): Second, there is an annual writtenevartation by the director, after consultationwith all the offices and advisers involved inthe Basic Advising Program.- Third, during phe1976-1977 school year, the Basic AdvisingProgram was evaluated by a professional,con-sultant. A fourth method the annualbudgeting process. Fifth, and most valuable,is an informal, day-to-day evaluation proce-dure. In an institution where there are verylow organizational "walls", s'uch ongoing eval-uations can effiect substantial changes withina very short.tiMe.
There are'"hlso miscellaneous evaluations.For example, in September 1978, a questionnaireregarding the quajity of academic advising was
--sent to all new ptudents. There is planned forNovember \1978 a comprehensive evaluation (oncomputer cards and evaluated by the computer)of.residence hall advising.
These evaluations have shown a numbr ofthings about the Basic Advising Program. Forevaluative purposes, it is not clear whethercosts are an t.dvantage or a disadvantage of theBasic Advising Program. It costs milre than didthe old centralized advising sys-CjM, 8ut notmuch more The total cost for the BasicAdvising Program is approximately $7,500, upapproximately ..$2,000 over ?what it was threeyears ago in the old Advisng Center.
. The following items have been identified asstrengths by the ,various evaluations done thusfar. First, students sense a personal care andconcern on the part of the institution. Almostall are happy to travel even great distancesduring the summer for personal, face-to-faceattention. The Balhic Advising Program helpsbuild an increased sense of community, whichthe institution values* Secoad, students areless apprehensive about the start of theirfreshman year. They have already been oncampus, been exposed to many procedures andrequirements, and made friends they are anxiousto see again in September. A third advantageis the expanded role of the residence hall as a
26
center for learning, valuing, problem-solving,and caring. During the academic year the BasicAdvising Program is centered in the residencehall and is reinforced by strong restdence-hallprogramming. A fourth strength of the programis the enthusiasm of its advisers. The programbenefits frotn team effort. The faculty memberswho are a partc-7 the Basic Advising Team areall volunteers; residence-hall directors andresidence-hall assistants realize the expandedrole which is reqUired of them before theyapply,for the position. Fifth, a strength ofthe program noted by the professional con-sultant is the 'requirement ,of planning andvaluin4 on the part of the students, forcingthem td look beyond their first few days orweeks at college.
All in all, the Basic Advising PrograM hasproven a better advising system for freshmenthan its predecessor. It is improving eachyear. Three years ago the new Basic AdvisingProgram bore the brunt of student c mplaintsabout academic advising. Howe r, theSeptember 1978 questionnaire showed t ere wereonly 127. as many problems. (per 100 students)noted in basic advising as opposed to upper-division adviping in the academic departments.
There are also some problems with the BasicAdvising Program. First, schedulitig blunderscontinue to be made and inaccurate infOrmationcontinues to be disseminated, especially byStudent residence-hall assistant advisers. Thenumber of these errors has been cut drasticallythis paSt year over te previous year by agreatly expanded adviser training programeAnother prbblem is the reluctance of advisers,especially residence-hall assistant. advisers,to say'"I don't know" and to make use of thereferral system. A third problem is a shortageof trained advisers at some of the summersessions. The biggest problem, by far, hasbeen getting all of the academic advising fileswhere. theyi need to" be gotted, on time, 'arid
without maddening disappearances of nuMbers offiles. By next year a whole new system offiling will have been instituted, which, it ishoped, will avert the problems experienced upto this time.
, "THE 707. SOLUTION: THE ADVISOR'S PRESCRIPTIONFOR THE 805"Presenter: Dr. Jane N. Lippman
Assistant Dean, College ofHumanities, The University of Texasat Austin
In today's woild students and parentl alikespend 4ntold hours fretting over the choice ofa major. Registration forms reinforce thiscOncern from the Moment a student enterscollege in spite tf our insistence 'that it'sill right to be "exploratory". In the pastst,udents may have worried over the choice oftheir major but they felt they could base theirdecision on the subject matter for iti ownsake. They could afford the luxury ofselecting English because "I like English."They didn't have to be concerned about market-able per se. Professional literature,reflects this-change in attitude in the June-July 1978 issbe of Chan. The Dialog entitled"Should Students Be Advised Against Majoring inAreas of Study Where Job'Prospects Are Weak?"speaks to the importance of double majors, '
increasing employability, and self-knowledgefor students, and should be of interest tocounselors and adviscirs, Wit.h our currentemphasis on the selection of- a utilitarianmajor, we often fail to point.out to sthdentsthat a major rarely consists of more than 36semester hours of 307 of a colljhe degree.Seen in this light, it should lose some of itsexclusivity and become relative to the other707. of the degree.
Our role for the future will be to makeavailable to each student the kind of advisingand counseling that will enable him. to chooseconsciously each course with a purpose in mindwhich will not only unify his total degreeprogram but also enable hiM to encompass thecourses which will permit him to obtain maximumflexibility within the framework' of hiseducational objectives.
To aecomplish these aims, we will firstneed to continue to roverhaul 'some of thecurrent modes of advieing as corried out bylarge numbers of professors in some of the'fineet institutions in this country. Until.
2 recently much academic . advising was nothingmore than card sifbing. Students were expected'to take-certain courses, and faculty members,anxious to return to their personal research,which far more than academic Advising deter- -
mined their merit raises and promotions, oftensimplySslanzed at student Schedules, perhaps onoccasion asked a question such as "Are youtaking what you need for the Englishrequirement?," and.in a perfunctory manner gavewritten approval. If a student appeared"lost'," he was encouraged to take phtlosophy orchemistry or perhaps a particular'tourse in'Frencih, being,. told that "It will be good foryou.". But how often have .advisors explainedthe true benefits of a course--whether they befor the student's personal educational aims andobjectives or necessary for deRarttentalenrollments?
Many years ago, colleges were reservedprimarily for the social and even intellectualelite who were interested in acquirIng or main-taining the attributes of the aristocracy. Aliberal education.was the training of a gentle-man, and a gentleman was defined as one who didnot have .to learn 'a trade or a craft. But most
'-'
ones feel A moral obligation to be able to usetheir college education in a practical way.
Advisors have begun to realize that theircontemporary clients ark not all 18 year oldupper-middle class Anglos who have 'graduatedfrom the top fourth of their high school class.Six years ago Pat Cross (1972) in "New Rolesfor Deans and Counselors," calledl.atteRtion toelle new student groups on our cam s beingbrought into the mainstream of ed ation underthe pressures of egalitarianism.
.
Hand in hand. with the chang in studentpopulations is tNe strong of"accountatility" ttat is permeati
gfeetlhieng
of academe. The ibudent is no'lo er our sub-"ject. He is a consumer and as suc has certain.legal claim5. Some- schools have been facedwith time-congtMing law suits. B t account-ability need not be a fearful concep , and itneed' not cripple or stifle ui, for there is .
built into it the suggestion of more partici.-pation and concern on the part pf our clients.
Another blessing that hag come our way Isth% legal recognition of 18-year-old majority.If a student is an adult at 18, we shouldexpect him to learn to accIpt the .reppon-sibilities inherent in adulthood. An adOisoris a listener, a helper, wproposer of options.An advisor confers, questions, recommends andsuggests. Nowhere does it say tha an advisormakes decisions or gives commands. When a stu-dent tAlls me he or she has a miserable sche-'dule or that there isn't one course out of fivethat is enjoyable, I say "You may not havethought things through.carefully enough.." Inother words, it's the student's responsibilityto plan his schedule. I remind students,"Look, it's your life and your degree. Thedegree you plan is your own." '
However, many degrees simply aren'tplanned. They often lack cohesion and per-sonalizUtion, and that' why students' arecrying, "I can't do a thing with my diploma!"I feels very strongly that students should bechallenged to plan their college programs sothat they will be useful to them upon gradua-tion. Lately I"ve heard students say they'reavoiding the humanities because a major inEnglish or Spanish won't buy groceries. Formany students this may be true, but I stronglysuspect that these same students would notexcel in other' more readily marketable fields,because one needs more than-lr ,..
succeed. Initiative, perseverance and goodplanning, importanq for on-the-job success, arealso essential ingredients of a well-balanced,useful college de ee.
Students sho think, of their overall.program and e ucational objectives w enplotting each semester's schedule and notregister for a course simply because it meetsat 10 a,m. on-MWF and they want to be free inthe afternoons. Students silbuld be encouragedto devote time to the selection of their elec-tives because a meaningful core of electivescan enhance career and employment oppor-tunities. A large portiOn. of most degrees iselective and in many schools there is a greatdeal of choice and flexibility in the+fulfillment of requirements. Previously wehave been so concerned about major. choice, the30% of.the 'degree, that we may not have fullyrecognized the importance of the remaining 70%.
We must continue to e courage ,students to
tchoose wisely, not whimsi lly, for they can
5
27
develop or acquire all sorts of marketableskills through electives. They can oftencomplete the equivalent of a second majOr inbusidess or journalism, for example, or a con-centration of courses that would allow them toenter the health professions. How often dostudents talk to professors abbut their coursesbefore registering for them? Me know how difficult it can be to plan a useful program on"registration day when schedules are oftenhastily thrown together. Students, should thinkof their degree as a large, sometimes compli-cated jigsaw puzzle. Faculty advisors, other.professors, counselors, and placement centersare all available to help them in the decision-making process ,but STUDENTS and not advisorsmust go through the time-consuming process ofputting the pieces together. Advisors shoulddo more than repeat what is stated in acatalogue or course schedule. Some of Ourgreatest services should be to pose questionsand to teach students to mai:e informed deci-sions. We must also continue to destroy themyth of the omnipotent major, which alone willopen the doors to a glamorous career.
How can a student possibly expect to be6 employable simply because he or she has taken
about 30 hours in English, philosophy, or aforeign lantuage. However, English combinedwith .advertiding and marketing might seem mOrepromising to a prospective employer. A studentwho likes to write or edit and who has enjoyedsome basic courses in chemistry, physics, andbiology might seek a position eitner ,with amedical journal or a large engineering' firm. AFrench major who would like to live and worka road should consider pursuing courses in
rnational business, marketing, and adver-ising. In addition
4knowledge of Arabic or.
Japanese would certainly increase employmentpossibilities in the foreign arena.. Finally,chemistry majors who lack a graduate degreemight well be advised to complete a c(inb-
centration of courses in marketing. A'knowledge of German (or another foreignlanguage) plus the ability to write\ wouldiurther increase employability.
Instead of considering theoretical degreecombinations, however, let's take a(hypotheti-cal "student who might appear at our office dooias a freshman ready to have his course cardsigned. In walks John Doe, an exploratory 4
major from a large city high school, sportingSAT scores of 625 Verbal and 475 Math. Whilehe doesn't feel ready to declare a maj.or, heexplains that he has always enjoyed English inhigh school becaude he had good teachers anddid well. Also he likes ,to read4and he mpyhave a flair for writing. His father. neverfinished college but has had a,moderately suc-cessful career, as the district manager of alarge grocery store chain. His mothet alwayswanted to be an art teacher but instead devotedher energies to four children, of whom JOhn isthe eldest. John says that he could do wellenough in math and sctnce but he doesn'treally enjoy them. While his parents have beensupportive and loving, John has been'told thathis family will-have to make some sacrifices tosend him and the other children, who are all,
11/2 - 2 years apart, to college, and that,hewill be eXpected to finish in 4- years andlocate at that time a well-paying ..)ob with afuture.
'
When asked about his hobbies and interests,he stdted that he likes photography and haseven had a group of his black and whiteportraits displayed at the local newspaper whenhe took pictures of the opening of ohe of hisfather's new stores." One summer heserved as acamp counselor and has taught photography tothe campers, and while he had enjoyed that, he
...knows he doesn't want to go into teaching as acareer. "...He says he does want to work withpeople and ideas in a creative way. He said.some of his mother's interest in art may have"rubbed off" on him, but that he doesn't wishto spend long periods of timer painting ordrawing.
During orientation he placed out of first-semester English and a year of French.Fortunately, graduation requirements are sobroad that there is much room for flexibilityand choice. John's advisor suggested .""d heconsider satisfying some of these requirementswhile continuing to explore and sample a widerange of courses. He chose a special sectionof second-semester English, a third-semesterFrench course designed for students who had nothad previous French at this institution, apsyckology course because he likes people, a
chemistry course entitled "Science and theEnvironment," and a philosophy course(Contemporaty, Moral Problems). In."the/Aspringhe enrolled in sophomore level exihositorywriting, fourth-semester French, economics,physical science, and as an elective, Speechfor Business and Profeesional Communication, tohelp him. feel more confidenr when talking withothers. In addition, it was suggested that hevisit the Career Choice Infbrmation Center andtake some vocational interest and aptitudetests. While John knew that he still enjoyedreading and loved to write, he hoped to be ableto learn ways to use his writing and wanted todiscover the type of wrj.ting for which he wasbest",Suited. p These tests' and intervidwsrevealed that he had a guide wit, a flair withwords, the ability to get along with people,and was gregarious.. He completed, the schoolyear with a 2.75 (out of a possible 4.00)grade-point average. During the summer Johnworked in one of his father's grocery stores asa shelf stuffer and .on occasion helped set dpsepcial display§ in the store. He enjoyed thelatter immensely.y . The- following fall, thebeginning 'of his sophomore year, Johnregistered for required U.S. history, Englishliterature, artsomnibus, and businesp .math, andchose an advertising gotrse A an electivebecause of the fun he had working on specialdisplays during the previous summer. He wasdelighted with this course land took another onein the spring. His thoughtd turned to pursuinga cluster of courses in advertising. Hwcon-'tinued to major in English, however, because.hethoroughly enjoyed the courses he was takingand because he thought there c..mts more flexibil-ity in pursuing other fields in idterest inthe B.A. program than in the School ofCommunication.. That summer he again worked irka grocery store and gained some experience inhelging to prepare layouts for week-end spe-cials. In so doing he confirmed his love ofadvertising and on some of his days off con-sulted two or three advertising firms in thearea to learn what other supporting work they,might find useful. He received positive
28.
vibrations when Ite -indicated that upongraduation he expected to have 36 semesterhours of English iu addition-to at least-18hours in advertisingIftee was encouraged by thevice-president of one firm to take Some courtesin computer sciences, a sampling of accounting,marketing and management as well as a.couple ofcourses in journalism to gain facility ,indifferent writing styles.
John returned to his junior year in schoolfeeling more purpose in his academic pAbgram.He registered for 18,hours, a heavy but nctimpossible load since his overall grade pointaverage was now 3.18 and he felt enthusiasticabout his classes. They were: hglishliterature, a government course required ofall students, advertising . media, a radio-television film course thaE dealt with basicinformational skills and theories required toequip students to communicate . through anyaudio/visual medium, journalism (Writing forthe Mass Media) and Principles bf Marketing.In the spring he 'took two American literaturecourses, computer sciences, photography andelementary business statistics.
Since he had saved around $2000 by workingfor two summers, he decided to go to one 6-weeksummer 'term to take government and classicalcivilization-and then to Europe for -weeks.He was ao enamoured of Erance that upon hisreturn he decided to continue his study ofFrench. Two and one-half years had elapsedsince 'his last French course, but he heard a.lot cf French during his trip and was thereforeable to fit into a one-hour conversation coursethat fall. JeIn .addition, he took accounting,courses on editing, advertising campaigns,public relations, and legal and ethical issuesin advertising. He was also encouraged toattend resume writing clinics sponsortd by theCareer Choice Information Center as well' asseminars on how to find a job. During his lastsemester, John took English literature; second-semester .accounting, advertising -management,advanced conversational French, creativewriting and interpersonal dynamics. Hegraduated.with honors and- was hired by a majbradvertising firm in the Southwest.
There .ate almost as many degree com-binations as there are students and there willbe increased job possibilities in the. 1980'sfor talented students with initiative and per-severance. One of the best ways studentt candemonstrate these qualities is to present anobviously, well planned degree program. Theadvisor's prescription for the next decade willbe for students to learn to think and planpersonalized degrees that will represent themboth educationally and professionally.
XXREFERENCES
Cross, K.P. New Roles for Deans and Counselors.Journal of the NationaL Association of176F:in-Deans ana-tounse ors, 1972, 36, 19-267
Dialog: "Should Students Be Advised AgainstMajoring in Areas of Study Where JobProspects Are Weak?". Change, June-July
' 1978, 10(6), 66-68.
"ADVISING AND COUNSELING THE PREPROFESSIONALSTUDENT"Presenters: Jeanne M: Lagowski, Assistant Dean
Neal A. Hartman, Cou selorHealth Professions Office, Collegeof Natural Scidnces, The Universityof Texas at AustinJeanne M. Bunch, Director ,
Preveterinary AdVising, College ofVeterinary Medicine, Michigan StateUniversity
Undergraduate institutions and professional---chools can both be involved in advising and
counseling the preprofes 'nnal student; Formalprofessional school invtdvement in prepro-fessional advising varies greatly. The Collegeof Veterinary .MAdicine at Michigan ' StateUniversity, which advises preveterinary stu-dents on the Michigan State campus, is at oneend of tht specitrum. At Oe other endand, farmore common--is the situation where - theundergraduate. institution advises for a largenumber of different professional programs andprofessional schools; the Health ProfessionsOffice at the University of Texas at Austin,which advises approximately 3,500 studentinterested in various health scareers, is anexample. This joint program (1) described asuccessful model for, counseling and advisingprofesstbnal students at a large state univer-sity, and (2) demonstrated the impact ofadvising an a student's competitiveness ,foradmissipn, to a professiOnal program and. theAlsociatea Accountability of the advisor andcollege.. 4
I. A MODEL
The Hialth Professions Office (HPO) at TifeUnivecsity of Texas works with students rangingfrom Kigh school to those enrolled in foreignprofessional schools. Four specific aspects ofadvising and counseling the preprofessionalstudent were identified and discutsed: (1)group advising, (2), self-advising; (3) peeradvising; and (4) adyising the non-competitivestudent apd the student who seeks a careerchange.
Prior discussing the advising model, itwas indica d that the HPO provides (1) indivi-dual advising, (2) encouragement for andcooperation with student organizations, and (3)preprofessional, advising only. Students mayselect' any 'Major at. the University whilesatisfying professional school .admissionrequirenents. PreprofessionaL students ireidentified by.g suffix on their major code.e.g., E14414 would indicated a student in theCollege' of Natural Sciences(E), who is abiology major (14Q and is a premed./dent./vet.(14); a "17" 'suffix Oentifies studentsinterested in the allied health professions.
GROUP ADVISING
Group advising methods have provensuccessful for reaching a large number of stu-dents with maximum efficiency of time and'in anon-threatening Atmosphere. HPO staff membersmeet with groups of high schobl students whovisit' the campus during U.T. days and ProjectInfo programs, both sponsored by the Office ofAdmissions. The University also sponsors anextensive New Student Orientation Program whereadvising cffices have an oppvtunity to meet
with freshmen and .transfer students in groupand in individual settings. An overview'of theHPO, preprofessional req4remapts and upcomingcourseworis,.presened at thirtime.
For enrolled students, the HPO regularlysponsors topic7orignted focus groups on timelysubjects such is: (1) procedures to apply tomedical or dental school; (2) preparing for theinterview, (3) course advising for freshmenpremedical or predental students, (4) 'courseadvising for physical therapy students. Theoffice also publishes two newsletters which aremail,ed to the 1.oca1 addresses of all identifiedhealth professions students; "What's Up Doc?"to all premed./dent./vet. students, and "HP0-poucri!" Ap' all students interested in alliedheaith. Bulletin boards.o. Maintained outsidethe immediate office area provide general
.information after office hours.
SELF-ADVISING
will r be a comRetitive applicant? ,WhatAre my chances? Students seek answers to thesequestions because they want or need positivereinforcement, or are trying to make toughdecisions. Data portraying various ' chArac-
.. teristics of -previous applicants.and-their suc-,cest in gaining admission to professionalprograms have been a well-received self-advising tool. For example, the scattering ofsuccessful and unsuccessful applicants ongrade-point average (GPA) vs. MCAT score matrixcan be very thought provoking. With large num-bers of students, informative profiles can bedeveloped which retain individuhl anonymity;tke message is not 'clouded by grouping in lesscompetitive ranges. Allowing students accessto these data permits private and non-threatening self-assessment, always with theknowledge .that counselors are available fordiscussion. Counselors must, however, be pre-phred to discuss, observations such as, "Here'sa person who got in with a GPA less than "X",and an MCAT of "Y"; there's hope for me!" Dataon majors, age, sex, etc. have ,proved valuablecounseling aids. All students need a viablealternate career plan, a topic which is easierto discuss when it can be demonstrated thatthere is no "best" major and that successfulapplicants from your school have majored insubjects ranging from art to economics tozoology.
CarWfully presented data can facititaterealistic assessment and discussion of quan-titative parameters. It should he emphasizedthat quantitative descriptors are not'the wholestory, but their importance is undeniable. Inhada-ran to the- self-advising possiBilities,the availability of factual dace can lead toincreased advisor credi%abil&ty and , canactually encourage meaningful dialog betWeenthe student and advisor. y)
and' ottigi abilities must be taken into con-sideration for the welfare of both the officeand the student. Interpersonal skills and per-sonality factors must be considered, since peeradvisors meet and interface with a wide variety
students, parents, fadulty, and visitors.Reliability, respohsibility, and ditcretion arealso keys to a student's selection as a peeradvisor. Students who .are interested in--andqualified 'for--peer advisor positions areinterviewed'by the senior counselor responsiblefor peer advisors. potential peer advisorswork during a preregistration advising period(ca. 7 days) to allow' observation of theirabilities and natural "talents" for workingwith. people.
Training is done initially and throughout astudent's tenure as a peer advisor. TrainingSessions conducted at the beginning of the aca-demic year acquaint the peer advisors wi;th aca-demic procedures, policies, and courses, aswell as with H 0 operating procedures.Required weekly mee ings for peer advisors areconducted by ,the.r sponsible senior counselor.Special 'training orkshops are held for theadditional student advisors working duringWeregistration perpds.
Peer, advisors are individually evaluatedtwice each semester. An evaluation form iscompleted hy the peer advisors aud by the
\-reapensible tenior counselor. This instrument -
' seeks information regarding such factors ascooperation, sensitivity, information dissemi-nation, and use of reiources, and poses aseries of, open-ended questions. The seniorcounselor and peer advisor meet to compareevaluative summaries and discuss areas ,fOrimprovement as Well as areas- of excepionalperformance..
Peer advisors have been recognized as anintegral, part of the advising prdcess by bothstudents and staff. Many student§' are morecomfortable first approaching a well-informedmember of their own peer group who can easilyintroduce them to the office's resources. Thepeer advisors are in a position to keep/ thesenior staff informed about student needs andconcerns. It cannot be too strongly statedthat the selection process is critical, a& is -the follow-up training and evaluation. The_benefits more than compensate for the -timespent.
CPEER ADVISING
Student peer advisors are employed y theHPO' throughout th4 year. As. the office's"front-line," they 'discuss routine questions'and concerns, referrink to senior counselorswheu appropriate; distribute . printed infvr-mation, and carry out dunies as Assigned.)
Peer advisors are upper-classmen who havecompleted many of the courses which aspiringpreprofessional student's must face. It isimpostant to emphasize that for students towork comfortably in a office where competitipnis noticeable, they, too, must have competitiveCredentials. Consequently, such factors as GPA
30
9-
The-Non-Competitive Student; Changing =CareerDirections
In the eyes of many preprofessional advi-sors, working with the non-competitive staent ,
is the most difficult aspect of their job--tohelp a good student realize that (s)he may notbe good enough to do-Whartmrwaniand_at thesame time convince him that he has a lot tooffer society. Yet, this is perhaps one of theadvisors' most important functions--and it canbe one of the most personally rewarding aspectsof their work. Essential elements in vhesilb
interactions can be succinctly summarized:don't make decisions, don't criticize ; focuson the positive; and encourage to keep /intouch.
kecognizing the highly competitive-natureof preprofessional programs and realizing thatstudents do change their minds, it is importantto try to set 41e stage from the very beginningso that the stddent feels it is "OK' to changehis mind. In other words, consciously build in
waya to allow students to save facer.* Orienta.-tion skssions prior to the first semester oncampus are not too early for students to heartheir advisors say that specific prafessionalcareers' 4re not for everyone and that collegeshould.be a time to explore their motivationfor their proposed career through volunteer (orpaiclile work. In this same context it ispossible to talk about the importance of alwayshaving a "Plan B", which in turn provides abasis for discussing the importance df choosinga major far reasons other than its presumed'.probabLiity for getting one into professional,school. Even if the student "knows" thesestatepents are not meant for him; he has beenexposed to them and has subconsciously filedthem away. Should the student subsequently'find that he is not performing up to his expea-tations academically, or should his interesCsshift, the student who can say to hiS advisor,"Do you remember when *you said (medicine)wasn't for everyone? Well, I've beenthinking " .knows he can discuss his -con2c9rns without trepidation. Some prohingquestions directed toward the, reasons why aparticulat profdssional career was chosen canbe insightful;. especially when .a new careerdirection has not yet been identified.
Follow-up is particularly important aftera counseling session dealing with non-competitiveness- or a significant change incareer direction. A Xelephone call or a shortnote which communicates that you care andserves to keep the communication lines open istime well Spent. Small things often make thedifference between an office--or an advisor--which the students perceive ap warm andconcerned vs. cold and indifferent.
II. THE INFLUENCE OF ADVISINGCON ACADEMIgPERFORMAVCE'AND ASSOCIATED ACCOUNTABILITY
There are 22 schools and colleges ofveterinary ' medicine in the U.S., with an
/ applicaht;acceptance ratio of approximately 7to 1. Each of the veterinary schools utilizesa priority system,based on-state of residency,giving preference to residents of the homestate, ,timited consideration to applicants fromstates _having no Veterinary school, andgenerally no consideration to applicants from .
states having a veterinary sehool. Selectioncriteria for admission to the .College ofVeterinary Medicine at Michigan State'University4 include cumulative GPA, preveteri-nary science OA, Veterinary Aptitude Testscore, veterinary. exposuie, nlci an interviewscore. The currene level of competition isreflected in means of 3.5 cumulative GPA, 3.4preveterinary science GPA, and 3.5 years ofcollegiate-level work for accepted candidates.
The PreVetertnary Advising Center atMichigan State is a function of the Dean'sOffice in the,College of Veterinary Medicine.Thi,s office is responsihle for the *'academicadvising of all preveterinary majors, numbering-about 500 freshmen and 300. sophomores.(Students reaching Junior Standing 4re requiredto declare an upper college major in a bac-calaureate degree program.) Advisers' func-tions include providing information onpreveterinary requirements, application proce-dures, and selection criteria for professionalprogram admission; assisting in planning course4nrcil1ment utilizing appropriate data; pro-viding tools for self-assessment-in terms ofsuitability for the veterinary profrsion and
.competitiveness -.for admission* assisting stu-dents with identification of.* ahd referralrelative to, alternative program and career-,choices.
A focus in this presentation was the impactof advising on two primary factors in selection;for admission to the predgssiohal progravLcumulative CPA and preventerinary science GPA.The cumulative GPA ,is calculated on ,allcollegiate coursework attempted. The preveter-inary science GPA is calculated on, and Umitedto, 50 quarter credits of required physicalscience, biological science, and mathematics.Rerformance in- all college coursework,and in
14 'these required science courses, in particular,is a critical factor influencing a student'spotential competitiveness as an applicant.
Key points of impact on performance inacademic adviiing* are (1) selectinn ofentry-level mathematics, chemistry, add English'4courses 'based on test scores and preparation;(2), seletion of second-term co81-se enrollmentbased on first-term performance and experience;and (3) selection of second-year courseenrollment based on first-year performancelevel as it measures against the current levelof competition for professionaladmission. Poor choices at any of the):: grker;points have the potential of setting intomotion a sequence of academic performance thatmay do ,irreparable damage to a student's com-petitiveness for admission, thus etfectivelypreventing a student from attaining his/hereducational and career goal.
Duiing freshman orientation programs,ACT/SAT scores, Michigan State Placement Testscores, high school batkground, and individualconsiderations are utilized to determineappropriate' entry-level courses for' eadh stu-dent. There are fiva possible entry points inmatIieiatics, two in chemistry, and" two inEng1tsti.
Since the mathematics add chemistry coursesin the first term total ten credits, or 207. of
.the preveterinary stience GPA, identificationand assessment of factors which will influencea st,udent's performance' in these Courses areessential. Using chemistry as an example, thefollowing factors have been identified ascorrelating with performahce: minimum che-mistry placement test score in combination withtwo years of high school chemistry, one year
,high school physics, reading placement ,testscore in the 75th percentile or better, andmath placement at the 70th percentile orbetter. All relevant factors are consideredfor every student, and in addition, the studentis' informed of guidelines for continued assess-ment relative to deadlines for changes inenrollment early in the term, .should thatbecome necessary.
.To determine second-term enrollment, per-formance in first=term courses is evaluatedrelative to continuation in sequences and con-sideration given to beginning a new subjectarea. For example, the student who has takenthe more advanced, one-term chemistry course
"would Kaye /the "option of beginning organicchemistry 4r physics, along with beginningbiology a d continuing English and socialscience. Since grades in these science coursesare calcAilated in the preveterinary scienceGPA, continued identification and assessment offactors inflUencing performance is essential toinsure, insofar as possible, optimum perfor-mance in these courses.
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Similarl;r, first-year enrollment and per-formanc*Mre evaluated in the advising sessionfor second-year enrollment. At this point wecan calculate the cumulative GPA and the GPAfor courses which will be calculated in thefinal fteveterinary science GPA. The studentcan compare these GPA's to the current mean andrange of accepted candidates to assess his/hercompetitiveness at this Toiht. Further, we canproject future 'levels of performance necessaryto maintain -or achieve Ncompetitiveness,provtding the student a-realistic basis forfurther educational and career planning.
' Academic _advising has a direct, stgnifi-cant,.and obvious impact on the academicfrecordthe applicant subniits for consideration by theCollege 'of Veterinary Me4icine AdmissionsCommittee. ,Consequently, an additionalcomponent in preprofesiional advising isaccountabilicy. Responsibility upon whichaccountability is predicated can be delineatedas followsf (1) The University and College ofVeterinary Medicine are responsible to providecomp.lete, clear statements of requirements,
_policies, procedures and criteria, and toadminister these equally; (2) the AdvisingCenter and Advisers are responsible,to maintaincurrent information on University and Collegerequirements, policies, procedures, and cri-teria; to maintain currentAnowledge of course,00ntent and sequences and advising guidelines;and to transmit this informatiom and providethe best _advising judgement possible An goodfaith" to all advisees equally; (3) the Studentis responsible to obtain and maintain reason-able . knowledge of University and Collegerequirements, pnlicies, procedures, andcriteria; to make good-faith efforts to complywith these; and to seek information andassistance relative to academic concerns.
To protect the student,, adviser, and-tollege, a record of each advising transactionis placed in the student's advising folderdescribing "the nature of the transaction andboth the student's and adviser's understandingof information given and action taken. Inaddition, any committment made to a student isrecorded tn tile form cif a memorandum to thestudent with.a copy to the student's advisingfolder. Examples of notations made in thestudent's record for this purpose follow:
(1) "Placement scores and backgroundindicate student may enroll in calculusfor entry-level mathematics; studentunderstands that college algebra ismaximum requirement for veterinarymedicine, that the grade for the mathcourse will be calculated in the pre-'veterinary science GPA, and that thestudent is obligated to completion ofcollege algebra only, and not calculus;student further understands that he maydrop back to college algebra in thefirst 5 days of class, and that October27 is the last day to drop a course."
(2) "Student understands residency prior-% ities for admission to College of
Veterinary Medicine and that he is.included in the non-resident categoryconsidered for about 107 of theentering class; is aware pf the levelcf competition for non-rtsidents; willobtain admission requirements for otherveterinary schools for which she iseligible so a program can be planned to
32
include same and maxiMize opportunitiesfor veterinary education."
(3) "Menorandum: This is to provide awritten redord of the following commit-ment made to you on behalf of theCollege of Veterinary Medicine: uti-lizing Honors 'College privileges forcourse substitution, the followingcolirses are accepted in place ofBiology 211 and 212: Zoology 401Comparative Physiology, 4 credi6b;Zoology 441 Genetics, 5 credits. (Copyto College of Veterinary MeaicineAdmission Office.)"
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"EVALUATION OF ACADEMIC ADVISING"Presenters: Dr. Dan Wesley, Director
Dr. James F. Caldwell, AssistantDirector, Office of StudentServices, College of Arts andSciences, Oklahoma Si:ate University
The theme of the Second National Conferenceon Academic Advising was "Impact: AdvisingMdkes the Drference." Based on an evaluatipnof the advisers in the College of Arts andSciences at Oklahoma , State University, wethought it appropriate to deal with thequestion: "Does academdc advising make a dif-ference?" in'TeiTe is much in the literature inthe field dealing with models of academic,advising, and some on theories of academicadvising-, but there is little in the literaturethat deals with the impact and the evaluationof acadeMic advising. Hence, this presen-tation, which was intended to stir additionalinterest in evaluating academic adviging. Theintent here is not to offer this as a model forevaluating academic advising, but rather toencourage .others to help document what, if any,difference advising makes.
This presentation in large part is arecognition of the need to work at developingsome means of evaluating advising and providingsome empirical evidence as to its contributionto higher education. Realizing that eachinstitution-and situation may have peculiari-ties which are '..alique, we may _not, at thistime--or, perhaps, ever--be able to develop a"standardized" evaluativn. However, we beliveit is important tu- have some 'basis forevaluating the iicontribution of advising.
Granted, we ill present an approach andsome data regarding the evaluation of advising.This is done more to illustrate one means ofevaluation rather Lhan to provide "the model"for evaluation.
The' purposes for the evaluation were tohelp in: (1) the evaluation of our advising
....system so modifications could be" made ifwarranted, (2) the evaluation of individual,advisers so the best 'advisers could bereappointed._ (3) the deermination of areas'where student needs are not being met, (4) con-
' sideration of faculty members for promotions,and (5) advisers' modification , of theiradvising practices in light of studentperceptions of their effectiveness.
As we worked through this evaluation pro-cess, five basic questions were foremost in ourminds. (1)' How do our students generallyevaluate the effectiveness of their adviser?(2) How do the evaluations of non-faculty advi-sers compare with those of faculty advisers?(3) How does the length of time students havehad ;their advisers relate to their ratings ofthem? (4) How do the ratings of advisers indepartmenes.having a single adviser compare tothose of advisers in departments usinf morethan one adviser? (5) What characteristicscan be found, if any, that distinguish thosehigher rated adv4sers from those who receive,lower ratings?
THE ADVISING SYSTEM IN USE
A Director of Stddent Services, whç is anassistant to the academic dean of the 'college,is charged with the responsibility of coor-dinating the academic advising program of thecollege. The Office of Student Services is
staffed by four academic advisers who have, asa minimum, Master's degrees and serve as advi-sers to students who hav-t not declared majors.Students who have declared majors are assignedto selected advisers in their major fields ofstudy. . Departmental advisers may be non-faculty who are omployed by the depa;tments 'farthe advising function, or fac y Mbmbers whoadvise part-time. The departm, al non-facultyadvisers are selected by the academic depart-ment, with the concurrence of the Director of-Student Services. Most of the departmentaladvisers are faculty members who have beennominated by the departmental chairmen, andwho, upon the recommendation of the Director ofStudent Services, are .appointed by the Deanwith permission for the departmental chairmanto allow released time for advising.
METHODOLOGY
We have evaluated our advising systembiennially three times over the past few, years.The instrument used was developc_d within theCollete of Arts and Sciences. It has beenmodified each time it has been used, but manyof the same questions used in earlier evalua-tions continue to be used.
The questionnaire begins by stating: "Wewant to improve our academic advisement. Thisquestionnaire will help--if you reply franklyand thoughtfully about your presefit adviser."The instrument asked for the following basicinformation: major, adviser's name, class, sexand grade point average. Students were askedto respond to twenty-four items which followed.Eight items,are of a general nature in whichthe student indicates: an overall rating Ofthe adviser, how long' they have had theadviser, the frequency of the contacts and'whether or not the student has given theadviser a chance to serve him/her well. Theremaining items dal with: the availability of.the adviser; the satisfaction the student hasexperienced with the time the adviser has spentwith him/her; the relationship between the stu-dent and the adviser; the student's evaluationof the adviser's competence.
Regarding the validity of the instrument, achi-square was used co sep wat relationshipexisted between each item of the questionnaireand-the overall rating of the adviser as.beingexcellent, good, average or poor. Each rela-tionship was found to be significant at the .01level of higheri, with most being at the .0001level for the total population. The rela-tionship of each of the twenty-four itemquestiona to sex and to grade point average wasgenerally found not to lie significant.
In the spring of 1977 as the students werepre-enrolling for the following fall semester,they were asked to complete this evaluationquestionnaire. It was turned in at the sametime and placed as their trial study planswere. Of about 3800' students who pre-enroned,3029 also turned in the evaluation question-naire. A few students, however, did notrespond to all items on the questionnaire.
The results of the questionnaire indicatedthat 407. of the respondents rated their adviseras excellent, 397. rated their adviser as good,177. rated tfieir adviser as average and 4% ratbdhim/her as poor. An analysis of the -datashowed that advisers varied greatly in theirratings, with a few of the advisers getting
3 34 u
mostof the Low ratings and,a few having veryhigh percentages of excellent ratings.
An academic adviser's effectiveness is inpart dependent upon the advisee's taking someresponsibility. It is assumed that the toneset by the adviser will influence . studentiaterest in seeing the adviSer generally, butonly 677. ofthe respondents indicated that they,had giviEn- thir adviser a chance to serve themwell. No advisor with ten.or more respondentsta the questionnaire had all advisees say theywere giving their adviser a-chance to servethem well.. The more positive overall ratingsof the adviser aue associated also with thestudent feeling he/she had given the adviser Achance to'serve him/her well and also with adesire to keep the adviser. If the adviser hadbeen g401110P a chance to serve well and wasprceived-as average'or poor, students tended toprefer being assigned a different adviser.
When comparing the evaluations of 1316responses for the nine non-facuLty adviserswith 1668 responses for the faculty advisers,the non'-faculty advisers were rated signifi-cantly higher (>.01) on most questions. Thefaculty advisers wefe rated significantlyhigher_ pnly on the item dealing with theirknowledge of requirements and programs in thestudent's major field of study. This dif-.ference may be explained in part by the factthat several, of the non-faculty advisers wereworking with students Who had not yet.declaredmajors andi thus, the requirements were unknown.
The length of time a student has had anadviser tends to influence the student's eval-
.uation of an adviser. The length of time-is.determined in part by the length of time theadviser has served as an adviser and in part bythe length of time a student has ilda a par-ticular major. There is a slight increase inthe adviser's overall rating from the time attudent has been assigned to the adviser upuntil the advisee has had the adviser from sw,to four semesters. After a student has hadadviser for Eive or more semesters ther.e is a-slight decline in the student's overall ratingof the adviser..
In an effort to identfy attributes whichappoar to be associated with effectiveadvising, an analysis was made ,of studentresponsds of the thirty,departmental adviserswho had thirty-five or more advisees respondingto the questionnaire. The six (20%) a4visersmost highly evaluated on the overall rating as'being excellent,- good: average or poor..wenecompared to the six who were rated lowest;There were approximately 550 stIrdentsresponding to the questiowlaire .for each ofthese two sroups. The number% of advisees peradviser responding to the questionnaire rangedfrom thirty,six to 236 fof thp high rated groupand from thirty-five to 255 for the low ratedgroup. The high rated group of advisersincluded three female4. and _three males, odonon-faculty and four laculty members, 3.20equivalency release time for adviting and anage range from twenty-seven to fifty-five, withthe average age being 40.5.years.. The six,lowesr rated advisers cOnsisted of one femaleand five ales, one Don-faculty and, fivefaculty members, 2.88 full tihe equiV-alencyreleAse time for advising and a range in...agesfi.om twenty-nine to sixty-five, with'e theaverage age being 53.7 years.
The lower rated group of advisers hadadvised for a much longer period of time thanthe high rated,group. it is notable that thelower rated group was older and had 'a con-siderably higher portion .of time involved inadministration, research, committee respon-sibilities and health problems than the highrated group.
Evaluations of the higher rated group indi-cated that their advisees w.are' moe satisfiedwith the amount of time spent in discussingcareers, perceived them as being moreinterested in their students and their problemsthan the lower rated,group and also perceivedthem as being more knowledgeable about sourcesof information. In the higher rated group,79.57. of the advisees indicated they had giventheir adviser a chance to serve them well and93.17. wanted to keep their adviser. For thelower rated group, the respective percentageswere 57.97. and 497..
It is also interes%ing to note that thereis a pronounced tendency for more positiveevalpatiOns to be given to those advisers whodo all the advising for their department thanto advisers who share advistng responsibilitieswith others within the department.
CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION
Although there are notable exceptions,there appears to be a generally high degree ofsatisfaction of students with their adviser.There is also a general, though not dramatic,improvement in the overall evaluation of advi-sers during the three evaluations administered.Nonlfaculty academic advisers receive higherratings than faculty advisers. This differenceis probably due to (1) greater availability ofthe non-faculty adviser and (2) non-faculty areseleCted for,thein-primary competence as advi-sers, whereas the faculty advisers have this asa secondary role. With the expense o releasetime and overall effectiveness of non-facultyadvisers, it may become more practical to usenon-faculty advisers where the doctorate is notexpected. '
The advisers wto have had their adviseesfor,a longer period of time tended to receivelower ratings. These individuals were advisingbefore the present selection process was insti-tuted and they tended qto have a large numberof advisees. They also tended to be ,older.They may have lost interest in advising. Theseindividuals tended .to be faculty who also haveother responsibilities and interests. Perhapsthey have not kept up with policiet, proce-dures and. program changes and may not appear tobe as approachabler though they should bebetter known by their advisees. However, thestudents perceive that these advisers cannotrelate as well, and consequently they do notgive them as much ctiance to meet their needs.
In comparing those higher evaluatedadvisers.having 35 advisees or more 14ith thosereceiving lowev evaluations, certain charac-teristics distinguish the two groups, whilelittle differences are founk-in other charac-teristics. Neither the -number of advisees ofan adviser nor the'academic department of theadviser appears to be a factor. The highestevaluated group tended to be younger, haveseryed ai an adviser for a shorter period 'oftipe, have a little more release time foradvising and have less committee, administra-tive or research responsibilities. Not only
34
did the higher evaluated group have'the higherratings on a scale from excellent to poor,,buttheir advisees indicated .a much higher degreeof satisfaction with the help they received'indealing with career information ,acadeMicproblems and basic information. Although therewere individual variations, the tbp rated groupas a whole ranked higher in all areas coveredin the evaluation. Effort needs to be made toget faculty who are more committed advisinginvolved in academic 'advising. The students ofthe 'top rated group indicated they had giventheiir adviser a better chance to serve themwell and were much more likely to want to keeptheir 'adviser. It may be that the adviser'srespOnse to students contributed to thestudents giving them a chance A.0 serve well.
The fact that advisers are rated differ-ently by their, advisees shows that all studentsdo not like ihe same kind of advising, thatadvisers do not relate to all students alike,or both. The relationship between'advisees andadVisers may become a very personal thing.Means for encobraging students to make betteruse of their advisers at times other than justenrellme4t need to be found.
The higher evaluation received by advisersin departments having a single adviser may wellbe the result of an effective process used inappointing advisers. The most qualified personcan be identified and appointed as adviser.Advisers in a department having a singleadviser feel more responsibility for beingknowledgeable and being available. In multi-advising departmentá, there may be more of aninclination that "someone ,else can do it, if I
_don't." It appears that "when everybody advi-ses, nobody advises." Through the selectionprocess now in use, departmental chairmen may.he more sensitive to- the importance of theadvising function and may be nominating facultymembers who are bettar qualified and moreinterested in advising.
at.
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35 4-
"INTEGRATING ACADEMIC COUNSELING INTO THECENTER FOR STUDENT avvivunimmivPresenters:.Cindy Alsup, Academic Counselor ,
Ella Faulkner, Academic CounselorDr. Dennis Heitzmann, DirectorFran Hurley, Career Counselor /
Dr. Tom Osborne, Coordinator ofEducational Support ProgramCenter for Student Development,/Memphis State University
This session presented a model forintegrating a general advising center into atomprehensive center for student development.A ratipnale was provided for the integration ofa variety of counseling and helping centersinto a center for student development. Basedon the important monograph, Student Deyelopmentin Tomorrow's Higher Education (Brown, 1972),the idea that ". . . Total student daVelopmenthas been and must remain ,one 'of the primaryroles of higher education. . . ." was advanced.Two key developmental concepts emerged: 1) Thecollegiate years are the period for many indi-vidual students when significant developmentalchanges occur. 2) There are opportunitieswithin the collegiate program for it to have asignificant impact on student development. Toooften counseling and 'advising cpntacts withstudents are viewed as remedial and terminalor, as Alexander Astin (1978) put it, "discreteencounters rather than developmental processes:"Even, the best staffed tra&itional counselingcenters see only a limited percentage of stu-dents on campus. ,Thus, perhaps the mostscathing indictment: "One of the -major weak-nesses of current student development programsand student affairs functions is that theydirectly affect a 'small minority of studentsand indlrectly h-ive--71Most 'no impact on theacademic aspects of student life" (Brown, 1972,p.43).
In large part the 'Center for StudentDevelopment was formed and the AcademicCounseling unit of the Center was included torespond to the challenge advanced by theProfessional Association of College StudentPersqnnel Workers; namely, that there be "some"type of direct contact with every student."The Center for Student Development in general,and the Academic Counseling unit in particular,provide this direct contact with every studentthrough a structure and procedures that aredesigned to maximize the opportunity forstudent involvement with student servicesprofessionals.
THE CREATION OF THE CENTERFOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
Former Structure and Function of the Advising,tWifliiling, and -gtudent Assistance Services
Prior to fEe ITiirTITElon ofthe Center' fOrStudent, Development in the summer of 1977, theadvising, counseling, and educational supportprograms were independent student services withlocations in a variety of places on campus Inaddition to being structurally and physi allyindependent, there was a concomitant limit tionof communication and referral .channels a ongthe various units. It was noted that studen sand referral agents alike , experienced o ca-sional confusion as to locating the appropri teresource for the perceived need. In s meinstances there was a distinct overlap ofservices, duplication, and consequent ineff'ciency in terms of co§t and services.
In order to meet the challenges outlinedabove and to rectify the inadequacies of theformer system, the Center for StudentDevelopent was conceptualized, planned, and,in the fall of 1977, established. The primaryadvantages of the Center structure and function-are co ease the process of referral, to providefor parsimony and flexibility in budgeting, toreduce overlap and duplication, and to providethe.opportunity Eor mutual interaction and com-munication on clients and professionalinterests among the professional staff.
CENTER -FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
The Center for Student Development is acomprehensive ccunseling and assistance facil-ity providing personal/psychological, academic, .and career resources,for Memphis State Univer-sity students. The existence of the Center isbased upon the University's corwitment to pro-vide professional resources for students todraw upon as they confront the developmentaltasks concomitant with their educationalexperience. By emphasizing developmentallyoriented activities, the Center strives formaximum contact with the university community.The primary activities of the Center include:
--individual and group counseling--personal and educational enrichmentprogramming
--consultation and training for individualsand campus organizations
The Center for Student Development thus encom-passes a wide variety of counseaing and helpingactivities through its various' components:Academic Counseling, Career Counseling,Personal Counseling, the Testing Center, andthe Educational Support Program.
ACADEMIC COUNSELINQ WITHIN THE NTERFOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
The aforementioned goal of "having sometype-of mairect contact with every styldent" hasbecome a reality with the inclusion of theAcademic Counseling unit within the Center forStudent Development. This unit, formerlyreferred to as the General Advising Center,provides the entry point to the Center tor allstudents. The advantages to the student are:1) Each student is formally assigned to onecounselor on the ,staff. From the time a stu-dent is accepted into& the University, he is incontact .ri.th a professional counselor who pro-vides an acceptable and 'comfortable entry pointto academic advising and developmenLal coun-seling. 2) The Academic Counseling unitserves as a vestibule for students to investi-gate the wider array of counseling and helpingservices avaihable to them through the othercomponents of the Center. Because of itsproximity to other offices within the Center,students .using the Academic Counseling unitfind it to be a simple matter to seek addi-tional information and counsel of career,tutorial or remedial educational services, and e-personal concerns. 3) The establishment of a
, relationship with a counselor early 'in one'scollegiate career provides that student with '
the opportunity to form a personalized rela-tionship with a professional that can endureand facilitate his developmental progress.-Moreover, as Chickering (1978) and Astin (1978)note, the intensity and duration of contactwiih a student has a significant impact uponthe likelihood of retainin& that student at auniversity.
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RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER COMPONENTS WITHINTHE CENTER FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
From the initial meeting with the studentuntil the time the student is ready to transferto his major department, academic counselorsare in a position to make the necessaryreferrals to other parts of the Center forStudent Development. A close, relationshipamong the various counselors in the differentunits of the Center makes for a facile means torefer. Each academic counselor is skilled indetermining the . particulr needs of thestudents and, with the increased awareness ofthe' function and professionals of the atherunits of the Center, a referral can be madewith confidence.
CONCLUSION
In an important presentation at the SecondNational Academic Advisors' Conference in,Memphis, Tennessee, Alexander Astin (1978)provided the following message: " . . . Any-policy or program that increases a student'scontact and _involvement at the university willincrease that student's development." He seesadvising as a continuing process, one that maybegin simply with the exploration and recommen-dation of a course schedule in the freshmanyear and continue with the opportunity to focuson career and personal related issues. Thus,the academic counselor's roles is to includedevelopmental counseling, information andreferral to other campus resources.
The Center for Student Development, throughits various units; strives to make Contact withthe mainstream of students to increase thepossibility of involvement in the university.environment. Because the Center provides aunified staff of diversified professionals in acentralized location, students and referralagents alike are assured of a complete andcomprehensive package to suit their particularneeds.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Astin, Alexander. Keynote address to theSecond National Academic Advisors'-Conference. Memphis, Tennessee, 1978.
Brown, Robert D. Student Development inTomorrow's Higher Education. StudentPersonnel . Series No. -16, AmericanC011ege Peisonnel Association. Washington,'D.C.: American Personnel and GuidanceAssociation, 1972..
Chickering, Arthur. Personal communication,Second,National Academic Advisors'Conference. Memphis, Tennessee, 1978.
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"UTILIZING PART-TIME PARAPROFESSIONA1S ASACADEMIC"ADVISORS--A MODEL" -
Presenter: Margaret C. King, Counselor/Coordinator of Academic AdvisingOcean County College, Nj
I. OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE
Ocean County College is a public two yearcommunity college located in the fastestgrowing county in the state of New Jersey. Itsenrollment in the fall of 1978 included over2700 part-time and 2900 full,-time students.
II. BACKFROUND OF ACADEMIC ADVISING AT O.C.C.Academic Advising at O.C.C. had tradi-
tionally been handled by both Counselors andfull-time teaching' faculGy. The Counselors met.with 011 entering freshmen for orientation andadvising prior to the start o5 their firstsemester, and then the students were assignedto alaculty advisor for academic advising fortheir remaining semesters at the ColleAe. Whenthe college was smaller, _the system worked
However, as enrollments began to climb,both students and faculty started expressingsome concerns. For the faculty, their advisingload was becoming unwieldy. For the students,they had trouble meeting with their Advisorand/or- their advisor simply agreed to sign analready coMpleted pre-registr4tion form. Asurvey completed in 1975 showed that only 307.of the faculty and 27% of the students weresatisfied with advising as it was. That fall,the President and the Dean of Students askedthe Counseling Staff tq address the problem.
The Counseling Staff developed a proposalthat was both problem solving and innovative.It was based on 'the concept of an AcademicAdvising Cen,ter staffed by full-time pro-fessionals. However, budget restrictions, cdm-
-, bined withOthe taff's previous experience withManpower paraprofessionals, led to the idea ofusing part-time paraprofessionals, working outof the Counseling Center, as Academic Advisors.A job description was developed for the posi-tion which established the AA degree in SocialScience or a related area as. a minimum require-ment, with the B.A. degree preferred.
An experimental program utilizing part-timeparaprofessionals as academic advisors for 500freshmen was instituted in the summer and fallof 1976. Of the five people who were hired toserve as Academic Advisors, ttiree were O.C.C.graduates who had completed or were about tocomplete their BA degree at Georgian CourtCollege, one was a former teacher with aMaster's degree, and one was a retired seniorcitizen with an extensive background in educa-tion. 'During a twelve hour.training programconducted- by the Counseling Staff, they wereexposed to a thorough review of academic polkcyand procedure, academic programs; degreerequirements, ACT interpretation, communicationand counseling skills, and group counselingtechniques.
That summer, the Advisors ran the freshmanorientation groups which were two hour programsdesigned to familiarize the entering studentwith 0.C.C., with his or her ACT profile and
its, meaning, with the degree requirements forhis/her major, with the recommended courses forthe first semester, and with the Counselingservices available. During the months ofNovember and December, Advisors provided thepre-registration advising for the secondsemester of the student's freshman year. Atthat 'time, the Advisor and student met on aone-to-one basis for 1/2 hour to discuss thestudent's educational and career plans, his/herexperience at 0.C.C., the remaining degreerequirements for his/her major, and the speci-fic courses to be taken. the next semester.Evaluation forms were completed by 360 of thestudents who participated in the program (857.);332 (92%) were satisfied with the advising theyhad received and 333 (927.) were .comfortableworking with an Academic Advisor.
Based on the successful experience with theexperimental program, a Program ServiceImprovement (PSI) was submitted to the Deansand President to utilize trained part-timeparaprofessionals to provide academic advisingfor all full-time freshmen during the summermonths (Freshman Orientation & Advising) andfor all full-time freshmen not enrolled incertain specific career programs (i.e.Engineering Technologies, Nursing, etc.) duringthe fall. In ,those programs, the facultyinvolved preferred to handle all advising fortheir students. Approximately 800 to 1000freshmen would be seen by the AcademicAdvisors.
ACADEMIC ADVISING THROUGH THE.FRESHMAn AND SOPHMORE YEARS
ADVISING FOR ADVISING.FOR ADVISING FOR1ST SEMESTER 2ND SEMESTER SOPHOMORE YEAR
PRE-REGISTRATIONADVISING
ACADEMIC ADVISORS
STUDENTS-->FRESHMAN PRE-REGISTRATIONORIENTATION & ADVISING ADVISING
ACADEMIC ADVISORS FACLLTY:
PRE-REGISTRATIONADVISING
FACLLTY
The took a systems approach to thewhole area of academic advising. AcademicAdvisors would provide advising for studentsfor their freshman year and Faculty Advisors
,would do so for the sophomore year. Thisapproach assured continuity, as each studentwould have one advisor for the entire freshmanYear and one faculty advisor in the departmentof his or her major for the entiie sophomoreyear. . The faculty would be relieved ofapproximately half of their advising load andwould, thereby, be able to spend more time with
their advisees, discussing each student's aca-demic progress and his or her educational andcareer plans, and sharing some of his or herown expertise regarding the field the studentplanned to enter. Throughout the process,Counselors were available as resource peoplefor all persons involved.
OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE '
ACADEMIC ADVISING MODEL
DELOF BUSINESS
PRESIDENT
DEANOF STUDENTS
DIRECTO OF,COUNSELING
COORDINATOR OFACAfiEMIC ADVISING
COUNSELORS I u--FACULTY
ACADEMICADVISORS
FRESHMANSTUDENTS
I
DEAN -
OF INSTRpCTION
DEPARTMXNTCHAIRPERSONS
PROGRAMCOORDINATORS
Consulting RelationshipSupervisory Relationship
III. THE PRESENT SYSTEM
I Now, two years later, the Academic Advisingstaff numbers twelve. Four have earned Master'sdegrees while the remainder have at least thebachelor's degree. Seven are housewives whowere ready to move back into the labor marketon a part-time basis. Of' those seven, threeare faculty wives. One is a retired seniorcitizen. Four have other full-time jobs and doacademic advising in the evening.
The training program required of allAdvisors has been expanded. In addition Utthecompletion of a self-instructional prOgram,complete with tests, which covers all relevantacademic information (degree requirements,major requirements, course information, aca-demic policy, and procedure, admissions require-ments and procedures, and support services),the Advisors must now attend 16 hours oftraining. There are six sessions which consistof:
38
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1. Orientation, which includes a generaldiscussion about acadtmic advising(what it is, how the present system wasdeveloped, how the Present systemworks), a tour of the campus, introduc-tions to key periOnnel, and thedistribution and explanation of theself-instructional program.
2. Review of the self-instructionalprogram.
3. Review of 'students admissions ,foldercontents (applicatiOn, High 'School
.transcript, ACT profile sheet, etc.)as well as an explanation of the ACTand the Male Skills Test (a placementtest in English, Math, and Reading),the interpretation of test results, andthe application of academic informationto specific folders.
4. Discussion and practice of communica--tion and counseling skills and groupcounseling,techniques.
5. Review of the orientation and advisingprogram.
6. Observation and co-leading of advisinggroups and/or individual sessions.
As has been mentioned, the Advisors majorresponsibilities are to facilitate the freshmenorientation and advising groups during July,August and January, and to handle pre-registration advising for the student's secondsemester during the months of November/Decemberand March/April. The eummer program has beenexpanded to three hours, end includes:
1. a large 1 hour group orientationsession (24 student:4), facilitated byone Advisor, 'which provides an intro-ductory exercise4 and a catalogueexercise designed to cover basiccollege information (student services,academic policy, etc).
2. a 2 hour small group advising session(6 students) facilitated by 4 Advisors(one per group), which includes anintroductory exercite, a aiscussion of-each students educational and Career
4 plans, a review of basic degreerequirements, the selection of courses,and, the scheduling of classes.
Two other areas of responsibility have beenincorporated into the program during the pastyear. All Advisors now assist the Counselorsduring the on-campus registration and drop/addperiods. In addition, four Advisors, areselected to receive additional training inorder ta provide academic advising for part-time evening students two nights a week.
The Academic Advising Program is coor-dinated by one member of the Counseling Staff.Her responsibilities include: (1) interviewingand hiring new Advisors; (2) developing, inconjunction with other members of theCounseling Staff, a comprehensive trainingprogram; (3) coordinating the training program,three sessions of which are facilitated by theother members of the Counseling Staff; (4) con-ducting the remaining training sessions. (5)prOviding coordination with other areas of thecollege i.e. the academic departments, theAdmissions Office, and the Basic Skills TestingCoordihátor; (6) scheduling advising.activities; (7) coordinating Advisor schedules;(8) coordinating procedures for the scheduling:Jr student appointments with Advisors; (9)supervising and evaluating the overall.program;
(10) supervising and evaluating eacli Advisor;(11) completing an annual report; and (12)developing and monitoring(vn annual budget.
The initial budget for the AcademicAdvising Program was $4200. It was,based on anestimated number of adirising hours fer the yearwhich was then multiplied.by $3.75, the initialAvisor salary. In addition, a salary for afull-time secretary for the five week fall pre-registration period was included. Today, thebudget amounts to $6800, reflecting salaryincreases ($4.27 per hour), the addition of$1300 from the evening Counseling Budget, andthe addition of $830 from the Basic SkillsTesting Budget. -
The ongoing evaluations completed bystudents have been extremely positive. Inaddition, feedback from faculty and staff issolicited on a regular 'basis. Where problemshave been identified, such as the accurateplacement . of 'students in Math courses, agenuine effort has been made to find the sourceof the problem.
WHERE WE GO FROM HERE
Ideally, the Academic Advising .System 'at
Ocean County College will continue ,to expand.One major objective at this point in time is toprovide the opportunity for ,each Advisor towork a few hours a week. That will provide morekontinuity for the Advisor, it will enable the-full-time freshman student to make contact withhis/her Advisor at any time, and it will allowfor the expansion of advising services to thepart-time students Who, at this time, are notassigned an Academic Advisor.
3 9
,
"SOAE-THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS'FOR ADVISING ADULT STUDENTS"Presenter: Mary Delaney Hennessey
Coordinator for Student ServicesBoston College Evening College
The first part ,of this sessfon examinedsome of the theoretical and developmentalissues characterizing 'older' or adult learners,i.e., their' stage of development, predictabledifficulties, anxieties yhich may be antici-pated, specific issues and concerns. Thesecond part concentrated on the implicationsthese facts have in terms of 'practical' insti-tutional responses and considered some on-goingadministrative practices. An overview of someinteresting seatistics set the tone for thesession.
; Adult and continuing education Tepre--- sents the mbst rapidly growing aspect of .
I American higher education. The results of040 'National . Center for EducationStatistics surveys show that between 1968and 1976, the number of colleges and uni-versities offering adult and continuingeducation activities increased from 1,102to 2,225. A uhopping 102 percent increasein eight years. Moreover the totalregistrations in Ihe same period increased.from 5.6 to 8.8 million. ir
(Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare)Obviously, this data suggests that academic'
advisors, counselors arid educational adminis-trators will continue to be challenged not onlyto identify che particular needs of adult stu-dents but also to develop responsive Institu-tional programs, policies and procedures.AttentN 'on, therefore, was directed to thequesttiona ly associated with regular, full-timet
tradi-'on o f whether or not the services,
students would be suitable when' applied to avastly different, somewhat older, largelyemployed population with .differing needs andexpectations.
The next part of the ,session noted thediversity ,of advising services available ininstitutions of higher education.Institutional mission, structural organization,.fiscal capability and commitment to student
4 services were cited, as influences which affectto some degree the range and depth of theseservices.. Social, economic and cultural trendsextraneous to the educational institution werenoted to have An impact on the needs which aninstitutitit chooses to address. Figures werecited suggesting that the increasing numbersof adult students currently participating ineducational programs would undoubtedly focuseven additional ,attention on non-traditionallearners.
Sinte responsive institutional practicesdepend to some extent on an >understanding ofthe student, population, the next part of thesession focused on developing a more completepicture of th'e new- student body. How old arestudents? What does their particular stage ofdevelopment imply with respect to programplanning? What kinds of concerns and problemsshould advisors anticipate?
Research developments on the life stagesof adults were cite0 and efforts made todistinguish specific stages of adulthood. andtheir relationship to the emergence of certainpredictable types of anxieties and difficulties.
Since the group comprising the largestsegment of the part-time older student popula-'tion 'is between the ages of 23-29, the ageroughly identified as young adulthood or. stageof adult transition, attention also focused onthe implications these facts have upon advisingservices.
An overview of young adulthood highlightedsome of the characteristics advisors should beparticularly conscious of when dealing with theadult student, i.e., their feelings of capabi-lity and desire to translate ideas, plans, andhopes into realities; their 'reservoir ofconfidence' which allows them despite setbacksand frustrations to rebound, their openness tdnew optiods and possibilities. Various theo-retical constructs were outlined and researchfrom'several theorists cited so that advisorsgould have a more complete understanding of thestudent population and thus suggest which typesof responses may or may not be appropriate.Since academic advising is not an isolatedactivity, non-academic issues which frequentlyimptnge on academic =performance were also con-sidered.
In the .next part of the presentation,attention focused on what advisors might expectadult learners to bring to the learningsituition. Among the issues explored: thecontrasts between these,students and 'youngerstudents', differences in self concept and,motivational patterns, types of programs-adults'seek, the emphasis on'career and professionalcourses.
In the secdnd half orthe session emphasisshifted in order to take a closer look at howthese facts and lobservations might betranslated into practical responses by theinstitution. A look at some on-going admini-strative programs and outreach efforts providedan important dimension to the presentation.
"MEASURING FACULTY ADVISOR EFFECTIVENESS"Presenters: Dr. Stephen C. Brock, Center for
Faculty Evaluation and Development,Kansas State UniversityDr. Robert Gardner, Director ofAdvising, College of Engineering,Cornell UniversityDr. Howard Kramer, Director ofResearch and Planning,Cornell University
A national climate of enthusiasm forunderstanding and improving the functions of
/faculty as -student advisors brought togetherprofessionals from Cornell University: Dr.Howard Kramer, Direqtor of Planning andResearch for the Divisien of Campus Life, andDr. Robert Gardner, Director of Advising, andCounseling, Division of Basic Studies in theCollege of Engineering; and Dr. Stephen Brockand William Cashin of the Center. Each of thefour is either currently involved in studentdevelopment and its relationship to facultyadvising or has been in the'past. Kramer andGardner, have collaborated on a publication,Advising, hy Facult , a guide to faculty advi-sors. Brock an 'Cashin, for the past three'years, have been working with colleges anduniversities thrabghout the nation to assistthem to implement a data-based approach toinstructional improvement based on IDEA, theCenter's approach to student's ratings Ofinstruction.
They formed the Cooperative Project pnAdvising in order to take the first steps towarddeveloping a comprehensive service for collegesand universities to assiät them with theimprovement of faculty advising of students.Such a service would include the.delivery ofconsulting services provided by 'Kramer andGardner, based on their model of advisingeffectiveness and their model of effectivemanagement of advising. The consulting sdt-vices would be supported by an advisee ratingsystem available from the Center at KansasState, providing a data base for individualfaculty and for those who manage advisingsystems.
The short range goal of the project was todevelop and pilot an advisee rating form whichwould provide information useful to facultyadvisors.
The following four assumptions guided thedevelopment of the questionnaire:
1. Advising outcomes are divisible intot ree major categorieil student courseiireZtion, career choice and personalproblem solving.
2. The most successful information for afaculty advisor would point to specificbehaviors of the advisra which relateto these ,Jutcomes,
3. Student expectations about facultyadvising influences their perceptions -of advisor behaviors as myll as theoutcomes'of advising.
-4. The aggregate of advisee perceptions ofadvisor behaviors and the coneequencesdf advising on course selection, careerchoice and personal problem solving canprovide reliable and valid information.
In the spring of 19787-1aalITY advisors andtheir advisees at nine colleges parficipated inthe piloting of a questionnaire designed .tomeasure advisor effectiveness and to point tomeans for improving effectiveness.
How was effectiveness measured? Studentswere asked tc rate the helpfulness of theiradvisor ifl three general areas: assistance in.
40.course ay career planning and personal problem
_ 7
solving. They also responded to question§.onthe order of: "I have a more accurate viAr of .my academic program'', "I feel more competent tomake a career choice", etc. -
Students were also asked to respond toquestions about, their advisor's ,behavior inadvising meetings with them, such as:"Summarized ty comments", "Ghecked to see if Iunderstood what he/she was saying", etc. Theresearch goal was to identify.advisor behaviorsyhich relate differentially to the outcomes ofadvising, that is with, different impact onadvisee course selection and personal problemsolving. We believe 'that if we can helpadvisors to get a 'picture of their behavior,and an understanding.of the effects of variousbehaviors on advising effectiveness, Chenfaculty advisors will modify their practiceyhere warranted, and improve the effectivenessof advising. '
Analyses of the data for 700 studentadvisees of 78 faculty advisors suggests thefollowing:
1. Ratings of 10 advisees can providereliable information (the 'averagecorrected correlation for split halveswas .69).
2. Advisee ratings appear to be a validmeasure of effectiveness. (Ratingsof college administrators who Manageor coordinate advising systems andratings of student advisees tend toagree.)
3. Most of the advisor behaviors correlate.60 or higher with advisee ratings ofeffectiveness in career exploration andcourse selection. (Behaviors are lessrelated to- personal problem solving.).
4. Advisee ratings of success in courseselection and career exploration arehighly related to ratings of satisfac-tion with the advisor. Advisee ratingsof success in solving personal problemsare related less significantly toratings of satisfaction. (Whilestudents' ratings of the helpfulness ofthe advisor in the solving of adviseepersonal problems are highly relatedto their ratings of success in solvingsuch problems, advisees appear to viewtheir faculty advisor more as courseand career guide than as therapist.)
5. Student expectations about advising,the sex and year in school of theadvisee, and the frequency of theinteraetions with thtir advisor do notappear to have a significant impact onadvisee ratings of satisfaction br ofthe eftectiveness of advising.
Thus, we are. encouraged with these relultsas they suggest we have begun to identifyadvisor behaviors which contribute to outcomesof advising. Where we found that most of thebehaviors cortelate with most of the outcomes,we had hoped to find more discriminatiori. Thatis, we had hoped to identify certain behaviorswhich contribute to course choices but whichdon't .relate to .career selection and viceversa. Perhaps the lack of discriminationresulted from the sampling at extremes ofeffectiveness. We may find in a larger sample,.with lesi variability in advisor effectiveness,that the correlations will not be as highbetween behaviors and outcomes but that theywill be more discriminating.
41
Based upon the present data,twe must gtsoconsider the possibility Chat these behaviors(and probably other)' characterize a helpfuladvising style whichthas generalized beneficialeffects on the array of advising. outcome(career choice, career selection and personalproblem- solving)..
For a copy of the paper from which this .
synopsis is drawn, write to Steve Brock, Centerfor Faculty Evaluation amd Development, 1627Anderson Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
\
ii
"A MODEL FOR.ADVISEMENT INTEGRATING THE USE OFFULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS AND,FACULTY"Presenter: Katherine Kubalal Academic Advisor
State University of New'York atBuffalo
The basis of this program is practical inthat thea-aVisement.model described" has been inoperation for the -past six years at the StafeUniversity of New York at Buffalo. The formatwill be a lecture describing the modeli7fEEgraphic overlays displayed on the overhead pro-jector as aids to comprehending the model. Thelecture presentation will be followed by adiscussion focused on the advantages and disad-vantages of ,the model. The most appropriateaudience for this program is persons who areinterp.sted in a program that used faculty fqrlimited highly specific advisement respon-sibilities and that depends .upon non-facultyprofessional advisors to carry the primaryresponsibility fdr academic* advisement. Themodel is a method of integrating and synthe-sizing two unique modes of advisement into asingle system.
4 THE MODEL
The Division of Undergraduate Education atthe State University of New York at Buffalo is
the home for a group of 13 non-faculiS, full-,
time professional academic advisors. Theseadvisors all have Master's degrees in variousdisciplines ranging from counseling psychologyto sqience and mathematics. The objective isto achieve as diverse a variety of educationalbackgroundsas possible,so that each person cancontribute a unique body of knowledge to thestaff. A wide range in age and differingemployment backgrounds also contributesdiversity to the staff.
Individual advisors are assigned to a teamconnected with one of the University Faculty.groupings which are Humanities, SocialSciences, and Natural Science Mathmatica, andHealth Related. These group of 3-4 advisorsare referred to as Faculty groups and the group
,maintains liaison Nith each of the departmentscontained within thèr Faculty group. Groupsco-ordinate departmental programs within theirFaculty, create public relations material, andmaintain departmental requirement sheets in theacademic advisement resource center.
In addition to association with a Facultygroup, professional advisors also haveindividual co-ordinator responsibilties. Inthis capacity they work with special popula-tions such as undecided majors, foreign stu-dents, students rejected by departments, andstudents on academic probation. They alsodesign and execute the academic orientation-forfreshmen and transfer students, and teach a onesemester continuing education course.
In most instances a studEriitwho has reachedjunior standing is eligible for departmentalacceptance. Upon acceptance the student isassigned a departmental advisor and continuesto maintain an advisement relationship with theprofessional advisor in the undergraduate divi-sion. Thus, at the universit>, most studentsfor their last two years hqve two advisors, afaculty member and a professional staff person.
42
Students may also confer with 'a peer advisorunder the newly established peer advisementprogram. When students need advisement, ehefaculty addrasses such issues as selection of agraduate school or a set of elective's thatcompliment the major, while the professionaladvisor continues to ad4ess general universityconcerns.
"FACULTY MEMBERS AND ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT:A SOCRATIC PROPOSAL"Presenters: Netri. J. George, Professor
Department of History/PoliticalScienceMichael J. Salevouris, Professorof History/Political ScienceWebster College, Missouri .
We intend to argue two premises: (1) Givencurrent notions concerning the function of acollege education, a good advisement structureshould consciously attempt to expose thecollege student to multiple sources,of ac,ademiccounsel, and (2) in such an aldvisement'struc-ture active faculty participation is essentialnot only for the well-being of the individualstudent, but for the well-being of the institu-tion. What we say will'not be original or new;we will instead be reiterating some old truthswhich often seem to get submerged in the day-to-day operation of many advisement systems.Finally, what we say, we say as interested ama'..--4teurs, not as professivnal advisors or coun-sellors. Our presentation reflects some of theinsights we have gained as teachers who happento do advising; we in no way presume to tellthe professionals in the field how to,do theirjob.
ADVISEMENT AS PROBLEM SOLVING
If you.look up the word "advise" in a dic-tionary, as one of the definitions you willfind: "to give advice," ct, "counsel," to ,
"recommend." Close sy'ponyms. include"admqnish,." "caution," and "warn." (Webster's.New W6iLld Dictionary). To a great extent alli5r-theiT-apply to academic advisementn as it ispracticed in countless institutions. We argue,however, that academic advisement, when defined
-in the ,above ways, can fail both the, studentand the institution. Why?
It is almost a cliche' that the world ischanging so fast that today's answers may betomorrows' forgotten dogmas. "Future Shock,"as Alvin Toffler argues, will be a major.traumafor the graduates of the '70s, '80s and '90w.The avbrage college graduate will experiencean estimated five distinct occupations in hisor her 'lifetime. A career trained for todaymay be glutted or obsolete a decade hence; manyof the most attractive jobs of the future havenot been "invented."
In the light of all this, it is apparentthat higher education cannot promise students astable and secure future. A college or univer-sity cannot, and should not, promise.studentsthat it can provide the answer to the riddle oflifv--whether in theluise of career prepara-tion or a body of knowledge universallyrecognized as Rssential to understanding the'7world: . .The. world is changing too fast andknowledge exploding too rapidly for any suchcomplacent notions. Consequently, the self-proclaimed goal of many educators today is toptepare students to cope with change, to copewith the problems the future will throw upbefore them. The function of education,fromthis perspective is not to provide answers, butto help students solve problems; to help them .
become life-long learners; to help them becomeeffective decision-makers as far as their ownlives are concerned.',
If such a philosophy of education is validand we think it ,is, then the present limita-tions of much student advising, whether done by
43
faculty memgers or profdSsional advisors,be mes apparent. Too often advisementrevo around providing answers for thestudent. Certainly .students do need answers tomany subbtantive and procedural questions. -Butwhen it comes to making critical educational,career, or life choices, the road should not bemade easy for them.
Thus the function of the advisement system,as distinct from individual advisors, shouldnot be to "recommend," "warn," "caution," or"admonish," but to encourage responsibledecision-making ' based on a number ofalternatives.
An-obsolete definition of "advise" reads:"To look at mentally: to consider, think of,
'think . over, ponder." (Oxford EnglishDictionary). This definition reflects per-fectly what*we feel every academic advisementsystem should emphasize. Students should beprovided with resources and encouragement, to,be sure. But more importantly they should beforced CO "think over" and "ponder" optionsand alternatives and ultimately take theresponsibility for choosing among them.
Here is where the 40visement structurecomes in. It is our contention that any systemwhich assigns an individual student to a singleadvisor (whether a faculty member or pro:.fessional advisor) is not specially supportiveof the above aim. Such- a system, oftenunconsciously: -sets up the advisor as anauthority figure and answ,r-giver. This is soeven when-an advisor consCiouslir assumes a lowprofile, lays out multiple options, and urgesthe student to make up his/her own mihd. To anentering stvient, who is often frightened, con-fused, and naive, the advisor represents theinstitution, and it is all too easy for thestudent to assume that ,the advisor "has aLl theanswersZ or has presented all. the options.Yet this can never be the case, as anyone knowswho has compared the advice' given by a numberof advisors.
. Consequently, it is important to provide,in a systematic way, a multipolar (orpolycentric) advisement structure to insurethat students are exposed to multiple perspec-tives. . Put another way, students should havemore than one advisor. Thus if each individualadvisor "recommends, cautions and warn-i7- as itis often necessary to do, the system as a.wholewill reinforce a number 677,basic truths; (1)that no single person (advisor) has all theanswers, (2) that the institution does notspeak with a single voice. Diferent advisors'will offer different advice ot the same issue,(3) that for any given student goal, there maybe multiple paths to that goal. Further, theschool, and the world it reflects, is perhapsmuch more complex than the student realized,.and /(4) that on any specific issue onpe'rson'sadvice may not be as good as another's.Students discovering this will be 'much morediscriminating with respect to the advice ,theyseek and the advice they accept.
In sum, the advisement stureture should setup for the student a sort of Socratic dialectic(or dialogue) among a number of competingoptions and opinions, with the student ulti-mately responsible for the final decision. Inthis way the advisement structure itself canmore accurately mirror the larger educationalmission of the institution, that is, to ai..1
students to become responsible problem solvers
.
who know how to collect information, weighoptions, and ake ,decisions,. If structured inthis way, the advisement process itself mightbe as valuable for the studene.as an officialcourse. (
THE FACULTY ROLE IN ACADEMIC ADVISING
Within the broad I advising structuredescribed above, indeed within any advisingstructure, we see the faculty playing a pivotalrole. Note: we do not argue that faculty mem-bers are 'superior to professional advisors.Professional advisors, are, in many settings,indispensable 'and' qualified in ways thafaculty members are not. Profesaional advisorsare often far more up-to-date concerning theschool-wide "rules of the,gaine." Their. Angleof viaion is 'wider and more com rehentive con-
k'cerning the totality of cou e offerings,program options, college re:sour s, -and the/like. They also provide a useful correctiveLfor narow departmental ,telf-interest. The listcould be lengthened, tiut the point is" that wedo not question the value of the ,professionaladvisor. Instead, we are arguing that facultymembers can mike unique and valuable contribu-tions to the advisement process as a whole--contributione.whiCh beuefit both the individual-.student and' the institution. In addition, thefaculty member 'top -can. benefit greatly frombeing included in' tke'advising process. -
. Perhaps the'.greatest single advantage afaculty member has-krover the professional advi..sor is his/her (the faculty member's) day-to-day classroom contact with students. It couldbe argued that faculty members have a moreintiffiate knowledge of the realities of academiclife, although this is a.debatable point. Thefaculty member daily has contact with' a numberof students that the professional advisor maysee only occaxionally. Thus can the facultymember constantly monitor students' expec-tations, academic strengths and weaknesses, andstudent performance levels. None of thisinsures that a faculty member will be a goodadvisor. But when effective faculty advisorsare .identified, auch background adds a dimen-sion to the advisement process. that is unique
.and irreplaceable.The uses of facultya advisors also
xcrengthen the teaching-learning,process as awhole. Academic advising...gives he: facultymember the opportunity to .see academic lifethrough the eyes of the student. Often theclassroom is not the ideal arena for developingempathy for the student's fears and frustra-tions. For example, 'usually, faculty membersare the last to hear student complaints aboutproblems in their own courses (i.e., thefacdlty member's courses). But much can belearned indirectly about one's own prformanceby helping students deal with the problems theyare having in other courses with other instruc-tors. In the wake of such conversations it isan obtuse instructor indeed who doesn't oftenreflect, "There but for the grace of God go I."In. short, such informal contacts with studentsprovide instructors vith a wealth of valuableinformation 'which can then be put to good usein their own`classrooms. Without contacts suchas advising provides it:is very easy for the
44
facUlty member to become isolated and oblivousto student needs. .
Faculty-student- contacts in the advisementprocess not only help the faculty member seethe student as a real human.being, they allowthe student to see the faculty member 'in thesame light. After all, not all learning takesplace 'in, the classroom and both student andinstructor can 1.4arn a great deal from eachother in the give 'and Lake of 'academicadvising. And it is no bad thing 'for thestudent -,to talk with a faculty member when(hopefully) he or she has shed the forbiddingarmor of 'authority!' in this Abject or that.
°The uses of faculty advisors, esPecially inconjunction wilh ;professional advisors, cancreate an effective system of checks andbalances within the advisement structure. Two
...".--\-d
advisors, each wi h different values, expeetise'and angle of vrsion, we all try to be, in anadvising role, a host f personal preferencesand idiosyncracies are never totally submerged.Unconsciously we bcome advocates rather thanneutral resources. ThisWicy is partiallyovercome by exposing the student to both a
faculty member's opilnion and that of aprofessional advisor.
oiitl
pally, the juxtaposition of ,faculty andpro pnal advisors will greatly enhance theinf flow of information within a giveninstitution. Any student who talks regularlywith a profesdional advisor and a faculty advi-sor will, in effect, function as an infor-mational- pipeline, or linkage, between the twoadvisors.' In this way each advisor'can get amuch better "feel" for what other advisors aresaying and for what is.gqing on in other partsof the scho-ol. Faculty members will be able tobecome more conversant with the "big picture,"and the professional advisor can continuallytalce the pulse of faculty and departmentalopinion. Further; it should be noted, such-an
. informationta exchange between advisors, facil-itated by .the atudent as a sort of messagebearer, serves another functfon. It acts as acorrective to bad or inaccurate information,and it tends to keep all advisors "on theirtoes."0 If one knows that another party is
monitoring one's advising performance, one willbe more determined to do a thorough, conscien-tious job. This is especially true for facultymembers. Tradill.orpally faculty adVising hasnot been reward ,,A!land there is thus littleincentive to be-4 good advisor. A dualadvising structure.i4ould tend to compensate forthis defect. It also can be said in passing,that such a multi-level advisement systemmight be xn effective first step toward makingacademic advising part of the faculty rewardstructure. One can teward only what can beevaluated, and such, a system would provide thebasis for an affective evaluative mechanism.
OONCLUSION
'In summary, we believe that faculty par-ticipation in tim-Advising process is,indispen-Bible. In ma* ways .a faculty advisor canserve students in ways that the professionaladvisor cannot. Moreover, we believe it Wouldbe valuabl to establish a multiple leveladvising strutture based on the philosophy that
advIsement should' be a mechanism not todetermine answers for the'student, but to helpstudents become autonomous, responsibledecision-makers. The time-honored Socratic,method, which emphasizes telf-Aiscovery throughthe mechanfsm of critical questioning, must notbe Jimited'to the college classroom. It shouldbe practiced equally in the advising processitself. This would reinforce the notion thatit is not the function Of advisement to provide"answers" but questions; not dictate direction,but elaborate options. And,to do this, neithera professional advisor nor a faculty'advisorcan be toially adequate. Only exposure tomultiple perspectives, including at least onefaculty perspective, can enable a student torealize that no single person can have all theanswers and that the student's life choices areultimately his own.
(\.
45
"ADVISING CAN REDUCE ATTRITION! A COMPREHENSIVECONTINUING ORIENTATION PROGRAM"Presenters: Kay.Schotzinger, Asaistant director,
Advising & OrientationDr. Arvin I. Lubetkin, Advising IndOrientationDr. Richard Ci Rynearson, Advisingand OrientationKent State University
Based on a sample of approximately 1,500freshmen who voluntarily elected to participatein a continuing orientation program over a twoyear period, there was a dropout rate of twelvepercent for the experimental group and twenty-one percent for the control group who did notparticipate in this ongoing orientation'program.This sftsion
1. Describe a comprehensive continuingorientation program for freshmen from its ini-tial conception based on need assessment to itscurrent functioning some five years later.
2. Institutional climate will be describedin terms of the economic and political reali-ties and their influences and effects on thisprogram over time.
3. The development of the program proposaland its evolution as a.function of number twowill be described.
4. A description of how- the initialfunding sources were explored,,obtained and theongoing operation developed, maintained, andsupported.
5. Implementation of the program:' A. Development of the training model
to meet specific needs.B. The changing,of this model as func-
tion of program development duringthe initial stages, , middle andlater stages.
C. 'Changes in specific program pro-posed as climate and support levelschanged.
6. Current training programe and methods.7. Current functioning of the clasi and
.i,raining model will be discussed ingreater detail dealing with the inter-face with various university consti-ftuencies.
8. If possible several trained peeradvisprs/instructors will be present todiscuss their role4,in current programfunctioning in terms of training,operation, staff and student utilizaa.tion of services.The evaluation of two years data forfreshmen who participated in the.program will be presented in. terms ofattrition rates, grade point averagesand other pertinentjnformation.
10,. A discussion of the program by the pre-senters and the audience will follow inthe time allowed.
(
"ADVISING THE UNDECLARED STUDENT: USING ANINI-WORKSHOP DURING FRESHMAN ORIENTATION"Presenters: Thomas A. Corigliano, Coordinator
of Academic AdvisementPaul E. Morocco, Diredtor ofCounselingState University College of Artsand Science, Plattsburgh, New York
The purpose of this article is to describea successful advising program for undeclaredstudents that was developed in the spring of
, 1178, and used with approximately 200 enteringfreshmen during the 1978 Summer OrientationProgram. The program, was developed as anattempt to improve the quá'lJ4 of theundeclared major's first corlx with academic.advisement, and to eff ely deal with theincreasing number of-undeclared majors in theentering frshman class.
This program, developed to work withintime frame and structure of the SummeOrientation program, had the following generalgoals:
1. To provide a positive first contactwith academic advisement for students
, who have not declared a major.2. To provide undeclared majors with a
positive contact with academic faculty.3; To present the concept of being
undeclared as norMal and developmental,and something which students should notfeel negative about.
4. To establish a framework for studentsto work in, when making decisions-abouttheir academic major.
5. To help students to make some initialdecisions regarding cburse selection.
6. To lay the ground-work for furtherdevelopment and contact.
The progra was planned with the knowledgethat the contact witAthe Student would be abrief one, a total of three hours in a two dayorientation session; which had to culminate_with a completed course schedule for the fallsemester;.' 'In previous' summers., five to sixcbunselors and orientation leaders advisedundeclared Majors, and generally required thefull three hour period to successfully completea fall schedule. In the absence of specificcollege requirements, helping undeclared stu-dents to seledt a, schedule of five coursesseemed to be an awesome task.'
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REALISTIC
WORKSHOP AND DISCUSSION
After preliminary introductions and theadministration of a questionnaire to assessreasons for being undeclared, discussion wasinitiated regarding the students' "decision"NOT TO DECIDE on an academic major. DiscussionINE11.73mr7a7-opinion that many students selectmajors for inappropriate reasons, and that thedecision not to select a major may have been agood one. In fact, being undeclared at thispoint may be desirable because it is anacknowledgment that career exploration is stillneeded, and that decisions still have to bemade. In contrast, students who may haveselected majors for inappropriate reasons mayfeel 'that the "hurdle" of deciding on a majoris over, and may reduce or completely ceasetheir exploratory behavior; and considerationof other options open to them.- .Undeclaredmajors on the other hand, would have the oppor-tunity to take advantage of College resourcesto explore their interests, needs.and attitudesin an open-minded way. In addition, asundeclared majors, they would be contactedperiodically by the Counseling Office and keptinformed of workshnpi and groups that werebeing offered.
The emphasis in,this discussion was placedon the idea that being undeclared is o.k., andthat it, in itself, mas dot a problem. In ourinterpretation, the problem was Whether or notstudents had an organized way to deal with thedecision making process, as It was kelated tothe selection of an academic major.
The discussion then lead to the process one"'uses for making decisions and the importance ofdevelOping a model for decision-making.
It was explained,that it wes not our intent-nor was there sufficient time for students towork through'this model and actually make deci-sions regarding either their career or major,'tbut rather .to expose them to * process thatmight address the following questions.
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1. What issues must I consider?2. How do I gather information about
myself?3. What must I know about myself?4. How (where) do I gather information
about occupations (academic majors)?5. How do I evaluate the information that
I have gathered? 4
6. How do I apply that information?It was then explained that the one variable
erhich we thought was important and that wewanted to emphasize, was individual interestsand personality orientation, and that we wquldattempt to explore this area by using the SelfDirected Search (SDS), developed by Dr. JohiiETHolland.
the SDS is based on Holland's assumptionthat people can be loosely classified into six
' different groups that a. labeled realistic,investigative, artistic, social, enterprising,and conventional.
The SDS %is self-administered, self-scored.and self-interpreted, and normally is completedin about 45 minutes. It.asks students to indi-cate their occupational daydreams, and has themrespond Ito lists of activities, competencies,occupationt, and self-estimates of ability.After scoring eachapf the above sections, thestudent arrives at.'T three-letter summary code,that, relates to the six personality and occupa-tianal types listed above.
A brief explanation of how*an interest isconstructed, normed and tested preceded theadministration of the SDS. Also discussed wasthe concept that -if one's personality andinterests were'similar to those of people who ,
are successful and enjoy specific occupations,then those occupations would tepd to beinteresting to the student, and would certainlybe worth looking at for more specific infor-mation. The use of the SDS was describedentirely as a means of stimulating interest andexploration, and the concept of "finding outwhat job I'll be good at", was minimized.
An attempt was made to build on the stu-Edents interests by pursuing courses which may\relate to their general personality orien-tation. This was done by having the studentcifcle their "primary" personality type (theletter with the highest score on the SDS) on a"hexagon worksheet" (below), which included alist of courses related to each personality,area. It was then suggested that the studentconsider for their fall schedule, two coursesfrom the primary personality area; one 'coursefrom each Of the adjoining areas; and onecourse from one of the three remaining areas.(For example, if the primary personality typeis "Investigative", we suggested two courses inthat area, one each from the "Realistic" and"Artiic" areas, and a final course from the"Conventional", "Enterprising" or "Social"area.) The workshop portion of the pr,lramlasted approximately 1112 hours.
ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT AND,PROCRAM SELECTION
Six academic faculty members and seVen mem-bers of the professional staff wers selected toparticipate in this portion of the program.Participaing faculty were introduced to thestudents along with their general disciplinearea (i.e.: Fine Arts; HUmanities; SocialSciences; Science and Mathematics). Studentswere urged tb talk with faculty from one or all
47
of the basic areas to talk about which courses(disciplines) may be useful in pursuing theirinterests. This also allows students toincrease their awareness of unfamiliardisciplines. It is expected, that students mayapproach faculty at this point with questionssuch as: (1) I want to take a science (socialscience, theatre, etc.)- course, but I don'tknow which one will suit me best. (2) Theinterest profile suggests that I might like acourse in psychology (biology, music, etc.) butI don't really know much about it.
This approach also allowed students to'increase their awareness of courses in unfami-liar disciplines, and to talk with faculty mem-bers from diverse areas. After dealing withinitial questions, and as they became free, thefaculty members joined in with the schedulingprocess.
SUMMARY
The program as planned was .well receivedand feedback from the students participatingwas excellent. Additional feedback from sfu-dent orientation leaders was :lso very positiveand encouraging.
Students reacted positively to the amountof individual attention they received, and werepleased with their contacts with the academicfaculty. Students 'indicated that they feltbetter about being "undeclared", and that theprogram content and decision-making modelseemed to "make sense" to them. The studentsseemed more satisfied with their course selec-tions than undeclared maj seemed to be inprevious summers, and were less fvustrated inmaking their selections. The course selectionportion of the program lasted approximately 11/2hours.
"AN OFFICE OF ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT DESIGNED TOHAVE AN IMPACT BY EEACHING OUT"Presenter: Dr. Robert C. Lynch
, Coordinator of Academic AdvisementCatonsville Community College,.Maryland
ABSTRACT
Tnts presentation outlined the organizationand uperations of weentralized model of advise-ment' at a large subUrban'community college.Particular attention was paid to proaCtive,"reaching-out" activitie's designed to assiststudents who are in academic-difficulty and toencourage use of adviaers.
PRESENTATION
pESCRIPTION OF COLLEGE
Catonsville Community College is locatedsouthwest of Baltimore, Maryland. The Collegeis about 20 years old, and has approximately11;000 Students (roughly 5,000 F.T.E.).Average student age is 27, 787. of the studentswork, and nearly 'half att.end in the evening.About .one half of the stu4ents are_in-transferprognams and_ half in career/technical programs.
ORGANIZATION OF ADVISEMENT OFFICE
The Office of Academic Advisement reportedto Ole Dean of -Students and is physicallylocated in the tStiadent Services BUilding, imme-diately adjacent to the Counseling Center andthe Career 'DevelopmenE Center,. ,These units
'share a common information, reception, andappointment-making desk; the desk personnel trytto differentiate counseling from advisementissues in making appointments. '
The Advisement Office has four full-timeparaprofesional (Bachelor's degree) staff mem-bers, two of whom share some of their time with
, the ,Admissions Office in staffEngoutreach and Articulation efforts. The Collegehas 8 counselors, most of i..lhom also do limited..advising,' but whose primary functions areCareer and personal counseling, instruction ofhuman development courses, and group facilita-'tion. The four full-time academic adllisers are.supplemented by a netWork of apptOximately 40.selected Faculty Advisefs, 25 of whom are coor-dinators of career/technical programa.
ACTIVITIES
The activities of-the Advisement office areaimdd at enhan'eing and Maximizing the impactand qdality o& assistanCe in educationalplanning and decision making. To this end, thefollowing activities and functiops areundertaken--no one of which by itself is allthat innovative or powerful, Out which in totalhas resulted in advising at,Catonsville being ahigh-profile andvalued service to both facultyand.students.
Articulation wkth four-year institutions isvery actively pursued. We have Aeveloped anAdvis'ement Handbook in a two-inch loose-leafbinder which coneains transfer, policies and,practices for each transfei institution (e.g.,minimum and maximum credits transferable, doVs transfer, credit for prior learning, how tomeet general education requirements prior to
48
transfer, and a listing of all Catonsvillecourses which transfer to that institution).Nearby four-year institutions visit the campusonce each semester to "recruit" and informstudents-'-we steal about an hour of their timeto meet with the full-time advisers to shareinformation. Students who sit with the repre-sentatives may get a copy of ti-wir transcript
Ion the spot to review with.the representative.We have also Aeveloped a "What Transfers In"loose-leaf notebook which helps our advierstell a potential transfer-in student which cre-dits will be accepted without having to waitfor an official Admissions Office evaluation.Finally, all new courses being proposed .at.theCollege are sent from the Advisement Office tofour-year institutions for evaluation of trans-ferability prior to acceptance by the CollegeSenate.
Articulation and publicity within theColle e 'are active-TT pursued activities. Webelieve that 'academic Ovisement is a functionand a resource which,must 'be visible and wellknown at the College, not only to students butto faculty and staff. To this end, theAdvisement Office is the place where:
-Student requests for waivers or substitu-/tions are submitted and evaluated
- Student requests for more than 18 creditsare approved or disapproved
-Student nequests to add courses are eval-uated
- Registration forms are designed- Students must go to drop a course- The registration newspaper is .co-edited-Credit for prior learning information and
requests are coordinated-Instructors submit course outlines and
syllabi for a "Syllabus`Fileu-Most student services research is con-
ducted-Graduation evaluation forms are,deiigned-Applications for graduation are initially
evaluated. -An annual planning calendar is developed
for the campusn addition, the Advisement Office has,one
-staff member on the College Senate committeethat reviews new course ana curriculum propo-aals, and on the College committee that reviewsall publications and brochures. Each studentwho requests that his or her transcript be sentto another college is sent a letter from ouroffice offering help in exploring transferpossibilities.
Each semester a brochure is printed listing"who" advises "what " where their office is,what their office hOurs are, and their phonenumbers. These brochures are located in little"Take One" boxes on the walls; the regiatrationnewspaper contains the same information.° Priorto registration for the next semestei, eachstudent also gets a copy pf his/her transcriptin the mail.
The Intervention System at Catonsville hasbeen-71esigned to '"intrude" or "intervene" instudents' lives when we may be able to help.This Intervention System takes two forms:attendance and achievements When a student'sattendance drops off, our instructors notifythe Advisement Office on a little form we pro-vide them (or they call or write a note); wethen write or call the student encouraging himor her to return to clasA, indicating that weunderstand there ae4 often very legitimate
C
reasons why attendance pay decline, and lettingthe student know that there are a variety ofstudent services which might be helpful. If a'student has apparently stopped attending, asimilar letter is sent, except that the studenthas 10 days to return to class or we.drop himor her from the class.
At mid-semester and five days after eachsemester, we send letters to students who havenot passed a certain portion of their classesor who have low cumulative grade point averageswith expressions of'concern and offers of help.If "poor performance" has existedjor 2 or moresemesters., we require that the student see acounselor to discuss the situation and deviseways of improvement before the student mayregister for future courses.
EVALUATION. OF ADVInRS
Every two to three months we send out abrief eight-item questionnaire .to students whohave seen advisers in that time frame.Providing a return envelope, and including theadviser's name, have resulted in a 507. returnrate, which we feel ks fairly good.
NOTE: A number of samples of materials weredistributed at this session and are availableupon request.
"TWENTY YEARS OF TESTING, COUNSELING ANDADVISING AT PENN STAMM"Presenters: James Kelly, Academic Information
Coordina,torH. W. Wall, DirectorEric White, Coordinator, FreshManTesting, Counseling and-Advising.ProgramLinda Higginson, Coordinator ofFreshman Testing, Counseling andAdvising Program CounselorSupervisionEdward Danis, Academic InformationConsultant, Liberal ArtsDivision of Undergraduate Studies,Pennsylvania State University
DEVELOPMENT AND OUTLINE OF THE PROGRAM
Twenty years ago, The Pennsylvania StateUniversity developed and offered all newlyadmitted Penn State freshmen the opportunity toparticipate in a testing and counseling programprior to their attending classes for the firstterm. Evaluations of this pilot projectsuggested that those students who participatedin the program achieved a better academic andpersonal start with their educational careersthan those students who chose not to par-ticipate. At the present time, tbe FreshmanTesting, Counseling and Advising Program(FTCAP) is' administered by the Division ofUndergraduate Studies (DUS), an academic admin-istrative unit of Penn State.
Each year 10,000 to 12,000 freshmen who''a9ept an offer of 'admission to Penn State arerequired to participate in a comprehensive five.to six hour testing session. Testing isfollowed several weeks later.by a full day ofintensive (personalized) counseling andadvising which is offered at the main campus(University Park) and at each of the eighteenUranch campuses of the University. We estimatethat over the past twenty-two years between225,000 to 250,000 students have taken part inthis program.
The objective of FTCAP is' to assist newfreshmen to evaluate their educational plans bYproviding them with an understanding of theirscholastic preparation, their academic abili-ties and educational and vocational interests,particularly as these personal variables relateto the academic structure" and degree programopportunities.at Penn State.
Currently, the Freshman Testing', Counselingand Advising Program (FTCAP) consists of fiveclosely interrelated segments:
1. TESTING: includes academic aptitude,achievement and placement tests, andcompletion of an Educational Planning.Survey.
2. COUNSELING AND ADVISING: includes apersonal interview with a professionalDUS adviser ,and is based on the testresults and rplated information '
obtained from the student.3. COUNSELING, OF ,PARENTS: includes FTCAP
activities similar to their sons' andd'aughters'.
4. ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS INFORMA-TION DISCUSSIONS: includes generalacademic and student affairs infor-mation.
:
5. ACADEMIC ADVISING AND SCHEDULEPLANNING: freshmen meet with programadvisers to plan course schedules forthe first .term of study.
ACADEMIC INFORMAT'ION
The Freshman Testing, Counseling andAdvising Program is*the student's first day ofacademic advising ae the University. The pro-gram begins with a distribution of materials inpackets which 'contain information and academictools that families will use throughout theday. Parents and students see a synchronizedslide/tape program which we cali, "Presentingthe University to Freshmen" or "PUF". PUF is a4.5-minute general.introduction,to the academicstructure and stance of the University.
PUF preients the programs of the'Universityas basically a choice between science and non-science programs, discusses the simiParityamong programs during the 'freshman year,explains the basic baccalaureate degree ordistribution requirements, for all </programs,reinforces the notion of academic explorationduring the freshMan year, and provides infor-mation that may have been omitted or misunder-stood du ing the,admissions process. ,
In a ition to chillenging students to%think hard about their academic plans, .PUF alsoprovides a good deal of factual information:the size and complexity of Penn State; the dif-ferences between high school and college; therange of class size--from- seminar to a 400-student lectiire; the variety of academic expec-tations that a student 'may experience (forinstance, typing paperse studio work, sur-veying, building projects, taking notes, and
'class discussion), and provides informationabout non-classroom activities (the uhe oftime, preparing aisignments, the consequencesof skipping classes).
In short, PUF is designed as a short courseabout the academic structure, and expectationsoi The-Pennsylvania StateUniversity.
ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS DISCUSSION
To Support this general academic introduc-tion, we conduct small group academic infor-mation sessions which instruct students in theuse of certain academic tools. By academictools, we mean the University Catalog, theSchedule of Classes, preregistration forms, theCourse SeriEtör, and our telephone informationprogram (TIPS). PUF and the academic infor-
, mation sessions arecomplementary and provide agond foundation for course selection and sched-ule planning activities which occur later in_the program.
TESTING
One of the more demanding components of theday is an interpretation of a studentVs testresults. Results are mapped onto a Profile ofAcademic Abili.ies that also containsadmissions information such as high schoolgrade point average and SAT scores.
50
We test students in math, English andchemistry and use the resulting Profile to helpstudents make decisions shout their abilitiesin each of these areas, and to help them planappropriate first-term schedules. The testsare homegrown Penn_ State products. They aredeveloped within the respective departments andrevised regularly. In addition, all studentsmust demonstrate basic skills proficiencies inEnglish and mathematics. The results of thesetests are printed on a Profile of AcademicAbilities and it is the interpretation of theProfile, both in a_group setting and in con-junction with a personal interview, which iscritical to a student'S successful academicadjustment to the University.
The interpretation of the Profile ofAcademic Abilities is presented in TiiicTrma synchronized slide/tape program thatdiscusses the role of tests and indicates spe-cific course placement actions which inay iden-tify the need for remedial work or suggestadvanced placement testing.
In addition to specific course placementinformation, the student is also presented witha comparison indicator of his or her scores inrelation to other Students who have entered theUniversity. Through this comparison, studentsare able to make better assessments of theirchances for success in terms of"the competitionthey will be facing at Penn States TheUniversity does not present predictions of aca-demic success or failure for any individual stu-dent, since the use of such data is notparticularly valuable for students.
All these data have been continuously com-piled, analyzed and updated by the Office ofUndergraduate Research Support at Penn State sothat students aie presented with the 'mostrecent and accurate information on which tomake their decisions.
INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS
Each student has a private interview with aDUS adviser in order to discuss test scores andacademic plans. The interview serves as alive, one-to-one continuation of the interpre-tation of the Profile of Academic Abilities,and focuses on the studentsrTa-iii-sts and aca-demic plans. It is hoped that students canmake some links between their interests andtheir curricular plans; therefore, counselorsenCourage students -to articulate theirinterests as a starting point.
The interview is not an attempt to .slot a'student into a major. HowevPr, students areencouraged to decide whether they wish to plana science or non-science schedule of courses atthe outset. If the student is undecided aboutthis question, there is an-option* to. enroll inthe *Division of Undergraduate Studies where astudent can explore the University curriculum.
We hope that a freshman leaves this inter-'view with an understanding of how he or shearrived at a science/non-science/or undecidedconclusion, based on his or her own evaluationof abilities, interests and others' influences.
ACADEMIC ADVISING AND SCHEDULE PLANNING
After the initial advising sessions withDUS advisers, students and parents proceed totheir chosen College or to the Division ofUndergraduate Studies. At the College AdvisingMeeting, the Deans' and their representativesexplain the philosophy, objectives, standardsand requirements of the College. Students arehelped with their schedule planning by facultymembers, by Deans' staff, by professional advi-sers, by graduate student advisers and bytrained undergraduates who are carefully chosenand closely supervised.
Regardless. of choice of major or College,students- are encouraged to keep an open mindtowards change. This notion is reinforcedthroughout the FTCAP day to prevent studentsfrom feeling unnecessary pressure. A typicalfreshman schedule for the first term (10 weeks)might. be: English composition, mathematicsand/or science, an exploratory course in thestudent's indicated major, and a physical edu-cation or health education course. All ofthese courses are applicable to any major inthe University should the student make a laterchange in curricular direction.
What is important for the purposes of theFTCAP is that students finish the CollegeMeeting and complete th FTCAP day with a classschedule in hand. Students and their parentssee that schedule planning is no mystery andthey have been made aware of the mechanics ofhelping themselves.
CONCLUSION
All five segments of the FTCAP are highlyintegrated and the content of each is dependenton up-to-date and accurate information, Allsegments of the Freshman Testing, Counselingand Advising Program are periodically eval-uated. Through questionnaires .and informalsurveys, students and parents are asked whataspects of the counseling day are most meaning-ful and helpful to them., We seek input andsuggestions from the advisers and counselorswho work directly with the students andparents. Each year, we also review the programwith the College Deans, their representativesand the 'academic administration to determinewhat additional effOrts can be made to improvethe quality of the program for both studentsand the University. Based on these inputs,Changes are made each year in the program for-mat and procedures in hope that it will be moremeaningful, efficient, and cost effective.
"EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM PLANNING FOR ADULTSTUDENTS"Presenters: Catherine Marienau, Director
Dr. Marilou Eldred, ResearchAssociateUniversity Without Walls,University of Minnesota
The University Without Walls program at. theUniversity of Minnesota uses concepts fromadult development theory, adult learningtheory, and instructional skill development asa basis for adviosing students in individualprogram planning. As a non-credit based bac-calaureate program, UWW encourages students touse a variety of learning resources that willhelp them achieve their educational goals.
Some of the resources are within the struc-tured university in the formal classroom;others are outside the university in communitysettings, job situations or past experiencesdocumented as learning activities.
Education derived through UWW differs froma traditional undergraduate education primarilyin the design and delivery of learning oppor-tunities available to students. A UWW educa-tion includes the traditional concept ofliberal education, an acquaintance with a broadarray of intellectual thought. In addition,UWW attempts to help students develop severalinstrumental skills such as question-asking,reflecting analyzing and synthesiz,ing for thepurpose of integrating their academic andexperiential education into a baccalaureatedegree Trogram.
One of the premises on which the UWWprogram is based is that adult students mustaccept the primary responsibility for the out-comes of their education and must be activeparticipants in charting the most appropriatedegree course for achieving their learninggoals.
The adult students in UWW range in age from20s to late 50s. They enter UWW with Wideranges of experience and varying educationaland professional goals. While their learninggoals may. be well defined, they may not havehad the opportunity to engage in much reflec-tion of their past learning experiences and theintegration of their learniOg will becomeprominent focus in their degree programs.
The implications that adult development andlearning have for advising adult students flowfrom the definition of adult that states, "Anadult is one who can orpTae her environment,who is able to make choices and accept theconsequences of her decisions, who acpepts her-self and others, and who affirms life." Inshort, an adult is a maCil-Fi--Narner. Theindividual's ability to make critical choicesand decisions about how she interacts with herenvironment, and her ability to assume respon-sibility for the consequences will determine towhat extent she is an effective learner.
Adult development theorists have looked atthe choices and adaptations adults make con-cerning their roles in society from varyingperspectives. While the theories are varied,agreeMent has been reached 'that 1) adult devel-opment implies a growth schedule that is co71-mon for all individuals, and 2) everyone'sdevelopment consists of basically the samestages.
Individual adults seldom move smoothly fromone developmental stage to the next and ele-ments of one stage are usually present in one
or more others. Still, there appear to besources of dominant concern for adults at givenperiods in their lives that have special impli-cations for adult learning. As a general rule,the beginning of each decade of an adult's lifetends to be a period of transition and, withthe passing of each decade, the consequences ofchoices made during that transition take onadded significance for the individual.
In the early 20s, the individual is in theprocess- of becoMiiii an adult, developing a
self-concept and making choices among thepossible adult roles available.
By the early 30s, an dult has formed aninitial life structure rep esented by involve-ments, with career, family nd comdunity. Theremay be stresses in certain aspects of the lifestructure which will cause a reexamination ofcommitments and reordering of priorities.
- The early 40s, usually referred to as mid-life transition, sees the individual exploringhimself outside of his primary life structures. .He questions the extent to which he has 4
fulfilled his own values and interests and thenature of his contributipns to society.
The early_50s is si'en as a "last chance" laymany adira Ehe last real opporyinity To
succeed in a career, to resolve long termfamily conflicts, to embark on new challenges
.c,or directions., For somiadults, this periodwill be a reaffirmation of their life struc-tures -- for others it will be a new beginning.
The early 60s is currently viewed as the
"beginning of EFT end". Individuals Aeterminewhether they wish to disengage themselves fromtheir established adult roles and if so, how.They experience the very real presence of deathamong..family and friends and they make prepara-tions to redesign major aspects of their lifestructures. The implications of delayed man-datory retirement, medical advancements andsociety'3 growing support of life-long learningopportunities provide more options and oppor-tunities to older adults so that this develop-mental period may be seen as a transition intoa more invigorating life structure.
It is evident that each period of tran-sition is followed by a period of stability inwhich the individual lives out the decisionsmade earlier.- Stability, as we know, is a tem-porary state which gives way to changes whichadults continue'to experience in one or more of
' their life structures.Age groupings, such as the type used to
distinguish major transition periods in adults'
'Parilou EldredCatherine MarienauUniversity WithoutWalls
University of Minnesota
October. 1978
INSTRUMENTAL Stitt DEVELOPPENT IA INDIVIDUALIZED DEGREE PLANNING
Cognitive Skills*
AOttT STLDEMS UwW Advisors(Adult (ducators) UWW Program PhasePre-IAA4 Goals in U124
1) Knowledge - formal education . specify eduction- - help Identify goals - Pre-admissions Advisim- informal educ- al direction 8 - guestion-msking
'
etion (seminars,workshops)
- life knowledge
study, theoreticalknowledge
- encouragement to pursue adegree
- Job-related -
knowledgenew knowledgerelated to goals
2) Comprehension - skills under le . increased under- - understanding educational - Application for admiss
- Job skills Standing components (project proposal)
, interaction with
family. socialamps
credentials - reinforcement of goals - Acceptance to UWW
h dh w-
3) Application - Skills under 1 A immediate useful- - identify resources - Program Design
2* mass of learning - analyze past learning II (degree plan)
- desire to learn credentials learning needs
(motivition)- specify study
area
- continuing encouragement.."--.."*"..
4) Analysis,
- Skills under I.
. ,
guidance in pur - -,help in rrrrrr ch skills - Program Implementation
2 & 3+knowledge efthings that artimportant tothem
suing learningflats
attain objectivesin shortestamount of time
- analysis of all learning
- sense of values- rrrrr ness of 114
stages. - relation to ,
others
5) Synthesis(integration)
- skills under I,2, 3, 4 above.
- solidifying goalsvalues. thingS ofimportance
goals under 1, 2.3. 4 aboverelate variouskinds of learn -
ing
- synthesize learning intodegree program
0 Evaluation
- 'completing degree
- skills under 12, 3, 4, 5 above+
.
goals under i, 2,3, 4, 5 above+
...,
- integrate all VW learning- related learning to UWA
- Graduation Process
- ability to makeeducated jiigrentOinformed choices,inferences, dls-criminate amonglearning
evaluate past Andcurrent learning
graduation criteria
'fro. Ilenjamin S. !loom, ed., Taxonomy of Educational Oh ectives: Cognitive DOMMin,ileW York: David McKay, 1954.
**from theOries of adult leirning and development described by Orrighurst, Houle, Knox. KnOwles, Tough, Chickering,lieathersby, end ethers.
52 t--Od
on
lives, can be useful inasmuch, as they serve asindicators of the nature of the ,developmentalta,sk in which an adult is engaged. Age shouldnot be useda diagnostic tool -- far betterto explore('-with individuals their own percep-tions of where they've been, where they are,where they want to go and how they want to getthere.
There are several characteristics which arecommon to adult students and have been evidentin the adult students in UWW:
1. their self-concept j.s one of a self-directed learner;
2. they possess a reservoir of learningexperiences which serves as primarylearning resources;
3. they are motivated to learn, by thedemands of their social roles;
4. they want learning to have immediateapplication; and
5. they are interested in learning that isproblem rather than subject centered.
The various social roles which adults adoptand the developmental tasks they experiencesuggest that adults will approach'education intwo basic ways. Adults who wish to change&heir situations will approach education as aninstrument for home future gain. Those adultswho are interested in learning that has imme-diate utility will approach education as anexpression of their current interests andReeds. -Mbst adults will view education both asan instrumeit for change and as an expressionof current Interests, although one form istlikely to be more pronounced depending uponwhether the individual is in a period of tran-sition or one of relative stability. Educa-tion, for the adult, provides a structure forthose series of experiences which involvegoals, values and content, and which serve as avehicle for the inner work of transition.
Several factors influence adults' approachto learning and their decision to pursue orfinish a baccalaureate. They are: 1) atti-tudes about their past formal education; 2)past informal learning activities; 3) jobhistory; 4) desire or need for a graduatedegree; 5) their home environment, financialsituation, support of spouse, children andparents.
UWW has distinguished between personnelfactors and institutional factors thatinfluence adult students' choice of the UWWprogram as the best route to their degree. Thepersonal factors are: 1) time available forstudy; 2) desire to use job-related projects intheir program; ,3) inclusion of past learningand self-desigped study projects in the degreeprogram. The -.institutional factors include:1) desire for a. ,degree from the University, ofMinnesota; 2) desire4to work with Universityfaculty and use University resources; 3) lowfinancial cost of UWW ($285/quarter. for 1978-79).
Once students are admitted to UWW, theybegin to complete the five program phaseslisted on the attached chart. UWW adults'first consideration in their program is to,clarify their learning goals and identify thetopics of learning (content) that are includedin their goals. The University major facultyaVvisor will verify that their goals andsuggelted content are congruent and auggestways to learn some of the content that is notknown. Through developing their UWW degree
plan, students identify 'and document priorlearning and determine how best to learn thecontent areas yet to be mastered -- throughformal courses, independent study projects,-off-campus seminars, job-related projects, -orother ways most appropriate to each student.Each student's degree plan contains the com-plete pictuxe of his or her UWW program.
UWW tries to help students strengthen theiruse-of cognitive skills, 'described in Bloom'sTaxonomy of Educational Objectives, through thevarious ealicational processes that comprise thetotal UWW program. lhe aocompanying chartillustrates the cognitive skills that UWW helpseach student develop. The "Adult Students"column is divided into adults' development anduse of the skills prior to entering UWW andthe ways in which each 'skill relates to thestudents', educational goals in UWW. The pre-UWW. and UWW goals columns contain theoreticalmaterial drawn-from experts in the fields ofadult development and adult learning. The UWWadvisor'e role relative to each skill and the'phase of the UWW program in which-,..each skill ismost emphasized are indicated in columns fourand five.
UWW advisors play many roles with studentsrelatiVe to skill development, program planning'and program implementation. Those rolesinclude planner, organizer, supporter, teacher,evaluator, resource finder, devil's advocate,learning facilitator. Advisors wear many hats,some simultaneously, at different times instudents' programs. It is exsiting to see astudent through, from the initfal stage oi con-fusion, loosely formed goals and'uncer aintyabout his/her academic ability, to the grad-uation meeting where that same student willdiscuss the UWW projects and learning with asense of confidence and maturity of educationaljudgment that frees the student from his/herown ignorance to continue the lifelong learningprocess.
"DOWN Th YELLDW 'PRICK RaAD: MOVING TOWARDPROFESSI !MUSK LN ACADEMIC ADVISING"
. Presenter: Bonnie McClelland, CounselingSpecialist:College of NaturalSciences, The University of Texas-at Austin-
INTRODUCTION
1.
The underlying assumption of this paper isthat academic advising is, or should be, a pro-fessional activity in contrast to an activitythat is merely technical. By.definition a.pro-fessional advisor understands - that he isaccountable to students, to faculty, to _theinstitution which employs him. A part of that
.accountability is meeting certain minimum stan-dards. Another aspect is taking responsibilityfor continuing to improve one's performance inacademic advising roles. This paper is pri-marily directed toward staff rather thanfaculty advisors although parts may be appli-cable to both.
In order to move toward increased pro-fessionalism in academic Advising, threequestions must be addressed: (1) what are thecommon denominators and dimensions of hcademicadvising (2) what knowledge and skills areneeded (3) .how can advisors be assured oppor-tunities to continue to develop professionallyand simultaneously be held accountable fortheir, performance as advisors? None of theseqqestions can be addressed exhaustively in'today's presentation. The purpose of this'program is to stimulate and involve par-ticipants in addressing the above questionsrather than to suggest a specific methodologicalapproach. The hope is thatparticularly in'the small groups, we can further conceptualizeacademie advising with an eye toward developingminimum standards for academic advising perf5r-mance.
Advising must be defined as a first,step inmoving toward professionalism. For purposes offurther discussion, in this paper Academicadvising is defined as.a professional activityconsisting of three interrelated and insepar-able functions: administrative, information-giving, and personal/career counseling, 4,:hosepurpose is to enhance the educational processand student development toward personal; aca-demia, and career goals.
The interrelatedness of the three key fund-tions is what makes academic advising uniquefrom mere information giving or therapy.Translated into practice, this kind of academicadvising takes place in the context of thestudent's life and his educational environment.Each contact with a% student contains elementsof all three components, although one may takeprecedence over the others. For example: astudent who asks his advisor for approval todrop a course may be viewed as making an admin-istrative request. In considering whether toapprove the .request, the advisor reviews insti-tutional policies that bound course loads.However, if institutional policy is all that isreviewed, then a machine could do the job aswell. The advisor also listens for personalcircumstances behind the student's request;gives him infOrmation abcut the meaning hisdrop will have for future educational plans;liscusses academic alternatives; makes appro-priate referrals; etc. So we see that a
54
"simple': request managed well, is rathercomplex in the real world of academic advisingpractice.
In summary, before advisors can be heldaccountable and helped to develop pro-fessionally, advising must be defined for each .campus, or in some -cases, ,college by pollegewithin large universities. Once there isclarity about "the beast" it is possible todelineate the task categories, then define theattributes, knowledge and skills needed to per-form ah advising role well.
Evaluation is the key to insuring a greaterdegree of professionalism in advising byholding people accountable to certain stan-dards, 'helping them identify their strengthsand weaknesses, and measuring and assistingtheir professional growth. To be effective,evaluation must be a regular process, not asterile response to a form or a conference oncea year. Feedback in the job as part of theregular routine is critical. It is this feed-back that then needs to be encapsulated in for-mal conferences throughout the year. Finally;the formal evaluation conference is summarizedin writing for both the advisor and his admin-istrative superior. (This is one way toinsure the administrator is held accountable tothe advisor as well.)
'Prior to developing the procedures for eval-uation, however, one must identify the tasksinvolved and skills requiied for advising.There must be clarification -as to the dimen-.sions of advising which represent desired stan-dards on which one' is to he evaluated; Simplystated before one is evaluated, the "what" ofthe job needs to be dentified. What is itthat advisors are expected to do in order toperform at a minimum level of competence? Whatrepresents desireabfe but not critical aspects
' of advising? Finally, what are the attributes,skills, and knowledge needed for competency inadvising? These three issues are related. If'an advisor is expected to work with a studentas a "total person", there are the implicationsas to the 'knowledge and skills an advisor musthave or develop to meet that expectation. Aclaim could be made that the advisor, forexample, needs to have knowledge of human behav-ior .as it pertains to college students,knowledge of campus, and community resources.Additional*, the advisor needs the skills toassess the student's ability and to .helphim/her with decision making and problemsolving ih the educational context. If is, thearticulation of "what" with the "how" inadvising that must be identified and clearlystated, before the evaluation process can .bemeaningful and effective. Written standards orobjectives used to evaluate advisors must ulti-mately be stated in specific enough terms soboth the advisor and his supervisor can gaugeperformance. The evaluation process shouldplace responsibility on the advisor to evaluatehis/her own performance as well as receiveinput from the person who is doing the eval-uatioh. With both faculty and staff advisors,self evaluation process along with some meansfor students to evaluate the advising processmight be effective tools particularly when usedin combination with administrative par-ticipation in the evaluation; Advisors,whether faculty Or staff, may be their own bestcritics given the freedom, expectation, andsupport from administration to do so.
It was the intention of the speaker thatsmall, structured groups would work toward con-ceptualization of ,task categories and thequalities needed for 'successful advising.However, the audience was very small at thissession so after a few -introductory remarksfrom the speaker, the group brainstormed andshared ideas, concerns, issues in advising onour respective campuses. In this ,diScussion,one member mentioned "an 'advisor's union" whichhad developed on her campus to protect theskilled staff and to assist in the eliminationof advisor performance. This seemed to be themost "radical" idea and could not have occurredwithout strong administrative support),Regardless of the structure of the evaluationprocess, quality issues, as well as quantity-ofwork, must be addressed. Finally, as weattempt to evaluate advising, we must examinehow.the evaluation process and content of theevaluation are used. The possibility formisuse or abuse is a danger.' Evaluation'mustbe seen as an attempt to foster growth and theprofessional development of advisors.
4-
a
"ACADEMIC ADVISING AND .CAREER PLANNING:, ACOOPERRTIVE MODEL"Presenters: Susie Ray, Coordinator, Cooperative
EducationRaymond Ledford, Counseling,
A Advisement & Placement CenterWestern Carolina University
The Counseling, Advisement, and PlacementCenter (CAP) at Western Carolina University hasdeveloped a cooperative program in careerplanning and academic advising, using stafffrom all three components of the Center. ACareer Development Seminar, conducted by theCareer Planning and Placement staff, usingCounseling staff as facilitators, was firstused with provisionally admitted students. .Thesame Seminar was" then conducted for thosestudenta' advisers. Using additionil materials.developed for the,mirpose, advisers provided afollow-6p in group and individual advisementsessions.
Next, the program was adapted for use withall CAP Center advisers and with regularlyadmitted students. Finally, the Seminar wasconducted for liberal, arts faculty, who wereenco6raged to in5.orporate career developmentand decision-making into their advisement con-ferences with upperclassmen, using projectmaterials.
The Presentatlon to the Conference will bedirected primarily toward Directors of advisingprograms who want to infuse career ,deoision-making into the advisement process. Othersinterested in developing adviser skills,advising underprepared students and AlndecIared(undecided) freshmen, and those advisingliberal arts m4jors will find the prqgram par-ticularly useful.
The format will be that of a participatoryworkshop and demonstration. Participants willengage in ' a career-planning seminar, usingmaterials that were employed with students andadvisers in the Pilot Project. The Presentorswill explain how the project was implemented atWestern Carolina University and will provide anoutline of ways the program can be adapted tolocal circumstances at other institutions.
.5C,72
"PARAPROFESSIONALS 1N ACADEMIC ADVISING:. WHEREFORES, WHYFORS, AND WMATFORS"'Presenters: Dr. Wes Habley, Director of
* Academic AdvisementMs. B.J. Marymont, Coordinatorfor College of EducationMs. Marcia Escott, Coordinator
,
for Arts and SciencesMike &Andrews, Student Advisor
- Karen Nardecchia, Student AdvisorIllinois State University
The purpose of 4this presentation wasthree-fold. First, this presentation providedan overview of the current state of affairs.regarding the/ilization of undergraduateparaprofessión academic advising roles.Secondly, the presenters described the parapro-fessional advising system at Illinois State.University. Finally, a panel of'undergraduatestudent paraprofessionals responded to audiencequestibns regarding their roles as undergrad-uate academic advisors.
CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS
this portion of the presentation dealtwith information which was applicable to, anyinstitution considering the implementation of aparaprofessional advising program. Including:
1. A working definition of. the para-professional: A paraprofessional isa ": . . person without extended pro- )fessional training who 'is specially/selected, trained, and given on-goingsupervision to perform some designatedportion of the tasks usually performedby professionals." (Delworth,Sherwood, and Casaburri)
12. Scope of paraprofessional programs inacademic advising: During the tenyears fiom 1964 to 1974 there has beenincreasing utiliaation of parapro-fessionals in academic advising and
, vocational guidance. During that timeperiod, institutions reporting parapro-fessional utilization in academicadvising rose from 8.5% in 1964 to 29%in 1974, while use of paraprofessionalsin vocational guidance jumped from4.227. to 187. during .the same timeperiod. (Zunker)
3. Advantages of paraprofessional utiliza-tion in.academic advisement:
,
A. EconomyThe cost of deliveringacademic advisement with parapro-fessionals is less expensive thanfor comparable quality faculty orprofessional . advising programs.
B. AvailabilityBy virtue , of peergroup membership, paraprofessionalsare constantly ava able to thepopulation being se ed.
lirC. Identification with peers-7, Paraprofessionals exhibit empathyfar students as a result ofexperiencing some -of the sameproblems and frustrations.
D. Input into the system by members ofhe population served--araprofessionals bring systematic,nput which can help improve, thedvising program.
,
56
E. Freeing professional staff forother actiyities--The developmentof a paraprofessional program cancreate additional time, for pro-fessional staff to deal with longerterm issues.
F. Increased services during peakoffice activity--The parapro-fessional program provides a
flexible staff for meeting thedemands for peak advising andregistration activity.
G. Increased organized vitality--Paraprofessionals supply theadvising program with 'new blood'and as a result provide thestimulus for change. ,
H. Increased utilization of services--Paraprofessionals make the advisingprogram more visible and thus createan environment which is conducivefor student utilization.Source of student employment--Aparaprofessional program providesthe campus with additional sourcesof student employment.
J. A viable educational experience--The paraprofessional programprovides an educational laboratory,particularly for students inter-eated in the helping professions.
4. Diaadvantages of paraprofessionalutilization in academic .advisement:A. Continuity--Paraprofessionals may
only 1,e available to the advisingprogram for two years. '
B. Staff time required for training--- Enormous amounts of training and
sjpervision are necessary for anEffective program.
C. Paraprofessional 'Burn-out'--Paraprofessionaja may have a dif-ficult time balancing the roles ofstudent and helping person.
D. ObjectivityParaprofessionals maypresent subjective information toother Students based on their ownobservations of the teaching-learning process.
E. Scheduling and Space--As part-timeemployees of the advising system,paraprofessional's space andappointment-making time become muchmore complex.
F. Specialist 'Approach required--Because of limited training time,the utilization of parapro-
' fessionals 'in advisement requiresa specialist approach.. Thus, un-decided students and studentswishing to change majors presentconcerns beyond the expertise ofthe paraprofessional.
G. Communication is difficult--With anumber of part-time employees, thenecessity of concise and constantcommunication within the advisementsystem becomes a paramount concern.
H. Administrative structure must bereviewed--Because the success' ofa paraprofessional program restsheavily on on-going training andsupervision, the organizationalhierarchy ,of the advising systemmust be reviewed.
I. Accountabiltty--In the case of,mistakes or misconceptions providedto students, it is extremelydifficUlt to fix advisingaCcountability.
5. Institutional -problemd encountered:A. Internal resistance
The.implementation of a.paraprofessional program cannotbe effective without t advanceplanning and support o those whowill be involved in. yhe program.Among the problems encounteredinternally are: -
(1) Unbelievers--those individualswho are skeptical about astudent's ability to be anacademic advisor.
(2) Opponents--those individualswho feel threatened that astudent may replace them orthose who are simply resistantto change.
(3) Staff development--those whoare excellent academic advisorsmay not be the best trainers orsupervisors of others. Thismay require a major shift instaffing patterns. '
B. Faculty Resistance comes in.severalforms.(1) those faculty, who support the
traditional faculty role asacademic advisors are mostresistant.to a paraprofessionaladvising program.
(2) those faculty who exhibitfeelings of inadequacy whichare apparent when the advisidgfunction is transferred toother than faculty are dif-ficult to convince about theeffectiveness of the parapro-fessional program.
(3) those faculty who are skepticalof a student's ability, t6complete the task of academicadvisement. These individualsusually wind up supporting theprogram following the presen-tation of research.
C. Institutional Education andRe-educationBecause of .the changes inadministrative positions and.department chairpersons, winningthe battle for implementation ofa paraprofessional program is onlythe beginning. As long as a systemof paraprofessional advisingexists, the need to educate campusconstituencies is necessary. Thiseducation includes:(1) Few individuals understand .the
need for extensive time commit-ments to training and super-vision programs. ...As a result,they .feel that the expertsare not spending enough timein contact with students.
(2) Defending the philosophical andpractical value of the.programis a constant. This is par-ticularly true when new admin-istrative personnel and faculty
57
arrive .on camptis and encountera paraprofessional program forthe first time.
(3) There is constant need todefend advisement wtrich servesstudent needs as opposed toadvising' which concentrates onthe meeting 'of specific sequen-tial needs of a prescribedprogram.
(4) The generation and protectionof resources for the pare-profeshional prograth is animportant factor. In thecompetition for scarce resour-ces, a simplistic Solution ofreturn advising to faculty onan overload basis, is oftensupported as a money-savingtechnique.
EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVISOR TYPES
1. Comparisons of Faculty and Para---professional Advisors
. A review of the literature onaraprofessional advising supports theontention that paraprofessional advi-ors perfonf in academic advising rolesat' a level at least equal to, 'if notgreater than, faculty performing thesame role. Comparative researchinvolving student satisfaction withfaculty and paraprofessional advisorsindicates:A. on interpersonal dimensions of the
adOising relationship, parapro-fessionals score significantlyhigher than faculty members.
B. on information dimensions, thereare no significant differencesbetween the two advisor types.
C. on student academic performancedimensions such as grade-point-average and probation rate, thereare no significant differencesbetween the two advisor types, and
D. students advised by other studentshave a higher retention rate than
. those advised by faculty members:2. Comparisons of Paraprofessional and
Professional AdvisorsA review of the literature on parapro-
irfessional dvising supports the conten-tion that paraprofessional advisorsadvisors p form in academic advisingroles at a level at least equal to, ifnot greater than, professional advisorsperforming the same roles. Comparativeresearch ' on student satisfactionindicates:A. Paraprofessionals are seen as effec-
tive as professionals.on informationvariables.
B. Paraprofessionals score signifi-cantly higher than professionalson interpersonal variables.
C. Paraprofessionals have greaterclient acceptance than professionaladvisors.
3. Comparative Research on Two or MoreAdvisor TypesA revie0 of the research into theeffectiveness of two or more advisortypes indicates;A. Advising vovided by professionals
and paraprofessionals is seen bystudents as more effective thapathasing provided by faculty.
B. Thdre is no conclusion as to thesingle most effective advisor type.
C. There are some variations in stu-dent satisfaction with advisortypes which are based on the majorof the student.
D. Research geneially supports thecontention that student parapro-fessionals under supervision,' andwith specialized training, canperform effectively in academicadvisement roles.
THE PARAPROFESSIONAL ADVISING PROGRAM ATILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY
This section of the presentation dealt withthe particulars of the paraprofessionaladVIsing program at Illinois State University.Included here were explanation and hand-outs onthe areas of organization, &election, training,supervision, and evaluation of the thirtyparaprofessionals who deliver academic advisingto underclass students at ISU.
The final segment of the program containeda question-answer session with two paraprofes-sionals from the academic advising program.
58
"VOMPUTER-ASSISTED ADVISEMENT; AN INNOVATION, IN ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT"
Presenters: Erlend D. Peterson, Assistant Deanof Admissions and Records0. LeGrande Eliason, Coordinator of'Academic AdvismentR. Bruce Nielsen, Assistant to theDean of Admissions and Records forComputer DevelopmentBrigham Young University
INTRODUCTION
This presentation described the developmentand implementation of a computer assistedadvisement program and its effectiveness as atool for improving academic advisement.
BACKGROUND
In 1969, Brigam Young University began anintensive evaluatio f its academic advisementprogram. The evaluat on revealed a void in therole of academic advisement between the facul-ty's perception of their functioh as advisorsand the types of que&tions students wereseeking answers. In surveying 100 faculty mem-bers, 91 expressed that they wer4 fullyqualified and knowledgable on academic advise-ment, but when asked the simple question of howmany hours were required for graduation, only47 faculty members knew the correct answer. Insurveying the questions which students askedwhen seeking advisement, it was deterMined that857. of the questions Were routine in nature andconcerned degree requiremehts and the student'sprogress in \satisfying the requirements.
In 1971 college advisement centers wereestablished in each' of the 12 undergraduatecolleges to assist students in first-lineadvisement and to maintain the clerical func-tions for academic advisement. With increasingcomputer technology and decreasing computercosts, it was decided to transfer from a handrecord to a computer-tracking system.
OBJECTIVES IN DESIGNING THECOMPUTER-ASSISTED ADVISEMENT
PROGRAM
In designing the computer-assisted advise-ment system, it was determined that thefollowing objectives should be accomplished:
1. Simplicity and conciseness of design.2. Instant on-line and printing
capability.3. State and track all requirements for
graduation.a. Universityb. General Educatioric. Major
4. Categorize requirements within major.a. Collegeb. Departmentc. Majord. Specialization
5. Ability to track number of classes,number of semester hours, andcombinations.
6. Ability to show narrative information.7. Statement of prerequisites.8. Include all credit, sustitutes.,
waivers.a. Innitutional creditb. Transfer credit
and
A
c. MiScellaneous credit, (i.e., CLEF,AP Military.credit, etc.)
d. Substitutese. Waivers
9. Instant up-date capability.10. Ability to change requirements as fre-
quently as every semester but trackstudent by date of entry into major.-
11. Ability for students to shop for majorsplus showing the best/wOrse caseoonsiderations.
12. Ability to: track concurrent majors.13. Provide management information.
a% Course use by major andspecialization
b. -Curriculum planningc. Total requirements for major
14. Development system tb tie into voca-tional planning and job selection%
15. Information file.
DESCRIPTION OF GRADUATION EVALUATION REPORT
The Computer-assisted Advisement .Programprovides for each student as part of thestudent's advisement registration material acomputer-printed graduation evaluation summaryreport. (See figure il) It includes (1) alist of all,UniVersity classes completed withaccompanyine-transcript data information, (2) asummary of general education requirementscompleted and a listing of deficiencies, (3) asummary of college requirements, coursescompleted, and course deficiencies, (4) a sum-mary of major requirements with coursescompleted and course deficiencies, (5) a sum-mary of specialization courses with coursescomRleted and course deficiencies.
The Computer-assisted Advisement Programalso lists course prereqUisites, classesrepeated, class requirements waived or substi-tutes, grade point averages for University,college and major courses completed.
The program operates primarily from a grad-uation requirement index file but it also hasthe flexib41ity of individually-designed degreeprograms. Jibe advisement program also inter-faces with the evaluation of. transfer creditand matches it according to the requirements atall levels of the institution.
An additional unique featUre of the advise-ment program is that the advisement sheet notonly states requirements and lists courseswhich the students have completed, but it alsoshows the complete option of courses from vibichthe student may select for completing therequirements.
IMPLEMENTATION AND PROCEDURES
In 1973 BYU implemented its on-line stUdentrecord system. In 1975 the computer-assistedadvisement model was designed and implemented_at a cost of approximately $16,000. In 1976implementation was made with the first page ofthe advisement sheet, including all Universityand general education requirements. In 1977the implementation of the second page wascompleted with all the college, major, and spe-cialization requirements. The system operatesfor approximately $2,000 a semester. It isproviged free to the students at the beginningof ach semester. Advisors can also- obtainindividUal printouts at any time plus there isCRT terminal visibility at the on-line system.
59
EVALUATIPN OF PROGRAM
The Computer-Assisted Advisement Programhas been very well received by. the students andhas proven to be remarkably accurate, evenduring the test run stages. the program in-cludes the requirements for two general educa-tion programs and 400 majots plus thecapability .of individualized programs or modi-fications to existing programs by indlvidual.The program has,been able to satisy all of d*,design objectives. i
L.
st
"A CENTRALIZED ADVISING MODEL FOR TRE SMALLLIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE"Presenter': Wilma Reuland, Directoe
of Academic Advisement,Aurora College, Illinois .
BASIS
The basis of the program is practical, adescription of a 6ystem that workp. Facultymembers are the largest advising resource insmall colleges, yet the problem of how to moti-vate [heal and provide some kind of rewardsystem is almost universal. Ine model atAurora College provides released time, relieffrom scheduling appointments and recordkeeping, and an inviting setting for studentsand the participating faculty members.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
A centralized office located directlyacrosi from the registrar's office has beenestablished to house adVisement conferences.It is composed of a comfortable and attractivereception room, three advisement cubicles, thedirector's office and a cubicle for the SIGI ,
computerized career guidance ,system. Studentrecords are filed in the outer office wherethey are easily accessible to. advisors. Alladvisement takes place in this suite which isopen from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily and from5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday andThursday.
This centralization of advisement _aervicesgives status to the function, inclJNETs facultyto' retain professional identity- as teachersWhile in their own offices, and frees advisorsfrom scheduling their own appointments.
-Having the SIGI terminal in advisementplaces it where interpretation by the directorcan be provided if needed and where a sched-uling process already exists to serve studentswho want to use the computer. Again,centralization promotes ease of operation andeconomy.
Beginning in his freshman year, eachstudent is advised three times a year beforeregistration for each of the thrde terms.Freshmen, sophomores -and, undecided upperclass-men are advised by three gener'al advisors,-eachof whom advises six hours a week. For thisresponsibility, they are given one-thirdreleased time.
When a student has chosen his area of con-centration, he is assigned to an advisor in hisdhosen field. These advisors are given zero toone-third released time depending on the numberof advisees assigned fo them. At the beginningof each term, area of concentration advisorsnotify the director o.f their available hours.Secretaries then schedule one-half hourappointments-Within "the stated times and placerecords for the day's appointments in a filefolder provided for each advisor.
The objective has been to make theadvisors' time with the student as free of
- clerical chores as possible in order that thetWo might concentrate on the student's- academicprogram and vocational goals. ,So far, bothfaculty advisors and students 'seem to considerthe adVisement system an apset and to besupportive pf its function.
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1,'ADVISI1G THE PREFROFESSIONAL STUDENT: WHAT TTTARES TO GET INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL"Presenters: Josephine A. Capuana, Academic
Advisor, State University of NewYorkSandra Burner, Assistant DeanState University of New York aLStony Brook
The main objective nf this program is -toexamine two successful preprrfessional advise-ment programs, compare their differences andsimilarities and to look at What makes theifprograms successful. -
_The two schools under discussion are theState University of New York at Buffalo and the
.,State University of New York at Stony Brook.Both are large, public universities rankingfirst and second in size in the StateUniversity of New York system. They offer a-wide range of undergraduate, graduate and pro-fessional programs for their students and tendto attrgct very capable, competitive studentsinto heir programs.
THE SIMILARITIES
Both Buffalo. and Stony Brook share somecommon procedures. Written information is
disseminated to their undergraduate studentsregularly. This begins in the freshman yearwith general information on preprofessionalrequirements, the various health professionsavailable, volunteer experiences and what theirchosen profession will require of them. Laterin the second semester of the juniOr year, thisinformation becomes very specific regardingapplication procedures, required prepro-fessional _tests, evaluation interviews andletters of recoMmendation.
Several information sessions are also heldduring the year to acquaint new students withthe preprofessional advisor, the prepro-fessional program and to answer any generalquestions the students might have. In the lateFall or early Winter, a meeting is held for allstudents whO will be applying for admission tohealth professional schools for the followingyear. Here many topics are covered to informthe students as fully as possible as to thetimetable of events they need to follow. Sinceboth Buffako and Stony Brook have one prepro-fessional advisor to handle approximately 225applicants per year, these group sessions proveto be invaluable for dispensing information andorganizing the students,for applying.
The final similarity is the interviewprocedure. Both schools require their prepro-fessional students to undergo an individualAppraisal interview with the preprofessionaladvisor. Here the student is questioned as tohis motivation toward this career, what he con-siders his personal strengths to be, volunteeror paid experiences 'in the field, outsideinterests and ethical problems. The purposefOr this interview is twofold. First it allows'tihe advisor to get to know the student better.Since a letter of recouftendation results fromthis interview, generally a more complete pic-ture of the student can be gained through this.It also provides the 'advisor with the oppor-tunity to view the range of applicants for eachyear and establish a more consistent tool forevaluating the range of competitive students.
-Secondly, this /interview enables thestudent to experience a formal interviewsitOation and to evaluate how well prepared hisis to discuss some of ,the possible questionsthat can arise. Siqce the interview given bythe professional school is crucial to thestudents' chances for admission, it is to hisbeneflt to be as prepared as possible. Thestudent must be able to clearly articulate hisreasons for seeking such a profession and hemust be able to see beyond the obvious. Inessence, the interview at a professional schoolgives the student a chance to "show and tell"an admissions committee why they should accepthim.- at is equally important after-the prelimi-nary interview for the preprofessional advisorto personally evaluate the students handling ofthe interview. Hour well were the questionsanswered, did the student show confidence inhis abilities, when.challenged,, did the studentrespond or evade,the issues at hand. Since noother opportunity is given fo; the student togain insight beforehand, the preprofessionaladvisor who provides this service for thestunents fifls a very important gap in theprocess,
THE DIFFERENCE
There are two basic differences between theprograms at Buffalo and Stony Brook. The firstis that Stony Brook has a faculty committeebehind th preprofessional advisor. This com-mittee whic drawn from all areas, serves toset policy an ocedures in consultation withche preprofessiona Each letter isreviewed by the committee before it is sent toehe professional schools. ,
'The second difference is that Buffalo ranksdach applicant while Stony Brook does not.There are five categories of ranking;excellent, very well qualified, capable ofprofessional school work, recommended withreservation and not recommended. Based on thestudent's academic performance, personalstrengths and experiences, he is -assigned aranking in addition to his written appraisalletter.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT
The most important aspect behind all ofthis however is the philosophy that the school,committee, or the preprofessional advisoradopts toward.the entire process. What and howmuch are you going to tell- the professionalschools about your students? What do you feelis relevant 'information for ehe professionalschools to receive about your stOdents? Itessentially becomes a decision as to whetheryou will "weed out" students. .-or tcese schools,serve as ap advocate for your etudents ordIscover some happy edium between the two.
Successful%preprofessional advisement thenis a combination of factors. :he adviznrbe honest with the student at all times. Yetone must be careful not to let wly biases youmay have interfere with this. The informationmade available to students must be as correctand up to date as possible. Nothing errodes a
ot
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preprofessional advisors' credibility more thanto give out misinformation.- It is hetter toadmit that you do not know instead of compli-cating a students' professional future withincorrect information.
The advisor must offer his -services earlyin the student's career. Information .onpreprofessional requirements, arrangement ofcourses, majors and volunteer work are but afew of the concerns students have. Also pro-viding a supportive but honest opportunity forthe' students to evaluate their academic perfor-mance, career goals and potential for admissionare essential and primary to successful prepro-fessional advisement. To do less is Adisservice to the student.
What itAirakes to get into medical school orany preprofessional school is intelligence,hard work, a strong commitment eo the pro-fession and good common sense. The prefessional advisor can provide the link hetweencthe student and his career goal with good com-mon sense. The success of your program beOnswith this.
4'
"ADVISING HONOR STUDE1TS"Presenters: Dr. Joseph R. Riley, Director of
the University Honors Program andProfessor of English, Memphis StateUniversityDr. Wallace Kay, Dean, HonorsCollege, University of SouthernfMississippiDr. MacDonald Williams, Direetcr ofUniversity Honors'Program,-Tennessee State University'Mrs. Elizabeth L. Julich, AcademicCounselor, Memphis State University'
This session dealt with the different pro-cedures used in advising honor students. Dr.Joseph Riley presented the summary of hisquestionnaire which was sent to approximately .one hundred and fifty schools with honors_Programs. After reviewing__some statisticaldata derived from the questionnaire, thestrengths and weaknesses of various programswere discussed.
The program continued with both Dr. WallaceKay and Dr. McDonald Williams describing speci-fic aspects of each of their honors programs.
The results of the survey on honorsadvising are listed below,
HONORS ADVISING SURVEY
Summary of Replies to Questionnaire
Fall: n78
1. Number of schools contacted - 150
2. Number which responded - 85
3.* Types' of schools responding - Everythingfrom small 4-year pnivate schools to largestate universities
4. Enrollments ofgschools responding -Under 2500 - 7 15,000-20,000 - 112500-5000 - 6 20,.000-25,000 - 175000-7500 - 8 over 25,000 - 9 to
7500-10,000 - 8 Not given - 4. 10,000-13,000-15
5. Honors enrollment at these schoolUnder 50 - 3 401-500 - 351-100 14 501-750 - 7101-150 - 16 751-1000 - 8151-200 - 10 Over 1000. - 5201-300 8 Not given - 6301-400 . - 5
6. Does the Honors Program have speciallyassigned advisers?Yes - 51 In some departments - 4-No - 28 No reply - 2
. Are the advisers faculty or non-faculty?Faculty - 43 Both - 12,Non-faculty - 3 No reply - 27
8. Number of advisers assigned to honorsadvising1-5 - 19 One for each5-10 - 8 department - 411-20 - 11 Varies - 321-30 - 2 No Response - 30over 311 - 8
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9. Numberadviser1-5 - 46-10 - 811-15 - 316-20 - 421-30 - 0
of students assigned to each
Over 30 - 7
Varies - 24No assignments- 5
No set number - 2
10. Does the Honors director do all or part ofthe advising of honors students?All' - 18 None - 9-- .
'Most - 7 No reply - 2
Part - 49
-11. When is most of the honors advising done?(Some had mtltiple answers.)Before registration - 34During registration - 23Regular intervals during term - 26All_three,of the,above -_13During summer orientation - 9Irregularly (on demand) - 16
12. Other advising or counseling facilitiesavailable to honors studentsCounseling Centers - 52Departmental Advisers - 49Advising Centers - 17Other students - 5Special advisers (pre-professional,etc.) - 3None4- 2
13. Strengths of your .advising systen(42 different replies) - Most mentioned:a. Gives honors director and/or staff
chance to become personally acquaintedwith honors students.
b. Special honors advisers can giveknowledgeable advice about HonorsProgram.
c. Advising system has great flexibility.d. Honors office personnel are readily
available to students for advising.,e. Involves faculty in Honors Program and
takes advantage of their expertise.f. Close relationship between faculty
advisers and students.g.-Diversity of advising available to stu-
dents..Most honest response: "ME--I work hard at it!"
14. Weaknesses of your advising system(45 different responses) - Most Mentioned:a. Students not required to .seek advice
and often do not.b. Lack of communication between .Honors
office and advisera, between differentadvisers, and between advisers and stu-dents.
c.. Overworked advisers--too many studentsassigned, too little relief time,to do
.advising, etc.d. Advisers who are not very conscientious
about their job.e. Failure of Honors Program to reach out
to students enough.f. Understaffing, either in the 'Honors
office or of faculty advisers.Most interesting response: "It would help ifwe could find something to put n the advisers'food go that they would never have lapses ofMemory."
15. What could be done to improve honorsadvising? (48 different replies) - Mostmentioned:a. Improve intracampus communication so
advisers can know what is going on.b. Assign more advisers to honors (several
wanted full-time advisers).c. Give advisers some relief from other
duties.d. Improve cooperation between Honors
office and various departments.e. besignate special honors advisers within
each department.Most satisfied response: ,"It's perfect nowt"'
16. Other matters on which honors stddents areadvised (30 replies) - Most mentioned:a. Personal problems ('short of practicing
medicine without a license").b. CarPer planningc. Academic work outside honorsd. Post-graduate Scholarships and
fellowshipse. Selection of majoTf. Selection of graduaEe and professional
schoolsg. Independent study, thesis projects, etc.h. As one director put it, "You name itl"
17. Special concerns of honors students aboutacademic worka. Grades and keeping up GPA (by far the
most mentioned)b. Admissions to 'professional and graduate
schoolsc. General anxiety to succeedq. Having enough time to do honors worke. Whether honors work will be rewaeding
enough to merit extra effortf. Quality of honors course work and
instructors
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"PREPARATION OF ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT HANDBOOKSFOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY ADVISORS IN A FACULTY-BASED ADVISEMENT SYSTEM"Presenters: David W. King, Assistant Dean
of Arts and Sciences.Linda Syrell, Directorof Student Advisement Center,State University of New York/Oswego
Our work at ine State University of ...New.York at Oswego with the development of improvedadvisement services convinced us that a carefulassessment was necessary of the nature of theinstitution and the strengths and weaknesses ofthe advisement system currently in place. We'devoted one year to a review of our existingservices to the approximately 7,500 studentsserved at this public liberal ,arts college.The advisement _system 4at Oswego is -primarilfaculty-based. Advsor assignments are relatedto declaration of major or academic interest.The emphasis on major, while it puts the stu-dent in contact with the academic expert in thefield of study, may result in emphasis oncompletion of the progtam at the expense of .
the particular needs and perspective bf theindividual student. As a result of that oon-sideration and our desire to emphasize men-toring rather than the more limited connotationof 'advisement", we decided to develop aMentoring Handbook for advisors, emphasizingthe broader aspects of the advisement rela-tionship and the different needs of' individualstudents. A separate and more elaborateStudent Academic Advisement Manual emphasizingresources, policies and prOCW5Tes for bothstudent and advisor was, also developed. TheMentoring Handbook begind with a definition ofeffective mentoring and emphasizes the impor-tance of accessibility and.the quality of therelationship with advisees. The introduction
-also emphasizes the importance of accurate, andtimely referrals to other campus resourcesalong with knowledge of . current resourcematerials such as the Qkllege Catalog,' Handbookfor OsWego Students and the Student Academic,Ta51sement Manual. Theie-Wvisement handbookswere prepariag-an initial effort to aid stu-dents and faculty advisors at SUNY-Oswego inthe academic advisement process. These manualsare, selective rather than comprehensive and areintended to be used in conjunction with theCollege Catalog, the Handbook for OswegoStudents, and other resources.
The underlying philosophy behind the pre-paration of these handbooks was that althoughthe student at Oswego is ultimately responsiblefor meeting degree and major requirements, theadvisor also plays a critical role in providingthe student with accurate information andappropriate guidance in defining and realizingeducational and career goals. Helping thestudent to fulfill requirements on schedule isanother critical component of the advisementprbcess.
The :'Table of Contents" for the 'MentoringHandbook for -Academic Advisors and the StudentAcademic 72-i.risement Manual tollow. This isperhaps the most etfEE5e7ITIF way in the limitedcontext of this precis to present the contentsof the two handbooks:
MENTORING HANDBOOK FOR ACADEMIC ADVISORS
TAiLE OF CONTENTSPAGE
A DEFINITION OF EFFECTIVE MENTORING/ADVISING 1-2
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY 2
SCHEDULING ADVISEMENT SESSIONS 2-3STUDENT EXPECTATIONS FROM THEADVISING PROCESS '3
ADVISING STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDSIntroduction 3
I. Students in AcadeMic Difficulty . . 4-5II. Exploratory/Undecided Students . . 5-6
III. Transfer StudentsSUNY-Oswego Policy for Evaluationof,Transfer Credits 7
IV. Older_St.ndenrqV. Part-time atid Non-Degree Students . . 9
VI.. Academically Superior Students . . 9-10,VII. ,Minority Students 10VIII. Women Students 10SUGGESTED.COURSE CLUSTERING IN THEGENERAL EDUCATION AREA
STUDENT ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT MANUAL
PREFACE
I. GENERAL REVERENCE
PAGE
Official 1978-79 College Calender . . 1
Directory--Dept. Chairpersons &Advisement Cordinators 3-5
Directory--Registrar's OfficeServices ..... . . . . . . 6-7
Directory--Penfield LibraryServices 8
Division of Arts & Sciences Staffand Responsibilities . . . 9
Preprofessional Advisement:Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental,Pre-Veterinary Medicine, Pre-Law
Division of Professional StudiesStaff & Responsibilities 10
Student Advisement Center 11Office of Special Programs 12
REFERRAL SOURCES-SKILLSDEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONSDevelopmental Reading Program &Courses
English Diagnostic Writing TestFor FreshmenRecommendations for EnglishSkills Development Interpretationof 'Diagnostic Writing Tett Score
Cooperative Education Program . . . 16Free Related Experience Exchange
(F.R.E.E.) 17Career Exploration Course (DPS 275) 18Library Research Techniques (G.S. 300).18Career Planning And PlacementOffice Services 18-19
13
14-13
711. GENERAL ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT SUGGESTIONSTO STUDENTS--YOU can help YOUrselflPreparing for Advisement 20-21'What To Do If Yod Are On Academic
Probation 21-22What To Do If You Have Missed Schoof
Due to "Circumstances Beyond You'rControl" (Illness, Accident, FamilyEmergency, Etc.) 22
What To Do If You Are ConsideringWithdrawal From the College . . 22-I3
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IV. ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURESAcademic Probation, Disqualification,
Continuance 24-25Add/Drop Authorizations 25-26Auditing of Courses 26AdmissiOn of Undergraduates to
Graduate Courses For UndergraduateCredit 26
Admission of Undergraduates toGraduate Courses for Graduate Credit(Combined Enrollment) 26
Candidacy for Graduation 27Certification 27Change of Major (Transfer of Major) . 27Confidentiality of Student Records . 28Declaration of Major 28-29Graduate Courses for Undergraduate
Credit 29Graduation,Check Form . . . . .4. 29Independent Study 29Late Drop Requests (Late WithdrawalFrom Courses) 30
Off-Campus Study Approval 31Overload Requests (Petition for
Overload) 31Pass-Fail Option 31
V. APPENDIX A--ACADEMIC FORMSAppeal of:Academic Disqualification .
Add/Drop AuthorizatiOnApproval to AuditApplication For Admission to Graduate
Courses for Undergraduate Credit .
Admission of Undergraduates to GraduateCourses for Graduate Credit (CombinedEnrollment)
Undergraduate Degree AndCertificate Form
Applicatlon For CertificatePetition For. Transfer Within the
College--Undergraduate Level(Change of Major)
Declaation of Major FormGraduation Check FormIndependent Study FormPetition For Late Drop--Diirision ofArts & Sciences
Off-Campus Study Approval Form . . .
Semester Overload Request--Division ofArts & Sciences
Petition For OverloadDivision-OfProfessional Studies
Pass-Fail Option Course Approval FormProgram Deviation Approval
Form--Division of Arts& Sciences
Program Deviation ApprovalForm--Division of ProfessionalStudies
Re-Admission Form . - . ......Student Course Request FormStudent Course Request FormRepeated D Grade Course Approval FormRepeatedt Grade FormApplitation for Visiting Student
ProgramOfficial Withdrawal Form
VI. APPENDIX B--ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT RESOURCEMATERIALSTrial Program Schedule FormSchedule of Classes, Study, EmploymentActivities
Student's Record of,Progress Form . .
PROCEDURES IN THE PREPARATION OFAN ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT HANDBOOK
Faculty AdvisorsAdviseesAdvisement. CenterAdvisement Coordinators
Needs Assessment Handbook
Editorial Function1
Mentoring Manual
Editorial Research Student AcademicCommittee Advisement Manual
New AdvisementEditorial MaterialsAssistants
Compile Information
Develop Materials
Editorial Review #1
Revision & General Editing
Mentoring ManualStudent AcademicAdvisement Manual
New AdvisementMaterials
Editorial Review #2
Publication
Distribution
Tratningre: Utilization
1
Evaluation
65
AdvisementTraining
"A MODEL PROGRAM FOR ADVISING THE UNDECLAREDMAJOR".Presenters: Dr. Ray E. MeKerrow, Arts &
Sciences Advising CommitteeDr. Michael Vietti, AssociateProfessor, PhysicsUniversity of Maine, Orono
Upon 'our return from the First NationalConference on Academic, Advising last fall,several faculty members continued a discussionof our advising needs. We focused attention onthe problem of advising undeclared majors. Asa result of our discussions, we have created aspecial course for students in the College ofArts and Sciences. The course will be taughtby cooperating faculty during the FallSemester, 1978. We propose to report en thismodel program including an explanation of itsrationale and content_ (see _attached sheets),our ,procedures for recruiting and trainingfaculty, and our plans for evaluating thecourse.
The rrogram will emphasize pragmatic issuesinvolved in the creation and teaching of thespecialized course. We feel that confereescould benefit from the information provided,and from our experiences as faculty recruitingour colleagues for this course. The mostappropriate audiences for this program arefaculty advisors, directors of advisingprograms, and ' any other persons currentlyworking with faculty in the creation and main-tenance of an advising program. As an Arts andSciences College, one of our principal concernsis the relation between a liberal education andcareer opportunities. Those persons concerned'with advising career oriented students in theSumaflities should find our experiences relevantto their.interests.
DRAFT STATEMENT FSA--99FRESHMAN SEMINAR IN ADVISING
Many students entering the College of Artsand Sciences are undecided about the-career or
_program of study they wish to pursue or thedepartment in which they wish to declare amajor.. For many, this indecision may maketheir adjustment to college more difficult, andmay lead to disappointments great enoUgh tocause a student to leave college. Prompted byfaculty concern over this situation, theFreshman Seminar in Advising has been designedto assist undecided students in their explora-tion of a liberal education in relation tocareer alternatives. Students will not beexpected to choose a career nor select a Majorduring the course. However, throughdiscussions of the value of a college educa-tion, its necessity for specific careers, andthe resources available within the college anduniversity, the student will be better preparedto make decisions regarding programs of studyand careers. Preparation for decision-makingwill focus on identifying interests, discussingpersonal values, researching career oppor-tunities of interest to the student and exa-mining ways of fulfilling career needs throughselected programs in the humanities, socialsciences, and natural and physical sciences.In- addition, students will be made aware ofcampus support services and will have an
66
opportunity to broaden their . knowledge ofvarious cultural events.
The course begins with a discussion of aca-demic procedures (e.g. fulfilling A' & Srequirements both college and departmental,add/drop, taking exams...) and the administra-tion of an.Interest Inventory. Representativesof the Humanities, Social Sciences, and NaturalSciences will present information on oppor-tunities atiout their respective areas, and willdiscuss the relevance of these areas to thestudent's ac9uisitio* of a liberal education.During the last sessioni of the courses stu-dents will be able to consult with their advi-sors' regarding courses .for the second semesterof their fresman year. This 1 credit coursewill be taken pass/fail, attendance isrequired.
1. All _students will read essaysconcerning the values of a liberaleducation; and write a brief (2-3 page)essay summarizing their thoughts on aliberal education as itr pertains totheir personal goals.
2. All students will . complete a . briefpaper detailing information about acareer they have chosen to exploreduring the course. The paper wil1 beacompanied by a resume which would beappropriate in applying for mammer orpermanent employment.
3. Students will complete one (1) of the'following options:A. Read biographies or autobiographies
of a persons in selected fields;write a brief paper summarizing thereadings.
B. Schedule an interview witti a personin a career field being exploredband write a report on theinterview.
C. Use the classified sections ofnewspapers, and other resources todetermine availability of employ-ment opportunities, pay scales,geographic locations of possibleemployment in career interest; andwrite a report summarizing theresearch.,
D. Write a "personal evaluation" essaywhich' discusses the assessment ofinterests and the progress you aremaking toward a career decision.
RESOURCE MATERIALS
bibUographies/References related toassignments will be handed out in class.
FRESHMAN SEMINAR IN ADVISING FSA--99COURSE OUTLINE
Sept. 4-8Small group sesskonPersonal introductions
1 Course Selection ProblemsNecessary Information--add/drop, fulfillingA & S requirements, regulations: 120 hours,2.00 a.a., 72' hrs. outside major, languagerequirement for various depts.
Sept. 11-15Large group session
1 Dean Haaland--welcome, intro to liberation,suggested topicsDean Gershman--FSA purpose, introduce thefaculty teaching the FSA, why college
2 Small group sessionSerong Campbell Interest Inventory
Sept. 18-22Large group session
1 Introduction to Humanities, 1 main speakerfrom campus, 2 reactors perhaps fromoutsideSmall groupreaction to presentation--reaction of selfto these areas
2 (Study Skills for those groups which don'treact, generally &..specifically for certainsubjects as needed)
Sept. 25-29Large group session
. 1 Introduction to Social Sciences, sameformatSmall group
2 Reaction to presentation(Study skills) Values inventories
Oct. 2-6Large group session
1 Introductibn to Natural & Physical Sciences& Mathmatics, same format1Sma1l group
2 Study SkillsReminder of deadlines
Oct. 9-13Large group seaion
1 Interpretation of InventoriesSmail group sessionLibrary paper assigned
2 Discussion of UMO college offerings usingcatalog, Careers & Programs in A & S, andother career information resources from theCounseling Center, Fogler Library, ComputerCenter, Student Academic Advising, CareerPlanning & Placement.
Oct. 16-20Large group session
1 Non-academic support systems--Financialaid, Health Center, Career Planning &Placement, Counseling Centerto identify the key peopleSmall group session
2 Development of employment vita with optionof viewing model interview tapes
Oct. 23-27Small group session
1 Discussion of career interests/goals2 Same
Oct. 20-Nov. 31 Small group session
Student reports 2 Same
Nov. 6-10Small group session
1 Complete student reportsSmall group sessionRegistration discussion, courses to choose,A & $ requirements, pass-fail option
2 Special Seminars, signatures needed,registration card formatReminder of deadlines
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Nov. 13-17Small group,session
1 RegistrationWind-up--evaluation
TYPICAL TESTS:
PATH A Career Workbook for Liberal 'ArtsStudents, Howard E. Figler (Carroll Press)
A Career Planning Program for CollegeStudents, Loughary & Ripley (United Learning'Corporation)
Career Search,' Chapman (SRA, Inc.)College Survival, Chapman (SRA, Inc.)On Becoming an Educated Person, Voeks
(W.B. Saunders Co.)Additional readings to be selectedForrester Gertrude--compilation of sources--
in every career field
"CONSULTANTPresenters:
's comsoRTIumrDr. Thomas J. Grites, StocktonState College, ChairpersonMr. David Crockett, AmericanCollege Testing ProgramMr. Michael McCauley, Ball StateUniversityDr. Joseph F. Metz, University ofMarylandMs. Toni Trombley, University ofVermont
This Program was designed to provideConference-site consultatio services whichmight not otherwise be avaip. lable to certaininstitutions or individuals. The panelistsintended for specific topics to be identifiedprior to the Program via a "request form"distributed at the Conference Registration.This technique was relatively unsuccessfulhowever, and most topics were identified by theparticipants at the time of the Program.
The primary topics .discussed were ones ofseemingly general interest to most Conferenceparticipants. These were, in general, eval-uation of advising/advisors, how to generatesupport for the advising program, and advise-ment strategies for the non-traditional stu-dent. The consensus opinion given by thepanelists on these subjects was as follows:
Evaluation - This is a process that shouldbe done, but the strategies, implications,uses, and techniques will certainly vary.Evaluation of advising is too often reduced tothinking in'terms of only one mode -- studentevaluations of individual advisors. While thisis a valid evaluation mode, it is also toolimited in perspective. Other areas of eval-uation should include:
1. The institutional commitment to'advising: What are the definition,description, or objectives 'of theadvising process and what outcomes aredesired? What kinds of compensationsor rewards are provided for goodadvising? It makes little sense andwastes efforts if advisors are eval-uated when the institution isn't con-cerned about how well the advisorsperform in the first place. Some advi-sors, of course, will want to know howwell they advise, but this is not acommon request.
2. The advining process as a whole: Isthe- current delivery system (faculty,staff, peers, etc.) desirable andadequate? Are communications, direc-tions, and materials clear, complete,accurate, and timely receivedT Are theselection, training, and evaluationaspects of the program specified? Inother words, are the collective orcentralized functions efficient andeffective?
3. The evaluators: More than studentsneed to be included in each area of theevaluation process. Other evaluatorsshould include Deans or Directors ofacademic units and of advising programsspecifically, the advisors themselves,other campus staff who may be affectedby the advising program (Admissions,Registrar, Orientation, CounselingCenter, etc.), and certainly students.
4. The method of evaluation: This is ,
usually done 'by simple questionnaire,but could be enhanced by interviews (ofselected individuals from all consti-tuencies mentioned above) and specificTask Forces or committees.
Generating Support - This process, too,varies according to institutional character-isties. However, there seem to be minimalgeneral guidelines to be considered in one'sstrategy to generate support for an advisingprogram. These include:
1. Publicity or advertising: This issimply making known to the appropriateinstitutional community what alreadyexists,: what is lacking, and somepotential improvements. This may bedone through personal contacts, writtencorrespondence, utilization of estAb-lished committees, or campus publica-tions (only the positive- elements arehighlighted here), but is 'always done
I.
openly and 'udiciously, and usuallywith the inte)k1on of raising awareness .or presenting an idea.
2. Collecting Data: Facts and figures, with cogent interpretations and Lmpli-
cations do attract the attention ofdecision-makers. Whatever data can becollected and presented to supportone's argument for improved, advisingservices seem appropriate. Such datamight include admissions, enrollment,attrition (through withdrawal,dismissal, transfer, or graduation),advisor/advisee ratios, student trafficin key service offices, referrals, andthe number and length of advisingappointments.
3. Risk-taking: In certain situationswhere enough support exists so thatone's job security is not threatenedand upheaval will not result,worthwh'le programs should merely bebegun. If little money is needed andif relat vely few criticisms arise, theprogram )will probably become institu-tional ed as soon as its relative .
worth is realized. It's likely that ifyou don't do it, then nobody &ill.
.Non-traditional students - This terminology
is now so broadly used that is is difficult toknob/ what sub-population of students one isreally identifying. , Some of the specificgroups commonly referred as "non-traditional"include older returning women and men,veterans, minority students, the educationally,socially, or economically disadvantaged, thephysically handicapped, international students,the early admit (high school) student, thepost-baccalaureate student, and even studentswho are currently incarcerated.
To develop a single strategy for adVisingsuch a range of students is probably notpossible. There are some possibilities that >may be considered, however, as institutions,/recognize which populations they would like totarget. These include:
. 1. Identify special advisors: Just asadvising centers have developed for"Exploratory" students and certal.nadvisors have been selected to advisenew freshmen, perhaps similar personscan be identified pp advise variousgroups of non-traditional etudents.
6 8
2. Planned facilitation: If advisingthese students requires extraordinarypersonal qualities, more 'timet or dif-ferent facilities, then they must beprovided.' The advisor needs to beaccessible to the handicapped student,needs more time to advise the returningor disadvantaged student, and may needtransportation to advise off-campus
0 students. strategically located offi-ces, reduced advisee loads, and readilyavailable facilities (especially forevening students) can all contribute tothe improvement of the total advisingprogram.
3. No difference should exist: These stu-dents are not necessarily advised dif-ferently than any other student interms of class scheduling according toindividual academic ability, availabil-ity of campus services, or generalacademic information. Perhaps it isunnecessary or unwise to designseparate adyising programs sospecialized; this, is certainly aquestion that each advising programmust address.
It must be noted that no panaceas were pre-sented. The panelists merely tried to drawupon their own unique experiences, observationsmade in institutions where they might haveserved as consultants, and. all other availableresouices of which they were aware to provideideas that may not have been considevd pre-viously. The panelists also provided variousmaterials for distribution and review thatcould be adopted or incorporated into aparticipant's own advising program.
Further information' or consultapon by thepanelists is available upon request./
"TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS AND ACADEMIC ADVISING"Presenters: Jim Hendricks, Corrections and Law
EnforcementE. Michael Walsh, Coordinator,Baccalaureate StudiesSchool of Technical Caieers,Southern Illinois Universiey
Although academic advising has been inexistence as long as higher education inAmerica, in the last iew years this role hasbegun to receive the attention it deserves.Concerned about the generally poor ratingadvising services receive, many colleges areexamining and improving their advisement ser-vices. National conferences on advising arebeing held and are wellattended. Advisors arebeginning to be seen as performing niit"onlyclerkish functions (such as registration), butalso some significant counseling functions aswell (O'Banion, 1972). As many colleges arerecognizing, the great flexibility of prograiiis(4 many schools one-third of a student's hoursma9' be electives) and the large number of stu-dents classified as undecided are evidence ofthe need for more systematic ed professionalacademic counseling. . In addition, the contactbetween advisor and Student occasionallyresults in interpersonal conflict or less thanproductive interactions. In an effort toimprove the effectiveness and efficiency ofadvisors, one may find many methods which havethe goal of improving interpersonal com-munication. One such method is TransactionalAnalysis (TA).
TA was developed as a method ofpsychotherapy by Dr. Eric Berne in the 1950"s(Berne, 1964). Since that time, it has beenused successfully by counselors and therapists;however, its concepts have -Dilly recently beenapplied to academic advising. Some of theadvantages of TA, accordi g to its .proponents,are that:
1. Its methods ard principles are rela-tively easy to earn;
2. It increases our self-understanding,thereby increasing understanding ofanother individual's personality;
3. It is a practical tool that is almostimmediately usable; and
4. It helps in solving intrapersonal andinterpersonal problems.
In general, TA stresses the understandingof interactions between people (what people sayto each other). TA helps us understand anddeal more appropriately with harmful anddestructive transactions. Further, accordingto Jongeward (1973), TA offers people a way tosort out their motivations and purpose ndhelps them make decisions about which behaviorsto suppress and which behaviors to expressmore fully.
More specifically, Transactional Analysisprovides a framework for understanding many ofthe events which take place in advisin.Through TA, advisors can gain a fuller notionof the nature and purpose of advising, of beha-vior which will help achieve this purpose, andof behavior which will retard this achievement.It can help advisors determine ways ofinteracting with students and ways of couuTteracting behavior which is destructive or non-productive. TA can also provide an explanationfor why certain behavior is constructive andcertain behavior is not. TA, then, can held
69 ?d
advisors develop their skills as advisors; in
addition, it can contribute to the growing'theoretical basis for advising.
Probably the main reason that TA has notbeen more widely adopted is . the lingeringbelief that advising is not a significant acti-vity, that advisors typically perform only suchroutine functions as course registration, andthat, even at its best, it is an information-giving function. In the past, faculty have notbeen willing to accept the idea that advisinginvolves a different set of skills fromteaching--"anyone',can advise," they have con-tended. As noted above, however, this attitudeis changing. The concern over poor quality inadvising, the growing belief that advising canhave an impact on student satisfaction with aninstitution, and the recent attempts to giveadviaing greater definition attest to this newtrend. As interest in the counseling functionsof advising grows, advisors will look to TA (aswell as to other systems) for skills and theorywhich hell) them become better advisots.
Basic to the understanding 'of TA are (1)the concepts of Parent, Adult, and Child, and.(2) psychological games.----gl brief, TA saysthat there are three,parts inside each person.One of these parts ds the Parent. The Parentis learned through interaction with one'sparents or other authority figures. The infor-mation in the Parent is helpful as it tries tokeep the individual out of trouble. It is atime-saving and 'energy7saving device. Anappropriate piece of Parent information whichwould also bp energy-saving is the, message"Look both wys before crossing the street."Common words fused by a parent include should,shouldn't, a don't, and witH these words someparent inforyfation can be misleading and preju-dicial. Tv ical examples of prejudicial parentinforn&tio,r are statements such as "Liberalarts majors don't get jobs" and "Technicalprograms are second class.'
The !Adult is the log,ical, rational,reality-testing, knowledgeable, interacting,part of the personality. The Adult makes deci-sions based on information. A common Adultinter:hange is one person's request for thetime to which another responds that it is 3o'clock. When advischs convey information to
'students, help them to plan a schedule, or help.them formulate their career goals, generallythe advisor's Adult is in control.
The Child tends to be, fun-loving, spoa- .
taneous, curious, rsponsibility-evading, andselfish. As the individual grows to adulthood,the Child is usually submerged, energing 'occa-sionally. A fine example of a Child phrase,including Child words, is 'q want what I wantwhen I want it," 'stressing the immediate grati-fication of the child's world. When advisorsor students joke, express feelings of joh, orexpress anger, they are generally acting out oftheir Child.
These roles of personality components areexhibited each day.. If we are telling our sonthat he had better clean up his room beforegoing outside, we are likely to _be in ourParent, speaking to our son's Child. However,if we ate planning a vacation with our spouse,we will likely make some Adillt decision aboutwhat 'he budet will logically allow. At. thesame our Child thinks about the funinvolvPd and may have some input on spendingjust a little bit more money than the Adultdecides upon.
70
Understanding these three components of thepersonality can be., particularly helpful inrecognizing the dominant structure of the rela-tionships advisors establish with students.They consider students as children who need tobe told or led. They plan students' programsfor them, they tell students what,they need totake; they are protective, becoming not onlythe students' advocate when problems arise butmay also. take on the role of rescuer. .
,Other advisors establish Child-Child rela-tiohships. These advisors are "good guys" andwell-liked. They spend most of their time withstudents "shooting the breeze" and carrying onconversations that have little to do with theirrole as advisors. Their goal, whether theyadmit it or n9t, is to be liked and maintaingood relationships with students.
The advisor who is able to be an .d-v..o-t-ge
is certainly an asset; maintaining friendlyrelationships is undoubtedly necessary. Whileboth these capabilities are necessary, theParent-Child and the Child-Child relationshipsare limited, for they prevent growth in boththe student and advisor. The advisor-as-Parentdoes not encourage independent problem solvingbecause the Parent knows best. The advisor-as-Child is more interested in gratification thanin such Adult activities as planning anddecision-making. In neither case is the Adultin control.
Transactional analysis can help advisorsmaintain a dominant Adult-Adult relationship.While this relationship may occasionally callfor Parental behavior and should include Child-like enjoyment, neither should be dominant.The Adult should be in control, for the primarypurpose of advising is to engage the Adult ofthe student in a process of exploring academic,career, and life goals and planning programs tohelp bring these about.-
The other important TA concept is that ofpsychological games. A game is a destructive,time-consuming interaction between people inwhich one player wins a payoff (usually badfeelings) at the expense of another person. Anexample of a game is the following:
A student holds a full-time job whilealso attending college full-time. Hisgrades have not been good and he is onprobation. Although he and his advisordiscuss his need to get better grades, thenext semester he is suspended. Inexplaining his situation to his advisor hesays: "What do you expect from me? Afterall, I have this handicap of hav,ing towork."According t9 Berne (1964), this game is
called "Wooden Leg" and is played in order toavoid accomplishment--in this example, to avoidgood academic standing. While it is true thatto work and attend college full-time is diffi-cult, it is by no means impossible. The stu-dent, by using a psychological game, cancontinue to feel sorry for' himself _whileblaming his woes on the situation he has in factchosen for himself. Another typical game isillustrated in the following situation:
About a week before classes begin astudent drops in to see the advisor, sayingthat she needs some help planning a sched-ule for next term. "What would you liketo take?" asks the advisor. "I don'tknow," replies the student; "What'savailable?" "There's an open section of
chemistry at 2:00 and you need a sciencecourse." "Yes, but I work in theafternoon." "Well, how about a mathcourse--you need that, too--and there's anopening at 8:.00?" "That would be ok, but I
don't want to get up that early:" After anhour and many suggestions, a schedule isfinally worked out. However, the advisorfeels frustrated and offers one finalsuggestion: "If you come in earlier nextterm, you could probably get a betterschedule." "I would," replied the student,"but I just don't have the time."This game is called "Why Don't You--Yes
ut." It preys on the advisor's tendency to bea rescuer, but it is always meant to show upthe'advisor as inadequate. It is a student'sway of establishing a Child-Parent relationship., fording the advisor_ into the_roleParent. The game is 'also an attempt to put t eresponsibility for accomplishment on the ad i-sor. If the student fails to graduate on t e,it would not be unthinkable to hear her pl ing.a4game of "If It Weren't For You."
Understanding these parts of the per-sonality and the concept of psychological/gamescan help an advisor interpret and res ond tomany situations. If a student is com lainingabout the way the Housing Office tr ts stu-dents, for example, making statements whichcould come from the prejudicial Parent, someadvisors would be inclined to chiMe in withtheir own list of grievance?. Thp Parent ofthe student has managed to /find (he Parent ofthe advisor an agreeable/ conversationalist.Interactions like these constitute a relativelyharmless version of "Ain't It Awful". An advi-sor interested in staying in . the Adult,however, would not respond in Otis way. Ratherthan responding with an opinion of his or herown, the advisor might first engage in whatThomas Gordon (1977) 'calls 'active listening"by saying "Your're upset about the way you weretreated at the Housing OffIce?" The advisortsAdult is engaged in reality-testing by asking,in effect, "Is this an :accurate paraphrase?"The advisor might then 'contitnie in that veinwith the four Adult que$tions: Who? What? Whenand Where? Depending iion the cOnversaTia,-THe-
oadvisor might finally' ask: "Do you want toblow off steam or do/you want to do somethingabout it?" If the fOrmer is the case, the con-versation will takp a new direction; if thelatter is the ca e, the advisor will beginhelping the student engage tn problem-solving.
With an under tanding of TA, an advisor canhelp students e gage their Adults. Studentswho wish to c9f1tst a grade or a test, forexample, often approach instructors in theirangry Child, An approach which may engage theinstructor's Parent And result merely inconfrontatio . The advisor can help studentsapproich th
t
situation in their Adult by askingthe instru or for information about the basis .for the ade. Such an approach engages theinstructo 's Adult. The student then can askthe ins ructor to go over the exam. If thestudent has in fact done poorly, then thisconstr etive approach will help the studentdecich how to prepare for the next test. Inany ase, the Student who engages in an Adult-Adu interaction has a better chance of
ing it without. the bad feeling thatre ults from an angry confrontation in which,b the way, the student loses.
Engaging one's Adult is typically the wayof counteracting Psychological games. .InBerne's terminology,1 each game has a "thesis"--what the person playing in the game is tryingto prove. In order,to avoid being drawn into agame an advisor learns the "antithesis." Inthe case of "Wooden Leg," for example, the,antithesis involves refusing to provide thesympathy and support which the student desiresfor the lack of accomplishment. The advisorshould place the responsibility for the failureon the student by asking him what he expects ofhimself. If the student does not expectaccomplishment of himself, he is engaging in aself-Eulfiling prophecy.
The antithesis of "Why Don't YOu--Yes But"is to avoid the role of making suggestions.Once it becomes clear to an advisor that whatmight at firat s-.eiR an Adult _exchange_c:tf information is really a' game, the advisor cap say,"That seems to be quite a problem. What'do youplan to do about it?"
It is helpful to the academic advisor to bean active 14tener while also using techniquessuch as' TA. However, it is important to notethat techniques- without p rsonal involvementmerelyfmeans that the advi or becomes a tech-nician. The most important characteristic thatan advisor can bring to academic advising isthe personal involvement of another humanbeing. This personal involvement, coupled witha significant function, makes advising just asimportant as any other activity' within the edu-cational institution.
Surely, the methods outlined here will notwork all the time and they may not work welluntil one becomes more comfortable with them.Reading books about TA (There are manyavailable;.. Born to Win [James and Jongeward,1971] is an excel-ler-Tr-primer) and especiallyattending workshops dealing with TA can helpone assimilate the techniques into one's ownbehavioral repertoire.
TA should be an integral part of a compre-hensive advisor training and retraining devel-opment effort. A good basic training in TAcan be helpful to academic advisors not onlyrofessionally, but also personally, as it canid the advisor in better under.standing theorld we all live in.,
71
REFERENCES.
Games Peo le New York:B rne, E. Play./Grover Press, 796 .
,Go don, T. Leader Effectiveness Training. NewYork: Wyden Books, 1977.
Ja es, M., and jongeward, D. Born to Win:Transactional Analysis with ---7
dAIsitst:Experiments. Reading, Mass.:Wesley, 1971.
Joneward, D. Everybody Wins: Transactionalal sis Appried to Organizations.
ea( ing, Mass.: Kadison-WesIey, 1974.O'Bal ion, T. An academic advising model.
unior College Journal, 1972, 45(6), 62-69.
"BRIDGING THE CAP FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS"Presenter: Henry D. Pope, Coordinator of
Special Projects, Texas A.E, MUniversity .
hequirements for the first two years of
academic work leading to the baccalaureatedegree are not the same for all college anduniversity degree programs. This ratherobvious statement deserves to be reviewed bythose who are charged with the responsibilityof helping students plan their first two yearsof collegiate work. It deserves to be reviewedbecause of the tremendous impact the first twoyears of college have in'Aeveloping the broadexperiences necessary to produce an educatedperson and because of the hazards inVolved whenstudents change their mind about which careerpattern they want to follow. But beyond the.
inherent need_tn laelp_ any entering college stu-dent plan carefully his course of study ate thespecial needs of students who enter a course of.study in one college with plans to complete itat a different college. Thus, the articulationof transfer policies for transfer students is
a unique subset of the larger problem of properacademic advising. And since there exists a
diversity of academic requireMents within indi-vidual colleges, a general solution to theproblem of articulation of transfer policiesmust necessarily be dgalt with between indivi-dual colleges involved and not on a universalbasis.
It would be nice to think that state regu-.latory bodies.or voluntary consortia of indepen-dent colleges may be able to create a viabllformula to resolve the transfer student'sproblems and simultaneously uphold institu-tional and faculty autonomy. But I don'tbelieve, even for a minute, that it will happenbecause the philosophy of each college willgovern what general education courses it
believes are necessary to produce educatedstudents--and this philosophy will be stoutlydefended.
The emphasis of one college's general edu-cation program may court the sciences whileothers embrace the liberal arts, but most oftenthere will be a reasonable balance between thetwo. Also, almost any traditional academiccourse will satisfy the elective requirementsof the first two years of college. I recognizethe wrath I can bring upon myself for makingsuch an over-arching statement, but lower levelelectives are not the major concern of thispaper. And for the sake of brevity I have cho-sen- to ignore the differences of opinion thatmay be encouraged here and move on to_ theproblem of improving the articulation oftransfer policies between individual institu-tions so that difterences in academic require-ments for specific major courses of study canbe dealt with on a rational and understandablebasis.
To reemphasize, the flexibility permittedin the choice of elective courses is notusually matched when choosing courses leadingto a particular major. Rather, most institu-tional course requirements for a major areimmutable.
_Before focusing ;more sharply on modelsfor the improvement of articulatioL problems,let me say that I recognize that transferstudents face several obstacles when theychange schools. Pmong the hurdles that come
7 2
immediately to mind are (1) "D's" will nottransfer, (2) remedial and technical courseswill not transfer, (3) transcript evaluationand denial of admission may be made too latefor selecting an alternate school, (4) culturalshock may accompany the student's enrollment ina different school, (5) orientation at the newschool may not be handled well, and (6) creditwill not transfer because courses are notequivalent. Other problems can surely belisted, but I believe the most pressing anduniversal problem faced by transfet students isthe effective, if not actual, loss of academiccredit because courses they have taken at oneschool will not satisfy particular degreerequirements at another. Consequently, the'transfer stutient from school "A" usually.mustcomplete a greater number of credit hours forthe same degree program at school "B" than onewho has pursued the degree program at school"B", from the onset of his college career. I
hasten to add that this problem exists forintracollege as well as intercollege transfers.
The essence of the problem may be found inthe fact that career patterns and major courserequirements within any particular college willbe determined and jealously guarded by thefaculty 'in that discipline. As for myself, I
find it difficult to refute their claim thatthey know best what is 'required to educate phi-losophers,-, chemists, computing scientists, orany otter of the plethora of career patternsopen to students. Criticism :of this longstanding prerogative of a college faculty worthits salt will result in little productive gain.However, the transfer student must bear thecost--in time and money required to make upcourse deficiencies--of such rigidity.
At thrs point. I would like to limit mydiscussion further to includeYonly those stu-dents transferring from community colleges to
senior colleges. While I expect that transferstudents between senior institutions would facemany of the same problems, their reasons fortransferring may bias conclusions drawn aboutcareer planning during the first two years ofcollege. Even omitting senior college trans-fers, the number of students _are sufficient towarnant our best thinking on the matter since arecent government report on enrollment showedthat community colleges will enroll 40 percentof the nation's college students by 1980./
What, then, is the transfer student to do?There are several possible alternative coursesof action open to colleges to help transferstudents avoid loss.of academic credit, but I
will consider only five--one of which, I
believe, is practical, attainable, andsuperior. First, I do not believe that coun-seling a student toward satisfying requirementsfor the AA degree is an effective means ofhelping community college students make curri-culum choices to aid his transferring to asenior college. As Eileene Kuhns observed,counseling a student to stay in the communitycollege until receiving the associate degreemay not be the best advice, "since many col-leges do not give admission preference to thosewith the degree."2 This statement is not meantto impugn the associate degree. Rather, it is
simply a statement of fact that a studentshould know before investing time and moneytaking courses that may not satisfy the degreerequirements of the institution to which heplans to transfer. For the student who
fqJ
terminates his formal higher education at thecommunity college level it is an appropriateand significant testament of his achievement.
A second and eminently desirable alter-native is for each transfer student to visitthe campus to which he plans to transfer inorder to resolve problems on a person-to-personbasis. Unfortunately, the numbers of studentsinvolved are simply too large to resolve thebulk of transfer problems in this way for anybut the smallest senior colleges. In addition,it is an enormously expensive process for thestudent. The actual dollar cost to a studenttraveling a distance of 150 miles would, con-servatively, cost about $75.00. for travel,lodging, and gasoline. Add to that figure the'cost of faculty and administrative time at thesenior institution, and it makes the expensetoo great for all concerned. Moreover, coun-seling the student after he has completed hiscommunity college curriculum comes too late toprevent errors in selecting prerequisite coursesneeded for a particular degree at the collegeto which he plans to transfer.
A third, and increasingly popular alter-native is _for a senior college or system ofsenior collegessuch as might be organizedunder a state coordinating system--to stipulatea basic core of courses leading to the asso-ciate degree which will simultaneously satisfythe lower level requirements of all seniorcollege degree programs involvthis would serve to admittransfers to upper divistransler with no risk of losThis is well and good, excepprevent senior cojleges froprerequisite work leading todegree. In essence, this A1gives the transfer student asecurity regarding his rate of
In effect,ommunity collegen studies uponacademic credit.that it will not
requiring alla particularrnative only
false sense ofgress and can
only enhar.ice his frustration in having totakea greater number of courses to satisfy degreerequirem, !ts than are required for studentsenrolled in the seniOr college program asentering freshmen.
,
'A fourth, and\fairly common, alternative isfor institutions \ to /use course equivalencytables to' solve th articulation problemsbetween individual in titutions. This is, ofcourse, not a new pproach, and one largeobjection is the cumb rsomeness of the finishedpackage of material. Equivalency tablesincorporating coursei descriptions and coursenumbering for severa schools are difficult touse and often do not 1 give assistance in deter-mining degree requir ments for particular cour-ses of study.
A fifth, and II believe, more practicalalternative has /been developed by theUniversity of MissouriRolla (UMR). UMR hasproduced model transfer programs for engi-neering and arts and sciences majors. In engi-neering, for example, UMR has set up modeltransfer programs with 16 community colleges.These model programs were developed jointly byfaculty members of 1.111R and the various com-munity colleges. The resulting publicationidentifies for transfer students the staff mem-bers at OMR and the staff memher of the com-munity college for which the model' program wasprepared, providing also their telephone num-bers and addresses.4
The published model program also includesthe basic -transfer policy -of UMR, specific
rt
registration steps to be taken for enrolling inthe fall, spring, and summer sessions, andother information of interest to the-transferstudent such as CO-OP opportunities, ROTCrequirements, and financiar aid information.
But the heart of the model program lies inthe very specific degree requirements outlinedfor each department involved. This basicdegree plan information lists the courses bynumber and descriptionter be taken at a par-ticular community college and at UMR. A stu-'dent can easily determine the exact courses heneeds to take at each school. And while a stu-dent has the option to deviate from thepublished degree plans, he isadvised to do soonly atter he contacts his departmental advisorand- the admissions office at UNR, or the UMRprogram representative.
This type of program requires a_great. deal
of effort and faculty'time, but it removes muchof the uncertainty faced by transfer students,and it greatly reduces the time required fortranscript evaluation and academic advising atthe senior college level. The model transferprogram procedure is also attractive becauseonce it has been developed it is relativelyinexpensive to operate. But most importantlyfor the transfer student, it can effectivelyreduce the cost, in time and money, of lostcredit hours.
REFERENCES
1Simon, K., Projections of EducationStatistics to 1979-80. Washington, D.C.: U.S.Government Printing Office, 1978, p. 42.
2Kuhns, E., "A Resolution to End TransferHurdles", p. 38.
3Hertig, Jr., W. H., "A Model for ImprovingArticulation," p. 40.
4"A Model Program for EngineeringTransfers." groduCed jointly by Forest ParkCommuniy College and the UniversiEy ofMissouri--Rolla's School of Engineering.Updated March, 1977.
"ONGOING ORIENTATION TO A UNIVERSITY"Presenter: Charles W. Connell, Assistant Dean,
Arts and ScienceS, West VirginiaUniversity
Ongoing orienta:ion is a practical programbeing conducted at W(..t Virginia University forsix years now undet the course title ofOrientation 1. Taught by a volunteer facultymember and 'at least one apper-class studentassistant, each section of twenty firstsemester Freshman students is led through anongoing orientation to the University for thetirst ten weeks of the semester. Each class.meets tor 90 minutes per week in a discussionformat to focus on the six majo*. topics (thenature uf a University, academic life and acaTdemic regulations, the role of the faculty, therole of the advisor and, academic service units,social and cultural life on campus, and_physi-cal facilities orientation) plus related topicswhich are generated by the students themSelves.The current goal of Orientation 1 is to geteach student involved in some campus activityin- order to reduce the student"felt alienationand insure a greater chance of academic suc-cess.
The concept developed out of a need forstudents to become acclimated more surely to
academic and campus life at a University withnearly 20,000 students when they had comemostly from towns with populatiOns of 5,000 orless. Faculty who had not taught Freshman stu-dents for many years also decided that, theyshould become reacquainted with the problemsand concerns of incoming students. In Pro-viding the Orientation sessions for the firstten weeks of a fifteen-week semester, facultydecided that these were the most critical weekswherein students could pick up where they leftoff in Summer Orientation and have someone toconsult with regularly at a time when newacademic problems were being confronted. Thestudents get to know a faculty member whodemonstrates a willingness to help, a key fac-tor it has been shown kr: reducing attritionrates, and fellow students on a more intimatebasis. There is no pressure for gradesalthough the course is offered for one hour ofcredit on a ppss/fail basis, and students areprovided a pekr model in the upper-class stu-dent who works with the faculty member todevelop the course syllabus. 'Reading lists oncareer planning and related areas are provided,as well as contacts with counseling, readingand writing labs to assist Freshman with thoseneeda as they are identified.
74
"STRUCTURING YOUR NATIONAL ORGANIZATION"Panel: Mike McCauley (Chairperson)
Frank Dyer, Wennette Pegues,.Topi Trombley, Dick Eppinga
N.B. "Question or comment froM audienceis denoted by "C", panel responseby "R".
1-C: Please keep the dues as low as po.ssible.- R: (Frank) This will certainly be
done. There has also been a majoreffort to keep the conferenceregistration cost to a minimum.
2-C: Has a method of ratification of theconstitution and/or bylaws already beenconsidered?- R: (Mike) No.
3-C: Will NACADA be on its own or- under -thewing of another orga4..zation?-R: (Mike, Toni) We will be on our own.
There are no plans to use anotherorganization as an onbrella.
4-C: Can you break down the registrationcosts?--R: (Frank) The conference itself cost
$60 and $5 was set aside for thenew organization.
What are the plans regarding the sevenregional directors and their regions?-R: (Wennette) The regions will not
host regional meetings. They willbe utilized for communications,publicity, and organizational devel-opment.
6-C: Will maps of the regions and otherinformation be available before the endof the conference?-R: (Wennette) Probably not.-R:, (Mike) We also need tp prepare a
Map giving the geographical distri-bution of this year's particpants.
7-C: Are there any plans for a news bulletinfor exchange of information?-R: (Toni) Should there be? You tell
us. (Audience reaction wasgenerally but not stronglyfaftrable.)
-R: (Dick) In the statement of purposeof NACADA, the steering committeedecided to exclude the phrase"clearinghouse for the collectionand dissemination of information onacademic advising" as being, ini-tially at least, too ambitious.
8-C: At the conventions there should be a
"fair mixture" of academics who areadvisers, professional advisers, andstudent affairs personnel.-R: (Toni) We are striving for exactly
this--to be of service to all thosein academic advising.
-R: (Dick) This objective is noted inour statement pf purpose.
;
9-C: Follow up to previous question: par-. vicipant would like to see some
guarantee that this mixture will be con-tinued7---R: (Dick, after relating in some
detail how and why I was asked toparticipate on the SteeringCommittee) My presence on theSteering Committee is attributableto two .things: first,i my owndeterminatidn that there should bea fair balante in representationand my 'persistence in making myviews known; and second, the sen-sitivity and sense of fairness ofthose persons originally on theTask Force regarding this importantissue. Statt belief .that-questioner's vtews will receive amost sympathetic hearing.
(Sister FranctS Ann Hayes) For obviousreasons there are few people here fromMinnesota; at Omaha there will be a dif-ferent geographical mixture. Be that asit may, she wants to give a specialthanks to those at thAs conference whokept in mind small, liberal artscolleges.
11-C: Please don't do anything to divideacademic administrators, professionaladvisers, student personnel people, etc.
12-C: 'What effect will NACADA have on, say,ACAFAD, since in many ways it is a simi-lar organzation?-R: (Toni) ACAFAD is twelve years old
and is primarily a support formiddle management personnel, manyof whom have no relationship toacademic advising. NACADA is notonly for academic advisers but fdracademic advising.
13-C: If NACAD,0 makes it, ACAFAD may well-
collapse.-R: (Joan ,Mitchell) The regional
character (regional., areas andactivities) of ACAFAD gives itgreat strength.
(Billie Jacobini) Those in audienteshould write to the Task Forces and theOfficers--as previously introduced tothe group. Addresses are found in thecOnference resource materiat.
1.0-C:
'16-C: (Bob Clayton) Is there an organizationaltimetable and how does it affect Omaha?-R: (Mike) We do have a timetable. At
Omaha there should be an organiza-tion and meMberships will beoffered.
117-C: (Les Roberts?) Yoti're asking us tovolunteer our services but many of usdon't know any background and are notprivy to plans. How about a mailinggiving this information to those whohave attended the conferences?
7 5
t
:18-C: Is Sunday through WedneSday the besttime for the conference?. What aboutSaturday through Tuesday?-R: (Frank) There is no reason this
could not be dupe, if that is wha&is desired,
-R.: (Bob Clayton) Present practice isbest.
-R: (Les aoberts?) Likes Sunday throughWednesday best and also the Octobertime period, when we've all just\finished advising4
19-C: The constitution and bylaws should bemailed to conference participants beforeincorporation; otherwise there is therisk of losing.support.- R: (Billie Jatobini) Goal is to ,pre-
sent them at the "ext annual con-ference.
20-C: Feels some frustrtion at the structurRand format of the conference sessions--forcitg people to choose among a numberof good sessions.-R: (Tom Grites) Attempts were made to
prevent sessions on similar topicsfrom occUrring at the same tithe.Expanding the number of presen-_tations at Memphis was done partlybecause of the suggestions of manyat the Burlington Conference thattne choices among sessions ought tobe wider. Some type of coding ofthe sessions might help for nextyear. More information on thesessions will be available nextyear.
21-C: Can the sessions be taped? Thinks pro-ceedings will sell.- R: (Toni) Burlington 'proceedings have
not sold well at all thus far.
22-C: Suggests bet.ter communications betterpresenters and the program committee.- R: (Tom Grites) We are more than open
to suggestions.
23-C: Suggests general sessions on topics of.greatest interest, to be determined bypolling.
24-C: Suggests "show and tell" sessions tnvarious topics at which personsinterested in those topics can share'what they are doing'and ho their insti-tutions are handling the obletns.
25-C: (Bruce Potter) Suggessummary of all premade available.
that:a one-pagentations should be
26-C: Please don't neglect each year those Niloare just beginning 'careers in academicadvising. Make sure there' are suitablesessions for such persons.- R: (Tom Grites) we can v ther this
kind of information .rom theprogram proposal forms. Also itmight be helpful to know which per-sons will be making a presentationfor the tirst time.
-R: (Toni) Urges presenters havehandout ,their sessions.
27-C. (Reg Grier) ThRse sessions which only acfew persons have shown interest in (onthe advance form) might be cut to makeroom for other more popular program9,-R: (DJ.ck) This is fine as long as it
does not mean eliminating the verysessions that might be most usefulto a certain few (but nonelessimportant) advisers, for example,in my case, those at small, liberalarts colleges.
-R: (Tom Crites) Let me know if you-think there are too many sessionsgoing on at one time (alsoreferring back to 20-C). This wasdone purposefully to give broaderchoice and also keep the audiencenumber to a manageable level.
28-C: (Joan Nelson) Would like mare room todisplay materials and also a process tomake it easier to request copies so thatone-of-a-kind materials would not be sofrequently lost.
29-C: Suggests a bulletin board for ideasharing.
The session was adjourned promptly at9:30 p.m. by Chairperson Mike McCauley.
76
THE LETTER DRAFTED AS A RESULT OF THESUNDAY MEETING OF THE 'STEERING COMMITTEE WHICHWAS LATER PASSED OUT TO ALL PARTICIPANTS.
Dear Conference Participant:
On March 22, 1978 Toni. Trombley, NationalSteering. Committee Chairperson, appointed mechairman of the Organizational Structure andPlanning Task Force. Appointed to theCommittee to assist in this effort were AndrewGoodrich, Frank Dyer, Toni Trombley, RichardEppinga and Wennette Pegues. We have, for thepast several months, been working diligently tocomplete our assigned charge, which was to:
1. Draft a statement of purpose
2. Propose a name
3. Recommend an organizational structurefor a national association to be votedon by the Executive Steering Committee.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The purpose of the is topromote the quality of academic advising in
institutions of higher education, and to thisend, it is dedicated to the support and pro-fessional growth of academic advising andadvisors, serves itsconstituency-faculty m.mbers, administrators,counselors, and others in academic and studentaffairs concerned with the intellectual, per-sonal, and vocational needs of students. It isthe forum for discussion, debate, and theexchange of ideas regarding academic advising.It is the means to nurture cooperation andcoordination of academic advising with otherareas and activities of higher education, and
is the represen-tative and advocate of academic advising andacademic advisors to Higher Education.
PROPOSED ORGANIZATION NAME & ACRONYM
NACADA - National Academic Advising Association
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
PresidentVice
President Secretary ...I Treasurer
The Statement of Purpose, name and acronym;and organizational structure were unanimouslyapproved by the Executive Steering Committee atits business meeting on Sunday, October 8,1978. At the continuation of this same meetingnominatiOns were accepted and the followingindividuals were duly elected to guide theassociation through its.developmental stages:
President:Vice-President:Secretary:Treasurer:
Toni Trombley-Joan Parsons MitchellBillie C. JacobiniFrank Dyer
We invite you to meet with your new offi-cers and organizational task force members toexpress your ideas regarding our future. Thissessibn, "Structuring Your NationalOrganization," will be conducted on Tuesdayevening, in the Evergreen Room (one of thecider and Cheese open sessions).
Professionally,
Michael E: McCauley, ChairmanTask Force on OrganizationalStructure and Planning,National Conference onAcademic Advising
77'
"THE GENERAL AdVISING CENTER: AN OPEN FORUMFOR -DIRECTORS & COORDINATORS"Presenters: Dr. Dennis Heitzmann, Director
of the Center for StudentDevelopmentDorothy G. Dodson, Coordinatorof Academic Counseling,Memphis State University
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1978, 8:30-9:30 PMSECOND NATIONAL ACADEMIC ADVISORS' CONFERENCE
This session provided an opportunity foradministrative members of general advising cen-ters to dic,cuss and explore the elements ofcommon interest and concern affecting thegeneral ad(lising center on the college campue.Colleagues were given the opportunity to shareideas and models, speak to the issues, identifyproblem areas, and seek viable solutions. Anexchange of information regarding specilitissues ensued. Among the topics covered weresuch things as the maintenance of activitiesduring the periods between registraeions, com-munication with faculty departments, the meritsof required versus electiye advising, com-puterized systems of advising, and the outlook_for the future. There was general consensusthat an open-ended sharing session such asthis might be worth considering for futureConferences.
"MATURE STUDENT ADVISING: . DECISION-HAKING FORTHE RETURNING ADULT STUDENT"Presenter: Louise W. Saunders, Advisor,
General Studies, Southern IllinoisUniversity, Edwardsville, Illidois
DESCRIPIION OF THE "M&URE STUDENT WORKSHOP":The opening portion involves informal
Introductions of all participants and a run-through of the day's activities around a serve-your'self coffeepot. The beginning presentationsare Kept as generalized as possible, to accomo-date all educational, age, career, and personalhacKgrounds and to lay out the General Studiesframet:Jork as a ba0.s for later specializationand major interests. The assumption is thatthese adults are serious ,flw&Old-be" students-who are seeking new horizons for career/personalreasons, and Are not interested in "fun-and-games" non-credit courses, but who need help indeciding what, when, how, they shoald proceedwith getting started, as well as workingthrough the fears of competing with thoSe"smart young kids"!
Hand-outs are already in place on theireables in front of them, And they areinstructed in the use of some materials for theday, with the others to be taken home forfurther digestion later.
A 19 minute film, "Doing More for LifelongLearnerg", Sets the stage for helpini themdecide their first question, "Why am I here?",and resOlve their conflicts over attempting newdirections in midLli,fe, with its solid.psycho-logical reinforcement.
The "Why am I hete?" topic is discussed ina grain-storming context and the Holland Self-Directed Search is given to help them arrive atsome tentative conclusions about their chiefinterests, with no attempts, at this point, todetermine whether their skills-mesh with thoseinterests, but just to-propose new fields ofthought. .
During the informal lunch-time, participantsmay sub-group as they wish, with the suggestionthat they might want to compare notes withothers whose interest areas correspond withtheirs, for the sake of further group interac-tion. Peers or "alumni" of past wqrkshopssometimes join during the after lunch to answerquestions about what they have found-most help-ful, and for added moral support.
The whole,group reconvenes and the .sessionis devoted to specific di,scAls-sions iqith variousresoUrce people from Ali over the university:Business School's PEP (work-study) program;Open University and Off-Campus Programs;?inancial Aid Office;, Learning Center (Studykills, Reading Development); Placement Office;:ew-Student Life Orientation; Studentuevelopment Office; and descriptions of allu,her agencies, schools, and services available.
Sign-up sheets for optional New-Student LifeOrientation on subsequent days, and in4vidual.c,.'inseiing/advising appointments ara_aVailable.
ne is allotted for completing the "Why am I
worksheets, ,requesting specific actionrs for the future with a timetable, for
imolementation of those plans, to encourageself-comMitmignt and to help them focUs on theirown problem-solving and decision-making skills.
78
The "why" worksheets and evaluation sheetsare collected by the presenter for use in theindividual appointment sessions; they Areinstructed to bring the Self-Directed Searchwith them at that time for further discussion.
Closing remarks, thanks-you's end theworkshop.
SAMPLE COPY
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOP
SPONSORED BY GENERAL STUDIES AND THE GERONTOLOGYPROGRAM AS A PUBLIC SERVICE
This workshop is designed for men and women whoneed' to explore new directions ior career and/orpersonal reasons:
-Job Reassignment/Career Changes-Retirement/Life Planning- "Empty Nest" at Home- Working and/or attendimg college-Raising a family and/or attending college
DATE: Monday, May 15, 1978
TIME: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
PLACE: General Studies Conference Room,Rendleman Building, SIUE Campus
PARKING:, Free in all red-decal (student) lots
LUNCH: May be brought, or bought at foodservices; coffee is provided.
PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, May 10,197,8
The workshop will cover:
- Alternate routes to a degree'- Entering college as a non-high schoolgraduate-College credit for what ydou know-Financial aid programs-Career/personal interest testing-Group and individual counseling-Optional follow-up. orientation session:registration and other campus procedures
"TRAINING FACULTY TO DO LIFE PLANNINGIN ADVISING"Presenter: Dr. Joan North, Director
of Professional DevelopmentSmall College ConsortiumWashington, D.C.
On the following hierarchy of adVisingactivities, we find faculty all too oftenattending to only the lower levels:
Life rlanning
Career planning
Curriculum planning
Course selection
Faculty profess both a lack of time andskills to seriously engage in the two higheradvising levels. One approach to solve that,and other problems, is to train faculty touse life planning exercises with groups ofadvisees. The advantages include:
--faculty obtain in-depth knowledge ofadvisees in a relatively short time.
- -working in groups helps the time problemand provides a group for students toaffiliate with, perhaps discovering a"significant other."
- -the exercises promote student self-confidence and knowledge.
- -you don't have to be extremely trained torun" the exercises.
The best training and preparation forrunning these exercises is for the group offaculty advisors to participate in a lifeplanning workshop which uses the exercises.The workshop could be led by local counselorsor career deVelopment people--whoever on campushas experience with group life planning--or byan outside consultant. The faculty bothparticipate and learn how to do it themselves.
THE WAY IT WORKS
Faculty advisor(s) devote a day, weekend,or an afternoon (perhaps during orientation) toproviding a sequence of life planning exercisesto all (or some of just the new) advisees, whoare subdivided into small groups of 4-6. Thefaculty serves as leader-participant ifpossible. Using summary sheets after eachexperience, the advisees should build cumulativeknowledg about themselves, which could lead toa "growth plan" for the semester or the year.A retreat setting is preferred.
WORKSHOP SEQUENCE
1. Exercises incorporating present andpast strengths, values, activities--* to develop faculty and peer knowledge
of each other and.self* to develop a sense of trust, warmth,
caring* to identify each's life line worth of
strengths, experiences, likes,abilities
* to develop a sense of accomplishmentand worth
Types of Exercises
a. Strength bombardmentb. Highlights of your lifec. List of 20 things I like to dod. Checklist of things I do well
2. Dream future (optional)to unlease unconscious hopes,pictures of the future
Types of Exercises
a. 5 years in the future--a guidedfantasy
b. Write your autobiographyc. Write your epitaph,or obituary
3. Gaps exercises* to surface what gaps there are in
what people want to do and whatthey're actually doing
Types of Exercises Chart
have been am,I am
oing to
physically
emotionally
spiritually
intellectually
socially
List Areas for Growth
4. Plan of action--a short ranged actionplan is now developed by each student(and faculty if they have participated)which is realistic, uses timetables addreinforcerfiriTToriFis. These plans areshared and members of the group assisteach Other in making suggestions andin offering to help each other carryout their plans.
The workshop format here is, qf course,flexible and geared for individual colleges offaculty to mold it themselves. The exerciseschosen should Ilot emphasize negative or stress-ful aspects of students' liVes, but rathershould be enjoyable opliortuekties to sharewith peers and learn at the same\time.
Obviously, it is difficult t6 4fully expliinthe nuances of these exercises in so short aspace or to experience the worth of them bythis reading, but if some interest is sparked,the reader may investigate the possibilitiesfurther.
"INNOVATIVE ADVISING: ONE UNIVERSITY'SSTRUCTURE AND SERVICES"Presenters: Nadine Emerson, Advisor, Pre-Health
SciencesMary Tate, Advisor
.Judith Atlee, coordinatoiUniversity of Minnesota
This program will be based on theoreticalconcepts and practical experience. It willbegin with the practical - a flow chart of ourcentralized advising offices, showing theirlines of responsibility and communication. Therationale for such a structure will beexplained and the perceived advantages anddisadvantages of using faculty vs. non-academicadvisors to advise students will be discussed.This conversation will lead into a presentationon some of the innoVative services, especiallygroup activities that our non-academic advi-sors have been able to offer on our campus.
Six different populations that we have cho-sen to do special programming for will bedescribed and the audience will be divided intosmall groups to experience several career devel-opment exercises we use with our students.Also, samples of handouts and materials usedwith our students will be distributed.
Then our program will move into its theore-tical half. It will begin with a discussion ofthe need for advisors to be innovative in tbeiroutlook on careers. Most;advisors and studentsview careers as they exist today or severalyears ago, never asking what will the career belike by the time the student graduates and isready to start work. The program will take onearea of the world of work - health careers -
and paint a scenario of the changes occurringin biomedical research, in technology, and inattitudes and lifestyles and how these advancescould affect ttie type of jobs available as well ,
i
as the content f traditional jobs.The progra rl will end with suggestions for
.in-service- education, ways to promote an inno-vative environdent, and a question and answerperiod. Hopefully our session will havesomething to offer to all advisors.
80
"IVORY TOWER: A SIMULATION OF ACADEMICPROCESSES"Presenter: Suzanne H. Summers, Director
of Freshman Programs, MiamiUniversity,,Oxford, Ohio
"Ivory Tower" is a three-hour simulationexperience developed to teach the basics of theMiami University academic system to persons inhigh-tuinover staff positions. Developed spe-cifically for full-time and graduate studentstaff in residence halls, the simulation mightalso be used as an inservice training experi-ence for graduate student teaching assistants,secretarial and clerical staff, administratorsand others who have direct contact withstudents on a daily basis.
The goals of "Ivory Tower" include:1.. To acquaint new staff with the routine
processes and procedures of academiclife;
2. To heighten staff awareness of the factthat students experience non-academicproblems that impinge upon theiracademic lives; and
3.- To familiarize staff with the resourcesavailable to assist them in their workwith undergraduate students, especiallywith regard to the resolution ofproblems.
Twenty-six student profiles dedcribe theindiNidual student roles to be played by up to.twenty-six participants. Each profile provideia character sketch which includes name, home-town, academic division, major, test scores,rank in high school graduating class andpersonal background information. The personalbackground information introduces at least onesource of a potential problem or conflict forthe student which will emerge in some formduring the simulation.
Each participant must complete a set ofs,eventeen tasks, including:
1. Registering for classes;2. Changing one's. schedule after the
initial registration;3. Petitioning for an exception to an
academic regulation;4. Contacting an instructor;5. Finding one's classroom buildings;6. Alorking with University publications
(catalog, course planning guide, guidefor new students);
7. Receiving midterm Ixades;8. Receiving academic record folders.The tasks are designed to give participants
hands-on experience with the various forms andpublications of the institution as well as tointroduce "need-to-know" information. Duringthe course of the simulation, each participant,receives five messages--each personalized tothe character being played. The messagesinclude grades, letters or phone messages fromfamily or local friends and petition results.
The simulation itself is characterized by agreat deal of physical movement, a reasonablyaccurate level of frustration, and a desire onthe part of the participants to master thetasks at hand.
Evaluation results from past participantsindicate that they find the simulation helpfulin their quest to "learn the ropes". As partof an ongoing program of inservice development,the simulation can serve several functions.One participant wrote:
It gave me a good idea of what I needto know and how much I have yet to learn.This experience will, I think, 'make memore open and receptive to lecturesessions that are coming up; and, inaddition, I have a better sense of whata freshman feels like. I had almostforgotten.
Copies of the complete simulation,including instructions for conducting it,discussion questions and evaluation forms areavailable from:
Suzanne H. SummersOffice of Residence LearningMiami UniversityOxford, Ohio 45056
81
"ACADEMIC ADVISING ON A SHOESTRING WJDGET"Presenters: Dr. Machree Ward, Director, Center
for Academic AdAsement OrientationMrs. Bonnie Higginson, Assistant tothe Director, Center of AcademicAdvisement OrientationMurray State University, Kentucky
One of 'the main rdsponsibilities of anyinstitution of higher education involves aca--demic advisement of students. Traditionally,administrators have verbally recognized thatwhen faculty advisors are well informed andconcerned about-assisting advisees, the stu-dents tend to gain a sense of purpose anddirection which frees energy for realization ofacademic potential.
Unfortunately, many institutions havefailed to back up the-verbal recognition of theworth of quality academic advisipgifith rewardsor commitments. Rewards, such as tenure, pro-motion or salary increases, are forthcomirig forresearch, publications, scholarly presen-tations, or teaching excellence, but fail toappear for quality advisement. When specialprograms or advisement units are established toconcentrate on superior advisement the fundingwould qualify as a "shae string" budget.
,The purpose of this program will be toexplore the practical alternatives when fundingis low, personnel few, space small whiledemands are high, expectations many, and advi-sees numerous. The basic ideas will be relatedto actual exporiences of one such center imple-mented for advisement of undeclared stddents.The regional state institution is located in arural, mid-western area and has an averageenrollment of 7,000-7,500 students with aboutten percent of the student body in theundeclared category.
An initial presentation will consist of abrief discussion of several areas of generalconcern to administrators when faced withlimited budgets. Special topics to be con-sidered will include staff budgeting, staffselection, staff training, teaching FreshmanOrientation classes, staff assignments, utili-zation of office space, office furnishing,supplies, evaluation procedures, supervision;advisement, scheduling, dealing with academicdifficulities, and personal conferences. Uieof appropriate referrals and special in-houseservices will also be mentioned. Appropriatehandouts will be available for all program par-ticipants.
The program content should have apOeal taseveral groups but particularry -to, new direc-tors of advising programs who are currentlyfaced with very limited budgets. The infor-mation will also prove beneficiar to' personsinterested in advising of undeclared studentsor those interested in peer advisors.
"OM DEVELOPING .AN EFFECTIVE DECENTRALIZEDADVISEMENT SYSTEM"Presenter E. Bruce: Potter, Associate Dean,
University College, University ofNew Mexico
The presentation is to be a broad review ofan effective, decentralized, university advise-ment system. The focus will be upon dimensionswhich have evolved as significant in the func-tioning ot the system.
The presentation will encompass boththeoretical and practical elements, throughlecture with a variety of visual materials, andwill include a question and answer period. Anappropriate audtence would be directors ofadvising prograMs and experienced advisers.
Coordination among the ten autonomouscollege-level _advisement centers on the maincampus of the University of New Mexico hasprompted staff awareness of five fundamentaldimensions underlying the effective functiciningof such a system. The nature and significanceof these dimensions. will be discussed.
Dimension 1: Advisement Philosophy.Clarification of the operational philosOphy isessential, in an effective system. Pervasiverole 'conflict, for example, appears to beinherent within an advisement system whichseeks to provide service based solely upon stu-dent need, while, at the -same time, derivingits funding primarily on- the basis of servinginstitutional needs.
Dimension 2: AdviSement responsibility.The locus of responsibility for advisementwithin the university structure is significant.In this decentralized system-the responsibilityrests with the college (as a sub-unit of the
university). The advisement centers are thus
accountable to fhe individual colleges ratherthan to a university-wide office. That- theline of authority-responsibility is through thecollege dean to the faculty of that college,has particular advantages and disadvantages.
Dimension 3: Staffing. Differing types ofstaffing have' evolved among the several cen-ters, according to need. Some utilize full-time instructors/administrators who:advise as apart of their total responsibilities; othersutilize released-time faculty; others useclerical-level persons; some have specially-trained persons whose sole responsibility is
that of advisement; other centers.utilite com-binations of these staffing types.' These dif-fering types of staff serve, differing anddistinctive student needs.
Dimension 4: Staff Development andTraining. This dimension has particular signi-ficance in a decentralized system. If,there isto be coordination, common definitions, com-pardbility of purposes, and validity of dataamong ehe autonomous centers on a campus,'cooperation in this dimension is essential.
Dimension 5: Basic 4Types pf Advisement.Four fundamental types of academic advisementhave evolved: ' Clerical; Explanatory; Analytit;-Therapeutic. A systems model has been prepared.
"ORIENTING NEW STUDENTS TO FACULTY ADVISINGSYSTEMS"Presenter: Dr. Robert E. Gardner, Director of
Advising, College of Engineering,Cornell University
Every institution has an orientation perioddesigned to acquaint students with their newenvironment, but relatively few of- theseinclude an orientation to the advising system.
'This is unfortunate, because in most institu-tions, the advising system is as different fromsecondary school as the class schedule, the
' living arrangements, etc. -One result of thisshortcoming of orientation exercises is that ,students do not use the advising system effec-.
tively, for precisely the same reasons thatthey do not use the library systems effectivelyunless they are taught how to use the,referencematerials, card catalogs, etc.
This program addresses itself to the problemof orienting students to-a new advising system,one in which services are delivered by facultyrather than guidande personnel. The focus is
therefore on understanding faculty and theirrole in the institution and on learning tech-niques that are necessary for successful,interaction, techniques that secondary schoolStudents may not have much chance to practicein their limited contact with adults in a pro-fessional role.
.0 00.entation topics that move toward theseends will be considered and described:videotapes of interviews with faculty advisers,tips from departmental secretaries, commentsfrom students in the institution, andsuggestions of successful techniques from stu-dent personnel will be included. Orientationexercises designed for use by faculty advisersduring the orientation period will be presentedas the second stage of the total orientation%process.
Participants will be asked to volunteerideas and suggestions that have proved success-ful, on their campuses. Attention will bedirected to the problem of getting an orien-tation to the advising system into the activi-ties of the orientation period, which is oftencrowded with "more important" activities. Theobjective will be to encourage all participantsto. develop an orientation for their institutionand to give everyone some basic tools and ideasto begin this program.
82
"ADVISING THE LIBERAL ARTS STUDENT--FROMORIENTATION TO DECLARATION OF MAJOR"Presenters: Dr. H. Rosalind Cowie, Assistant
Dean, College of Arts & SciencesGeorgetown UniversityDr. J. Richard Arndt, CoordinatorAdvising Services, CaliforniaState Universtty, Fresno,California
PROGRAM SUMMARY
The central. problem in advising theundeclared liberal arts student is that ofconVeying to the student the philosophicalrationale of liberal education, and in thelight of this philosophy, justifying theparticular requirements and pro,-rams. Thissession was a Aiiscussion of the successes andfailures of the Georgetown experience.
NATURE OF THE COLLEGE
The College of Arts & Sciences is aCatholic, Jesuit, liberal artS school, one offive undergraduate schools in the University.There are approximately 475 freshmen each year;375 are undeclared and are in this program.The remaining 100 are science students andare divided irectly by the departments. Thestudents are in general extremely bright andwell-prepared and are drawn from all over theUnited States and from foreign countries.
The college offers a value-oriented educa-tion, both depth and breadth, which aims todevelop the individual student in service tothe community. This broad goal translatedNJinto the terms of the curriculum means distri-bution requirements, including theology andphilosophy, a major and an emphasis on serviceprograms.
AIMS
Orientation and, advising are seen as onecontinuous activity designed to:
1. assist each student to understand theoals of liberal education."
2. identify his own education goals in thecontext of liberal education.
3. help him to make program choices,consistent with his educational goals.
The importance of providing accurate infor-mation is assumed, as is the effort to maximizecontact and rapport with the adviser.
We do not claim originality, but we do havea program that works for us.
ORIENTATION
Through Orientation we move the freshmeninto the appropriate classes, consistent withour aims and paying heed to the diversity oftheir backgrounds.
WHAT WE DO
Summer Mailings--letter on curriculum fromDean's Office.
--letter of welcome fromfaculty and student advisers.
--questionnaires, asking fortentative course choices anda statement about educationalgoals.
These mailings stress the notion of liberaleducation. They strongly suggest that the aimof the first two years, is to explore as manyfields as possible. Students are urged to beas relaxed as possible about their' majorchoice.
ARRIVAL ON CAMPUS
Day 1--Dean's Assembly--consisting of formalpresentation by Dean and a facultypresentation tied to summer readingsor a film. The blend of personalitiesin the faculty presentation herecrucial.
--Test in English, mathematics and foreignlanguages.
Day 2--Adviser meetings, with student anafaculty advisers. A seminar "is heldat which 'the faculty presentation andreadings and/or films are discussed;registration' materials Are distributed;and individual meeeings Pare scheduled.
Day 3--Individual meetings between faculty 'andfreshmen.
Day 4--Registration preparationregis1ration.
ADVISING
meetings and. ,
The advising is done by faculty and isdispersed, not centralized. The current systemwas developed in 19737,74. Twenty-faculty areassigned 15/16 students at random. The advi-sers are generally young, and recruited fortheir inter4st and approachableness; frequentlythey teach freshmen courses in English,theology or philosophy; they must be committedAo liberal education. There is no compen-sation, but a, letter of appointment is, sentfrom the Dean. At the end of the year, lettersof thanks are sent, weith copies to depar.tmentchairmen and the Provosq.
Each facility adviser is assisted by anupper-classman who is usually,recruited by thefaculty member. Students are in most easeshonored to be asked .and ':are extremelyeffective.
The contacts, then between freshman aridadviser,corisist'of:
- -summer letter,--dean's asSembly, a common experience.- -small seminar--subject matter and
experience in common,-an attempt tocombine the teaching and 5advising roles.
--individual meetings--adviser has testscores, SAT"s, high school,' clasS rank,"A.P. credit awarded and,, questionaires.At the end Of this meeing the advisermust sign.registratibrC844%
--mandatory, meetings at pre-registration inNovember and April.
--at least one group social event--a wineand cheese party, dinner in the residencehall, trip to the monuments, to thetheatre, etc.
83.1tJ
TRAINING
The training is similar for both facultyand students. In May, a session is given oncounseling techniques and on common problems.
In August, shortly before the studentsarrive, there is a second session:
--the assistant dean discusses the
philosophy of the College,--the curriculum is described in detail,--orientation plans are explained, with
raise about
asked
emphasis on he questions theyliberal education,
--discussion of most commonlyquestions,
--two or three typical cases,--stress on personal interest on part of
advisers,An additional help if the Adviser's
Handbook which is an expanded version oE theUndergraduate Bulletin, but with the additionsof sample programs for the first two years anda complete description of resources on campus.
SPECIAL ADMISSIONS STUDENTS
These students may include hi-gh riskminority students, alumni sons ,and daughters,children of potential benefactors, Or
ambassador's children. Other resources forthese students are the Center for MinorityStudent Affairs, the Foreign Student Adviser,and the Counseling Center. They are monitoredmore carefully from the Dean's Office andfrequently take a lighter load. They mayattend a pre-freshman year summer program.
SOPHOMORE YEAR
The sydtem described here is in effectuntil Spring pre-registration in the sophomoreyear whenstudents mush declare a major and
secure an adviser in the major department.This is the weak spot in the system becauseformal meetings with the adviser are not built-in and also because sophomores,tend to be moreindependent. Frequently," however, the
undeclared student feels more pressure thanlever because he is in fact having to face thetask of choosing a major.
EVALUATION
Informal evaluation is on-going in that theassistant dean for freshmen and the freshmancounselor see every student at least once. Aformal evaluation was carried out this pastyear with the assistance of the psychologyDepartment.
The majority of the students rate thesystem as successful if they use it: 747. - 947.deem it adequate or very helpful. A finding ofsome concern, however, was that a surprisinglylow number of students in some cases, seekhelp; For example, 84i of die students saidthey aiked their adviser about curriculumr,equirements; We ask., what about the other 167.?
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This one vital element that 'the orientationand advising system is to transmit is the
values of liberal education--whichintangible and virtually impossible to
With pre-rreal possibilitassign advisers othus strengtheninadviser and studebe examined and aduring the summeperiod free for moliberal arts.
FUTURE
is anmeasure.
istration of freshman by mail afor the future, we hope to
the basis of course choices,the mutual bonds between
t. These registrations willproved in the Dean's Office
leaving the Orientatione adventurous programs on
CO CLUSION
The transmissio of the philosophy of
liberal education is an intangible process thatresists measurement. The key is, in our opin-ion', the attitude towards the orientation andadvising system in the Dean's Office, an atti-tude that must be transmitted to the adviserswho in turn transmit it to the studentg.While there, are all kinds of efficient systemsfor "processing" students, .the commitment to
liberal education on the part of the admin-istration and faculty is crucial in the liberalarts college.
"INITIATING A CENTRALIZED ADVISING SYSTEM"Presenter: Carol R Patton, Director of
University Advisement, TexasChristian University
The program will include practical tips andcaveats for initiating a system of centralizedcoordination of departmental advisement byfaculty with particular emphasis on theundeclared or pre-major.
The primary purpose of the session will beto follow up the introduction of the TCU modelat last year's conference. At that time thesystem was barely inaugurated, having combinedseveral existing programs 'into a single,centralized effort in the hope of improvedadvising and increased retention. Thus, theprogram will be aimed at those who expressedinterest in the outcome at the last conferenceand others who are interested in starting acentralized advising system.
Now a year later--and a year wiser--we'dlike to share some of the tips we've learned ongetting such a program underway and recountsome of the "fine tuning" we've done in theinitial phases. Included will be strategiesfor enlisting faculty and administrative sup-port, building faculty advising skills, gainingcampus visibility, finding available resourceson a limited budget, and using a computer foreffective support. We will also look atresults of retention studies that have beenunderway since the program's inception.
The system, which is already achievingresults,, is one which is easily adaptable toany existing decentralized advising program and "
at an affordable cost, requiring only one pro-fessional staff member with appropriate cleri-cal support and minimal administrative andprogramming funds.
If
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"PEER VISORS: TRAINABLE AND INITIALLYSUSPE A FIVE YEAR DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY--AN ENCO R"Presente : Richard E. Friedman, Assistant Dean
McMicken College of Arts & SciencesUniversity of Cincinnati
Students refer students to other studentsfor answers o questions such as "What is agood course?" "What is a required course?""Which courses are relevant?" "inhat isrequired in a gi en covrse?" "Who is a goodteacher?" Facult initially consider stuctvntsor peer consulta ts as suspects, perhapsthreatening as saboteurs, anti-intellectual andbiased. The experience of numerous trainingsessions indicates that this pathology is ini-tially true. Coincidentally faculty behavioris at the outset quite similar. The ability todisplay objectivity comes through extendedtraining and experience. The selection methodfor including a student in our course--AcademicAdvising--depends little on questionnaires,interviews, course background or major area.Some students from outside the McMicken Collegeof Arts and 'Sciences have gone through thecourse for some experience. One importantbenefit of the peer program is the developmentof the peer advisor as a human being.. The onlycrtteria for entrance in the course is awillingness to spend Eime in Ns regular advisingsetting and to complete 25 hours of classroomsessions. Some advisors are good at what theydo from the beginning. Others are awkward, needto be watched, teamed with others, ..preventedverbally and publically from making damagingerrors. That is the obligation of trainingjust as it is to utilize the student who fromthe outset has the knack for advising. Itshould be remembered that there are two indivi-duals who are being helped, the student advisorand his/hgr current or future advisee.ReFoving a student advisor from the. programcobld be a criticism of the program more thanthe advisor.
The training period should include severalphases that are most beneficial. Each newgroup or class should be made to feel like ateam, a congenial bunch of friends. Thetrainer must be a member in good standing. ,Failure to make this entry may be critical tothe success, of the group. In a sense, thisgroup or class becomes a paradigm -c microcosmof a good advising relationship. Helpingskills and important information is passedamong friends.
The selection of apprdpriate games andinternal workshop experiences should con-tinually be examined. If a student is going toconsult with another student about goals andoptions, it is clear that goals and optionbaggage must accompany the peer advisor to thesession. It is not, however, required that thepeer advisor already possessed his or her goal,plan, and/or options. One of the mostintriguing aspects of the peer advisingencounter ,is that both individuals gainsomething "from it. Both individuals arealtering or reshaping some .behavior pattern.Training sessiotls that involve role-playing,interpersonal communications, strategies forcreating a sense of objectivity and the like
are most helpful. There are virtually a myriadof games, readings and exercises that can beadopted for this purpose. Sometimes it dependson the particular individuals involved in agroup whether a game, reading, or exercise iseffective. The failure to benefit from aspefic exercise is just as interesting andappropriate a learning experience as -asuccessful one.
The trafning program includes:I. Written analyses of problem-solving
case studies.2. Selected readings _of topics on higher
education. This is kept to a minimumsince experience has shown a cereainlack of significant benefits.
3. Following the training period each peeradvisor develops his or her advisingskills in the College Office atmospherewith "close at hand' administrative andprofessional assistance. Experiencehere has not allowed the farming outof students to departments. Facultymembers as a rule do not or will notbecome good coaches.Peer advisors earn between two andeight elective credits for theirefforts in any one year.' Facultyapproval is not easily gained butonce accomplished the faculty and staffof the College learn to depend on thiskind of advising assistance. It is amistake td believe that.course grantingapproval is to be gained by calling thecourse a psychology course or acommunications course. It is not. Itis an advising course and should /bepresented as such. Burying it in adepartment or attempting. approval byanalogy with other offerings istreacherous. Such an approval tech-nique is a significant comment on thewillingness of all involved to acceptpeer advising.
5. Peer advisors contribute to a commonlog which facilitates communicationwith the group, keeps records of who isseen, what has been said, studentsatisfaction or dissatisfaction or thelike.
6. Peer advisors occupy an Arts & SciencesAcademic Advising Center. The spaceis adjacent to the main administrativeoffice of the College. It is easy torefer students to the Center, activelyparticipate in it, supervise andcollaborate.
SPECIAL PROJECTS FOR PEER ADVISORS
1 High school student recruitment. Thebest recruiter that any college has isa srudent spokesman. Peer advisorslike to "show off" the Rlace and theCollege throws in lunch. Campus toursare pre-arranged for parents and"sniffing" students. Sessions includedormitory lunches, class visitationsand shared experiences.
2 Peer advisors coordinate, with limitedsupervision the entire pre- or priorityregistration Period for the College.
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This occurA during two weeks of everyquarter from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Peer advisors distribute, collect andfacilitate all forms, packets andmaterial during this period. Theirskills are initially shown to thestudents during this period.
3 Each summer, peer advisors participateprogrammatically in the month long Julyorientation sessions. Their charm andexpertise allow them to advise andrelate to students and accompanyingobserving parents.
THE MESSAGE OF THE PEER ADVISOR:SOME OBSERVATIONS
Several thoughts on the message of the peeradvisor leads to one of the unique aspects ofthe academic advising process. In many set-tings, a number of sophisticated undergraduatescan be complementary and supplementary to anadvising system. There are many issues of con-cern among students which can be more comfor-tably and creatively handled by advancedundergraduate peer advisors. All of the role-modeling, empathy and "I have experienced thatmyself" is present. Frustrated and anxiouspre-medical students can be given confidenceand direction by senior medical schoolapplicants. Graduate sudents may be just "tooprofessional." The institutionalized dor-mitory, roomate experience provides the key tothe advising encounter. The advising encountersimply put is a confidence sessicn.
The peer advisor has formalized the givingof confidence. They are supportiVe,reassuring, probing, and prodding. Peer admi-sors are tranquilizers. When people ask to havetheir automobiles repaired, most of the time,they know what repairs are necessary. The automechanic becomes a consultant on a distinctlydifferent level. The mechanic assumes the roleof a friend. The scenario goes as follows--"Will my car be all right? Will it last thtwinter, the year, if I have those partsreplaced?" inquires the automobile owner. Themechanic friend nods and responds, "Sure,it'll be fine." Affirmative answers to thesequestions are never meant to be absolute ones,those that will stand for all time. Positiveanswers to questions like, "Will this major beof interest for me? or Will it provide me witha good credential for a job or will this coursebe helpful to me?" are also not meant to beabsolute answers. Answers to these questionsare meant to give confidence. An advisor'sresponse in these cases include phrases like--"It sounds interesting" or "it certainly could"or "yo9t plan is a good one" ("new spark plugs,yes, it should make the difference"). Academicadvising, simply put, may be ephemeral supporttive helpful answers that givt. the questionerconfidence.