Presented by:
Anna Mays, DCCCD Team Lead, Texas Completes
Jarlene DeCay, De’Aira Holloway, Kimberly Moore & Jermain Pipkins DCCCD Academic Advising Council
Transforming Academic Advising & the Student Experience
within DCCCD Colleges
2013 NTCC Leadership Convocation
• Redesign students educational experiences
• Reinvent institutional roles
• Reset the system to create incentives
Transformation
• Examined data and best practices with leaders from various colleges
• Identified key District policies and procedures to promote student success
• Worked to reallocate existing resources
• Developed a comprehensive action plan
Actions
•
Connection: College Readiness
(K – 12)
Placement Test Preparation, Program of Study, Guidance, Dual
Credit
Entry: First Time in College
Advising for Career Pathways and Redesign
of Student Success Courses
Progress:Student who
completes 30+ hours
Redesign Developmental Education and Core
Curriculum to Reduce Time
Completion:Certificate & Degree
Automatic graduation & reverse transfer
Actions Taken:Implementation
Helping students clarify their values and goals
Leading students to better understand the nature and purpose of higher education
Providing accurate information about educational options, requirements, policies and procedures
Goals of Academic Advising
Clarify student expectations.
Improve our programs and services.
Demonstrate that Advising IS Teaching
Accountability for all/Limited Resources
Increase Institutional Effectiveness (Better Decision Making & Planning)
Accreditation…SACS REQUIRES IT!
Advising as a teaching & learning experience
In the ability to identify realistic academic and career goals as well as a program to achieve them
In the ability to make connections among courses in the curriculum and to integrate learning
In the self-awareness of the relationship between one’s education and one’s life
Advising as Teaching Focuses on Student Growth
Facilitator of communication
Coordinator of learning experiences
Referral agent who connects students with all of an institution’s resources and co-curricular opportunities that can help them be successful
Advisor-as-Teacher
To value the learning processTo apply decision-making strategiesTo put the college experience into
perspectiveTo set priorities and evaluate eventsTo develop thinking and learning skillsTo make informed choices
Core Values, NACADA
Advisors Teach
Students
Teaching
Engaging students in actual participation in their learning
Giving students feedback on their progress Helping students learn toanalyze and problem solve
Advising
Guiding students to be self-directed and
autonomous
Working together theadvisor and student regularlyevaluate the student’s goalsand progress toward thosegoals
Assisting students indecision-making skills
Proactive interactions with students
Connecting with students before a situation occurs that cannot be fixed
Active concern for students’ academic preparation
A willingness to assist students in exploring services and programs to improve skills and increase academic motivation
Upcraft & Kramer, 1995
Intrusive Advising
Developmental Model Prescriptive Model
Focus: potentials Focus: limitations
Growth-oriented Problem-oriented
Proactive Reactive
Equal & shared problem solving
Authoritarian advice giving
Shared responsibility Responsibility is advisor’s
Student wants to learn; capable of self-direction
Student not highly motivated; requires close supervision
Shared evaluation Advisor evaluates alone
Shared initiative Advisor takes initiative
Relationship basis: trust & respect
Relationship basis: status
Developmental vs. Prescriptive
Crookston, 1972
Colleges in DCCCD developed common advising syllabus,
including:
Mission/Purpose of Academic AdvisingResponsibilities of AdvisorsResponsibilities of AdviseesLearning Outcomes
Developing an Advising Syllabus
The DCCCD Advising Curriculum
Implementation of common Academic Advising Syllabus within advising practice at all DCCCD colleges
Development of new advising model that incorporates college-specific organizational models and core advising functions aligned with student stages (Connection, Entry, Progress, Completion)
Training of faculty on critical advising information
Development of new technology tools (Student Plan)
TEXAS COMPLETESNext steps
Models for delivering advising services may be categorized as one of three organizational structures: Centralized Decentralized SharedWithin each type of structure are seven organizational models of academic advising.
Organizational Models
In a centralized structure, professional and faculty advisors are housed in one academic or administrative unit. All advising, from orientation through completion, takes place in this one unit, such as an advising center and all advisors report to an advising or counseling director and are generally housed under one location. An example of this type of structure is the self-contained model.
Centralized
In the Self-Contained Model, all advising occurs in either an advising center or a counseling center that is staffed primarily by professional advisors or counselors; however, faculty may be assigned to advise students at the center on a part-time basis. Faculty members are not involved in the advising process on a regular basis. The self-contained model is one of the two most frequent used models at 2-year public colleges (29%).
Self-contained model
In a decentralized structure, professional or faculty advisors are located in their respective academic departments. There are two types of Decentralized models
Decentralized
Faculty-Only Model: Students are assigned a faculty advisor at enrollment
Faculty only model
decentralized
Student Faculty
Satellite Model: Students are assigned to advising offices within an academic department. Advising is done primarily by professional advisors and not faculty
Satellite model
decentralized
Student A
Student B
Academic Subunit or Advising office
Academic Subunit or Advising office
In a shared structure, some advisors meet with students in a central administrative unit (i.e., an advising center), while others advise students in the academic department of their major discipline, based on certain criteria. There are four types of shared models.
Shared
In a supplementary model, all students are assigned to a department or faculty advisor. There is a central administrative unit (advising center) with professional staff to support the department advisors (usually faculty) by providing resources and training. The center might serve students when they need transfer course evaluation or a degree audit
Supplementary modelshared
Faculty
Advising Office
Student
In a split model, the initial advising is divided between an advising office and the academic subunits. The office advises specific groups of students, such as those that are undecided or on probation. Once specific conditions are met (declared a major or back in good standing) students may be assigned to an academic subunit where they could be advised by faculty or other professional advisors. The split model is one of the two most frequent used models at 2-year public colleges (28%)
Split modelshared
In a dual model, students have 2 advisors, a faculty advisor within the academic department/subunit and an advisor in the central advising office. The professional advisors assist with policies & procedures, registration issues, drop/add, etc. Faculty advisors assist with academic course and academic major issues.
Dual modelshared
In a total intake model, all of the initial advising occurs through one a centralized advising office where all initial registration, institutional policy and procedures and other course specific information is handled. Students are assigned to faculty or academic subunit professional advisor once specified conditions are met (declared major, completed 30 hours, etc.).
Total intake modelshared
1. What is the mission of advising at your institution currently?
2. What is your vision for academic advising at your institution?
3. What needs to change to make your vision a reality?
4. What steps need to be taken to affect that change?
Exercise
Questions, CommentsContact Information:Anna MaysEmail: [email protected]
Thank you