NACADA Advisor Training and Development Commission-sponsored monograph

The Advisor Training and Development Commission is sponsoring a second edition of the best selling monograph Advisor training: Exemplary practices in the development of advisor skills.  Chapter authors are working on final drafts now and we anticipate that his monograph will be published in the summer of 2010. 

Exemplary Practices in advisor training and development were recently selected by the monograph editors and a selection team of commission members for inclusion in the monograph. Advisor training and development programs from the following institutions will be featured in the upcoming monograph:

• Missouri State University
• University of Louisville
• Lynchburg College
• Hutchinson Community College
• University of Minnesota
• Davenport University
• University of Iowa
• University of Kansas

Congratulations to the advisor training and development directors at these institutions.  And thanks to all who nominated programs for inclusion as exemplary practices.  NACADA promotes quality academic advising and professional development of its membership.  The nomination materials submitted clearly indicate that there are many training and development programs that help further that mission. 

Exemplary Practice Guidelines

Narratives are now requested for consideration as Exemplary Practices for possible inclusion in the upcoming second edition of the Academic Advisor Training and Development Commission-sponsored monograph. The intent is to identify effective advisor training programs delivered in a variety of formats.

Monograph chapters/sections will examine different facets of academic advisor training and development, as noted below and attached here.

Nominations were due June 15, 2009, and are now closed. Thanks to all who applied.

Nominated training programs will show strength in one or more of the following areas:

Programs designed for Faculty Advisors, Professional Advisors, peer advisors

Programs delivered by:

• Workshops, Lectures, Panels, Presentations
• Seminar Series, book/reading groups, discussion groups

Training programs utilizing

• Case Studies, Role Playing, Shadowing & Reverse Shadowing
• Websites, Blackboard, streaming video, Webinars, Skype, other technological means
• Newsletters, e-mail, manuals, other written materials

Programs delivering specialized content. Exemplary Practices for training advisors to:

• use technology
• work with special student populations (veterans, disabled, ethnic diversity, LGBTQ, undecided, honors, probation, pre-law/pre-med, etc)
• develop “soft skills” (communication skills, etc)
• work with groups of students

Assessment of the Training Program

Selection information:

Programs selected will represent a variety of institutional sizes and types. Advisors within these programs can include staff/professional advisors, faculty who advise, and peer advisors.

Key components of the program’s development and delivery should be included in such a way that it will help readers replicate the process on their own campuses.

Each Exemplary Practice narrative should address

• How the training program addresses advisors’ current problems and issues.
• The strengths and challenges for this training program
• How the program is assessed and evaluated and provides a summary of what has been found in the assessment process.

Each Exemplary Practice narrative should also address several of the following aspects of good advising practice found within the informational, relational and conceptual components:

•  Foundation (including vision, mission and goals of advising, philosophy of the training program, theories that underlie advising, diversity, and advising approaches appropriate for the student population)

•  Knowledge of student characteristics (especially their institution’s student population and diversity)

•  Legal and ethical issues of advising

•  Career knowledge, including major, occupational, and workplace relationships

•  Knowledge and application of institutional policies, procedures, resources and requirements

Narrative Guide. The narrative should be no more than 4 double-spaced pages (one inch margins in Times New Roman 12 point type) and include the following elements as bullet points with explanation as needed:

• Name of college/university
• Location (city, state, province, etc.)
• Institutional type
• Highest degree granted
• Institutional size
• Type of advisors trained (professional, faculty, peer, grad assistant – include all that apply)
• Contact information for the training program director
• Advisor reporting lines/reporting set up (who writes reviews, etc)
• Average caseload per advisor
• History of training - concept, creation, program through today
• Learning goals/core competencies addressed
• Why/how this training works especially well for the campus constituents
• How the training program incorporates informational, relational, and conceptual components within the training, and in what measures & degrees
• Assessment of the training Program
• Strengths of the program
• Challenges for the program

Program narratives may include up to three supplementary documents (for a total not exceeding six pages total) that help illustrate unique aspect(s) of the program.

Email questions regarding the Exemplary Practice guidelines and completed nominations to publish@ksu.edu