This session will provide an introduction to issues concerning advising administrators.  Topics to be covered include:  mission and goals of advising, advising model and delivery of services; professional development and motivation of advisors; marketing and communication to increase the visibility and importance of advising throughout the institution; creation of "allies" and navigation of campus politics; funding for advising; and assessment of effectiveness.  In addition, resources for advising administrators will be shared with participants.  The session is intended for both those new to advising administration as well as more experienced administrators.

In 2010, a team of faculty and staff began to design a faculty advisor development program based on advising competencies identified by advisors from the College. This multi-year “Master Adviser” research project was implemented in five stages:
1. Determine competencies necessary for advising effectiveness.
2. Design rubrics for measuring acquisition of competencies.
3. Design training and development for advisors based on competencies.
4. Evaluate outcomes for program improvement.
5. Develop a program for rewarding demonstrated competence.

Study procedures and results will be shared and the literature review, online advising manual, and assessment instruments will be featured. Participants will share in a discussion of how to mount a similar large-scale project and possible future implications. A complete manual of materials will be provided.

Every plan has a beginning and for advising assessment, the mission statement is that special point.  Maki (2004) highlights the mission statement as a foundational element in the assessment cycle, and Campbell (2008) states that it assumes the role of a compass by clarifying direction.  This hands-on session focuses on writing a mission.  The journey begins with defining it and comparing it to a vision.  Next, the session identifies key elements with actual examples from various types of advising organizations. Finally, participants engage in creating a statement.  Each participant will receive a copy of all draft statements and a list of resources to encourage further engagement with assessment by publishing a mission statement that follows NACADA’s best practices.

This presentation focuses on explaining the assessment cycle used for evaluation of student learning in academic advising (Maki, 2004).  First, the session explains the foundational pieces of mission, vision, goals, and objectives.  Next, the focus moves to student learning outcomes and mapping outcomes to advising activities.  Once this step is complete, evidence is gathered through various measurement tools.  Once data exist, analysis occurs to understand the current state of advising.  Finally, the cycle concludes with change.  Change takes many forms, and then the cycle begins again for on-going enhancements that impact student success.  Throughout participants will test their understanding with interactive activities.  The goal is to introduce the assessment process and suggest resources for continued learning.

The Student Advising and Academic Counseling Office of SBE initiated a project for master students to  contribute to their graduation. One of the outcomes was that almost all students do not finish their study in time due to thesis related issues. Good supervision, clear and strict rules and regulations concerning the thesis are important. However, not being connected to the School seemed equally important as cause for study delay. The existence and belonging to an academic community  proved to be of eminent importance  for master students to finish successfully. In this workshop we will  discuss the implemention of a solid academic community to ensure that future students benefit from a rich and full master experience.

“You Can’t Go Home Again” Just as Thomas Wolfe wrote, students today still experience culture shock when studying abroad.  My research for the U.S. Department of Education Title IV captured data measuring cultural adaptation.  Surveys document the shift in students cultural awareness pre- and post- international experience and their culture shock upon returning to the States. Electronic handouts include information on culture shock, copies of the grant, and effective surveys collected by the Consortium for Undergraduate International Business Education [CUIBE].

At a modern UK University we have appointed a team of 30 personal advisers who provide “an individualised one to on client management service to each first year student”. A key role has been to engender in students a sense of belonging, and we already have evidence of their early effectiveness in retaining vulnerable students. Here we describe a) how the team of personal advisers has been trained and developed, b) the unfolding nature of their engagement with students, and with academic colleagues, and c) the outcomes of initial evaluation of their impact. Our experiences will be shared with participants, as will a number of resources and tools which have been developed.

For a long time, the role of academic advising in Japanese higher education existed. The definition, however, is different from other countries’. Usually, an “academic advisor” at the most Japanese university is a faculty member who is also student’s seminar instructor. At the same time, there are staff members who advise students on personal concerns, registration questions and other issues at various units in the institution. The presenters feel the need of providing a systemic and purposeful academic advising for meaningful educational experience. In this session, we will first explain Japanese “academic advising structure.” Then, we will propose the professional development opportunities to develop skills necessary to provide a systemic and purposeful advising without reconstructing the organization.

A definitive answer to that question has yet to be found. The staff of the student advisory center of the Faculty of Arts at KU Leuven believes to have made some headway when they developed a 13-week counseling program. Participating students report an increase in motivation and self-confidence. In 2012-2013 we will gather the data with which we hope to prove in a quantifiable way the effect on student grades. Our interactive presentation will shed light on the key factors determining the program’s success: i.e. peer support; focus on ‘the task at hand’ (meaning that the assignments and sessions deal with the students’ core courses); hands-on approach, and a combination of different forms of counseling.

Student services in Germany observe a rising demand for social and psychological counseling. A research project by the German National Association for Student Affairs has analyzed the new trends and challenges for counseling, looking at needs, requested services, types of support, and the gap between services on offer and changing counseling requirements. The presentation present the most important results and data of the HISBUS research project on counseling (DSW/HIS 2013 forthcoming), and provide examples of best practices to address new counseling needs.

A challenge faced by academic advisors is helping students understand why advising matters. Many believe advising is about course selection, when in fact it is a developmental process.

This session will provide an overview of how USM restructured its student services to place more emphasis upon a holistic, longitudinal advising approach. The initial concept 4 years ago, has taken on a major overhaul from working primarily with undeclared students to all undeclared and College of Arts, Humanities and Science majors, providing academic advising, career coaching and academic support under “one roof”