There are many reasons that advisors do what we do...
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So much has been accomplished since this time last year! We continue to move NACADA into the future as the premier association for academic advising and student success and work to ensure that NACADA has a strong role in enhancing higher education and student success globally.
The NACADA Commission & Interest Group Division has been restructured as the Advising Communities Division. ACD leadership believes that members will have a better experience as a result of this restructure process.
In a field where connection is vital to the success of the appointment, empathy and support on a daily basis can place stress on the advisor or student success coach over a period of time. Advisors may promote the benefits of self-care for their students, but who takes care of the advisor?
Institutions of higher education invest in a diverse set of resources to aid student transition and success. It is not surprising that students who utilize these resources are (directly or indirectly) more likely to be successful in their college pursuits. How can advisors convince students to take advantage of campus resources?
As new standards develop to meet the changing needs of higher education, group advising has become an essential component of student success. Group advising offers avenues of support that help students adjust to college life, reinforce and improve skills vital to persistence in college, and develop skills that are increasingly essential in the professional world.
Scholarly and theoretical underpinnings of academic advising acknowledge the importance of the relational component of advising. A common factors meta-model of academic advising suggests that several factors can be applied to the advisor-student interaction to increase student persistence, regardless of specific advising theory or practice.
Acting as the hub of the wheel while drawing on the three components of academic advising (conceptual, informational, relational), academic advisors can help their advisees adapt to the culture of their higher education environment and empower them to take an active part in their journey to success.
Developing a sense of belonging in the first year is critical to whether or not a student will be retained. Orientation and the first-year seminar are ideal places to begin. The author offers strategies created to nurture belongingness for first-year students which can be applicable to a wide range of academic programs, institutions, and advisors and can be implemented at no cost.
Advisors have to find balance between building relationships with students and ensuring students have the tools to successfully meet major and institutional requirements. Advisors know how important a relationship connection can be to a student in helping them progress to graduation, but limited time with students can create pressure to focus on the tasks at hand.
