Providing graduate and professional students with annual feedback via progress reports is an integral component of student success. Though most graduate programs require annual progress reports, there is variation in the information requested of students, and how that information is used to improve both student and program outcomes. This paper discusses the purpose of graduate student progress reports from the perspective of multiple stakeholders, the progress report framework developed for our doctoral programs, and the best practices implemented to improve both student and program outcomes.
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Nearly every aspect of American higher education was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most notable and enduring changes was the abrupt shift from in-person advising (IPA) to remote academic advising (RAA). While this practice is now commonplace at colleges and universities across the United States, only a small body of scholarship has been dedicated to its impacts. This article offers advising supervisors and academic advisors a review of the post-pandemic literature focusing on RAA and its related best practices in American higher education today.
“Professional development is the ongoing process of improving one’s skills and knowledge to better perform in their existing role or to attain the skills needed to perform at a high level in a new role” (Meyer, 2023). Professional development - if done with intention - can have many positive impacts on Advising team and the institution as a whole. Investing in Advisors through meaningful development can lead to higher job satisfaction and decrease turnover. In fact, in a recent Gallup survey, 48% of American workers would switch jobs if it offered better skills training opportunities (Gallup, 2021).Professional development can lead to greater self-awareness, encourage confidence, and leadership. It also provides advisors with opportunities to learn new strategies and techniques based on NACADA's Core Competencies, which serve "as the foundational elements for effective advisor training programs and advising practice...(NACADA 2017)." Because of the benefits of professional development, Advisors at the University of Southern Maine have created a committee to continuously coordinate opportunities to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to support the success of our students, as well as, continuing to build community amongst our advising team.
The pandemic created a challenging environment for academic advisors. Coping with personal crises and continual exposure to intense and sometimes emotionally charged conversations with students required additional energy and empathy from academic advisors. Over time, this caused many academic advisors to develop compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. While colleges have been hyper focused on increasing enrollment, improving student retention numbers, and recovering from the financial fallout from the pandemic, academic advisors continue to grapple with additional responsibilities, low support, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and working in politically charged environments. Recent CUPA-HR data indicated that more than 56% of higher education employees are looking for alternative employment in the next twelve months. This article reviews the concepts of trauma-informed leadership and how the trauma-informed leadership approach can support and retain advisors experiencing workplace burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma.
Whether implementing new and innovative ideas or using time tested practices, the wellness of academic advisors is a community issue, involving not only administrators, but the collaboration with academic advisors. Committed to engaging in trust-based philanthropy prioritizing community voice, the Stupki Foundation offered an advisor wellness grant initiative to NACADA Region 9 members with the primary aim to devise strategies for addressing academic advisor burnout and to provide avenues for those directly involved in this work to craft their own solutions. The grant initiative centered on the idea of “money as medicine” and that providing supportive, flexible funds would be a part of the advisor burnout and retention solution. This article provides key themes that emerged along with initiatives and interventions that can be adapted with or without funding.
This article explores the changing concept of mentorship through academic literature and conversations with colleagues. The author examines their past assumptions of mentorship and describes journey in reframing mentorship as "Thought Partners" (Anderson and Stanny, 2012). This reframe provided space to re-conceptualize mentorship as a productive partnership between equals and let go of past stereotypical assumptions of mentorship. Given the pressure that students may feel to find a mentor in their early career journeys, this article can provide an opportunity for advisors to think about how they talk about mentorship with students.
This paper explores the integration of Positive Psychology principles into academic coaching practices to enhance student well-being, resilience, and academic success. Academic coaching has emerged as a valuable resource on college campuses, providing personalized support to help students navigate their academic journey. Positive Psychology, with its focus on optimal functioning and well-being, offers a complementary framework for promoting student success. The paper examines the application of Positive Psychology principles, particularly those outlined in the PERMA model –Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment – within the context of academic coaching. It discusses how academic coaches can foster positive emotions, promote engagement in challenging and rewarding activities, nurture meaningful relationships, facilitate a sense of purpose and fulfillment, and encourage goal-setting and a growth mindset. By embracing Positive Psychology principles, academic coaching becomes a transformative experience that empowers students to thrive academically and personally
This article demonstrates ways in which an advising office can benefit from a close working relationship with a registrar’s office. Building upon historical literature, and more recent interest in the connections between these areas, the authors utilize their own experiences from working in a combined registrar and advising office at Davidson College. Providing real world examples in the common areas of reporting, training and communication can bridge gaps and highlight potential collaborative ideas. The article provides suggestions that readers can use at their home institutions. By advising and registrar offices working together, time can be saved, redundancies can be reduced, consistent messaging can thrive, and students can receive quality service.
This paper explores the challenges of the registration process in higher education through the vantage point of a retired college administrator re-enrolling as a student. Despite extensive experience and knowledge, the author faced numerous obstacles from application to course registration, illustrating how systemic issues can impede student progress. The author highlights the critical role of academic advising in student retention and success, drawing on research and personal insights to identify a gap between institutional values and practices. This gap underscores the need for higher education institutions to align their operational processes with their commitment to student-centered advising and support. The author’s experience serves as a call to action to improve these processes to better serve all students.
Fear of failure and procrastination pose considerable barriers to students in higher education. Advisors can make a difference by recognizing the existence of these fears and understanding their consequences. This knowledge enables advisors to empower students to address their fears, promoting both academic and personal success.
