Multicultural awareness is essential for academic advisors, for our cultural identity "is central to what we see, how we make sense of what we see, and how we express ourselves."
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Peer advising offers several advantages, including versatility, compatibility with pre-existing academic advising programs, sensitivity to student needs, and the ability to extend the range and scope of advising to times and venues when advising is not usually available.
Academic advisors tell and listen to stories every day...narrative theory—found mainly in literature, film studies, anthropology, and nursing—recommends itself as an example of how theory from outside academic advising may help us better explain academic advising and make us better practitioners.
Today’s students use technologies to explore their world in entirely new ways. With these new technologies they speak an entirely different language, one they expect us to understand... Our students look to us to incorporate these new technologies into our advising practice. .
The issues of social justice and equity are growing in importance across the academy... Although NACADA (2008) “promotes and supports quality academic advising in institutions of higher education to enhance the educational development of students” (¶1), how often do academic advisors examine their roles in upholding social justice through advising?
Baxter Magolda’s (2001) Learning Partnerships Model (LPM) provides a three-principled heuristic for implementing interactive and engaged advising that may help advisors help students who are in need of learning to balance multiple perspectives...Implementation of the LPM with diverse college students, however, requires recognition of cultural differences.
We spend so much of our time encouraging our students to become lifelong learners that sometimes we forget to “walk the talk.” Conferences like the NACADA annual and regional conferences are just some of the opportunities we have to continue to grow and develop as professionals and people.
Since our last Annual Conference in Baltimore in October 2007, NACADA has had an awesome year! Our Association has continued to grow in its membership, its influence in higher education internationally, and in the variety of new and innovative professional development opportunities for you. Here are just a few of the key advancements made this year...
NACADA’s commitment to professional development is central to the advancement of career-building within the ranks of academic advising. Currently, there is no systematic understanding of, or advocacy for, career ladders for academic advisors across the range of educational institutions. To begin that discussion, several universities have developed career ladders for advising professionals and advisors within these programs have shared information from their institutions.
Advisors are vital members of a larger team made up of faculty and staff who collectively are responsible for creating a dynamic learning environment that is responsive to the unique understandings and goals of each student.
Our advising exchanges can be more than one-sided interactions; consider moving beyond a discussion on the conversation spectrum and closer towards dialogue. Even if we can’t engage in a true dialogue for all of our advising appointments, there are some aspects of dialogue advisors can use regularly to improve the quality of conversations with advisees.
It is in advisors’ offices where students discover how that education will enrich them, not only as they start along their career paths, but in ways they never expected throughout their lives.
Disability services staff members are often seen as “disability experts,” yet these same professionals may or may not be “advising experts.” As such, it is imperative that academic advisors strive to achieve competency in advising all students, including those with disabilities. The ability to adequately advise all students – to include those with disabilities – could be termed inclusive advising.
Over the past year, full time and faculty advisors have had an opportunity to meet in informal settings at the state, regional and national conferences to discuss areas of concern in advising Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students. During these discussions, advisors have identified many challenges that confront them when advising this designated population. Some of these challenges will be addressed in the following discussion.
However, based on my research, I would add a supplemental advising approach that incorporates aspects of Bandura’s (1989) four sources of self-efficacy.
The Diversity Committee and the Emerging Leaders Development Team are pleased to announce the 2008-2010 NACADA Emerging Leaders and Mentors.
As our world becomes a global community, the significance of producing globally-competent citizens is turning into a hot topic on university and college campuses. As academic advisors move away from a “service”-oriented role to that of a “teacher”, we also need to fulfill our duty in the name of critical pedagogy.
It is my honor and pleasure to serve as NACADA’s President this coming year as the Association celebrates its 30th Anniversary...I look forward to my term as President this year while our Association pays particular attention to a number of critical and exciting areas.
I want to take this opportunity to outline for you the goals for enhanced use of technology...
As NACADA begins the adventure of internationalization, the Theory and Philosophy of Advising Commission focuses on expanding the theoretical and philosophical foundations of academic advising to better inform the practice of advisors, the scholarship of the field, and the performance of the organization.
Students may seek a mentor for various reasons...The ethics of referring students requires a careful balance between taking the students’ articulated interests seriously and at the same time nudging them towards new ways to grow.
Finding the right combination of appropriate intervention and student participation is a challenge frequently discussed on the NACADA Probation / Dismissal / Reinstatement Issues (PDR) Interest Group listserv and during the PDR Interest Group sessions at NACADA conferences.
Often we look at professional development in terms of adding lines to the resume. The reality, though, is that experiences lead to our growth as professionals. By challenging ourselves to go beyond what we know and try new things, we model and mentor to our students and colleagues.
As advisors, we have all had the experience of working with a student who has had at least one parent involved in their post-secondary decisions...It is important to remember that students with their parents’ support are entering post-secondary education from a high school environment which not only encouraged additional parental involvement, but in some cases mandated it because research demonstrated that the more parental involvement, the more successful students became in high school...Post-secondary professionals must accept this parental involvement and embrace it.
There is a perception within higher education that students who start college without a declared major are less likely to persist. This article includes a brief summary of the literature related to persistence and undecided/exploratory students.
Native Americans have attended college in the United States since colonial times. Unfortunately, the experience of most Native students at predominantly White institutions has not been entirely positive...Two major barriers still remain for Native Americans: the struggle to get into college and, if admitted, the struggle to successfully complete a degree. The desire to remove these barriers was behind the start of the Tribal College movement.
Chances are that no amount of books (self-help and otherwise) and no amount of years under our belts in working with students could have prepared us for the realities of life in the director’s or dean’s chair...I offer the following observations directly to new administrators who have stepped into the fray with heavy metal body armor adjusted, swords drawn, and olive branches waving.
In January 2007, the Master Faculty Advisor Program was implemented at Georgia Perimeter College. Each campus, depending on size, was assigned one to three Master Faculty Advisors to develop training programs, including a Web site. These Master Faculty Advisors provide campus and college-wide leadership on advising issues
NACADA opened my eyes to the network of academic advising resources available and provided me the opportunity to develop an Action Plan for leading the Advising Task Force at my institution.
NACADA Webinars are popular with NACADA members. Academic advisors have fun when they gather, and we often find great resources in discussing issues and ideas with each other. The Webinar Advisory Board has been discussing how we have “consumed” Webinars. Here are some examples of how campuses are organizing to make the most of Webinar participation.
As the nation continues down a turbulent financial path, we will undoubtedly be called upon to justify our advising programs and the impact our programs have on student success and student persistence. We have shown, and we can continue to show, the tremendous impact academic advising has on all aspects of the student experience.
Academic advisors have always helped with a variety of student issues; however, as budget cuts are considered, it may become even more important that we be aware of the wide variety of knowledge and assistance we, as academic advisors, provide on a day-to-day basis.
Academic advisors should play a major role in the recruitment process for education programs. There are several issues and barriers which are unique to recruiting students to enter teacher training programs. What strategies can be implemented to address these issues and barriers?
Making lasting and meaningful changes requires commitment and effort. Advisors have been long committed to promoting and practicing diversity; the discussed approaches offer advisors down-to-earth ways to make the most of their efforts.
Advisors who know their students' talents and understand their faculty colleagues' gifts for helping the student grow occupy an unique position where they can facilitate strong relationships between advisees and their professors.
In the classroom, students compose essays in stages that include several drafts that are edited by peers and the instructor. Following steps enables students to see how the parts create and relate to the finished essay and requires writing with direction and purpose. When I look at these steps as an advisor, I see how they could occur on a smaller scale in one session, or how they may occur before, during, or over multiple sessions with one or more advisor(s).
Development and implementation of a peer advising program can create an additional resource for students and assist staff in meeting advising needs more efficiently. However, many staff and faculty are unsure how or where to begin in developing a peer advising program. A framework that helps ensure that crucial information is available can be helpful in beginning the development process.
All students, whether intentional or not, are subject to their school’s plagiarism policies. As advisors, we can work to curtail the proliferation of plagiarism on our own campuses and help students succeed.
In recent years, there have been many references to “Advising as Teaching” in the academic advising professional literature... from my perspective as one who has spent almost 23 years plowing the fields as an academic advisor, and almost that much time growing roses as a hobby, I believe that a strong argument also can be made for using another metaphor, that of “Advising as Gardening!”
In March 2007 at the NACADA Region VII Conference, we listened with interest as Charlie Nutt gave a short talk about a new NACADA program initiative. He described the Emerging Leaders Program as “exciting and innovative” – a great way to for individuals to spread their wings within NACADA... we both immediately decided to apply.
Although “you had to be there” to truly understand the incredible experience... I encourage each NACADA member to experience a Summer Institute this coming summer or in the near future. Participants leave the Institute with a more thorough appreciation of what advising means, with a deeper understanding of the theory that supports our roles as academic advisors, and with more knowledge regarding how we can help our students succeed.
As members of the NACADA Board of Directors, the AAT Editorial Board, and the Executive Office staff have talked with our membership around the globe, it has become clear that we share a common concern about the pressures that we all face in the current economic climate. We open this edition with the positive, constructive measures that have been taken at Georgia Perimeter College to ensure the success of the academic advising program at that institution.
The NACADA Board of Directors and Council convened in San Antonio March 21-22 for our mid-year business meetings. I thought it would be appropriate to use this column to give my fellow NACADA members an update on two of the more timely topics the Board and Council are addressing at this time.
If academic advising is a form teaching, what do advisors teach?
We are currently experiencing one of the worst economic downturns in our country's history... The severity of the recession has left America's education in a precarious position...Advisors must be prepared to deal with new challenges and situations.
Academic and career advisors must keep up with economic forecasts to help students with career planning and to pay particular attention to the special needs that students may have in a down economy...Advisors who encourage students to gain practical experience, expand their skill sets, and remain flexible give students the tools needed to react to the range of economic cycles they will experience in their lifetime.
Our world is becoming ever more interconnected, and the ability to examine life from a truly global perspective is a valuable skill that everyone should possess.
As our collegiate communities contemplate revenue shortfalls and endowment shrinkages, many of our students are facing financial concerns. Regardless of external situations, it is incumbent that PDR advisors remember that the student is the heart of the educational enterprise.
This article discusses tools that can be used to help academic advisors increase their happiness and positivity levels.
Two advisors share some 'tried and true' tips for increasing the chances of attending off-campus professional development opportunities on the institution's dime.
Motivational Interviewing allows the student and advisor to work in collaboration, with the student choosing initial behavioral changes to improve the current situation. These small first steps can lead to additional behaviors beneficial to the academic success of the student.
The number of students with documented disabilities - physical, cognitive, psychiatric or medical - has been steadily increasing on campuses across the country...Advisors are uniquely positioned to support students with disabilities and awareness of changes in the law, such as with the ADA Amendment Act, are important.
Advisors on campuses across the U.S. have noted increased numbers of military students enrolled at their institutions...higher education must respond to the needs of these students with programs that aid smooth transitions if these students' collegiate experiences are to be meaningful.
An increasing number of veterans are attending college campuses...It is important that academic advisors and counselors have an understanding of PTSD and the military culture in order to better serve these proud service members.
Advisors are one of the most important supports for returning veteran students as they get comfortable with being with younger and less mature students and decide if they want to stay in school.
Many experts see a nationwide decline in math-preparedness. The NACADA Two-Year College Commission suggests that advisors discuss a series of questions in regard to working with students underprepared in mathematics.
There are four key areas where academic advisors need to be bold. Hang tight on these, and you will fulfill the NACADA values. More importantly, you will serve your advisees well.
I was working as a Counselor at Ocean County College in Toms River, New Jersey when my boss showed me the flier for the First National Conference on Academic Advising in Burlington, Vermont...
Becoming an active member of NACADA provided me with expertise in the field and with a life-time of friends...NACADA was a gift that would keep on giving!
The early years of NACADA were full of interesting dilemmas, successes, and experiments...Many of the organizational policies, resources, and activities we now take for granted were born out of the needs and concerns that appeared in those early years.
NACADA was incorporated in Vermont in 1979 with 429 members and 18 members on the Board of Directors. Twenty years later, in 1999, there were 5318 members in the Association and more than 50 members on the Board. While not all Board members had voting rights, they all attended the meetings and had a voice in discussions where there was much conversation regarding who should speak and who should vote as representatives of different member constituencies... At the Fall 1999 Board meeting in Denver, President-elect Betsy McCalla-Wriggins (Rowan University) was appointed to chair a Task Force to investigate possible restructuring of the Association to better address these issues.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, as institutional interest in academic advising began to grow seemingly exponentially, the need to support those in administrative positions became apparent. In much the same way that the first annual conference and, indeed, the Association itself were the result of a conversation between concerned individuals, so, too, the conceptual framework for the first NACADA Administrators’ Institute was the result of a conversation between advising administrators and the newly appointed Associate Director of NACADA, Charlie Nutt.
Great thought leaders represent one of the major driving forces of history and an underlying power for constructing local and global culture patterns...Just such individuals are now needed within NACADA to catalyze its march into the future.
Students walk into our lives as they enter the academy in search of their academic goals and career aspirations. With our help, they shape an academic plan that sets them on a course that changes them inevitably—once and for all—for good.
NACADA and the role of academic advising in the lives of students have definitely grown together in the past 30 years in a very symbiotic manner. NACADA has had a direct impact on higher education’s understanding of the value of academic advising in student persistence and success, and the recognition of academic advising as both a profession and an integral component of student success initiatives has had a direct impact on NACADA’s growth in membership and influence in higher education.
As we look at the current landscape of theories, philosophies, and approaches to advising...I urge advisors to consider the ways in which the disciplines shape the advising discourse and how that might shape the development or selection of an advising model consistent with that disciplinary discourse...Rather than seeking one model of advising across your institution, consider how the major disciplines can help promote a rich array of advising conversations.
Some people fare better than others when faced with life stressors, disasters and loss. Resilience has been identified as a fundamental explanation for this difference.
Recovering from disasters is a process that takes time – for us and for our advisees. We must recognize our own stages of recovery and realize that our stages impact how we respond to students. We must be patient with ourselves and with advisees if we are to help achieve recovery.
For advisors at research universities, one important framework for advising students and their parents often goes unused, and that is the research mission of the institution.
While academic advisors can, and do, provide guidance and the occasional shoulder, advisors cannot serve as a substitute for the camaraderie and support that comes from a fellow student, someone who is in the trenches.
Academic advisors should work closely with their global education/study abroad/international programs office to stay on top of the Bologna reforms and how these reforms impact advising at their schools.
Foster Care Alumni are an often overlooked student subgroup within the First Generation student population.
Advisors play such an essential role in a college student’s experience. We are a teacher, a guide, a coach, a case manager, and an attorney all rolled up into one. We are presented with cases, complaints, and offenses all the time. However, before we make our closing arguments, before we are ready to rule, I believe that we should first take the time to dig.
If the cure for apathy has anything to do with its antonym, then the best way we can overcome this epidemic is to increase our activism, vigor, and purpose. It is a daunting task, but as professional and faculty advisors, we can reverse the effects of apathy in order to strengthen our institutions and promote student retention and success.
While advisors often encourage students to become lifelong learners, they themselves are often so strapped for time that they shortchange their own lifelong learning pursuits. Fortunately, there are cost-effective options that advising administrators can use to promote lifelong learning.
While there may be much discussion among advisors regarding the “what,” “why,” and “how” of advising, there is agreement on one point: there is a greater demand for advising than there are advisors to meet it. That, combined with the very real economic challenges facing most institutions and growing advising caseloads, finds advisors considering alternative ways to meet student needs. One popular approach for dealing with this challenge is group advising.
We hope that all NACADA members will think of themselves as diamonds in a vast backyard—a world-wide network of advising professionals. You are the change makers both on your own campuses and among your students. We urge you to inspire and be inspired.
As we continue to deal with decreased funding and increased student numbers, the issue of student success grows more important to our administrators, our students, and our public constituencies. Because student success is so often measured by retention and persistence to graduation, it is essential that advisors and advising administrators continue to grow in our knowledge, talents, and skills through continuing professional development.
Student advising centers are seen as accessible locations featuring professional advisors who facilitate student potential by assisting with educational plans and connecting students to campus resources – for the students who come. But what about the students who don’t?
To proactively address student attrition, Drexel University’s online Master of Science in Higher Education (MSHE) Program has integrated Online Human Touch (OHT) into instruction and programming to engage students and personalize the online educational experience. Results include high student retention rates, high levels of student satisfaction, and active alumni engagement.
As advisors, we tell our liberal arts and social science students to “follow your heart” and “study what you love” in college. But, when it comes to career advising, how do we help these students “follow their hearts” to career success?
As academic advisors we interact with the entire campus community to communicate possibilities to students as they identify patterns and phenomenon that explain the world. But the majority of advisors never venture beyond this state of hypothesis to validate their knowledge, share it with other advisors, or use it to inform practice. Why?
To ascertain what our millennial students wanted and needed from academic advisors, we designed a twenty-three item questionnaire that first-year students completed ...The survey results reflect how our students’ needs and approaches compare with those of typical millennial students and suggest areas for change in our present advising practices.
This informal study shows the potential for examining the academic language advisors, faculty, and staff use in communication with students...[and] serves as an example of how advisors can do quick, informal studies on topics that affect their advising practice and make a difference to the success of our students.
The use of “customer service” techniques in academic advising is controversial because of mixed perceptions regarding the definition of the word “service.” Many advisors fear the adverse effects this shift could have on the student-advisor relationship...How do advisors meet the service expectations of students while remaining true to our student development roots?
I was perusing the NACADA Web site and saw on the events page that a Summer Institute would be only a three hour drive from my house! With my fingers crossed, I completed a Summer Institute Scholarship application and submitted it...
In China, we have an old saying: Talking with you for one moment is much better than reading books for ten years. At the NACADA Summer Institute, I talked with faculty members and fellow participants for seven days...
The emergence and growth of Web 2.0 software has introduced various new methods for communication in academic advising...This article provides the reader with a general description of how some Web 2.0 tools are being utilized in academic advising.
Ten tips to ease the new advisor’s transition into the field or to remind veteran advisors of the things they should keep in mind when working with new colleagues.
Most advisors encounter student lies during our careers. It is helpful if we have a game plan ready to address these issues with students and still maintain a professional advising relationship.
Frost (2000) indicated that the field of academic advising has progressed through three eras: higher education before academic advising was defined, academic advising as a defined and unexamined activity, and academic advising as a defined and examined activity. I assert that academic advising is now facing a fourth era due the societal changes emerging from the globalization process.
Advisors play a powerful role in higher education today because they stand at the nexus between the students who often enter the academy unformed and undefined and those who leave with identities and life direction shaped by a convergence of influences marked by positive interactions with faculty members and professional advisors.
Due to a myriad of reasons, higher education across the world is at a pivotal place in history; but no reason is as important as the increasing focus on Student Success! Academic advising is key to this success.
Even in the most challenging times, autonomy and freedom are powerful incentives that colleges can offer employees at little cost...
We learned in this hot topic session that, although faculty advisors understand the important role advising plays in the success of students, not much progress has been made since 2008. We must continue to advocate for increased assessment, training, rewards, and recognition for this major component of the college process.
Advising administrators will find the advice shared in the Advocates Skill Set helpful in forming the solid collaborations needed for building, maintaining, or improving an advising program in our current budget times.
The benefits are infinite for advisors who plan a campus professional development event that addresses their specific needs. With some planning, sharing, and camaraderie great opportunities abound for the entire campus.
Although most advisors are not trained financial aid counselors, it is important that we have a general understanding of available financial resources if we are to refer students to the proper “expert.”
As veterans transition from a military to collegiate setting, both veterans and the campus communities must adjust to the change and the differing value systems held within the military and academic communities.
The NACADA Annual Conference is my birthday present to myself...It’s a major part of my professional development.
Those of us who advise students nearing the end of their degree, certificate, or training programs know that there is good news and bad news connected with advising these students.
Advisors play an important role in the success of non-traditional students. It is critical that we reflect upon our advisor preparation and expectations if we are to help them succeed.
There is a tradition among NACADA presidents to use the September issue of Academic Advising Today to wrap up their year as president by casting a long look back—a kind of year in review—and sometimes by peering as far as the eye can see into the future...
The most important lesson I learned while studying abroad was the importance of adaptation...
When we learn more about individual international education systems, accept cultural differences, and learn basic greetings in the native languages of our students, we can better serve all of our international students.
For many advisors, the increased international presence on campuses is both exciting and challenging as they adjust to meeting the needs of an entirely different population of students.
Students will not go to a stranger – especially a member of faculty – when their world is collapsing. We needed to change our model of Personal Tutoring from reactive to proactive.
I am interested in meeting students where they are using technologies that are meaningful to them in order to enhance our face-to-face interactions...
As an “arts” advisor, I frequently speak with parents about the “practicality” of an arts degree. Many parents want to know exactly what their student can “do” with a degree in Music, Theatre, or Dance...Parents need assistance to see that the skills the student learns in an arts program have merit in non-arts fields.
Emerging Leaders Program Advisory Board Chair Nathan Vickers (University of Texas-Austin) is pleased to announce the 2010-2012 NACADA Emerging Leaders and Mentors.
Right now, astounding changes are occurring in academic advising because of the work of a few dedicated leaders...it is my hope that this issue of Academic Advising Today will inspire all of us to lead change through passion, compassion, initiative, attention, and persistence.
I am always on an emotional high after our Annual Conference, but this year I am even more so. It was exciting to open our conference with good news...
While never oblivious to the world outside the US, over the last few years NACADA leaders have actively pursued the idea of a “global community for academic advising.” Clearly this raises the need to find common ground between advisors from wildly varying backgrounds.
When academic advisors create partnerships with secondary school stakeholders, the results are far-reaching...
Successful college matriculation demands not only the rhetorical commitment to higher education but to a life structured to an acceptance that graduation from college is possible...The role of the advisor is to assist the student in making reasoned choices, acquiring needed skills, and serving as the “reality check” that will make college possible.
Professional and faculty advisors can develop a strong, valuable relationship that aids the institution and its students.
Identity matters as we make daily value judgments about our work and construct professional development plans for ourselves. But advisors’ self-constructed identities and our campus-constructed reputations may differ depending on the company we keep.
While new advisors come into the field with many questions and much to learn, they also bring with them a unique skill set.
The blog platform allows unprecedented student access within our college community and helps us improve the continuity of the information stream to students.
Advisors’ moment-to-moment awareness of what is happening in an advising session can have a positive impact on the experience for our students and for ourselves. Thus it is helpful when advisors understand the benefits of mindfulness practice in academic advising and the ways in which we can formally practice mindfulness in our daily routines.
For advisors spring is a time to re-energize and enhance our advising skills so we are better prepared to help our advisees succeed. A great re-energizing step is attending NACADA Regional Conferences where we can meet advising colleagues from across our regions.
Spring is finally here and with it comes a multitude of NACADA events and resources that not only support the student success, retention, and persistence efforts at campuses across the globe, but also provide all academic advisors with the professional development and skills needed to increase the success of students.
This article discusses an analytical approach to the collection and analysis of data in academic advising and provides examples of the use of quantitative data within advising practice at International Christian University (ICU).
If you haven’t attended a NACADA Summer institute, do it! It is a phenomenal opportunity to learn about academic advising and to connect with people from colleges and universities from across the globe.
Many of today’s academic advisors are overwhelmed by the number of students in their advising loads and their responsibility to help these students develop academically and personally...When addressing the challenges of managing today’s large advising loads, academic advisors can benefit tremendously from categorizing their advisees, identifying specific student needs within these categories, selecting appropriate advising formats, and utilizing available resources.
Advisors have the freedom to choose to be at one of four levels within our discipline: advising practitioner, emerging professional, advising professional, or advising scholar.
When advisors understand the role of budgeting, how to manage budgets carefully, ethically and creatively, and learn to “speak the language” of budgeting, we can preserve funding and serve students even in the “lean times.”
Wikis can be used as informational mediums for advisor training and development, provide a location to store and maintain institutional and departmental policies and procedures, and provide a digital space where departmental and university calendars can be posted and updated on a daily basis.
I strongly encourage all academic advisors to attend a NACADA Summer Institute during your career. You will be encouraged and motivated; you will learn new skills and be introduced to comprehensive resources. You will discover a wealth of wisdom, assistance, and knowledge from all you meet.
It is my hope that students’ memory of me is not as an advisor sitting behind a desk, poring over Banner reports and paper files. I hope the image in their mind’s eye is of me walking, or running, somewhere on campus. I hope they remember me conversing with others and having an open door, because there is no door. I hope my example challenges them as professionals to be as accessible to their clients, patients, or students as I have tried to be for them.
For NACADA, this has definitely been a busy and exciting time... Many exciting ventures are in the works, and I look forward to sharing the outcomes of those efforts in future publications and at the Annual Conference in Denver this October.
Three primary lessons have been learned in the years since Louisiana State University Eunice’s Pathways to Success program began: (1) students follow directions if they know what to do, (2) the program is labor intensive, and (3) communication, cooperation, and consensus-building are crucial.
Students with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) are arriving on college campuses in greater numbers. While the reason for this increase can be debated, the need to develop skills to work with these students cannot be. Advisors – whether professional or faculty – can play a significant role in helping these students realize success both inside and outside the classroom.
Ellyn Schwartzbauer was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) in 8th grade. This article is based upon a paper written by Ellyn as part of a Developmental Psychology course requirement at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN. As a successful college student with AS, she wishes to promote awareness of AS to college academic advisors.
In just a few short weeks, NACADA members from across the globe will gather for our Annual Conference held this year in Denver. It is an exciting time for the Association each year as we share best practices in the field of academic advising and student success, hear results of the latest research and its implications for the field, and network with old friends and new colleagues...
The program developed by the COSUAC demonstrates that Schwenn (2010) and Pasquini (2010) were correct in suggesting that technology can play a role in advisor training and development by providing an easier and more efficient way for advisors to absorb the informational component of the job. Online informational training allows trainers to spend more time focusing on conceptual and relational aspects of advising, thus moving advisor development closer to the ideal envisioned by Brown (2008).
While developing the blog, we kept in mind two main goals: create original and relevant content, and provide a welcoming and empowering virtual space to help students academically succeed..
NACADA members who seek professional development and recognize the importance of networking with others in the field will find LI to be a valuable resource for themselves and their students.
In this new era of online education, traditional models of academic advising may not be suitable for advisors serving nontraditional students.
Advisors have an opportunity to dramatically increase pregnant and parenting students’ chances of academic success, retention, and persistence. Preparation for advising a pregnant or parenting student will help advisors respond supportively and provide needed tools to help parenting students successfully navigate the dual roles of being a student and parent.
Academic cultural capital helps students more quickly glean an understanding of the academic society they are about to participate in and the new expectations of them. Acquired understandings to be successful in college are not equally accessible to every student walking into an advisor’s office.
March is the midway point of my year as President of NACADA and as with all checkpoints it's a good time to take stock of projects, tasks, and the inevitable to-do lists that are part of any meaningful endeavor.
What we believe is generally missing from the body of critical literature on academic advising and retention is the reference to the different issues in American-style education outside the borders of the United States. We have identified a host of issues specific to our student population which we believe must be addressed in order for us to best perform our roles as academic advisors.
The purpose of this article is to inform academic advisors about study away options, share the benefits of participating in study away programs, and give advisors tips on how best to promote study away programs to students.
I am still haunted by the words, uttered by my dean more than half a decade ago: “Build it and let’s see if they come.” The “it” is an advising workshop series, and the “they” are the faculty and staff members who advise our students.
Undocumented students...are attending colleges and universities in increasing numbers, and they are an under-recognized demographic. This article identifies available resources for these students to assist advisors in producing educated members of society, regardless of legal status.
As advisors, it is important to consider the culture of the out-of-state student population at our institutions. Are out-of-state students a minority population? What are the retention rates of these students? Are there any current programs or initiatives that exist to support out-of-state students? By answering these questions, advisors can determine if this programming model can be adapted to fit the needs of their institution.
The National Academic Advising Association’s webinars exemplify a cost-effective professional development opportunity in which presenters explore some of the most pressing contemporary concerns in our field.
...a theory of advising will present for us a statement of what advising is for, and why it is important, a vision of what it ideally would be. Why is that valuable?
Members of the Academic Advising Today Editorial Team have been innovative digital citizens interested in advancing NACADA’s role in the larger digital community, and the current group has been discussing what changes might be needed to keep the ePub current...
As I learned more about Proactive Advising, I found that I could apply it in all areas of advising: retention, at risk student advising, critical outreach points, and student communication and difficult situations.
Career decision making can be complicated and overwhelming for both students and advisors...Yet, as we all know, the process of solving career problems is intertwined intrinsically with developing sound academic plans and naturally spills over into the academic advising arena...
Emerging Leaders Program Advisory Board Chair Sandy Waters (Old Dominion University) is pleased to announce the 2012-2014 NACADA Emerging Leaders and Mentors.
When we share the same basic understanding of the underlying theory, it is easier to collaborate on developing strategies, techniques and resources. Although we do not yet have a unified theory of advising, we propose that constructivism offers an archetypal philosophy that influences all practice and theory.
New Directors of Advising are generally eager to succeed in terms of personal performance and team performance. The authors offer suggestions for negotiating unexpected challenges in a new advising director position.
Given the current lack of research on the academic advising field and profession, if advisors do not pick up the banner, what are the implications? The authors offer suggestions on how to get started with research in advising.
In times of tragedy, students look to their advisors for answers. If we have established trusting relationships, our offices can be a refuge. Taking time to talk, listen, be quiet and, if appropriate, suggest counseling, can make all the difference.
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Advice or advise? The semantics matter. Our students deserve the experience of advising, so let’s answer that call...
What do nontraditional female students say about their experience as adult learners? Their voices speak eloquently to advisors about the importance of listening and responding to student needs...
An answer to Musser’s (2012) challenge to the advising community to build on the constructivist foundation of advising theory...
An extremely complex facet of advising pre-professional students is how to instill realism in students whose goals mismatch with their current academic performance… Although no advisor wants to discourage a student from pursuing his or her goal, advisors also may feel a responsibility of instilling a level of realistic expectations with their advisees.
Inaccurate assumptions, coupled with the steady increase of international enrollment all over the U.S., have resulted in a number of racial incidents targeting international students… University administrations across the country have proposed that we need to create safe and welcoming environments by encouraging cross-cultural interactions between domestic and international students.
Some institutions are removing pastoral support from residences, saying that 18-year-old students are adults and shouldn’t need it. The University of Leeds takes a different view, arguing that to be placed in a hall of 1,200 almost exclusively first-year students is by its nature an unnatural and sometimes alienating experience.
People have always looked to their peers for help… Many college students look to other students for what they perceive to be better guidance than what they would receive from advisors or faculty. Utilizing peer advisors is a way to harness these easy connections built between students and recognize that students are a part of the advising process, rather than recipients of an advice-giving encounter.
In today's world of decreased state funding, lower retention and graduation rates, and increased scrutiny from a government perspective, it is imperative we in higher education use all of the tools in our arsenal to create strong student success and allow them to achieve the dream of a college education. CLEP is such a tool.
Advising 3.0 includes incorporating the lessons of face-to-face interaction with current technology to meet students’ digital expectations.
This article contains tips and practices that help the author communicate more effectively in writing, save time, and establish and/or strengthen connections with advisees.
This is an exciting time for NACADA and its membership. The Association counts on you to let us know how we can assist in enhancing your advising practice and meeting your goals... As an Association, we are navigating our charted course to maintain our focus on advising as a profession, the professional development of our membership, and effectively serving the needs of our diverse and worldwide members.
What a tremendous year 2013 has been for NACADA, our leaders, our Executive Office staff, and most importantly our members! This year will be remembered in many ways but especially for our membership growth; our continued expansion globally; our focus on membership retention and leadership development; the Board’s approval of a new vision, mission, and goals for the association’s work; and our vast technological advances making our members’ connection with NACADA electronically easier and more beneficial to them.
A candid conversation with Charlie Nutt, who joined the Executive Office of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) in 2002 and has served as the association's Executive Director since 2007. This article originally appeared in K-State College of Education Connections magazine.
Over the past four years, over one million veterans and their dependents have enrolled in colleges and universities across the country, and there are many more to come… This unique group faces many challenges that are different from those of a more typical college student… Advisors can help with the transition into college life by addressing key aspects of the relationship of advisor to student.
Ethics in academic advising has been widely addressed in the higher education field, with authors arguing that all advisors should behave in an ethical manner. However, most literature does not explicitly address issues of integrity as related to the academic advisor.
