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.
[Read the rest of this article...]
There are many best practices in Academic Advising. These are typically found in industry publications. Purchasing and reading these texts can be both pricey and time-consuming for advising professionals. This document is designed to be a cheat sheet of best advising practices for busy Academic Advisors.
This article describes Sacred Heart University's Hispanic Adult Achievers Program, a program established to address the unique educational needs of Latinos who have immigrated to the United States as adults. The article includes student achievement and retention data, as well as a brief discussion of the advising and retention strategies used.
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.
Why are some students and advisors energized by the challenges of the constantly changing world of higher education and life—swimmers—while others, when faced with similar situations, become frustrated and discouraged—sinkers?
Advisors use dozens of tools to aid students, including advising styles, recommendations, curricula, academic coaching, and more. Any one of these may be appropriate with different students, or with the same students at different times. But when advisors’ roles can include teaching, reviewing a checklist, making referrals, and more, how does the advisor know when to use which tool, when to offer a checklist, and when to engage in behavior counseling?
Successful engagement in strong communication, problem-solving, and rapport-building skills – those critical to the relational component of advising – requires emotional intelligence. Without it, advising is little more than authoritative information dissemination.
As the field of advising continues to grow, many students may look to peer advisor programs to explore potential pathways or to even start their career; support, guidance, and training are needed for these students as they transition into professional advising roles.
Growing up in a small town environment can result in a steep learning curve when stepping out into the wider world…
Multi-campus institutions have the complex task of providing advising services to meet the needs of their varying student populations. Creating a campus-wide framework for advising services across all campuses can be challenging, especially when resources are limited, campus cultures are different, and there is a considerable amount of distance between campuses.
