Using Shaun Harper’s (2010) anti-deficit achievement framework, academic advisors can center student achievement to facilitate thriving in college students. An anti-deficit approach focuses on strengths but differs from strengths based advising in its active resistance to deficit narratives that persist about marginalized populations. Through acknowledging deficit thinking and deficit-focused policies and practices, advisors can begin to recognize and disrupt deficit-thinking at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and systemic levels.
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Higher education institutions have been incorporating more academic coaching models into their student success plans in recent years as a supplement to academic advising to improve retention. However, academic coaching still suffers from an identity crisis as there is no universal definition for what coaching entails as the roles differ across institutions, which makes it challenging to find research that provides enough data that can be used to determine the overall effectiveness of academic coaching. At the University of St. Thomas in Houston, a new success coaching program has been launched with the goal of helping students differentiate between the roles of coaches and advisors and working collaboratively with faculty and other campus resources to provide a more holistic approach in serving students.
After over a decade, one professional left his advising position for a new opportunity in the field. These decisions are incredibly challenging because they bring up feelings of guilt for leaving the role and excitement for the latest opportunities ahead. Our identities are, at times, ingrained into campus cultures. Being on one campus for so long can make one feel they may be a lifer. However, when a panic attack made this advisor re-evaluate his overall mental health and well-being, a change of position was one of the solutions on the table to assist in his overall retention in the industry. Gain insights on this practitioner’s journey of shifting jobs during the post-lockdown era in higher education. There are highs and lows in this story, but overall, it is a story of resilience that shows how you can bounce back from an uncomfortable situation.
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.
Incorporating survey response data has become increasingly important for higher education institutions. In addition, most research published in higher education journals is based on findings from survey data. However, many offices and researchers are experiencing decreased survey response rates. This issue was also experienced by the authors’ advising office. The authors tried various methods to increase the evaluation form responses received. This article will discuss what did not work, what worked, and the office’s future plans.
