Academic Advising:

Past, Present and Future

Maura ReynoldsHope College

In medieval times, a preceptor shared his

knowledge with his students

In 1841, Kenyon College (Ohio)

uses the term “advisor”

In the 1880s,a system of faculty

advisors was established at Johns Hopkins.

In the 1960s,two new delivery

systems were introduced

Centralized advising centers

Peer & professional advisors

In 1972, Terry O’Banion outlined

five dimensions of advising

Exploring life goals Exploring vocational

goals Choosing a program Choosing courses Scheduling courses

In 1977,a national meeting

about academic advising.

Over the next 2 years, NACADA was established.

In 1970s and 1980s, developmental

advising: Became the dominant paradigm

Extended advising beyond scheduling

Drew on student development theory

Emphasized shared responsibility

Learning-Centered d Advising• Academically focused

• Student focused• Mission focused• Advisors = facilitators• Students = active

2006

“Academic advising is integral to

fulfilling the teaching and

learning mission of higher

education.” NACADA Concept of Academic Advising

Preamble, 2006

Advising focuses on helping students make

sense of their education

as a whole, not as a series of

isolated experiences or items on a checklist.

“An excellent advisor does the same for the

student’s entire curriculum that the

excellent teacher does for one course.”

Marc Lowenstein, 2005

“Perhaps the most urgent reform on most campuses

in improving general education involves academic advising.

To have programs and courses become coherent

and significant to students requires adequate

advising.”

Task Force on General EducationAssociation of American Colleges

1988

Learning-centered advising

raises questions like What should students learn through advising?

How might they learn these things?

Why is this learning important—for students and our institutions?

What excellent teachers do:

• Actively engage students in learning

• Teach students how to evaluate information

• Give feedback, encouragement, reinforcement

• Show knowledge, interest, enthusiasm

In recent years… colleges and universities have been working to become more intentional both about the purposes of education and about the

practices that help today’s students succeed in college.

Peer Review, Toward Intentionality and Integration, Fall 2008, Carol Geary Schneider

“It’s hard to imagine any academic function more

important to student success and institutional

productivity than advising.”

George Kuh, The student learning agenda NACADA Journal,1997

High school rigor & good advice:

Setting up students to succeed Center for Public Education

National School Boards Association

October 2012

“Possibly the most surprising finding was the

strength of academic advising

as a factor in persistence.”

“The lesson to colleges is clear:

policies to encourage these (advising) relationships can go a long way toward making sure students are on pace to earn a degree.”

Advising todayWho advises?How is advising organized?

Advising “Loads” What does advising involve?

Does advising have a mission statement and identifiable goals?

Is advising mandatory? How often do students meet with

advisors? What other duties do advisors have? Are student needs being met? Is the program assessed?

Advising is more important than ever—issues now and

in the future Increased demands; decreased resources

Cost of higher education Changing regulations State of economy and job market Expectations of students and

families Pressure to retain and graduate

“on time”