Advising Strategies for Advising Strategies for Different Stages of Different Stages of Student DevelopmentStudent Development

Fall Advising ForumFall Advising Forum

November 14, 2003November 14, 2003

Debbie Barber and Matt MinichilloDebbie Barber and Matt Minichillo

This presentation is based on the following This presentation is based on the following presentations from the 2003 NACADA Conference in presentations from the 2003 NACADA Conference in Dallas, Texas:Dallas, Texas:

• Supporting the Challenges: Advising Strategies and Supporting the Challenges: Advising Strategies and Student Development TheoryStudent Development Theory– Jon DeVries, Jr., University of MinnesotaJon DeVries, Jr., University of Minnesota

– Danielle Tisinger, University of MinnesotaDanielle Tisinger, University of Minnesota

• Prescriptive or Developmental – Does it Have to be Prescriptive or Developmental – Does it Have to be One or the Other?One or the Other?– Susan B. Weir, Oklahoma State UniversitySusan B. Weir, Oklahoma State University

Early TheoristsEarly Theorists

Piaget (1932)

Two growth phases:

Readiness

Attainment

Sanford (1966)Sanford (1966)

• ReadinessReadiness

• ChallengeChallenge

• SupportSupport

Chickering and Reisser Chickering and Reisser (1993)- Psychosocial (1993)- Psychosocial DevelopmentDevelopment• Vector 1Vector 1 Developing CompetenceDeveloping Competence

• Vector 2Vector 2 Managing EmotionsManaging Emotions

• Vector 3Vector 3 Moving Through AutonomyMoving Through Autonomy» Toward InterdependenceToward Interdependence

• Vector 4Vector 4 Developing Mature Developing Mature Interpersonal RelationshipsInterpersonal Relationships

Chickering and Reisser- Chickering and Reisser- Cont’dCont’d

• Vector 5Vector 5 Establishing IdentityEstablishing Identity

• Vector 6Vector 6 Developing PurposeDeveloping Purpose

• Vector 7Vector 7 Developing IntegrityDeveloping Integrity

Perry (1970)- Perry (1970)- Intellectual/Ethical Intellectual/Ethical DevelopmentDevelopment

• DualismDualism

• MultiplicityMultiplicity

• RelativismRelativism

• Commitment in RelativismCommitment in Relativism

Prescriptive AdvisingPrescriptive Advising

• Authority figureAuthority figure

• Student’s growth is Student’s growth is not major concernnot major concern

• All students are All students are equally prepared for equally prepared for academic workacademic work

• Relationship is not Relationship is not importantimportant

• Primary role is Primary role is information giverinformation giver

• Student is Student is responsible for responsible for asking for additional asking for additional informationinformation

• Can be easily Can be easily replaced by replaced by technologytechnology

Developmental AdvisingDevelopmental Advising

• Assumes each student Assumes each student is uniqueis unique

• Guides student to Guides student to reliable sourcesreliable sources

• Shares responsibility Shares responsibility with studentwith student

• Facilitates problem Facilitates problem solving/decision solving/decision making skillsmaking skills

• Assumes students are Assumes students are mature, motivated, mature, motivated, capable of self-capable of self-directiondirection

• Maintains personal Maintains personal relationship with relationship with studentstudent

• Helps promote Helps promote intellectual and intellectual and personal growthpersonal growth

First Year Student: TomFirst Year Student: Tom

ChallengesChallenges

CharacteristicsCharacteristics

SolutionsSolutions

Psychosocial – Chickering Psychosocial – Chickering and Reisserand Reisser

• Developing CompetenceDeveloping Competence– IntellectualIntellectual

– Physical and Manual SkillsPhysical and Manual Skills

– InterpersonalInterpersonal

Developmental StagesDevelopmental Stages

• Cognitive/Structural - Perry (1968)Cognitive/Structural - Perry (1968)– Wants single, right answersWants single, right answers

– DualismDualism

– Needs authority figureNeeds authority figure

First-Year StudentFirst-Year Student

• Characteristics of Characteristics of Students at this Students at this StageStage– Advisor is authority Advisor is authority

figurefigure

– Wants expert Wants expert opinionopinion

– Asks for Asks for explicitexplicit directionsdirections

First-Year StudentFirst-Year Student

• Solutions for SupportSolutions for Support– Balance support and Balance support and

challengechallenge

– Provide structure but Provide structure but ask for student decision ask for student decision makingmaking

– Provide low ambiguity Provide low ambiguity settingssettings

– Validate social concernsValidate social concerns

– Provide feedback, Provide feedback, referralsreferrals

Second Year Student: Second Year Student: MaryMary

• ChallengesChallenges

• CharacteristicsCharacteristics

• SolutionsSolutions

Psychosocial – Chickering Psychosocial – Chickering and Reisserand Reisser

• Vector 2 Managing EmotionsVector 2 Managing Emotions– Still developing emotional independenceStill developing emotional independence

• Vector 3 Vector 3 Moving toward emotional autonomyMoving toward emotional autonomy

Instrumental autonomy Instrumental autonomy

• Trying to move toward Vector 4Trying to move toward Vector 4

Cognitive-Structural - Cognitive-Structural - PerryPerry

• MultiplicityMultiplicity– Many options but unable to evaluate Many options but unable to evaluate

clearlyclearly

• Moving toward RelativismMoving toward Relativism– Beginning to see bigger pictureBeginning to see bigger picture

Second-Year StudentSecond-Year Student

Characteristics of Students at Characteristics of Students at this Stagethis Stage

•Begin to rely less on authorityBegin to rely less on authority

•All opinions are equally validAll opinions are equally valid

•Knowledge is subjective: Knowledge is subjective: personal, private, based on personal, private, based on intuitionintuition

•Looks for one “right” optionLooks for one “right” option

Second-Year StudentSecond-Year Student

Support SolutionsSupport Solutions

•Validate student opinions, Validate student opinions, beliefs, while encouraging beliefs, while encouraging exploration, evaluationexploration, evaluation

•Help student see multiple Help student see multiple options without overwhelming options without overwhelming themthem

•Encourage student Encourage student involvement in policy making involvement in policy making groupsgroups

Upper- Division Student - Upper- Division Student - JaneJane

• ChallengesChallenges

• CharacteristicsCharacteristics

• SolutionsSolutions

Psychosocial – Chickering Psychosocial – Chickering and Reisserand Reisser

• Vector 6 - Developing purpose: Vector 6 - Developing purpose: Assessing and clarifying career Assessing and clarifying career choiceschoices

• Vector 7 - Developing Integrity: Vector 7 - Developing Integrity: Motivated by helping others, making Motivated by helping others, making a difference. Moving from beliefs a difference. Moving from beliefs toward behaviortoward behavior

Cognitive-Structural - Cognitive-Structural - PerryPerry

• RelativismRelativism

Looking at and analyzing big pictureLooking at and analyzing big picture

Resisting making a decisionResisting making a decision

Commitment in RelativismCommitment in Relativism

Affirms commitment to helping othersAffirms commitment to helping others

Upper-Division StudentUpper-Division StudentCharacteristics of Students at Characteristics of Students at this Stagethis Stage

•Present multiple views and form Present multiple views and form argumentsarguments

•Create knowledge that is both Create knowledge that is both subjective and objectivesubjective and objective

•Struggle with making Struggle with making commitments and struggle with commitments and struggle with commitments they have madecommitments they have made

Upper-Division StudentUpper-Division Student

Support SolutionsSupport Solutions

•Model making judgments Model making judgments based on evidence and merits based on evidence and merits of argumentsof arguments

•Encourage elimination of Encourage elimination of alternatives (Gordon 1984)alternatives (Gordon 1984)

•Set or reset goalsSet or reset goals

•Validate and affirm student’s Validate and affirm student’s responsibility for decision responsibility for decision makingmaking

•Becoming like “freshman” Becoming like “freshman” againagain