Other Duties As Assigned:

Dr. Thomas DicksonAssistant Dean of Student Affairs,

College of NursingUniversity of Arizona

Delivered 2/27/2015 at the University of Arizona, as part of the Advising Resource Center lecture series.

The Evolution of Academic Advising Responsibilities

Thomas Dickson, Ed.D.

B. A. PsychologyM. Ed. Counseling: Emphasis in Student Aff airsEd. D. Higher and Postsecondary Education

Dissertation: A Case Study on the Processes of Academic Advisement in a School-Centric Environment.

Career Counselor & Academic Advisor NAU, Gateway Center

Academic Advisor ASU, College of Education

Assistant Director – Advising & Advising Administration ASU, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies

Assistant Director, Advising and Student Services ASU, School of Letters and Sciences

Assistant Dean of Student Aff airs UA, College of Nursing

Importance“It is hard to imagine any academic support function that is more important to student success and institutional productivity than advising”

- Kuh, 1997

• Advisement is critical to student services: recruitment, retention, progression, degree completion, and more

Outline

Future of Advising

Advising/ Higher Ed History• 3 Eras of Advising/Higher

Ed

O’Banion Model• Foundational Theories

Research – NACADA & my Dissertation

Change to Higher Ed

History: 3 Eras of Advising

1636-1869 1870-19701970

-Toda

y

3rd - Advising Defined, Examined

2nd - Advising Defined,

Unexamined1st – Before Advising was

Defined

334 Years of Higher Education History – No Advising or Unexamined Advising

History of Advising: 1st Era

• Fixed curriculum• Extensive review of classical areas• Memorization and recitation of classics

• No electives• No majors• 1869 – Harvard creates elective system (under Eliot)

Curriculum & Research

• ‘in loco parentis’ - Faculty direct all moral & intellectual activities of students

• President was only ‘student affairs’ staff, served as disciplinarian• No other staff: no secretaries, advisors, custodians, etc.

Faculty & Staff

• No advisors until 1820s• 1820s – First known system of faculty advising at Kenyon College• 1841 - First mention of advisor by Rutherford B Hayes

– he chose a non-faculty tutor as his ‘faculty adviser’

Advising

Harvard College, first US college founded

1636

William and Mary – first ‘University’ status in US

1779

Morill Act: Land Grant

1862

Charles William Eliot becomes president of Harvard

1869

First ‘dean of students’ - Harvard

1870

1636 to 1870 “Before Advising was Defined”

History of Advising: 2nd Era

•Students dissatisfied with standard offerings•1870 - Creation of “electives” at John Hopkin•1877 – John Hopkins invents ‘tracks’ aka Majors•1884 – Electives at Harvard•Research becomes more important than teaching•Formation of academic departments

Curriculum & Research

• Dean of Students created - student discipline• President focus - alumni, internal/external politics• Tenure created - prevent alumni/donor influence• Counselor & ‘student personnel’ staff positions created -to

address WWI veteran issues, WWII

Faculty & Staff

• Electives and Majors created flexibility – in turn this required guidance and planning. Faculty advising is born, but seen as a ‘clerical’ activity.

• 1924 – Smith College creates first known Peer Advisor system• 1947 – Alfred University creates first central advising office

Advising

A system of faculty advisors – Johns Hopkins

1876

HBCUs: first established. Harvard: Board Fresh. Adv.

1890s

Harvard, Colombia, & U Chicago start tenure

1900

Joliet Junior Col. opens as first public Com. College

1901

Progressive Ed. Movement1st counselors for WWI Vets

1920

Student Personnel Point of View : SA is born

1937

‘Truman Commission Report’ – increase # of community colleges

1946

1870 to 1970 “Defined Role, Unexamined Activity”

History of Advising: 3rd Era

• Online Degrees• Budget cuts and decreased state support for higher education• First research into Academic Advising occurs

Curriculum & Research

• Students diversify & support models diversify: faculty, staff, peer, etc.

• Personal Computer• Student Information Systems, Cloud, Big Data• Faculty demands increase, esp. acquisition of funding

Faculty & Staff

• Definition of ‘Academic Advising’ not universal• Ethics, Standards (CAS) established• Staff advising models increase• Faculty advising models decrease – still dominant

Advising

Carnegie Commission recommends more emphasis on advising

1970s

O’Banion and Crookston Articles

1972

Advising centers emerge, studies linking retention to advising emerge

1970s

First state Academic Advising Conference (CA)

1976

First National Academic Advising Conference

1977

NACADA Founded

1979

University of Phoenix offers first online degrees

1989

1970-Today “Defined and examined Activity”

Univ Arizona History• First courses offered at UA• Fixed curriculum (first 5 graduate in 1895), 1892 1st Dean of Students1891

• First staff librarian1904• a Student Affairs office in Nursing founded – run by an assistant

dean (faculty)1960s• 1st staff advisors: Business, Liberal Arts• Office of Academic Services in Colleges of Arts and Sciences (Celeste Pardee) first ‘staff advising office’1980s

• 1st Nursing staff ‘advisor’ appointed in the college1987• Student Information Systems (SIS) created1988• 1st Science staff advisor (Roxie Catts)1989• UPAC founded• Evolved out of NACADA involvement, goal was to share best practices1990

• Honors established as a College (hall opened in 1988)1999• Task Force on Advising• 36 recommendations for improvement: 42 new staff advisors hired in departments2001

• UAAC Founded and ARC Office Created• Part of task force recommendations: Central advising resource2003

• UAccess online student information system (SIS retired 2011)

• Degree Tracker, Smart Planner2010

1951 – 1st Student Union

1995 – UA South Official

2007– Phoenix - Medicine

1903– 1st MA Degree

1922– 1st PhD Degree

1980– SALT founded

Definition

Defining ‘Advising’

advise[ad-vahyz]  verb (used with object), advised, advising.1. to give counsel to; offer an opinion or suggestion2. to recommend as desirable, wise, prudent, etc.3. to give information or notice 

verb (used without object), advised, advising.4. to take counsel; consult 5. to offer counsel; give advice or recommend particular actions

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/advising?&o=100074&s=t

Defining ‘Advising’• NACADA

o13 definitions of advising• 12 philosophical

perspectives/approaches o developmental, appreciative, teaching,

prescriptive, etc.

• 1 theoretical process (O’Banion Model, 1972)o Only one to address a specific process

• Process includes roles and responsibilities that make up the process

o Considered ‘the’ model of advising

Why is Advising Hard to Define?

• Types of Institutionso 2 year, 4 year, private, public, for-profit, online, research,

residential, commuter, specialty, ivyo Institutional: Vision, Mission, Philosophy

• Types of Advisorso Level: Graduate Advisors, Undergraduate Advisorso Personnel: Faculty Advisors, Peer Advisors, Staff Advisorso Staff Advising

• Unit Advisors (Department, College, School, Major)• Specialty Advisors (Athletics, Honors, Pre-)• Career Advisor/Counselor

• Historyo Relative newness of advisingo Debate if advising is a ‘profession’

Concept of Advising

Defining ‘Advising’• NACADA

o 21 responsibilities of advisors (2011)• Course Scheduling• Course Registration• Help students make Plan of Study• New student orientation• Recruitment• Committee service• Selection of major• Documentation and note-taking• Career advising - internships• Graduate program exploration• Tutoring• Department liaison• Skills testing and placement testing• Study abroad coordination• Mental health and disability assistance

Defining ‘Adiving’• Why are advisors are chosen to

take on new tasks?o Importance of advisingo Frequency of student contacto Structured contact with studentsoOne of few staff positions in collegeso Lack of advocacy and/or limited advising

based-leadership roleso Lack of definition of role, lack of

research, and lack of professional status

The Need for More Research

Dissertation• Sought to explore what it means to

advise and the process of advising in a specific environmento Analyze and review the perceived roles and

responsibilities of advisors

o Case Study• Specific environment, systems, cultures, and models

o Qualitative (lived experiences)

• Conducted 1 hour interviews, transcribed responses, then multiple rounds of transcript analysis and coding

o Participants• 11 advisors at Arizona State University• 2+ years of advising

Foundation for Advising Role

O’Banion Model of Academic Advising (1972)

1. Exploration of Life Goals (7 micro)

2. Exploration of Vocational Goals (4 micro)

3. Exploration of Program Choice (5 micro)

4. Course Choice (7 micro)

5. Scheduling Courses (3 micro)

Theory is comprised of 5 macro-dimensions, containing 26 micro-dimensions

Mixed Results: O’Banion Model

• All 5 macro-dimensions of the O’Banion Model were found in the interviews

o332 mentions of the O’Banion micro-dimensions

oHowever, only 19 of 26 micro-dimensions present• 7 not mentioned

Dimensions Not Discussed• 7 micro-dimensions of O’Banion Model not

mentionedo Knowledge of psychology and sociologyo Knowledge of success rates of completerso Knowledge of developmental/honors courseso Skill in interpretation of career assessment tests

o Belief in worth and dignity of allo Belief all have potentialo Acceptance of all fields of work having value

• Common theme of ‘knowledge’ or ‘belief’ in missingo Difficult to incorporate into questions about process

ADVISOR

AVG Total O'Banion Model of Academic Advising Adv 1 Adv 2 Adv 3 Adv 4

Adv 5 Adv 6 Adv 7 Adv 8 Adv 9

Adv 10

Adv 11

1. Exploration of Life Goals

1.82 20 A. Knowledge of student development 1 1 5 3 3 0 2 0 0 2 32.73 30 B.  Understanding of Decision Making

Process4 2 5 4 3 0 1 3 0 4 4

0.00 0 C.  Knowledge of Psychology and Sociology

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2.00 22 D.  Skills in counseling techniques 2 1 1 4 5 5 1 1 1 1 00.09 1 E. Appreciation of individual

differences0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

0.00 0 F. Belief in worth and dignity of all 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00.00 0 G. Belief that all have potential 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

  2. Exploration of Vocational Goals

2.64 29 A. Knowledge of vocational fields 2 1 1 0 2 1 3 3 8 2 60.00 0 B. Skill in interpretation of

assessment tests0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1.00 11 C. Understanding of changing nature of work

2 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 2 0 2

0.00 0 D. Acceptance of all fields of work as worth and dignified

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

  3. Exploration of Program Choice

3.09 34 A. Knowledge of programs available 2 1 5 4 3 2 5 0 5 4 33.45 38 B. Knowledge of requirements of

programs0 3 3 3 3 1 4 0 8 8 5

0.09 1 C. Knowledge of university requirements for transfer

0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

0.55 6 D. Knowledge of how others have performed

0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 0

0.00 0 E.  Knowledge of success rate of those who have completed the program

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

ADVISOR

AVG Total O'Banion Model of Academic Advising Adv 1 Adv 2 Adv 3 Adv 4

Adv 5 Adv 6 Adv 7 Adv 8 Adv 9

Adv 10

Adv 11

  4. Exploration of Course Choice                      4.82 53 A. Knowledge of courses available 0 1 3 2 2 19 4 9 3 5 53.36 37 B. Knowledge of any special

information regarding courses (grad requirements, prereqs, specific times, transferability, sequences)

1 2 4 4 1 6 1 4 5 3 6

0.64 7 C. Rules and regulations of the college regarding probation and suspension, course limits (work/academic)

0 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 0

0.00 0 D. Knowledge of honors or developmental courses

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0.45 5 E. Knowledge of instructors and teaching styles

0 0 0 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0

0.27 3 F. Knowledge of student's ability based on test scores, previous performance

0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0

0.27 3 G. Knowledge of course content 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0  5. Exploration of Scheduling

Options                     

1.09 12 A. Knowledge of course schedule 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 2 20.82 9 B. Knowledge of the systems of

scheduling and schedule changes0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 4 0

1.00 11 C. Knowledge of student's employment and commuting requirements

3 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0

Unincorporated Dimensions

• Overall 460 mentions of dimensions of ‘unincorporated’ responsibilities, or those outside the O’Banion Model theoretical framework were found:o The 460 mentions were grouped into

23 themeso The 23 themes were then categorized

into 8 meta-themes

Unincorporated Dimensions

• 1. Data and Reporting o Reports, critical tracking, records maintenance

• 2. Customer Service and Information• 3. Student Engagement• 4. Administrative Support and Policy Enforcement• 5. Curriculum and Instruction• 6. Counseling: Therapeutic• 7. Student Transitions• 8. Outliers

o Supervision, graduate student support, social media

Findings: The ‘Unincorporated’

• Unincorporated dimensions were found that were not formally part of a linear process of advisement as found in the O’Banion Model, but were often required for the model to operate properly:- services needed to conduct advising- support necessary for the linear process to begin

Scheduling

Course Choice

Program Choice

Career Goals

Life GoalsRecruit, orient, counsel, inform, admin, engage

O’BanionModel

Unincorporated

Findings: Raw DataUnincorporated Adv 1 Adv 2 Adv 3 Adv

4Adv 5 Adv 6 Adv 7 Adv 8 Adv

9Adv 10

Adv 11

Data and Reporting

2.36 26Report Generation: Analyze Data, Conduct Surveys, and Enact Proactive Advising Outreach

3 4 3 4 0 0 0 0 5 7 0

7.09 78

Progression Tracking and Records Maintenance: Adding and Clearing Holds, DARS Exceptions, Tracking Edits, On/Off-Track Advisement

5 6 9 7 9 5 5 1 12 7 12

1.73 19 Retention Tracking and Reporting 2 1 3 2 0 3 2 0 4 1 1

3.27 36 Teaching Technology/Systems 3 3 8 3 0 0 7 0 3 8 1

  Customer Service and Information    

4.82 53 Resource Referral/General Information 9 5 9 5 0 5 4 2 5 9 0

4.55 50 Customer Service/Triage 6 2 5 6 0 1 6 0 15 8 1

0.73 8 Connection Point 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0

  Student Engagement    1.73 19 Activities and Involvement 1 0 0 3 2 0 0 5 2 4 2

2.91 32 School Centric Events and Programming 2 2 5 4 0 1 0 6 6 6 0

Findings: Raw Data  Administrative Support and Policy Enforcement

0.45 5 Uphold Policies and Procedures 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0

0.18 2Medical/compassionate withdrawals

0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

2.4527

Dismissals, Disciplinarian, Readmission, Probation, Petitions, Appeals 6 0 6 5 7 2 0 0 0 1 0

  Curriculum and Instruction  

1.09 12 Curriculum Process 1 1 3 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 2

1.64 18 Instruction 6 3 1 2 1 1 0 1 2 0 1

  Counseling: Emotional  

1.91 21 Personal Counseling 3 1 2 2 4 0 2 3 0 4 0

  Student Transitions  

1.18 13 Orientations 1 1 4 0 0 0 3 1 0 3 0

1.82 20 Post-Graduate Assistance 2 0 0 6 0 3 4 1 0 0 4

1.18 13 Recruitment 3 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 4 2 0

  Outliers  

0.18 2 Graduate Student Support 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0.27 3 Supervision of staff/students 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0.09 1 Social Media 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

0.09 1Scholarship requirements - meet requirements 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

0.09 1International students - meet VISA requirements 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

Findings: Role Ambiguity• Career Counseling vs. Career Advising

o Career Counseling is in-depth, involves assessments, job placement, job search, etc

o Career advising is connecting majors with careers

• Guidance Counseling vs. Therapeutic Counselingo Some advisors indicate providing basic ‘therapy’ for

students

• Academic Advisor vs. Faculty in Instruction and Curriculumo Teaching courses, FYS courses, intro courses,

seminars, curriculum creation/processing

Findings: Technology• Mixed impact

o Increases student awareness of requirementso Simplifies processes

o Increases student questions and frequency of interactions (email)

o Increases advisor workload/system management

o Dehumanizes students into numbers

What’s over the horizon?

Future• More technology and digital

interventions• More invasive/prescriptive advising

o Progress tracking systemso Early warning systemso Pro-active efforts to increase retention

• More data, trends, analyticso Tracking success measures

• More online degrees and electronic advising

Future• Evolution of Advisor-like & Advisor-

support positionso Academic coaches, retention specialists,

student engagement coordinators, life coaches

• More ‘success’ focuso Less on the traditional O’Banion roles, more

focus on general student success• Greater flexibility in staff/advisors

roleso More models of advisement, more diverse

job functions

ReferencesAbelman, R., Atkin, D., Dalessandro, A., Snyder-Suhy, S., & Janstova, P. (2007a). The trickle-down effect of institutional vision: vision statements and academic advising. NACADA Journal, 27 (1), 4-21. Abelman, R.; Dalessandro, A.; Snyder-Suhy, S.; Janstova, P. ; Pettey, G. (2007b). Charting the verbiage of institutional vision: implications for academic advising. NACADA Journal, 27 (1), pp. 22-38. Abelman, R. and Molina, A.D. (2006). Institutional vision and academic advising. NACADA Journal 26(2), pp. 5-12.Borgard, J. H. (1981). Toward a Pragmatic Philosophy of Academic Advising. NACADA Journal 1(1), pp. 1-6.Cook, Sandra (1999). A Chronology of Academic Advising in America. Retrieved February 17, 2015 from http://dus.psu.edu/mentor/old/articles/990528sc.htm. Cook, Sandra (2009). Important Events in the Development of Academic Advising in the United States. NACADA Journal. Vol 29 (2). Fall 2009. pp. 18-26.Dickson, T. (2014). A Case Study on the Processes of Academic Advising in a School-Centric Environment (Doctoral Dissertation). Arizona State University. Gillispie, B. (2003). History of academic advising. Retrieved February 1, 2015 from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/History-of- academic- advising.aspx. Gordon, V. N. (1992). Handbook of academic advising. Connecticut: Greenwood Press.Hayes, Rutherford B. – Vol I, Chapt. IV. Retrieved January 4, 2015 from http://apps.ohiohistory.org/hayes/browse/chapteriv.html.

Huber, J. and Miller, M. (2011). Implications for Advisor Job Responsibilities at 2 and 4 Year Institutions. Retrieved February 2, 2015 from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View- Articles/Implications-for-Advisor-Job-Responsibilities-at-2-Year-and-4-Year-Institutions.aspx

Kuh, G. (1997). The student learning agenda: Implications for academic advisors. NACADA Journal, 17 (2), 7-12. Musser, T. & Yoder, F. (2010). Foundations of Academic Advising: The Conceptual Component of Academic Advising. NACADA Webinar #34, November 3, 2010.NACADA. (2005). NACADA statement of core values of academic advising. Retrieved August 2, 2011 from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Core-Values.htmNACADA. (2003). Paper presented to the Task force on defining academic advising. Retrieved May 1, 2010 from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/Research_Related/definitions.htm.NACADA (2003). History of Academic Advising. O’Banion, T. (1972). An academic advising model. Junior College Journal, 42 (6), 62-69.One University in Many Places: Transitional Design to Twenty-First Century Excellence (2004). Retrieved on August 2, 2011 from http://www.asu.edu/president/udt/UDTwhitepaper.pdf. Patel, Vimal (2014). To Improve Graduate Rates, Advising Gets Intrusive by Design. Retrieved on December 1, 2014 from http://chronicle.com/article/To-Improve-Graduation-Rates/150285/. Schulenberg, J. K. & Lindhorst, M. J. (2008). Advising is advising: toward defining the practice and scholarship of academic advising. NACADA Journal, 28 (1), 43-53.Smith, C. L. & Allen, J. M. (2006). Essential functions of academic advising: what students want and get. NACADA Journal, 26 (1), 56-66.Thelin, John, R. (2004). A History of American Higher Education. Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press. University Design Process: The College/School Centric Model (2011). Retrieved on August 14, 2011 from http://president.asu.edu/oneuniversity/process.

References

Thomas Dickson, Ed.D.

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A Career in College