strategies for effective advising in a constantly changing environment presented by: maureen...
TRANSCRIPT
Strategies for Effective Advising in a Constantly Changing EnvironmentPresented by:
Maureen Bell-Werner and Shannon Hennessey
Outline of Information
I. Identify common advising struggles
II. History of Lincoln Plan and how advising has changed at SIUE
III. Discuss strategies for effective advising amidst change
IV. Case Studies-Application of strategies in real advising situations
V. Conclusion
What Changes Impact Advisors?
• Program changes
• Policy changes
• Departmental changes
• University changes
• General Education changes
History of the Lincoln Plan & How Advising Has Changed at SIUE 2008/ The Office of Academic Advising (for
2009 Undeclared/Undecided Advising) moved to the Provost’s Office and professional advising
across all schools and colleges began instead of a mix of professional/faculty
advising
2010 Lincoln Plan was being finalized
2011 Advising Council and the Professional Development Committee
are established
2012 Lincoln Program Year 1 (LP1) was born
2013 Lincoln Program Year 2 (LP2) came along as well
2014/ Lincoln Program Year 3 (LP3) and Lincoln Plan 2015 (LP) will be fully realized and students for a
period of years can be under 1 of 6 different general education programs
Strategies that came about for Effective Advising within the Office of Academic Advising
Liaison relationships Internal curriculum committee
Curriculum guides Strong working relationships
Detailed notes Advocating for students
Partner with those that have a voice for change
Liaison Relationships
Implemented several years ago when only one general education program existed
Each advisor is paired with departments and/or support offices to provide a direct line of communication between offices.
For example: One advisor in Academic Advising liaisons with the School of Business Student Services. She also liaisons with International Student Services.
Curriculum Guides
Suggested 4 year plans for each major
Have been in existence for several years
Revamped for the new Lincoln Plan to be shared with departments to identify potential issues (2010)
Partner with the departments to ensure accuracy For examples, please see our website
http://www.siue.edu/advising/majors.shtml
Internal Curriculum Committee
Not to be confused with Curriculum Council, the campus-wide governing body of university curricula
In-house working group that assists in editing curriculum guides
Given the opportunity this year to review next year’s undergraduate catalog for clarifications and make suggested changes
i.e. Old classes that have been renumbered that are still showing up in the catalog
Partner with other Professional Advisors across campus
Strengthen Working Relationships
Many of these previous strategies strengthen working relationships
Professional Development Committee provides a monthly opportunity for professional advisors across campus to come together and learn and discuss
Strengthens working relationships by information sharing and understanding
After this topic was presented for an event sponsored by the Professional Development Committee and the Advising Council, a suggestion was made to have advisors across schools meet annually to discuss curriculum and changes pending approval by faculty. This will be a way to close the information gap between different advising units.
Partner with Those that have a Voice for Change
Provide advisors a voice by working closely with your supervisor
Know the appropriate chain of command, i.e. discuss potential issues with the Director of Academic Advising who can share with the Registrar and/or Provost
The Office of Academic Advising reports directly to the Provost’s Office which means we do not answer to a specific academic college or school. This provides us increased institutional support.
Advocating for Students
In constant change, advocating for students is extremely important
Examples of the way we advocate: communicate with the Registrar’s Office, look at pending changes through the students’ perspectives, supporting student appeals when necessary, provide good customer service
Detailed Notes
Detailed notes on GradesFirst, our online scheduling/note tracking system
Keeps all advisors on the same page
Indicates which of the six general education programs the student is following
Allows for upload of important documents regarding course planning, substitutions, and other forms that may be helpful for graduation checks
Provides consistency for students in scheduling appointments
Case Study One
A student completed Speech 105 and then registered for Speech 101. You look back at your notes and see your advised the student to choose an elective. It is now week four of the current semester, how do you handle this situation?
Background information: SPC 105 changed course number to SPC 101. This student is taking the same course again but does not need to repeat it. There are no refunds given after Week 2 at SIUE.
Strategies Utilized in Case Study One
Accurate, detailed case notes including dates
Maintaining written documentation
Advocating for student appeal process, even when it is not advisor error
Liaison relationship with Service Center
Suggestion to the Registrar that there is a clarification on CougarNet, the online course registration system, about the course
Case Study Two
A student sits down in your office for a first appointment with you. The student last met with an advisor in another department/school. Upon reviewing their current classes, you wonder why he is taking a certain course this semester. In a situation of perceived misadvising, how do you handle that and what strategies do you use?
Strategies Utilized in Case Study Two
Accurate, detailed case notes including dates
Keep dates of when changes were implemented. (In this situation,the student was advised prior to the changes being communicated.)
Advocating for the student about a possible substitution
Strong working relationships with other advisors
Contact advisor directly for clarification instead of sending the student across campus
Conclusion
We have no control over change but must find innovative ways to deal with the constant changes that come our way.
We must continue to put students first and continue to provide the most accurate, up to date information.
It is important to find and utilize the strategies that work best in your environment. To do this, it’s imperative to have conversations on your campus about how you will best handle change.