ABSTRACT: 2013 ELATE Institutional Action Project Poster Symposium
Project Title: Undergraduate Academic Advising Initiative
Name and Institution: Monica Brockmeyer, Associate Provost for Student Success, Wayne State
University
Collaborators: Cheryl Kollin, Howard Shapiro, Joseph Rankin, Robert Aguirre, Darin Ellis, Lezlie Hart,
Linda Zaddach, Janice Green, and many others.
Background, Challenge or Opportunity: In 2011, in an effort to improve student success and student
learning, increase retention and graduation rates, and narrow achievement gaps, Wayne State
University committed to an ambitious student retention initiative. The initiative encompassed six major
thrusts, namely, (1) curriculum, especially general education, (2) academic advising, (3) support for
teaching and learning, (4) support for under-prepared students, (5) first year experiences and learning
communities, and (6) financial aid. The Undergraduate Academic Advising Initiative provided funding
for hiring of 45 new professional academic advisors on campus, approximately doubling our institutional
advising capacity and bringing our student/advising ratios into alignment with national best practice.
Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this institutional change project is to maximize the impact of this
opportunity to address our institutional challenges with respect to student retention and degree
attainment. In particular, the Academic Advising represents an opportunity to:
• promote a cultural change at Wayne State University away from focusing on student deficits to one
that promotes institutional accountability for student development, growth, learning, and success,
• position Academic Advising as a form of teaching and learning central to the academic mission, and
• enhance the strategic positioning of Wayne State University as an institution of inclusive
excellence.
Methods/Approach: Following an external consultant review, a broad variety of stakeholders convened
to undertake a formal strategic planning exercise, resulting in new vision and mission statements, and
establishment of advising goals. These efforts are informing the development of student and advisor
learning outcomes, an advising syllabus and institution-wide training programs. This will enable
development of shared advisor performance evaluation and alignment of advising programs in the
schools, colleges, and departments with the university advising mission. New administrative structures
support the coordination of the advising mission and promote professional development for new and
seasoned advisors. This shared planning has directed the development of new technology, reporting
mechanisms, and academic policy. New programs are under development to support the advising of
students who are at risk for attrition and whose needs span multiple colleges, including undecided
students, veteran students, pre-health students, transfer students, and others. Finally, new models for
faculty advising are planned and professional development opportunities for faculty advisors will be
created.
Outcomes and Evaluation: Outcomes to date include development of a strategic plan, hiring of 21
academic advisors, implementation of an initial training program, convening of an advising steering
committee, prototypes of new technology, and initial plans for new programs. A formal assessment
plan will be derived from the student and advisor learning outcomes. The advising initiative is planned
to be the basis of the institutional quality initiative for WSU’s Higher Learning Commission accreditation
process, with a formal evaluation in Spring 2015.
Undergraduate Academic Advising Initiative
Monica Brockmeyer, Ph.D.
Associate Provost for Student Success
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science
APPROACH
BACKGROUND
• In 2011, in an effort to improve student success and
student learning, increase retention and graduation
rates, and narrow achievement gaps, Wayne State
University committed to an ambitious student
retention initiative.
• The initiative encompassed six major thrusts
• curriculum, especially general education,
• academic advising,
• support for teaching and learning,
• support for under-prepared students,
• first year experiences and learning communities,
• financial aid.
• The Undergraduate Academic Advising Initiative
provided funding for hiring of 45 new professional
academic advisors on campus, approximately
doubling our institutional advising capacity.
Vision
Mission
Buy-in
Admin
Advising at Wayne State University is a proactive,
developmental, professional, and intentional practice that
promotes and enhances student learning and success.
The mission of academic advising is to enhance
individual student development and learning in support of
educational goals and academic achievement and to
prepare students to excel in a changing and diverse society.
•
•
•
•
Key stakeholders developed initial plan.
External consultants added value and credibility.
Many conversations with key constituencies.
Create university-wide communication plan.
• Advising Steering Committee sets strategic direction.
• Broaden involvement in advising council.
OUTCOMES
External Consultants Review
Strategic Plan Developed
Advising Steering Committee
Created
Job Descriptions Created
22 Advisors Hired
PURPOSE
The purpose of this institutional change project is to
maximize the impact of this opportunity to address our
institutional challenges with respect to student retention
and degree attainment.
• Promote a cultural change at Wayne State University
away from focusing on student deficits to one that
promotes institutional accountability for student
development, growth, learning, and success,
• Position Academic Advising as a form of teaching and
learning central to the academic mission, and
• Enhance the strategic positioning of Wayne State
University as an institution of inclusive excellence.
Overall goals include:
• Support for academic planning within the context of
a roadmap to degree.
• Advising that supports the needs of our diverse
student population.
• Advising that is proactive and guided by the
appropriate use of technology and data.
• Advising that supports the transition into college.
• Advising that is widely understood as a strategy
central to the university’s mission of student learning
and success.
• Develop student learning outcomes.
• Develop and implement assessment including learning outcomes
Assessment assessment.
Personnel
• Develop shared key competencies.
• Complete hiring of 45 academic advisors over three years.
• Develop performance review standards and mechanisms.
Training
• Develop training program for new and seasoned advisors.
• Develop faculty advising support program.
• Host annual advising summit.
Programs
• Undecided Students
• Probation
• Pre-health / Pre-Professional
•Last-Mile to Graduation
•Transfer Resource Center
•Multicultural Student Success
Training Program Version 1.0
SU CCE SS
RESPONSIBILITY  SUPPORT
LESSONS LEARNED
• Intentionality matters! Don’t apply personnel and
resources without a clear vision of what institutional
change you want.
• Bring in outside perspectives and best practices.
• But – adapt them to your own needs & context.
• Centralized values, knowledge, mission, tools for
decentralized purposes.
• One-size-fits-all advising won’t work in large
institutions.
• Communicate a vision that permits other people to
take independent action.
• When differences arise, bring the conversation back
to student needs and student success.
• Build early wins into the process to gain momentum.
• Everyone wants to feel progress.
• Learn from your critics and don’t have thin skin.
• Link your actions to institutional strategic challenges.
• Find synergies with others.
• Show project value.
• Take time to stop and assess.
CONCLUSIONS
• Great advisors do for the curriculum what great
instructors do for an individual course.
Campus Conversations about
Advising as Teaching and Learning
Wayne Advising Management
System (Appointment Scheduling)
Chart Your Path, a program for
Undecided Students
Hosted Annual Advising Summit
• Advising intersects with many aspects of
curriculum, pedagogy, policy, and institutional
values.
• Advisors are powerful levers for institutional
change.
• Developmental and proactive advising is a high
impact practice with significant potential to
increase student learning and success while
narrowing achievement gaps.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Monica Brockmeyer: mbrockmeyer@wayne.edu
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Develop and implement scheduling system for academic advisors.
• Develop Advising resource web site.
• Specify and develop PIN system so that students must see an
Technology advisor before registration.
Much thanks to Cheryl Kollin, Howard Shapiro, Ron Brown,
Joseph Rankin, Robert Aguirre, Darin Ellis, Lezlie Hart, Linda
Zaddach, Janice Green, Farshad Fotouhi, Wayne Raskind, Amy
Cooper and many, many others.
Presented at the 2013 ELATE® Leaders Forum