RECRUITING, EDUCATING AND RETAINING
ADVISORS
Association of College Honor Societies
February 7, 2014
Jane A. Hamblin
GETTING ACQUAINTED
Founding Societies—charter members
1925-1930
1930 – 1950
1950 – 1970
1970 – 1990
1990 – 2010
2010 – 2014
MY PURDUE DEANS
BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO
ACHS SOCIETIES IN 2010
CHAPTERS HAVE CHANGED
CHAPTERS HAVE CHANGED
Mortar Board’s Black Masque in 1906 and Black
Masque chapter in 2009 at the University of Nebraska-
ADVISING—ADVISORS-- HAVE
CHANGED
BEST PRACTICE
Have an advising program
BEST PRACTICE
Have an advising
program
Recruitment
Education
Retention
RECRUITMENT
HOW DO YOU VIEW RECRUITING?
Perfunctory obligation to meet an institutional
requirement
Salvation for a weak chapter
Creation of BFFs for your society
Method for ensuring meaningful interaction with
collegiate members and fulfillment of your society’s
mission
A hose to fill the volunteer pool with younger leaders
BEST PRACTICE
Develop recruitment protocol
in advance of need
Advisers (faculty or staff member) must represent the institution in advising
chapters of College Honor Societies. The adviser must model leadership
principles, establish a climate and structure that facilitates leadership
development, determine expectations of accountability, and fairly assess
student performance.
WORKBOOK—NOTES FROM
GROUP DISCUSSIONS ON 2/7/14
Talk to potential advisors about advising being teaching, which might make it
seem more relevant. You have to find someone who truly likes students. This
is a high priority for some organizations as a base requirement. Students may
be the best to visit a professor (or staff member) to recruit, but you should be
sure to have talking points. Have a job description for the advisor and share it
when you are making the ask. Don’t tell them there isn’t a lot of work or
there’s not much to it. It’s a good idea to have more than one advisor, and
often the current advisor(s) can do the recruiting. Keep in mind that all of our
societies don’t have control over who the advisor is—dean or department
head might select. This is all the more reason that someone should reach out
to the appointee to follow up with training options. Make an ask for specific
amount of time, not for an endless amount. Be sure to listen to the
response—no could mean maybe.
NEEDS AND BENEFITS OF
ADVISING
•
•
•
•
•
Meet institutional
requirement
Meet CAS standard
Care for chapter
Oversee selection
Give consistent local
voice to “national”
• Way to provide
engagement, which means
increased learning (Schuh)
• Loves students
• Fun
• Good visibility for me
• I feel like I am “giving
back”
• Enjoys being “in the
know” or “in charge”
ELEMENTS OF RECRUITMENT
PROTOCOL
Know talking points
Determine target(s) – you could ask a team!
Determine recruiters
Set timeline
Make a specific ask
Listen to the answer
EDUCATING
BEST PRACTICE
Provide new and continuing
advisor education
NOTES FROM BIRTHDAY-MONTH
GROUPS ON EDUCATING ON 2-7-14
Early and often (brush-ups)
Create community
Make info highly accessible (handbook online, FAQ online, officer training, 1-1 appointments)
Grants to advisors to attend meetings of the society and learn more
Mentoring / Job shadowing
YouTube social contacts for advisors
Communication by multivariate ways (email, phone call, in person)
Workshops to address changes
Handbook yes, but timeline or checklist that is simpler and helps provide touchpoints for important times of
th eyear
Make personal connection to touch base
Workshops and grants that are easily accessible—helps advisors build a community
Whatever method should provide distinction and special education for new advisors
Handbook—communication via short, weekly emails—enewsletter
In-person meetings—having those personal connections makes an impression
Good education sends a message and will cause an outgoing advisor to be helpful to you in recruiting
replacements.
ELEMENTS OF ADVISOR
EDUCATION
Mission clarity
Check-in points
Reference material— “how to”
Evaluation expectation
MORTAR BOARD’S LEAD PROGRAM
WILL BE JULY 31, 2014, IN ATLANTA
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Create and maintain a strong advisory team
Use social media effectively
Effectively advise a chapter leadership team
Cultivate relationships among students
Enhance cocurricular education
Help chapter leaders apply their skills
Enhance the advisor’s own interpersonal assets
Apply best practices in student organization
advisement
BEST PRACTICE—OR AT LEAST
PET PEEVE
Have staff expectations for working with
advisors, as a part of your advisor program-like communicating with them even on
routine matters and having an advisor
evaluation system
RETAINING
BEST PRACTICE
Retain advisors through local and national
(international) gratitude, spirit of
camaraderie and competition, and an
expectation of end date.
NOTES FROM ENTIRE GROUP
CONVERSATION ABOUT RETAINING
ON 2-7-14
Anniversary gifts like pens for one year, medallion for five years, clock for 15 years, etc.
Jewels added to badge or pin for length of service
Include ongoing advisors in education of new advisors.
List advisors in publications or on website. Have advisor track at conference. Send your
outstanding advisors to LEAD.
Give outstanding advisor awards annually – some societies give cash prizes to the advisor
and to the department that supports the advisor’s work. Build healthy competition among
advisors. Have winning advisors help select awards the next year.
Annually recognize advisors with letters to their supervisors and institution
president/provost/vice president—whatever is appropriate. Allow the advisor to tell you
whom to write and realize this is very labor-intensive.
Having an end-date is a way to retain advisors. If a faculty or staff member can plan this
into her/his calendar, then you have a definite commitment and won’t be surprised (usually)
by an advisor who drops out because it feels like an interminable commitment.
Having evaluation is also a retention tool. Being told you are doing a good job and clarifying
roles, often entices performance.
BEST PRACTICES RECAPPED
•
•
•
•
Have an advising program, not just advisors
Develop a recruitment protocol in advance of need
Provide new and continuing advisor education
Retain advisors through local and national (international)
gratitude, spirit of camaraderie and competition, and an
expectation of end date
THANK YOU
I WELCOME YOUR THOUGHTS.
JANE
jhamblin@mortarboard.org