Advising for Student Success
Academic Advising:
A Comprehensive Handbook
Presenter: Niki Weight
Conditions Linked
to Student Success
 Supportive
peers, faculty and staff
 Academic programs and experiences
that engage students
 Academic and social integration in
the university
Risk Factors:
Threats to Academic Success
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Unprepared for college
Taking a break between high school and college
Attending part-time
Being a single parent
Being financially independent
Caring for children at home
Working more than 30 hours a week
Being a 1st generation college student
What Students Say
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88% of all students take advantage of academic advising
during their 1st year
Primary Source of Academic Advising
60%
50%
40%
Freshmen
30%
Seniors
20%
10%
0%
Advisor
Other
Family/Friends
Impact of Advising
 “The
quality of academic
advising is the single most
powerful predictor of
satisfaction with the campus
environment at four-year
schools”
◦ NSSE 2005
Impact of Advising
Students who meet with their advisor are
more satisfied with advising and their
institution.
 This satisfaction leads student to:
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◦ Be more likely to interact with faculty
◦ Perceive institution’s environment to be
supportive overall
◦ Be more satisfied with their college
experience
◦ Gain more from college in most areas
Why does satisfaction matter?
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“The time and energy students devote to
educationally purposeful activities is the
single best predictor of their learning and
personal development”
◦ Student Success in College: Creating Conditions
That Matter (Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh & Whitt 2005)
Lessons from the Best:
DEEP Institutions
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Documenting Effective Educational Practices
◦ Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That
Matter (Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh & Whitt 2005)
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Research Project of 24 universities with:
◦ Higher than predicted graduation rates
◦ Higher scores on National Survey of Student
Engagement
DEEP Institutions
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Alverno College
California State University –
Monterey Bay
Evergreen State University
Fayetteville State University
George Mason
Gonzaga
Longwood
Macalester College
Miami University - Ohio
Sewanee: University of the
South
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Sweet Briar College
University of Kansas
University of Maine –
Farmington
University of Michigan
University of Texas – El Paso
Ursinus College
Wabash College
Wheaton College –
Massachusetts
Winston-Salem State University
Wofford
5 Principles for Academic Advising
Principles for Academic Advising
1. Advising is grounded in a talent –
development philosophy
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The idea that students can learn anything
provided with the right conditions
Advisors are duty bound to work the
students they have, not with the ones
they wish they had.
◦ Advisors are well informed about the
demographics of their students
Principle 1 Examples

DEEP Schools
◦ First Year Seminar Courses (taught by faculty/peer
advisors)
◦ Students get to know their advisors because they
teach the class
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USU Equivalents:
◦ SOAR
◦ USU Connections
◦ Major Seminar Courses
Principles for Academic Advising
2.
Advising is a tag team activity
◦ Cookie-cutter advising won’t work with
diverse populations.
◦ Tag-team advising: incorporating a wide
spectrum of people and expertise and
multiple perspectives in advising process
Principle 2 Examples
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DEEP Schools
◦ University College at Fayetteville
 Administrative unit to help transition from high
school to college
◦ First Year Seminar at Wheaton
 Range of faculty teach seminar
◦ Minority Mentor Program at Sewanee
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USU
◦ Academic Resource Center
◦ Multicultural Center
◦ Non-Traditional Student Office
Principles for Academic Advising
3. Student are expected to map out a path
to success.
◦ Advisors convey to students what needs to
be done to be successful.
◦ Plot out a course of action for educational
success
Principle 3 Examples
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DEEP Schools
◦ George Mason
 Midterm Progress Reports
 Mentor Pairing
 “Ask an Advisor” website for Undeclared students
◦ University of Kansas
 Graduate in Four Handbook
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USU
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Four Year Plans
Early Alert
Degree Finder
Career Services
Graduate in 4 Handbook
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Used by UK Freshman/Sophomore Advising
Office to increase graduation rates
Includes valuable information about what
students plan to do each year to graduate
sooner and have a job when they graduate
◦ Examples: 3 Steps to Graduating in 4 years, List of
Degrees, Tips for Choosing a Major at KU,Your
Career and Academic Pathway, 4-Year Plan,
Involvement, and much more
Principles for Academic Advising
4.
Every advising contact is a precious
opportunity for meaningful interaction.
◦ Frequency and quality of interactions
◦ Getting involved early
◦ Intrusive Advising (if necessary)
 making it plain early what students need to do to succeed
◦ Encouraging students to engage in educational
activities outside class
Principle 4 Examples
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Encouraging student to use on campus
resources such as writing and math labs
◦ At Indiana University – Bloomington students
who used skill centers were more likely to
persist to second year
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Timely interventions
◦ BYU, Norfolk University and others use
individualized profiles based on College
Student Expectations Questionnaire
Principles of Academic Advising
5. Advising is a cultural and culture-bound
activity.
◦ Creating a campus culture that supports
student success is ultimately about the right
people doing the right thing
◦ DEEP schools are successful by incorporating
the belief of the power of being in a perpetual
learning mode
Questions to Ask Yourself/Center
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How well does your advising system work? How do
you know?
Are your resources arranged to maximize student’s
potential?
To what extent do you challenge students to go
beyond base expectations?
In what ways do you engage in meaningful
interactions with students?
Do you encourage students to take advantage of
extra-curricular academic activities that enhance
student learning?
Are you aware of extra-curricular academic activities
for students? Are they effective/successful?
Additional Resources
Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That
Matter (Kuh et al, 2005)
 “Promoting Student Success: What Advisors
Can Do” (Sousa, 2005)
 Assessing Conditions to Enhance Educational
Effectiveness: Inventory of Student Engagement and
Success (Kuh et al, 2005a)
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