Dr. Peggy King
Schenectady County Community College
kingmc@sunysccc.edu
Organizing and Delivering Advising:
Models for Success
 Institutional Mission/Advising Program Mission
 CAS Standards: Outcomes and Goals for the
Advising Program
 Organization of Advising Services: 7 Models
 Delivery of Advising Services – Who and How
 Key Components of Effective Advising Programs
 Advising & Other Campus Services/Offices
Two Key Resources
 NACADA – the National Academic Advising
Association nacada@ksu.edu
 Gordon, V.N., Habley, W.R., & Grites, T.J. (2008)
Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook (2nd
Edition)
Additional Symposium Sessions
 Training Academic Advisors: Conceptual, Relational
and Informational Issues (July 16, Tom Brown)
 Assessing the Effectiveness of Your Academic Advising
Program (July 23, Tom Grites)
 It’s All About Change: Negotiating the Culture for
Improved Advising (July 28, Wes Habley)
Institutional Mission/Advising
Program Mission:
 Consistency
 Advising Program Mission Statement
 Identify the primary purpose of advising
 Provide a statement of beliefs about students
 Provide information on the nature of the advising
program, the organizational structure, expectations of
advisors and advisees, the rights and responsibilities of
advisors and advisees, and the goals for advising
Mission Statement (cont.):
 Development of the mission statement must
include a wide variety of constituencies
 The statement should serve as a guide to the
decisions we make about what we do and how we
do it.
 Assessment is critical.
 It must be prominently displayed and promoted.
 It must be regularly reviewed and, if necessary,
revised.
Mission Statement (cont.):
 It must be visionary.
 It must be broad.
 It must be realistic.
 It must be motivational.
 It must be short and concise.
 It must be easily understood.
 It must be memorable.
Advising Program:
 Identify relevant and desirable student learning and
development outcomes. Provide programs and
services that encourage the achievement of those
outcomes.
Relevant and Desirable Outcomes:
 Intellectual growth
 Effective communication
 Realistic self-appraisal
 Enhanced self-esteem
 Clarified values
 Career choices
 Leadership development
 Healthy behaviors
Relevant and Desirable Outcomes
(cont.):
 Meaningful interpersonal relations
 Independence
 Collaboration
 Social responsibility
 Satisfying and productive lifestyles
 Appreciation of diversity
 Spiritual awareness
 Achievement of personal and educational goals
Advising Program Goals:
 Promote student growth and development
 Discuss and clarify educational, career and life
goals
 Assist students in understanding the institutional
context/environment
 Evaluate and monitor student progress
 Refer to other campus/community resources
 Distribute relevant data re. students for use in
institutional decisions and policy
Advising Program Leadership:
 Advising program leaders must:
 Articulate a vision for their organization
 Set goals and objectives
 Promote student learning and development
 Prescribe and practice ethical behavior
 Recruit, select, supervise, & develop staff
 Manage financial resources/human resources
 Initiate collaborative interactions
Organization & Management:
 Advising programs must be structured purposefully
and managed effectively
 Advising programs must include development,
evaluation, & recognition/reward
 The design of an advising program must be compatible
with the institutional structure & it’s student’s needs
Factors Influencing the
Organization/Delivery of Advising
 Institutional Mission
 Students
 Faculty
 Programs/Policies
 Budget
 Facilities
 Organizational Structure
Organizational Models for
Academic Advising:
 Decentralized
 Centralized
 Shared
Organizational Models:
Decentralized
Faculty Only Model
Student
Faculty
Organizational Models:
Decentralized
Satellite Model
Student A
Academic Sub-unit
Advising Office
Student B
Academic Sub-unit
Advising Office
Organizational Models: Centralized
Self-contained Model
Student A
Advising
Office
Student B
Organizational Models: Shared
Supplementary Model
Advising
Office
Student
Faculty
Organizational Models: Shared
Split Model
Student A
Advising
Office
Student B
Academic
Sub-unit
Academic
Sub-unit
Organizational Models: Shared
Dual Model
Faculty
Student
Advising
Office
Organizational Models: Shared
Total Intake Model
Student
Advising
Office
Academic
Sub-unit
Most Popular Models (ACT
National Survey):
 2-Year Public
 Self-contained
 Split
 Faculty Only
 4-Year Public
 Split
 Satellite
 Faculty Only
%
29
28
18
46
16
12
th
6
Most Popular Models (cont.):
 2-Year Private
%
 Faculty Only
36
 Supplementary 21
 Self-contained 12
 4 -Year Private
 Faculty Only
39
 Supplementary 26
 Split
17
Organizational Models Summary:
 % of all:
 Faculty Only
 Supplementary
 Split
 Dual
 Total Intake
 Satellite
 Self-contained
25
17
27
5
6
7
14
Trends in Organizational
Models:
 Decrease in use of most decentralized (Faculty Only)
 Slight increase in most shared models
 Institutional size has a significant impact on the
choice of model
 Academic Affairs is the most common reporting line
Advising Delivery Systems:
One-to-One Advising
 Faculty
 Full-time Advisors
 Counselors
 Grad Students
 Paraprofessionals
 Peers
Factors in Choosing a Delivery
System
 Access/availability to student
 Priority placed on advising
 Knowledge of academic discipline
 Knowledge of student development
 Need for training
 Cost to institution
 Credibility with faculty/staff
Building the Advisor-Advisee
Relationship
 Non-verbal communication
 Verbal communication
 Advising strategies
 The advising interview
Non-verbal Communication
 Physical environment
 Preparedness
 Body language/attending behavior
Verbal Communication
 Listening
 Questioning
 Reflecting/paraphrasing
Referral Skills
 Explain why a referral is necessary
 Have a clear understanding of services available
 Provide all contact information
 Assist in scheduling the appointment
 Follow-up with the student
Advising Strategies
 Advocacy/intervention
 Intrusiveness
 Challenging/confronting the student
 Modeling/teaching decision-making skills
The One-to-One Advising
Session
 Planning and preparing for the session
 Personal contact
 Review student information, prior advising notes
 Plan for uninterrupted time
The One-to-One Advising
Session
 Content and process
 Establish rapport
 Discuss previous session
 Discuss purpose of the current session
 Discuss issues/concerns
 Identify possible solutions
 Summarize the transactions
 Conclude session
Group Advising - Types
 Groups that focus on content (C)
 Groups that focus on process (P)
Group Types
 Orientation (C)
 Registration groups (C)
 Extended orientation (P & C)
 First Year Seminar (P & C)
 Learning communities (P )
 Course imbedded (P & C)
 Residence Hall (C)
 Major (C)
 Specific populations (C & P)
Groups – Probable Strengths
 Reduce advisor ratios
 Efficient way to share common content
 Frees advisors for one-to-one contact
 Reduces redundancy
 Interaction with peers
 Shared learning
 Establish peer contacts
 Other?
Groups – Probable Weaknesses
 Less personal
 Ability to meet individual needs
 Possible misinterpretation
 Group distractions
 Inconvenience
 Other?
Keys to Successful Group
Advising
 Locating a functional space
 Informing students by multiple means of
communication – e-mail, flyers, etc.
 Preparing engaging materials and handouts that
students can take with them to refer to later
 Developing a clear agenda
Strategies for Successful Group
Facilitation
 Introductions and icebreakers
 Learn names – use name badges/cards
 Establish a climate of trust and respect
 Don’t allow one person to dominate the discussion
 Encourage students to follow-up with their Advisor
Use of Technology in Advising Synchronous
 Characteristics
 Same time
 Same pace
 Different place
 Person-to-person advising
Synchronous Delivery
 Videoconference
 Internet chat
 Audio conference
 White board
 Telephone
 Interactive classroom
 Interactive webinar
Technology in Advising Asynchronous
 Characteristics
 Different time
 Different pace
 Difference place
 Person-to-person advising
Asynchronous Delivery
 Web pages
 E and V mail
 Cybercast
 Listservs
 Bulletin boards
 Kiosks
 Video/Audio tapes
 Telephone info. Lines
Asynchronous Delivery (cont.):
 Social Networking Sites – Facebook, MySpace, Twitter
 Course Management Systems (e.g. Angel)
 Podcasts
 Blogs
 RSS (really simple syndication) e.g. news feed
 Webinar
Technology – Probable
Strengths
 Economy
 Distance
 Accuracy
 Feedback
 Accessibility
 Anonymity
 Other?
Technology – Possible
Weaknesses
 Technology limits
 Different person-to-person relationship
 Anonymity
 Other?
Why Multiple Strategies?
 Different access points
 Different student needs
 Capitalize on advisor strengths
 Offset advisor weaknesses
Design a Delivery System
 Consider
 Institutional type
 Student demographics and needs
 Probable resources
 Probable advisor skills
 Design a delivery system
 Primary. What else? How?
 How does your delivery system capitalize on strengths
and offset weaknesses of the various delivery
strategies?
Advising Program Resources:
 Financial: there must be adequate funding to
accomplish the mission & goals of the program
 Facilities/Technology/Equipment: there must be
adequate facilities, technology and equipment to
support the mission and goals of the program
Campus & External Relations:
 The academic advising program must establish,
maintain and promote effective relations with relevant
campus offices and external agencies
 Effective academic advising cannot be done in
isolation
Advising & Other Campus
Services/Offices:
 Fiscal Affairs
 Institutional Research
 Information Technology
 First Year Seminar/Transfer Student Seminar
 Learning Center
 Office of Multicultural Affairs
Advising & Other Campus
Services/Offices (cont.):
 Admissions
 Financial Aid
 Orientation
 Registrar
 Counseling
 Career Planning
Advising & Other Campus
Services/Offices (cont.):
 Services for students with disabilities
 Residence Life
 Intercollegiate Athletics
 Learning Communities
 Testing Center
 Academic Departments
Integration of Services
 The effective integration of academic advising with
other support services requires a clear communication
of who does what for which population and why.
 Academic Advising is the only structured activity
on the campus in which all students have the
opportunity for on-going, one-to-one
interaction with a concerned representative of
the institution.
 Academic advising is the hub of the wheel, with
linkages to all other support services on campus.
Two Conclusions:
 Understanding the college or university environment
and its impact on students is essential for the effective
advisor.
 Successful advising programs can intentionally
enhance a positive campus environment that will, in
turn, impact student success.
Thank you!
Additional Questions???