THE TARGETED ADVISING MODEL
Patrick Cate
Director of the Department of University Studies
Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH
NACADA Region 1 2012
AGENDA
History and overview of the model
 Results
 Q&A

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO AHHHHH!
Please get into groups of convenience
 Finish this sentence: “The most frustrating part
of working with an undeclared/undecided
student is…”

WHY UNDECLAREDS?
59% vs. 78% 1st to 2nd year retention rate
 Lower average GPA..by a half of a point.
 Two times more likely to have a discipline
actions
 48% overall 1st generation,

 59%
of undeclareds
THE COLLEGE OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES

Developmental advising
Cohort pilot model
 “Living Learning”
 Non-Faculty advisors
 O’Banion’s model is the theoretical foundation


Mission:

The Mission of the College of University Studies is to
assist deciding students with the resources and
personal attention needed to select the most
appropriate major and to plot a course of action leading
to graduation by the most effective route possible.
TERRY O’BANION’S MODEL
(1972)




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Exploration of Life Goals
Exploration of Career/Educational Goals
Selection of Educational Programs
Selection of Courses
Scheduling of Classes
O'Banion, T. (1972). An academic advising model. Junior College
Journal, 42, 62-69.
BUILDING BLOCKS OF DEVELOPMENTAL
ADVISING
Schedule
Coursework
Program Choice
Exploration of
Career/Educational Goals
Exploration of Life Goals
SO WHAT ABOUT THE ADDICTION?
I started to notice something.


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
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The students who really needed us, were not
participating.
Many students who were undeclared were not
feeling any dissonance about it.
If they did come, they avoided real “work” and
used the program to meet their immediate
needs.
They would be honest towards the end of the
year about how they “faked” tests and
meetings.
I was the enabler! The Helicopter Advisor!
THE STAGES OF CHANGE

Precontemplation


Contemplation


Ready
Action


Getting ready
Preparation


Not ready
Changing
Maintenance

Keeping up
Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1983). Stages and processes of selfchange of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change. Journal of
Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 390-395.
JAMES MARCIA (BASED ON ERIKSON’S WORK)
Identity Diffusion – No identity crisis and no
real decisions have been made.
 Identity Foreclosure - No identity crisis and
have accepted whatever has been told to them.
“My mother is a doctor…”
 Identity Moratorium – Currently in crisis and
may avoid the decision out of sheer confusion.
 Identity Achievement – Successful completion
of a crisis. Identity established

Marcia, J. E., (1966), Development and validation of
ego identity status, Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology 3, pp. 551-558
MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING
This is the “behind the scenes” counseling
concept.
 All of the processes of change can be worked
with using MI

WHAT IS MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING

“Motivational interviewing is a directive, clientcentered counseling style for eliciting behavior
change by helping clients to explore and
resolve ambivalence.” (Rollnick and Miller)
BASIC CONCEPTS
Counselor directive for intrinsic motivation.
 Non-Confrontational
 Is used with mandated counseling --- advising!

CORE PRINCIPLES

Express Empathy



Support Self Efficacy



Hold student responsible for action or inaction
Help student feel in control
Roll with Resistance


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Creates shared experience
Opens student advisor relationship
Student challenges are not challenged but explored.
Student centered approach
Develop Discrepancy

Establish a difference between what is now and what should
be.
TAM
Precontemplation
 Deliberation
 Action

PRECONTEMPLATION
Students are not ready to make a decision
 Students are not sure of the purpose
 May not be engaged in academic life
 Make decisions based on short term desires
 Ambivalence

PRECONTEMPLATION TOPICS
Why does the student want a degree at all?
 What do they hope will happen?
 What do they feel in control of academically?
 When do they think they need a major?
 What information would they look to?

DELIBERATION
Students have a desire to have a major but
really are not sure how to go about it
 May have a few ideas about what they like to
study
 Still are challenged by the decision; avoid
finality.
 Many traditional methods work here..or upside
down!

DELIBERATION TOPICS

Top down or bottom up career decision
methods.
ACTION
Students have a solid sense of some majors or
a single major and can explain rationally why.
 Students want to be involved in the major and
its people than with undeclared staff.
 Students begin to effectively plan academic
and career pathways. (Internships, study
abroad, careers etc.)
 May see a decrease in issues outside of
academics

ACTION TOPICS
Who would be the best resource for the final
decision…
 What tailored opportunities are available?
 What your new role may be

CHANGE LANGUAGE
Eliciting change language
 Relationship exists between language and
action*.
 When MI not appropriately applied, opposite
affect.
 Strength of commitment language

*Adolescent change Language within a Brief Motivational Intervention and Substance Use Outcomes
John S. Bear, et all. Psychol Addict Behav. 2008 December; 22(4): 570–575.
AMBIVALENCE
Lack of motivation
 If you argue one side, the person will likely
defend the other.
 Resist this “righting” reflex.

SO WHAT?

Early evidence is very promising.
 Maintained
or improved program results after a
500% increase in student load.
 90%+ 1st to 2nd year; pulled some from the “fire”
 Average time to declaration reduced significantly
from 1.5 semesters to 2.3 total meetings.
 Higher GPAs (2.52 vs. 2.75)
 Post grad direction (anecdotal)
 Teachable
WHAT ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS?

That’s fine – So what for you?
 What
is the number one problem I face as my
students’ advisor?
 What process or procedure needs the most
revamping and why?
 What do I teach?
OPEN DISCUSSION
Patrick Cate
Director of the
Department of
University Studies
pcate@plymouth.edu
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into
the lives of others.”
--- Pericles