How important to retention and attrition are academic advisors?
Our school has been struggling with retention for the past year. We've tried mentoring programs, in-service ideas about retention, but not advising. Do you think it would help and if so, how do other schools choose their advisors?
At my former school we started with the Student Services department being responsible for “advising†for non-academic issues such as transportation, part-time jobs, etc. Classroom issues were handled primarily by the department heads. When we implemented GradMax, an on-line retention tool, we chose “coaches†from the people that students seemed to relate to, regardless of job title. This seemed to work well; quarter to quarter retention was consistently in the low to mid-90%.
How do others handle advising?
We are beginning to implement an academic advisor program. Does anyone have a model or ideas to share?
It seems each academic advising program is slightly different, reflecting the circumstances at that particular institution. However, the most common characteristic of successful programs that I've seen is finding advisors that want to be involved [vs. a duty that is added to their job description].
Will your advisors be focusing on academic problems only or will they get involved in non-classroom issues?
I am the Academic Advisor at my school. Because I do not have a degree in Psychology or other counseling, it is vital that students not regard my position as a counselor and strictly as an academic advisor. I am available to speak with regarding personal issues, most of the time those are the issues that take students out of classes, but make it clear I am not here to counsel them on matters outside of the school.
I have found many students feel comfortable coming to me regarding issues that are not academic and sometimes just need an ear. We are a small school and I have been able to work well with students in these situations. A larger school may not have that ability.
Working with students shouldn't be a function of school size, Mandy. It's a reflection of the institution's culture.
Using the title of Advisor is not unusual. Accrediting standards are very specific about the use of the term counselor. I also like to describe the process as coaching. Many times the role of an advisor is to help students clarify the issue and identify alternatives that will solve the problem. The coach also provides encouragement to the student to keep them moving toward a positive outcome.
I have a two-fold response realted to accurate advising and mentoring programs. One issue that I have seen related to advising is making sure the advisors are giving accurate information to students regarding their academic degree program or certificate program.
Incorrect advising can leave a student feeling unimportant and unserviced which will not help retention. These issues have occurred in my education approximately four times. There were the "discoveries" that I could not graduate until taking at least one more course that I was unaware of. I also felt misleaded concerning an academic program that was recommended to me only because the school's program had low enrollment with no regard for my career desires. I intended to complete my degree no matter what, but many students will not commit to a school who seems "uninterested" in their pursuits.
Our school has a grant-funded program where advisors have been hired to mentor students in English courses. Students are mentored in groups and individually 2-4 times per semester. These counselors assist with academic progress and personal issues. This is the first semester for this program, but the Dean of Counseling and Advising said the program is going well.
It's unfortunate that you have suffered these problems, Cheryl, but they have created a heightened sensitivity to the types of problems students may encounter. Hopefully, you will be able to lead initiatives to avoid similar problems for students at your school.
As you have experienced, it is very important that advisors accurately understand and convey school policies. Training and communication are necessary components of an advising system.
