A progress report on La Trobe University s academic advising pilot project: Formalising and normalising the advising of first year students

Transcription

1 A progress report on La Trobe University s academic advising pilot project: Formalising and normalising the advising of first year students Dr. Bret Stephenson, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University Abstract The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University will be piloting a formal academic advising program for all first-year students in The faculty will be piloting this project on behalf of the wider university as LTU seeks to improve the first-year student experience and first-year student retention. The pilot project requires the participation of nearly all academic staff within the faculty. Each academic member of staff will be assigned a small group of firstyear students for whom they will act as an academic advisor. This nuts and bolts session reports on the pilot project s structure, key aims, challenges and early outcomes. Introduction In the wake of the Review of Higher Education in Australia (the Bradley Review) young Australians are being encouraged to enter universities in ever-increasing numbers. Moreover, under a new funding follows the student regime, many Australian universities are now facing, not only widening enrolments, but also greater competition for students, increased budgetary uncertainty and lower levels of student preparedness. In the midst of this sectorwide volatility, many Australian universities have redoubled their efforts in the areas of student retention and first-year transition. In 2012, La Trobe University s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences will be piloting, on behalf of the University, one such effort that has often been widely overlooked in Australian higher education. All first-year students within the faculty save for some double degree students will be paired with an academic member of staff who will act as the student s Academic Advisor throughout their first year of study. Academic advising programs, often called personal tutor programs in the U.K., seek to address several related student needs that, when effectively met, have been shown to have a positive impact on student retention, persistence and overall satisfaction (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Thomas & Hixenbaugh, 2006). Quality academic advising strives to achieve these outcomes by providing a regular opportunity for students to engage in effective educational planning, goal setting and decision-making with a single dedicated member of academic staff. As Hunter and White (2004) have claimed, academic advising is perhaps the only structured campus endeavor that can guarantee students sustained interaction with a caring and concerned adult who can help them shape a meaningful learning experience for themselves (p. 21). In the North American context, where academic advising is a widely adopted fixture of higher education, academic advisors typically meet with their student advisees over two scheduled meetings per semester or term (Habley, 2004). Whilst there are several models and theories of academic advising to choose from, these meetings typically provide students with a developmental opportunity to discuss their academic plans, personal 1

2 progress and any difficulties they may be encountering in their studies (Gordon, Habley, & Associates, 2008). In the Australian context, academic advising has remained a largely ad hoc, administrative and informal service provided by a mixture of professional and academic staff. In this way, academic advising in Australia has remained a low profile affair in need of wider staff and student participation through increased formalisation and normalisation. The LTU Pilot Project All academic staff within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences including the Executive Dean, Associate Deans, Heads of School and the Senior DVC will act as Academic Advisors to a small group of first year students. We have made every effort to achieve student to advisor ratios that are no greater than 1:10. Ideally, students enrolled in niche degrees will be assigned to staff that belong to their area of study, while BA students will be spread evenly throughout the faculty. The initial meeting will consist of an informal meet-and-greet of the advisor s entire group of advisees during O-Week or before the end of week 2. Coffee vouchers will be provided to all advisors and their students for this initial welcome meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to provide an informal opportunity for students to meet one another, meet their advisor and learn more about the program. Thereafter, students will meet with their Academic Advisor twice in each semester during scheduled advising weeks weeks 3 to 4 and weeks 10 to 11 for a 15 to 20 minute appointment. Academic Advisors are expected to meet with advisees during their normal hours of student consultation or by specially arranged consultation hours. While students are not required to participate in this program there is no penalty for nonparticipation it will be made clear that students are expected to participate fully. Students will be informed and reminded of this program during enrolment sessions, O-Week seminars, first-year subject lectures and through an academic advising students page located on the LMS. The students page outlines the faculty s expectation that all first year students will actively engage in the advising process and respond to their advisor s contacts. The page also offers students advice on how to prepare for advising sessions and how to appropriately make use of their academic advisor s time. Academic Advising as an Educational Process There exists broad agreement within the research literature concerning the fundamental idea that effective advising is closely related to effective teaching and learning practice (Crookston, 1972; Gordon, et al., 2008; Hines, 1981; Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt, & Associates, 2010; Lowenstein, 2005; Weaver, 1987; Winston, 1984). It is for this reason that many North American universities have now moved away from a prescriptive style of academic advising characterized by a largely one-way transfer of administrative information to instead embrace developmental (Broadbridge, 1996; Winston, 1984) or engagement (Swanson, 2006; Yarbrough, 2002) paradigms that view academic advising as a clear extension of the university s teaching and learning mission. In light of this, we have asked Academic Advisors to engage their advisees in discussions surrounding their educational goals, personal development and overall academic engagement. 2

3 Why Academic Advising? As Richard Light (2001) has observed, Good advising may be the single most underestimated characteristic of a successful college experience (p. 81), and the existing research on academic advising tends to support this assertion. Quality academic advising has now been strongly correlated to a number of positive educational and institutional outcomes. Student satisfaction with their chosen institution (Bean, 1980, 1981; Kuh, 2005, 2007; Metzner, 1989; Noel, Levitz, & Saluri, 1985) which is further cited as a primary predictor of student persistence (Noel & Levitz, 1995). Increased utilization of University support services which has been linked to increased retention and persistence (Churchill & Iwai, 1981; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). Increased sense of meaning and commitment to educational and career goals (Lenning, Beal, & Sauer, 1980; Lizzio & Wilson, 2010; Metzner, 1989; Willingham, 1985) which has also been linked to increases in student retention (Lizzio & Wilson, 2010; Wyckoff, 1999). Increased interaction between students and academic staff that takes place outside of the classroom has also been linked to increased retention, persistence and student learning outcomes (Bean, 1981; Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Noel, et al., 1985; Pascarella, 2005; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Tinto, 1993; Wyckoff, 1998). Questions for the Audience It is curious that other English-speaking university systems, like that in North America and the UK, have long traditions of academic advising or personal tutoring, yet Australia does not. Session Outline What is the current state of academic advising at your institution? Is it a formalised process that involves academic staff, or does the participation of academics remain relatively informal and ad hoc? What barriers exist to implementing a similar advising program at your institution? Are there any efforts currently underway at your institution to implement a formal advising program that includes academic staff? Present pilot project overview. Present key aims of the pilot project. Discussion concerning the challenges of implementation. 3

4 Brief overview of the Advisor s Toolkit that has been assembled for this project. Results of early feedback and evaluation Discussion questions for the audience. References Bean, J. (1980). Dropouts and turnover: The synthesis and test of a causal model of student attrition. Research in Higher Education, 12, Bean, J. (1981). The synthesis of a theoretical model of student attrition. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Los Angeles, CA. Broadbridge, A. (1996). Academic advising--traditional or developemental approaches?: Student perspectives. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 24(1), Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. AAHE Bulletin 39(7), 3-7. Churchill, W. D., & Iwai, S. I. (1981). College attrition, student use of campus facilities, and a consideration of self-reported personal problems. Research in Higher Education, 14(4), Crookston, B. (1972). A developemental view of academic advising as teaching. Journal of College Student Personnel 13, Gordon, V. N., Habley, W. R., & Associates. (2008). Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Habley, W. R. (2004). Advisor load Retrieved Dec. 15, 2012, from Hines, E. R. (1981). Academic advising as teaching. Improving College and University Teaching, 29(4), Hunter, M. S., & White, E. R. (2004). Could fixing academic advising fix higher education? About Campus, 9(1), Kuh, G. (2005). Assessing conditions to enhance educational effectiveness: The inventory for student engagement and success (1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Kuh, G. (2007). Piecing together the student success puzzle: Research, propositions, and recommendations. San Francisco, Calif.: Wiley Subscription Services at Jossey-Bass. Kuh, G., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H., Whitt, E. J., & Associates. (2010). Student success in college: creating conditions that matter (1st ed.). San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass. Lenning, O. T., Beal, P. E., & Sauer, K. (1980). Retention and attrition: Evidence for actions and research. Boulder, CO: National Center for Higher Education Management Systems Light, R. L. (2001). Making the most of college: Students speak there minds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Lizzio, A., & Wilson, K. (2010). Strengthening commencing students' sense of purpose: Integrating theory and practice. Paper presented at the First Year in Higher Education, Adelaide, SA. Lowenstein, M. (2005). If advising is teaching, what do advisors teach? NACADA Journal 25(2), Metzner, B. S. (1989). Perceived quality of academic advising: The effect on freshman attrition. American Educational Research Journal, 26(3), Noel, L., & Levitz, R. (1995). New stretegies for difficult times. Recruitment & Retention in Higher Education, 9(7), 4-7. Noel, L., Levitz, R., & Saluri, D. (Eds.). (1985). Increasing student retention: New challenges and potential. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 4

5 Pascarella, E. T. (2005). Liberal arts colleges and liberal arts education: New evidence on impacts. San Francisco, Calif.: Wiley. Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1991). How college affects students: Findings and insights from twenty years of research (1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: a third decade of research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Swanson, D. J. (2006). Creating a culture of 'engagement' with academic advising: challenges and opportunities fo today's higher education institutions. Paper presented at the Western Social Science Association convention, Phoenix Arizona. Thomas, L., & Hixenbaugh, P. (2006). Personal tutoring in Higher Education. Stoke-on- Trent: Trentham Books. Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd ed.). Chicago ; London: University of Chicago Press. Weaver, F. S. (1987). Academic advising as teaching. Innovative Higher Education, 12(1), Willingham, W. W. (1985). Success in college: the role of personal qualities and academic ability. New York: College Entrance Examination Board. Winston, R. B. (1984). Developmental academic advising (1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. Wyckoff, S. C. (1998). Retention theories in higher education: Implications for institutional practice. Recruitment and Retention in Higher Education, 1998(12(2)), 1-7. Wyckoff, S. C. (1999). The academic advising process in higher education: History, research, and improvement. Recruitment & Retention in Higher Education, 13(1), 1-3. Yarbrough, D. (2002). The engagement model for effective academic advising with undergraduate college students and student organizations. Journal of Humanistic Counselling, Education & Development, 41(1),