Appreciative Advising in a Group Setting: Balancing Advisor Time and Student

Development

Erin Alanson & Jessica KingUniversity Honors Program

Our Session

• UHP overview

• Advising frameworks

• Second year student needs

• Group advising model

• Impact & implementation

Key Questions• What are the needs of our

students?

• What are our goals for advising?

• What can we accomplish individually and in groups? What are the trade-offs?

• How can we help our students become members of an intellectual community?

University Honors ProgramUniversity Honors is committed to helping students

maximize their educational opportunities at UC while discovering and pursuing their passions in life and using their gifts and talents to make meaningful contributions to society.

Development & Framework

Emphasis on experiential learning

Consultant Visit & Results• Comprehensive review of program and

structure – October 2010, per then-Provost Ono

• Expanded responsibilities & staff size• Continue use and integration/reflection

via learning portfolios• Annual mandatory advising for all

students

Touch Points with UHP Students

• HNRS 1010: Gateway to University Honors• First year advising

– 30 min. individual appointment

• Year in review reflective essay– Submitted through a learning portfolio

• Second and third year advising– Group advising sessions

• Fourth year advising– TBD

Models of Reflection

• What?– What happened?

• So What?– What impact did the

experience make?• Now What?

– Where do you go and what do you do next?

Kolb’s Model of

Experiential Education

(1984)

Gibb’s Model of Learning by Doing

(1988)

Appreciative Advising • Student-centered and relational

framework for helping support pursuit of dreams, passions, and goals

• Collaborative, six-phase process using positive, open-ended questions

• Phases covered in 2Y advising:– Dream: Inquire about students’ hopes and

dreams for the future

– Design: Co-create a plan for making dreams a reality

Second Year Student Needs• According to Schaller (2005), 2Y

students:– feel frustrated with relationships or

academic experiences.

– need to explore opportunities and begin taking responsibility for their actions.

• Schaller suggests that students need to be taught to reflect on their curricular and co-curricular experiences

Addressing 2Y Student NeedsThrough reflection and guided conversations help students:• select meaningful experiences• identify salient pieces of their

identity (interpersonal, intrapersonal & cognitive)

• set personal and professional goals

• refine and/or identify their passion

Overview of 2Y Group AdvisingSession Outline:• Welcome and check-in (10 minutes)

• Introductions (10-15 minutes)

• Building connections w/ others surrounding identity development (25 minutes)

• Individual written reflection followed by pair & share (30 minutes)

• Program updates and opportunities for exploration (30 minutes)

• Questions/concerns (15 minutes)

BEST LEARNING EXPERIENCEBEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE

MOST CHALLENGING EXPERIENCEMOST CHALLENGING EXPERIENCE

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENTGROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

ACCOMPLISHMENTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS

UNCERTAINTYUNCERTAINTY

How are our identities evolving?

Sample Reflection Questions• What did you learn about yourself

during your first year? Why is this information meaningful?

• Describe a significant relationship and what you’ve learned as a result.

• In the efforts you’ve made to achieve your goals, consider who has challenged and/or persuaded you to change your path. How did you respond?

UHPRequirements

$200

$300

$400

$500

Campus Opportunities

$200

$300

$500

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$100

UHP Updates

ProfessionalDevelopment

UHPInvolvement

Final Jeopardy!

$400

$100

Overview of 2Y Group AdvisingLogistics• 2 hour sessions (1 hour 45 minutes of content

followed by time for individual questions)

• Up to 20 students per session

• Location: Swift Hall

• Students register via Starfish

• Advisors follow up with individualized e-mail after the session and record notes

Student Satisfaction Results

“[Second Year Group Advising] really forced me to slow down and think about the most

important things I have learned in my first year of college, not only in

the classroom, but also in life experiences.”

• Students appreciated the opportunity to reflect on their accomplishments, receive updates, and network with peers

• Some students thought the session was too long and still wanted to meet individually with their advisor

Significance & Impact• Experiential education and

integrative learning• Interviews (e.g., jobs,

PLME, NCA) • Co-op, internship, and

professional placements• Personal statements & grad

school applications• Participating in an

intellectual community

“I think that the opportunities for reflection were extremely valuable. I don't always have a lot of time to sit and reflect about what has been the best experience or where I need to grow so doing the activity with the post-its and the reflective

worksheet were both good ways to go through [and] reflect on where I am.”

Implementation Challenges

• Time-intensive follow up

• Blocks of time conducive to student schedules

• Relies on existing relationships– Fostering student buy-in – Staffing/advising transitions

• Not exclusively about saving advisor time– More aptly focused on deepening student learning

and development through peer collaboration

References

• Bloom, J.L., Huston, B.L., & He, Y. (2008). The Appreciative Advising Revolution. Champaign, Stipes Publishing, LLC.

• Sanchez, L. “Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd: Can Group Advising be Appreciate and Effective.” The Mentor, July 2008.

• Schaller, M. “Wandering and Wondering: Traversing the Uneven Terrain of the Second College Year.” About Campus, 10(3), 17-24.

Contact Information

Erin AlansonAssistant DirectorAcademic Advisor

Erin.Alanson@uc.edu556-6288

Jessica KingSr. Assistant Director &

Academic AdvisorJessica.King@uc.edu

556-6274

http://www.uc.edu/honors

honors@uc.edu

705 Swift Hall