Presented by:

Anna Mays, DCCCD Team Lead, Texas Completes

Jarlene DeCay, De’Aira Holloway, Kimberly Moore & Jermain Pipkins DCCCD Academic Advising Council

Transforming Academic Advising & the Student Experience

within DCCCD Colleges

2013 NTCC Leadership Convocation

• Redesign students educational experiences

• Reinvent institutional roles

• Reset the system to create incentives

Transformation

Transforming Community College Success • TexasCompletes.com

State Partners

• Examined data and best practices with leaders from various colleges

• Identified key District policies and procedures to promote student success

• Worked to reallocate existing resources

• Developed a comprehensive action plan

Actions

•

Connection: College Readiness

(K – 12)

Placement Test Preparation, Program of Study, Guidance, Dual

Credit

Entry: First Time in College

Advising for Career Pathways and Redesign

of Student Success Courses

Progress:Student who

completes 30+ hours

Redesign Developmental Education and Core

Curriculum to Reduce Time

Completion:Certificate & Degree

Automatic graduation & reverse transfer

Actions Taken:Implementation

Helping students clarify their values and goals

Leading students to better understand the nature and purpose of higher education

Providing accurate information about educational options, requirements, policies and procedures

Goals of Academic Advising

Clarify student expectations.

Improve our programs and services.

Demonstrate that Advising IS Teaching

Accountability for all/Limited Resources

Increase Institutional Effectiveness (Better Decision Making & Planning)

Accreditation…SACS REQUIRES IT!

Advising as a teaching & learning experience

In the ability to identify realistic academic and career goals as well as a program to achieve them

In the ability to make connections among courses in the curriculum and to integrate learning

In the self-awareness of the relationship between one’s education and one’s life

Advising as Teaching Focuses on Student Growth

Facilitator of communication

Coordinator of learning experiences

Referral agent who connects students with all of an institution’s resources and co-curricular opportunities that can help them be successful

Advisor-as-Teacher

To value the learning processTo apply decision-making strategiesTo put the college experience into

perspectiveTo set priorities and evaluate eventsTo develop thinking and learning skillsTo make informed choices

Core Values, NACADA

Advisors Teach

Students

Teaching

Engaging students in actual participation in their learning

Giving students feedback on their progress Helping students learn toanalyze and problem solve

Advising

Guiding students to be self-directed and

autonomous

Working together theadvisor and student regularlyevaluate the student’s goalsand progress toward thosegoals

Assisting students indecision-making skills

Proactive interactions with students

Connecting with students before a situation occurs that cannot be fixed

Active concern for students’ academic preparation

A willingness to assist students in exploring services and programs to improve skills and increase academic motivation

Upcraft & Kramer, 1995

Intrusive Advising

Developmental Model Prescriptive Model

Focus: potentials Focus: limitations

Growth-oriented Problem-oriented

Proactive Reactive

Equal & shared problem solving

Authoritarian advice giving

Shared responsibility Responsibility is advisor’s

Student wants to learn; capable of self-direction

Student not highly motivated; requires close supervision

Shared evaluation Advisor evaluates alone

Shared initiative Advisor takes initiative

Relationship basis: trust & respect

Relationship basis: status

Developmental vs. Prescriptive

Crookston, 1972

Colleges in DCCCD developed common advising syllabus,

including:

Mission/Purpose of Academic AdvisingResponsibilities of AdvisorsResponsibilities of AdviseesLearning Outcomes

Developing an Advising Syllabus

The DCCCD Advising Curriculum

Implementation of common Academic Advising Syllabus within advising practice at all DCCCD colleges

Development of new advising model that incorporates college-specific organizational models and core advising functions aligned with student stages (Connection, Entry, Progress, Completion)

Training of faculty on critical advising information

Development of new technology tools (Student Plan)

TEXAS COMPLETESNext steps

Models for delivering advising services may be categorized as one of three organizational structures: Centralized Decentralized SharedWithin each type of structure are seven organizational models of academic advising.

Organizational Models

In a centralized structure, professional and faculty advisors are housed in one academic or administrative unit. All advising, from orientation through completion, takes place in this one unit, such as an advising center and all advisors report to an advising or counseling director and are generally housed under one location. An example of this type of structure is the self-contained model.

Centralized

In the Self-Contained Model, all advising occurs in either an advising center or a counseling center that is staffed primarily by professional advisors or counselors; however, faculty may be assigned to advise students at the center on a part-time basis. Faculty members are not involved in the advising process on a regular basis. The self-contained model is one of the two most frequent used models at 2-year public colleges (29%).

Self-contained model

In a decentralized structure, professional or faculty advisors are located in their respective academic departments. There are two types of Decentralized models

Decentralized

Faculty-Only Model: Students are assigned a faculty advisor at enrollment

Faculty only model

decentralized

Student Faculty

Satellite Model: Students are assigned to advising offices within an academic department. Advising is done primarily by professional advisors and not faculty

Satellite model

decentralized

Student A

Student B

Academic Subunit or Advising office

Academic Subunit or Advising office

In a shared structure, some advisors meet with students in a central administrative unit (i.e., an advising center), while others advise students in the academic department of their major discipline, based on certain criteria. There are four types of shared models.

Shared

In a supplementary model, all students are assigned to a department or faculty advisor. There is a central administrative unit (advising center) with professional staff to support the department advisors (usually faculty) by providing resources and training. The center might serve students when they need transfer course evaluation or a degree audit

Supplementary modelshared

Faculty

Advising Office

Student

In a split model, the initial advising is divided between an advising office and the academic subunits. The office advises specific groups of students, such as those that are undecided or on probation. Once specific conditions are met (declared a major or back in good standing) students may be assigned to an academic subunit where they could be advised by faculty or other professional advisors. The split model is one of the two most frequent used models at 2-year public colleges (28%)

Split modelshared

In a dual model, students have 2 advisors, a faculty advisor within the academic department/subunit and an advisor in the central advising office. The professional advisors assist with policies & procedures, registration issues, drop/add, etc. Faculty advisors assist with academic course and academic major issues.

Dual modelshared

In a total intake model, all of the initial advising occurs through one a centralized advising office where all initial registration, institutional policy and procedures and other course specific information is handled. Students are assigned to faculty or academic subunit professional advisor once specified conditions are met (declared major, completed 30 hours, etc.).

Total intake modelshared

What we do!

Assessment Cycle

Continuous improvement

1. What is the mission of advising at your institution currently?

2. What is your vision for academic advising at your institution?

3. What needs to change to make your vision a reality?

4. What steps need to be taken to affect that change?

Exercise

Questions, CommentsContact Information:Anna MaysEmail: amays@dcccd.edu972-860-2931

Thank you