Strategies for Effective Advising in a Constantly Changing EnvironmentPresented by:

Maureen Bell-Werner and Shannon Hennessey

Outline of Information

I. Identify common advising struggles

II. History of Lincoln Plan and how advising has changed at SIUE

III. Discuss strategies for effective advising amidst change

IV. Case Studies-Application of strategies in real advising situations

V. Conclusion

An advisor’s desk before major changes…

After major changes…Where do you begin?

What Changes Impact Advisors?

• Program changes

• Policy changes

• Departmental changes

• University changes

• General Education changes

History of the Lincoln Plan & How Advising Has Changed at SIUE 2008/ The Office of Academic Advising (for

2009 Undeclared/Undecided Advising) moved to the Provost’s Office and professional advising

across all schools and colleges began instead of a mix of professional/faculty

advising

2010 Lincoln Plan was being finalized

2011 Advising Council and the Professional Development Committee

are established

2012 Lincoln Program Year 1 (LP1) was born

2013 Lincoln Program Year 2 (LP2) came along as well

2014/ Lincoln Program Year 3 (LP3) and Lincoln Plan 2015 (LP) will be fully realized and students for a

period of years can be under 1 of 6 different general education programs

Strategies that came about for Effective Advising within the Office of Academic Advising

Liaison relationships Internal curriculum committee

Curriculum guides Strong working relationships

Detailed notes Advocating for students

Partner with those that have a voice for change

Liaison Relationships

Implemented several years ago when only one general education program existed

Each advisor is paired with departments and/or support offices to provide a direct line of communication between offices.

For example: One advisor in Academic Advising liaisons with the School of Business Student Services. She also liaisons with International Student Services.

Curriculum Guides

Suggested 4 year plans for each major

Have been in existence for several years

Revamped for the new Lincoln Plan to be shared with departments to identify potential issues (2010)

Partner with the departments to ensure accuracy For examples, please see our website

http://www.siue.edu/advising/majors.shtml

Internal Curriculum Committee

Not to be confused with Curriculum Council, the campus-wide governing body of university curricula

In-house working group that assists in editing curriculum guides

Given the opportunity this year to review next year’s undergraduate catalog for clarifications and make suggested changes

i.e. Old classes that have been renumbered that are still showing up in the catalog

Partner with other Professional Advisors across campus

Strengthen Working Relationships

Many of these previous strategies strengthen working relationships

Professional Development Committee provides a monthly opportunity for professional advisors across campus to come together and learn and discuss

Strengthens working relationships by information sharing and understanding

After this topic was presented for an event sponsored by the Professional Development Committee and the Advising Council, a suggestion was made to have advisors across schools meet annually to discuss curriculum and changes pending approval by faculty. This will be a way to close the information gap between different advising units.

Partner with Those that have a Voice for Change

Provide advisors a voice by working closely with your supervisor

Know the appropriate chain of command, i.e. discuss potential issues with the Director of Academic Advising who can share with the Registrar and/or Provost

The Office of Academic Advising reports directly to the Provost’s Office which means we do not answer to a specific academic college or school. This provides us increased institutional support.

Advocating for Students

In constant change, advocating for students is extremely important

Examples of the way we advocate: communicate with the Registrar’s Office, look at pending changes through the students’ perspectives, supporting student appeals when necessary, provide good customer service

Detailed Notes

Detailed notes on GradesFirst, our online scheduling/note tracking system

Keeps all advisors on the same page

Indicates which of the six general education programs the student is following

Allows for upload of important documents regarding course planning, substitutions, and other forms that may be helpful for graduation checks

Provides consistency for students in scheduling appointments

Case Study One

 

A student completed Speech 105 and then registered for Speech 101. You look back at your notes and see your advised the student to choose an elective. It is now week four of the current semester, how do you handle this situation?

Background information: SPC 105 changed course number to SPC 101. This student is taking the same course again but does not need to repeat it. There are no refunds given after Week 2 at SIUE.

Strategies Utilized in Case Study One

Accurate, detailed case notes including dates

Maintaining written documentation

Advocating for student appeal process, even when it is not advisor error

Liaison relationship with Service Center

Suggestion to the Registrar that there is a clarification on CougarNet, the online course registration system, about the course

Case Study Two

A student sits down in your office for a first appointment with you. The student last met with an advisor in another department/school. Upon reviewing their current classes, you wonder why he is taking a certain course this semester. In a situation of perceived misadvising, how do you handle that and what strategies do you use?

Strategies Utilized in Case Study Two

Accurate, detailed case notes including dates

Keep dates of when changes were implemented. (In this situation,the student was advised prior to the changes being communicated.)

Advocating for the student about a possible substitution

Strong working relationships with other advisors

Contact advisor directly for clarification instead of sending the student across campus

Conclusion

We have no control over change but must find innovative ways to deal with the constant changes that come our way.

We must continue to put students first and continue to provide the most accurate, up to date information.

It is important to find and utilize the strategies that work best in your environment. To do this, it’s imperative to have conversations on your campus about how you will best handle change.