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Introduction
Academic advising should focus on student learning within
the context of a student's personal characteristics such as
interests, values and abilities. Effective advising is a developmental
process. As described by David Crockett (1984, p.1) "Academic
advising is a developmental process which assists students
in the clarification of their life and career goals and in
the development of educational plans for the realization of
these goals. It is a decision making process by which students
realize their maximum educational potential through communication
and information exchanges with an advisor. The advisor serves
as a facilitator of communication, a coordinator of learning
experiences through course and career planning and academic
progress review and as an agent of referral to other campus
agencies as necessary."
The challenge of providers of academic advising via Distance
Education as to be able to offer a minimum set of core services
related to academic advising which assist distance learners
in identifying and achieving their maximum educational potential
which enables them to reach their educational goals.
History
Academic advising has long been recognized as an essential
educational service provided by institutions of higher education.
In fact, the first formal system to be recognized was at John
Hopkins University in 1877. However, we can track an informal
reference regarding academic advising to Kenyon College 1841
"each student chooses a faculty member who would be an
advisor and friend, as well as a medium of communication."
Although advising has traditionally been viewed as a person-to-person
activity, the future of academic advising resides on the degree
to which technology can be deployed to increase both the efficiency
and effectiveness of advising. The by-product of advising
-student retention- as it relates to distance learners is
dependent on their feeling a part of the college community
and that depends greatly on their having access to sound academic
advising.
In recent years the impact of advising and the importance
of providing support of distance learner's ability to successfully
fulfill their educational goals has been well documented.
This has had both AACRAO and NACADA establish mission statements
and standards for distance learner support services programs
that focus on academic advising.
Responsibilities
Institution
The institutional philosophy of a distance learning support
services program must be to strive to respond to learner needs
rather than the learner adjusting to an institution's established
organizational structure.
Institutions must recognize the importance of advising and
organize and deliver advising services in the most effective
way possible by including technology enhancements. However,
institutions have a responsibility never to let technology
enhancements compromise the standards that have been set for
the profession as described by CAS and NACADA.
Faculty and Staff
Advise on the level that the student needs and wants. Multiple
systems and/or policies may be required. The principle goal
of academic advising in a distance learner environment is
to provide "individualized guidance" so learners
may become more effective in dealing with concerns that influence
their pursuit of personal learning goals at a distance and
at the time and delivery mode preferred by the learner.
Faculty and staff are responsible for the following in academic
advising:
- Know the academic abilities and background of a student
- Know objectives, interests, motivation of advisees
- Know University regulations
- Know academic programs
- Capitalize in academic planning on those things which
enhance motivation
- Be available
- Know when and whom to refer
Students
Theirs is a commitment to provide students with accurate and
timely information and an internal distance learner network
that connects all processes that are necessary and needed to
support academics advising.
The student is responsible for the following in advising:
- Discussing long range plans and goals
- Discussing their choice of a major
- Making final decisions about choices concerning academic
matters
- Being able and willing to ask intelligent questions about
their degree program
- Seeking help when needed
- Following through on referrals
- Accept responsibility for decisions
Challenges
and Issues
The goal of providing academic advising
to distance learners should be characterized by these same
qualities as considered "good practices" in serving
on-campus learners. Effective advising for distance learners
should include at a minimum the following:
- Convenient — ideally accessible any time, any place
- Easy to access
- Advisors help students to feel a part of the community,
develop academic and career goals, be successful learners
- Understand the type of students the institution is serving
at a distance and what their needs are
- Equal to, but not necessarily the same as, services provided
to on-campus students
- To act as the ombudsman for advisee with the institution,
administrators, faculty and staff to understand their academic
and personal development needs
- To redesign academic advising for distance learners not
just introduce technology
About the Author
Tom Kerr is Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management
for Campus Group International. Previously he served as associate
vice president of enrollment management at Fairleigh Dickinson
University, dean of the College of Evening and Professional
Studies at Drexel University, associate provost for academic
services at Rowan University, and associate dean of academic
and student affairs at Boston University. Among his publications
on advising issues are "Funding Advising: Grant Preparation
and Other Creative Approaches," "Retention is Not
an Isolated Event," and "A Multi-faceted Approach
to Training Advisors." He is a charter member of NACADA
(National Academic Advising Association) and served as president
from 1993 to 1995. He holds a master's degree in industrial
engineering from Northeastern College and a Ph.D. in higher
education from Boston College.
Associations and Organizations
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National Academic Advising Association (NACADA)
http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/
NACADA is a membership organization for Academic Advisors
with a goal to advance the theory and the practice of
academic advising to ensure students’ intellectual, personal,
and social development.
- NACADA Technology in Advising Commission
ttp://www.psu.edu/dus/ncta/index.shtml
NACADA's Technology in Advising Commission is dedicated
to helping academic advisors understand the impact on academic
advising of technologies such as the World Wide Web, email,
degree audits, telephone and online registration, and student
information systems.
- Integrated Counseling and Advisement Network (ICAN)
ttp://www.cpcc.cc.nc.us/ican/
The ICAN site provides resources for students, academic
advisors, and academic advisors and counselors.
-
Florida Engineering Education Delivery System (FEEDS)
http://feeds.eng.usf.edu
The FEEDS site contains resources for students including
policies, resources, courses, and programs.
- Ohio Learning Network
http://www.oln.org
The Ohio Learning Network is a consortium of Ohio's colleges
and universities, all of which are working together to expand
access to learning opportunities for citizens of Ohio.
Publications and Articles
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Student Affairs Online
http://studentaffairs.com/ejournal
An online magazine about tecnology and Student Affairs.
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The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal
http://www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/
The Mentor is a free electronic publication about academic
advising in higher education. The goal of this journal
(available only on the Web) is to provide a mechanism
for the rapid dissemination of new ideas about advising
and for ongoing discourse about advising issues.
- "Virtual Advising: Delivering Student Services" Linda Wagner, Assistant Director for Retention Programs,
State University of West Georgia
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall43/wagner43.html
This paper examines the current objectives and traditional
purposes of academic advising and the current methods of
bringing support services online in light of those objectives.
Campus Sites
-
Career and Academic Counseling, Utah Valley State
College
http://www.uvsc.edu/careeracad/aa.html
This site lists a number of academic counseling resources
from finding an advisor to how to get a parking permit.
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Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Advising
Page
http://ben.franklin.uga.edu/saga/saga.htm
This website provides information for students at
Franklin College of Arts & Sciences.
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Rio Hondo College
http://www.rh.cc.ca.us/students/counseling/
This site provides academic counseling information
for students at Rio Hondo College.
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MBNA Career Services Center, University of Delaware
http://www.udel.edu/CSC/
The mission of the University of Delaware Career
Services Center is to provide the highest quality comprehensive
career services to all students and alumni of the University
of Delaware in order for them to choose and attain personally
rewarding careers. Career services will be presented in
a variety of formats utilizing technology and in an environment
that is supportive and friendly.
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On Course Home Page, University of Arizona
http://wacky.ccit.arizona.edu/~oncourse/home3.html
On Course is a computerized degree audit/advising
support system designed to help students achieve their
academic goals efficiently.
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Penn State eLion academic advising demo site (click the Late Drop link in the left column and follow
the pages)
http://eliondemo.oas.psu.edu/student/demo_student_page.html
eLion is a portal environment for Penn State students
to manage the course load online.
-
Ralphie's Info Center, University of Colorado at
Boulder
http://www.colorado.edu/ralphie/
This site provides services for CU students including
a course catalog, admissions information, an online directory,
and many other helpful inks.
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University of Delaware's Web Initiatives
http://www.mis.udel.edu/main/webinits/
This site provides a list of Web Initiatives which
are demos on how to supply information to students and
staff over the internet.
Corporate Sites |
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