Implementing Advisor Development Across the University Moving the Iceberg Implementing Advisor Development Across the University

Who We Are Dr. Carolyn Haynes Meghan Morris Chanelle White Associate Provost Academic Advisor Farmer School of Business Assistant Director of Academic Advising Farmer School of Business

Let’s Talk Why? How? What? What now? Structure Training Recognition Assessment What? Academic advising council Advising organization First-year experience course What now?

Why?

The Phone Call…

Context: Miami University Public institution in Ohio Liberal education Mostly traditionally aged, upper-middle-class students Residential community (main campus) Focus: teaching & scholarship 3 campuses 120 majors 14,500 undergraduates

Before No formal awards or recognition Assessment outcomes conducted sporadically Multiple Hand-offs from advisor to advisor; uneven communication Advisor training conducted unevenly No shared philosophy or goals No formal awards or recognition No comprehensive site for advising resources

Why? Why do you have the current approach to advisor training in your area or at your institution? What are some of the external drivers that influence advisor training (politics, funding, decision-makers, etc.)? What are some of your current best practices?

How?

Structure

Structure Undergraduate Academic Advising Council (UAAC) Provost Chaired by Associate Provost Assistant deans from each academic division Reps from Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Provost UNV 101/FYE Steering Committee Associate Provost Enrollment Management Student Affairs Leaders UNV 101 & FYE Miami University Academic Support & Advising Association (MUASAA) Grassroots Open to all advisors and academic support staff UAAC MUASAA

Shared Philosophy Learner-centered advising requires advisors and academic support specialists who are: Experts in their area of responsibility See every opportunity the student needs to make a choice as a learning opportunity Assist students in steadily gaining ownership over the whole college experience

Shared Philosophy Through conversation and dialogue: Teach students purposefully and intentionally to value the learning process Apply decision-making strategies Put the college experience into perspective Set priorities Develop thinking and learning skills Make informed choices

Training

Recognition

Four Tiers of Recognition Provost’s Annual Advising Excellence Award Master Advisor Certification: Modules 1-6; demonstration of excellence in advising (publication, presentation, assessment data) Level A Status: Completion of Modules 1-6 Level B Status: Completion of First Four Advisor Development Modules All are honored with letter from Provost and invitation to Annual Advisor Reception

Assessment

How? How is advising structured in your area/at your institution? Who are the key players in decision-making? How are advisors … trained? recognized? assessed?

What?

MUASAA Miami University Academic Support and Advising Association Connecting advisors with resources and each other to promote advising excellence. Created in 2015 Supports academic advisors at all university levels: Faculty Professional staff advisors Academic support personnel Other entities   Committees: Professional & Community Development Annual Symposium Communications *Coming soon*: New Advisor Welcome

UNV 101: First-Year Experience 90 sections 85% of incoming students across all campuses Varied staffing models; majority taught by staff Syllabus & course modules: common and customizable Stand-alone or incorporated into existing transition course Instructor development Trained peer mentors (Undergraduate Associates)

Learning Outcomes Understand a liberal arts education Prepare for academic advising appointment Utilize campus resources and e-tools (Degree Audit Report) in pursuit of goals Gain awareness of the relationship between culture and identity Examine how one’s behavior and decisions impact self and community (e.g., healthy lifestyle, bystander, academic integrity) Outline an intentional academic and co-curricular plan

Observed Outcomes 91.8 88.9 Resistance Satisfaction 2013 2017 First-to-Second Year Retention Rate Declining faculty resistance to advisor development Students more satisfied with academic advising (focus groups) Greater collaboration & shared ownership for advising across academic divisions Increased advising awareness among Provost, Deans, & Chairs Data for identifying areas for advising improvement

What? What resources does your area/institution have for: advisors? students? What existing resources, partners, and tools can you utilize?

What Now?

New & Revised Advising Policies Advisor expectations included in New Faculty Orientation Inclusion in Annual Activity Report & Promotion/Tenure Dossiers Annual Review and Revision of Advising-Related Policies/Processes: Transfer credit Grade forgiveness Terminal residency New programming for students returning from academic suspension New outreach for students with academic risk factors

What Now? What challenges does your area/institution face? What opportunities exist?

Thank you! Dr. Carolyn Haynes Meghan Morris Chanelle White Associate Provost haynesca@miamioh.edu Academic Advisor Farmer School of Business morris89@miamioh.edu Assistant Director of Academic Advising Farmer School of Business chanelle.white@miamioh.edu