Strategies for Effective Advising in a Constantly Changing Environment Presented 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 2009Undeclared/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  2010Lincoln Plan was being finalized  2011Advising Council and the Professional Development Committee are established  2012Lincoln Program Year 1 (LP1) was born  2013Lincoln 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 relationshipsInternal curriculum committee Curriculum guidesStrong working relationships Detailed notesAdvocating 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

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.