Academic Advising: Past, Present and Future Maura Reynolds Hope College

In medieval times, a preceptor shared his knowledge with his students

In 1841, Kenyon College (Ohio) uses the term “advisor”

In the 1880s, a system of faculty advisors was established at Johns Hopkins.

In the 1960s, two new delivery systems were introduced Centralized advising centers Peer & professional advisors

In 1972, Terry O’Banion outlined five dimensions of advising  Exploring life goals  Exploring vocational goals  Choosing a program  Choosing courses  Scheduling courses

In 1977, a national meeting about academic advising. Over the next 2 years, NACADA was established.

In 1970s and 1980s, developmental advising: Became the dominant paradigm Extended advising beyond scheduling Drew on student development theory Emphasized shared responsibility

Learning-Centered d Advising Academically focused Student focused Mission focused Advisors = facilitators Students = active 2006

“Academic advising is integral to fulfilling the teaching and learning mission of higher education.” NACADA Concept of Academic Advising Preamble, 2006

Advising focuses on helping students make sense of their education as a whole, not as a series of isolated experiences or items on a checklist.

“An excellent advisor does the same for the student’s entire curriculum that the excellent teacher does for one course.” Marc Lowenstein, 2005

“Perhaps the most urgent reform on most campuses in improving general education involves academic advising. To have programs and courses become coherent and significant to students requires adequate advising.” Task Force on General Education Association of American Colleges 1988

Learning-centered advising raises questions like What should students learn through advising? How might they learn these things? Why is this learning important—for students and our institutions?

What excellent teachers do: Actively engage students in learning Teach students how to evaluate information Give feedback, encouragement, reinforcement Show knowledge, interest, enthusiasm

In recent years… colleges and universities have been working to become more intentional both about the purposes of education and about the practices that help today’s students succeed in college. Peer Review, Toward Intentionality and Integration, Fall 2008, Carol Geary Schneider

“It’s hard to imagine any academic function more important to student success and institutional productivity than advising.” George Kuh, The student learning agenda NACADA Journal,1997

High school rigor & good advice: Setting up students to succeed Center for Public Education National School Boards Association October 2012

“Possibly the most surprising finding was the strength of academic advising as a factor in persistence.”

“ The lesson to colleges is clear: policies to encourage these (advising) relationships can go a long way toward making sure students are on pace to earn a degree.”

Advising today Who advises? How is advising organized?

Advising “Loads” What does advising involve? Does advising have a mission statement and identifiable goals? Is advising mandatory? How often do students meet with advisors? What other duties do advisors have? Are student needs being met? Is the program assessed?

Advising is more important than ever—issues now and in the future Increased demands; decreased resources Cost of higher education Changing regulations State of economy and job market Expectations of students and families Pressure to retain and graduate “on time”