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

2. 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

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

4. Why?

5. The Phone Call…

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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?

9. How?

10. Structure

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Training

15. Recognition

16. 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

17. Assessment

18. 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?

19. What?

20. 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

21. UNV 101: First-Year Experience90
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)

22. 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

23. 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

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

25. What Now?

26. 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

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

28. Thank you! Dr. Carolyn Haynes Meghan Morris Chanelle White
Associate Provost
Academic Advisor
Farmer School of Business
Assistant Director of Academic Advising
Farmer School of Business