Academic advising
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Academic advising is, according to the
National Academic Advising Association NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It is an international, educational association of individuals engaged in the work of academic advising. Its membership of over 10,000 international indivi ...
, "a series of intentional interactions with a
curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
, a
pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken as ...
, and a set of student learning outcomes. Academic advising synthesizes and contextualizes students' educational experiences within the frameworks of their aspirations, abilities and lives to extend learning beyond campus boundaries and timeframes."National Academic Advising Association. (2006). ''NACADA concept of academic advising.''


History

Academic advising traces its beginnings to the earliest of
American colleges Below are links to lists of institutions of higher education in the United States (colleges and universities) by state, grouped by Census Region, as well as lists of institutions in United States insular areas and of American institutions locat ...
including
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. The book ''Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook'', sponsored by the
National Academic Advising Association NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It is an international, educational association of individuals engaged in the work of academic advising. Its membership of over 10,000 international indivi ...
(NACADA), contains chapters on the historical foundations, theory, current practices, ethics, and legal issues of academic advising. According to Kramer (as cited in Harrison, 2004), the history of faculty as academic advisors can be traced back to 1841 at Kenyon College. At that time, the college required students to choose a faculty member to be their advisor. The faculty member would then help the student determine what courses they needed to take in order to graduate.


Standards

Of significance to the profession of academic advising are the Standards and Guidelines for Academic Advising that have been developed by the
Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) is a consortium of 41 higher education professional associations representing over 115,000 professionals, many with international constituencies, that promotes the development o ...
(CAS) and endorsed by the
National Academic Advising Association NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It is an international, educational association of individuals engaged in the work of academic advising. Its membership of over 10,000 international indivi ...
(NACADA). These Standards and Guidelines are available at th
NACADA web site
The Standards and their accompanying Guidelines cover thirteen areas from Mission to Assessment. The current Standards and Guidelines were last updated in 2005.


Models

A variety of approaches exist to academic advising, each of which is informed by the goals of the advisor-student interaction. Three principle models of advising include developmental advising, prescriptive advising, and intrusive advising.


Developmental Advising

Developmental advising was first introduced by Crookson in 1972. This approach is focused on helping students explore and define academic, career and life goals and pathways, and develop
problem-solving Problem solving is the process of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles, a frequent part of most activities. Problems in need of solutions range from simple personal tasks (e.g. how to turn on an appliance) to complex issues in business an ...
and
decision-making In psychology, decision-making (also spelled decision making and decisionmaking) is regarded as the Cognition, cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or a course of action among several possible alternative options. It could be ...
skills through collaborative and process-oriented
advising Advice (noun) or advise (verb) may refer to: * Advice (opinion), an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct * Advice (constitutional law) a frequently binding instruction issued to a constitutional office-holder * Advice (p ...
. Fostering a relationship between the advisor and student is critical to this model, which is based primarily on adult development theory and student development theory. Although many studies have shown that students generally prefer this approach it can require a greater commitment of time and resources compared to other advising models. It also allows for advisors to honor the life and career experiences of adult learners in higher education.


Prescriptive Advising

The prescriptive or traditional advising model is focused primarily on providing students with information directly related to their
academic program An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including unde ...
and progress, such as academic policies, major/program requirements and course selection. Prescriptive advising is normally initiated by the student as the goal of this approach is to address immediate questions to facilitate the student’s progress through their academic program, rather than play a role in helping the student form long-term goals beyond their academic pursuits. This type of advising is sometimes equated to a doctor-patient relationship model.


Intrusive Advising

A model for intrusive advising (also known as high involvement or proactive advising) was first introduced by Glennon in 1975. A defining feature of this approach is that contact is initiated by the advisor rather than the student. Generally, contact with students is initiated at critical periods throughout a student’s academic career, such as during a student’s first year of study, while taking developmental or remedial courses, before they must declare a major, or as they approach graduation. Additionally, particular cohorts of students may be targeted such as academically at-risk students (e.g. students on probation), or high-achieving students. In practice intrusive advising has been shown to have a positive impact on developmental/remedial undergraduate mathematics course pass rates, as well as student retention and degree attainment rates, and research indicates that students prefer this approach to advising over strictly prescriptive advising. However, it is important to note that some students may find this approach invasive.


Effectiveness

Academic advising is shown to be more successful when advisors hold face-to-face appointments with their advisees. Particularly with topics like future classes, and careers. Face-to-face interactions make advising more meaningful for the students. Additionally, students place more importance on the supportive and caring nature of their relationship with their advisor than on the particular approach to advising. Participation in academic advising has been shown to increase student satisfaction and mitigate students’ feelings of isolation or disconnection from the institution as a whole, both of which according to Tinto (as cited in Gravel, 2012 ) are linked to with increased
university student retention University student retention, sometimes referred to as persistence, is a process to try to improve graduation rates and decrease a loss of tuition revenue via programs such via peer pressure, student academic programs, counselor and faculty monitor ...
and graduation rates, and reduced attrition and withdrawal rates. This effect has been documented for both traditional ‘on-campus’ institution and institutions which offer courses and/or entire programs through online/virtual formats.


See also

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Academic administration Academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities. Some t ...
*
Academic detailing Academic detailing is "university or non-commercial-based educational outreach." The process involves face-to-face education of prescribers by trained health care professionals, typically pharmacists, physicians, or nurses. The goal of academic de ...
*
University Counseling Center A university counseling center (UCC) provides mental health and other services within a university or college environment. The need for these services is on the rise. Counseling center directors and other student affairs personnel have reported an i ...
*
Appreciative advising Appreciative advising (AA) is an academic advising philosophy that provides a framework for optimizing student-advisor interactions both in 1:1 and group settings. Appreciative advising is based on David Cooperrider's organizational development th ...


References

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External links


Academic Advising Center, Queens College, The City University of New York
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Advisor Group: Academic Advising Professional Networking and Collaboration website
Learning