A Faculty Guide to Academic Advising - NACADA

A Faculty Guide to
Academic Advising
In spite of recent changes in higher education and increasing
demands on faculty time, academic advising remains a central
responsibility for most faculty. This makes the faculty advisor, as
Marc Lowenstein (2005) noted, “. . . arguably the most important
person in the student’s educational world” (p.69).
Additionally, research consistently and clearly identifies the
connections students make with faculty members both in and out of
the classroom as essential to their academic success and persistence
to graduation. Faculty members’ role for academic mentoring and
advising is a major factor in students’ understanding of higher
education, the curriculum, and the joy of meeting their academic
goals and career aspirations.
Yet many faculty may not be clear as to why academic advising
has such a profound purpose and influence. This NACADA
Pocket Guide examines the need for good advising for students,
demonstrating that academic advising is not about registering
students, but rather about student learning. This Guide offers
practical suggestions and considerations to help faculty advisors
create productive advising relationships, including Twelve Tips for
Good Advising (p.14).
Advising as Teaching and Learning
The Preamble to NACADA’s Concept of Academic Advising
identifies the similarities between teaching and advising by stating
that “Academic advising is integral to fulfilling the teaching and
learning mission of higher education” (NACADA 2006). Both
share similar goals for student learning. As advisors and teachers,
faculty help students learn to
• value the learning process;
• set priorities and evaluate information;
• develop higher order thinking and learning skills; and
• deal with complex ideas and choices.
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As faculty advisors, we must have a clear sense of purpose about
advising in the same way that we have a clear purpose when
teaching a course. What do we want students to learn during
advising discussions Or, in more familiar terms, what should be
the “advising curriculum”
Consider how an advising appointment offers the primary place
in which students can reflect on the meaning of their educational
programs. When understood in this way, the academic advising
curriculum has the following goals. It
• allows students time to think about the meaning of their course
choices;
• helps students make connections between what they are learning
in and beyond the classroom; and
• guides students in learning about the purpose and meaning of
the academic curriculum as well as the academic mission of the
institution.
These curricular goals can be easily linked to specific student
learning outcomes critical for student success. We should discuss
with our advisees how advising might teach them to
• clarify personal values and educational goals;
• guide their decision-making;
• learn how to gather needed information systematically; and
• reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and how these affect
their academic plans.
Identifying student learning outcomes for academic advising helps
us focus our discussions with students. For example, advisees
must learn certain types of information, e.g., campus rules and
procedures that will help them build a reasonable schedule that
meets requirements and also satisfies their intellectual interests. A
further learning outcome might be to articulate the purpose of their
choices and how these choices meet institutional expectations for
their learning. Making these connections will demonstrate learning
of higher order and reflective thinking skills (Martin 2007).
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Helping Students Learn
Placing learning at the center of academic advising suggests that
the faculty advisor should organize and create situations that help
students meet specific learning goals. Research in education and
psychology provides insights that can help guide our teaching
strategies in the academic advising experience:
• Students are active learners who draw on their current
understandings and their social context to process what they are
learning. This is called the “construction of knowledge.”
• Effective learning strategies are based on knowledge of the
individual learners.
In other words, we should know our students. This type of
information can be gleaned from the institutional environment and
from advisee files, advising notes, transcripts, and our interactions
with students. This general knowledge can provide a basis for
identifying questions that might encourage critical and reflective
thinking. This approach to advising involves
• beginning a dialogue in which the advisor guides students;
• teaching students to recognize and benefit from both their success
and challenges;
• asking questions that require students to think reflectively in
order to respond; and
• teaching students to express, justify and discuss individual goals
and ideas.
Approaching academic advising as an
opportunity for student learning might
sound like a tall order for already overworked
faculty members. Understanding how we can
integrate learning outcomes into advising
will help us direct students to achieve their
academic goals. This Pocket Guide offers
practical advice that makes it possible for any
faculty member to become a great advisor.
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References and Resources
Hemwall, M. and Trachte, K. (2005). Advising as learning: 10
organizing principles. NACADA Journal 25(2), 74-83.
Lowenstein, M. (2005). If advising is teaching, What do advisors
teach NACADA Journal 25(2), 65-73.
Martin, H. (2007). Constructing learning objectives for academic
advising. Retrieved June 15, 2009, from NACADA Clearinghouse
of Academic Advising Resources Web site: www.nacada.ksu.edu/
Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Learning-outcomes.htm.
Reynolds, M. (2004). Faculty advising in a learner-centered
environment: A small college perspective. Academic Advising
Today 27(2) 1-2.
Practical Tools and Tips
Academic advising offers the opportunity to engage students in
learning. Yet how can faculty encourage learning during advising
discussions that are typically not lengthy and may occur only
intermittently If we are to help advisees develop critical thinking
skills, value their educational experiences, and make important
connections between their academic lives and career goals, then
we must have specific information and tools. Simple steps offer
solutions.
Using an Advising Syllabus
Like the course syllabus used
for a class, an advising syllabus
introduces the purpose of advising
and helps students understand
the role of the advisor. It offers
key information about the nature,
responsibilities, and goals of the
advising relationship. If we believe
that students have a right to learn
from us and that academic advising
is more than just reviewing degree
requirements and scheduling
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classes, then an advising syllabus becomes an effective tool in
providing essential information that otherwise must be repeated in
numerous advising conversations.
So that advisor/advisee expectations can be established right away,
the syllabus is generally handed out either during orientation or at
that first advising meeting, and should include
• the advisor’s contact information, office location and office hours;
• a calendar of important dates (e.g., last day to drop or withdraw
from a course);
• important campus resources (e.g., the on-line undergraduate
bulletin, registrar, bursar, and financial aid office information);
• an area for advisors to personalize the syllabus with any
suggestions or recommendations for their students; and
• the rights and responsibilities of both students and faculty in the
advising/mentoring relationship.
The syllabus should also clearly state advisors’ expectations for
students, including that they
• actively participate in the advising process;
• come prepared to discuss problems and challenges; and
• are responsible for their own actions.
The syllabus should explain to advisees that advisors have
responsibilities as well. These responsibilities may include that
advisors
• be punctual;
• provide accurate information;
• treat students with respect;
• address students’ needs with confidentiality;
• keep accurate records of contacts and student progress;
• refer students to appropriate support services;
• assist students in decision making;
• allow students to make final decisions; and
• maintain time limits for appointments.
With expectations and responsibilities clearly delineated in a
syllabus, advisors can more easily turn their attention to the primary
purpose of the advising meeting, e.g., discussion of academic goals,
career mentoring, course scheduling, or discussion of academic or
personal matters.
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