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Advising as Teaching and How It Helps UNC-Pembroke Students Make Sense of Their World

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Advising as Teaching and How It Helps UNC-Pembroke Students Make Sense of Their World

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    1. Jayne K. Drake emple University Advising as Teaching and How It Helps UNC-Pembroke Students Make Sense of Their World

    2. It’s a Given. . . “Good advising may be the single most underestimated characteristic of a successful college experience.” Richard Light Making the Most of College 2001 Read slide So perhaps the message from Richard Light here, among other things, is that we should find a way to encourage more significant advising contacts between our faculty and our students. So I’d like to begin our conversation this morning by asking the faculty advisors with us. . . Read slide So perhaps the message from Richard Light here, among other things, is that we should find a way to encourage more significant advising contacts between our faculty and our students. So I’d like to begin our conversation this morning by asking the faculty advisors with us. . .

    3. How would you define advising at UNC-Pembroke? This is not a rhetorical question. . . . So talk to me. . . . This is not a rhetorical question. . . . So talk to me. . . .

    4. Advising is integral to the teaching and learning mission of higher education.

    5. What Advising Is Not Primarily an administrative function or a paper relationship Providing signatures or a PIN number to students A workshop or in-service day held at UNC-Pembroke in mid-February The traditional role attributed to academic advisors as helping students to select and schedule courses is coming to be recognized as narrow and outdated. More accepted today is the notion that advisors are educators who teach—and assist students in learn—through advising.The traditional role attributed to academic advisors as helping students to select and schedule courses is coming to be recognized as narrow and outdated. More accepted today is the notion that advisors are educators who teach—and assist students in learn—through advising.

    6. Advising should not be considered A judgmental process or a dictatorship—it’s my way or the highway Personal counseling Supplementary to your institution’s educational mission Something anyone can do or should do without some professional development It should not be considered “foisting”—advisors need not foist their will on their students. It’s not a judgmental process in which advisors impose or force courses or services or their own points of view on students. And advisors need not think that they are psychologists or psychotherapists either. I also freely grant you that we just cannot—and should not--expect faculty to become effective advisors without appropriate training—with many apologies to those in the room this morning who may be offended by the word “training.” I will try to avoid using it as much as possible, although you will find it creeping in here and there.It should not be considered “foisting”—advisors need not foist their will on their students. It’s not a judgmental process in which advisors impose or force courses or services or their own points of view on students. And advisors need not think that they are psychologists or psychotherapists either. I also freely grant you that we just cannot—and should not--expect faculty to become effective advisors without appropriate training—with many apologies to those in the room this morning who may be offended by the word “training.” I will try to avoid using it as much as possible, although you will find it creeping in here and there.

    7. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise

    8. Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Advising I. Skills Teaching Advising Knowledge of subject matter Knowledge of institutional policies, procedures, programs of study, referral sources Planning and organizing Preparing for advising course material meetings Let’s go through some of the parallels between teaching and advising. And I would like you to think about your own teaching and how you go about preparing for class, how you actually run your classes, and what learning outcomes you expect students will leave with. Let’s go through some of the parallels between teaching and advising. And I would like you to think about your own teaching and how you go about preparing for class, how you actually run your classes, and what learning outcomes you expect students will leave with.

    9. II. Communication Teaching Advising Clarity of presentation of Sharing information in a subject matter clear way Establish dialogue with Leading student to students in the classroom interact with the advisor Demonstrate effective Listen to what advisees listening skills, not simply say both verbally a talking head and non verbally

    10. Teaching Advising Engaging students in actual Guiding students to be participation in their learning self-directed and autonomous Giving students feedback on Working together, the their progress advisor and students regularly evaluate students’ goals and progress toward goals Helping students learn to Assisting students in analyze and problem solve decision-making skills This is precisely how advising is both teaching and learning.This is precisely how advising is both teaching and learning.

    11. III. “Attitudes” Both a teacher and an advisor Treat students with respect and concern Are accessible and available to students outside the classroom Offer regular encouragement Act as role models for students in the higher education process

    12. Both Good Teaching and Advising: Require appropriate preparation Emphasize good rapport building Require clear communication Emphasize sensitivity to audience Require respect for diverse points of view To state these parallels in a different way—and I hope you don’t think I’m flogging the proverbial dead horse. . . . To state these parallels in a different way—and I hope you don’t think I’m flogging the proverbial dead horse. . . .

    13. Both Good Teaching and Advising: Provide students with various learning models Have long-term influence on students Create interest through enthusiasm / passion Assess student progress Are intrinsically rewarding Remember that you are the people whom Albright students will have the most meaningful contact with over time. The ones they will turn to with questions and guidance. You are the ones who are very likely to make the difference between whether they stay or go, succeed or stumble.. Remember that you are the people whom Albright students will have the most meaningful contact with over time. The ones they will turn to with questions and guidance. You are the ones who are very likely to make the difference between whether they stay or go, succeed or stumble..

    14. Advising should. . . Help students plan an educational program consistent with their interests and abilities Assist students in monitoring and evaluating their educational process Provide accurate information about educational policies, requirements, procedures, and educational options You’ll notice what I put as the last bullet point in this rundown of what advising should do. What I hoped to communicate is that while providing accurate information is enormously important in your contact with students—and often the piece that gives advisors the heebies jeebie because we hate to give out incorrect information—it is certainly not the “chiefest” or “veriest” as one of my favorite poets, Emily Dickinson, would say.You’ll notice what I put as the last bullet point in this rundown of what advising should do. What I hoped to communicate is that while providing accurate information is enormously important in your contact with students—and often the piece that gives advisors the heebies jeebie because we hate to give out incorrect information—it is certainly not the “chiefest” or “veriest” as one of my favorite poets, Emily Dickinson, would say.

    15. Advising should. . . . Help students clarify their values and goals Lead students to understand the nature and purpose of higher education Integrate the many resources of your college to meet the students’ special academic interests and career aspirations This is teaching and learning at its best. You will also be the person students turn to to help them make sense of their college experiences. For many, you will be, in effect, the center of their Albright universe.You will also be the person students turn to to help them make sense of their college experiences. For many, you will be, in effect, the center of their Albright universe.

    16. Advising as Teaching and Learning focuses on students’ academic and personal growth by Providing them an opportunity to identify realistic academic and career goals as well as a program to achieve them. To say all of this another way, advising as teaching and learning pays attention to students’ academic and personal growth by helping them identify realistic academic and career goals and by helping them identify a program that will help them get there. To say all of this another way, advising as teaching and learning pays attention to students’ academic and personal growth by helping them identify realistic academic and career goals and by helping them identify a program that will help them get there.

    17. Advising as Teaching and Learning focuses on students’ academic and personal growth by Cultivating in them an ability to make connections among courses and to integrate learning. Advising also helps students make those all important connections among courses in their curriculum and to integrate learning. Nothing makes me happier in my own classroom when students say something like: “This reminds me of what I learned in my Intellectual Heritage class when we read Emerson’s essay on “Self-Reliance.” He said we should do what inly rejoices us, and that same concept can be applied to this situation.” Advising also helps students make those all important connections among courses in their curriculum and to integrate learning. Nothing makes me happier in my own classroom when students say something like: “This reminds me of what I learned in my Intellectual Heritage class when we read Emerson’s essay on “Self-Reliance.” He said we should do what inly rejoices us, and that same concept can be applied to this situation.”

    18. And Advising as Teaching and Learning also focuses on students’ academic and personal growth by Building a connection between students’ education and their lives. And then advising if done right and well also builds students’ awareness of the relationship between their education and their lives—not necessarily between their majors and their careers—because very often a students major is not his career—but understanding the value of an education and how it enhances, improves, enriches their lives. And then advising if done right and well also builds students’ awareness of the relationship between their education and their lives—not necessarily between their majors and their careers—because very often a students major is not his career—but understanding the value of an education and how it enhances, improves, enriches their lives.

    19. A summary statement: Both effective teachers and advisors share a number of characteristics. They are “caring, good listeners, knowledgeable about their content areas, and prepared. Both believe in the human dignity of all their students. Their behaviors reflect clarity, enthusiasm, warmth, flexibility, availability, and businesslike, task-oriented behaviors.” As cited in Lowenstein: Wade and Yoder, “The Professional Status of Teachers and Academic Advisers: It matters.” In Reinarz and White, Teaching through Academic Advising: A Faculty Perspective.

    20. The “Sophomore Slump” Higher-than-expected attrition from the sophomore year to junior year Reduced Motivation Declining Academic Performance (Pattengale & Schreiner, 2000)

    21. Why Students Leave First Year Students –Academic –Social –Financial –Motivational struggles and challenges Sophomores –Issues and challenges that were specific to the institution –Inability of institution to “deliver” on its promises –Expectations not met (Boivin, Beuthin & Hauger, 1993)

    22. Sophomore Year Issues Dealing with an intensified curriculum Being in a academic twilight zone Career and major selection issues Having a “Plan B” ready Who am I and why am I still here? Reality hits hard Institution is not as supportive as during the first year Peer issues Cost/Benefit ratio Negative behavior patterns catch up to them (Pattengale & Schreiner, 2000)

    23. Another Obstacle?

    24. In the sophomore year, students should be 1. Achieving competence 2. Developing Autonomy 3. Establishing Identity 4. Developing Purpose (Lemons & Richmond, 1987)

    25. Professional Advisors, Faculty, and Mentors Can Help Dealing with intensified curriculum Career issues Lack of academic and social integration Reduced motivation (Anderson & Schreiner, 2000)

    26. Build a Mentoring Program? Mentor opportunities for second-year students Create early opportunities to have sophomores take responsibility for others and events This can assist sophomores in finding their own way and to help them establish a sense of competence Find personal mentors for second-year students Encourage second-year students to find personal mentors on or off campus, i.e. faculty, staff, administration, community members , etc. (Cassidy & Furno, University of Denver, 2005)

    27. Sophomore Slump Questionnaire If you have asked yourself three or more of the following questions since you arrived at UNC-Pembroke, you could be suffering from the Sophomore Slump. What am I doing here at UNC-Pembroke? Why do I have more questions now than when I first got here? Who are these people I hang around with that I thought were my friends? Why am I majoring in this if I don’t even like it? Why am I constantly overwhelmed all the time? Why don’t I have any time to relax? Why don’t I have any idea what I’m going do when I grow up?

    28. Why don’t my parents leave me alone about not knowing what I want to do when I grow up? How could I have acted like that last year ? Why am I not having nearly as much fun as I did last year? Does everyone think I am weird? Why do I feel like I could cry if someone looks at me the wrong way? (Adapted from Saint Michael’s College, Jerry Pattengale)

    29. From Beloit College in Wisconsin

    30. Azusa Pacific University Sophomore Course on Calling and Vocation 1 Credit Elective that met for 5 weeks Texts used included StrengthsQuest (Gallop Organization) and Discover your Calling (Sittser, 2002) Weekly exercises, journaling, strengths, autobiography as culminating project Topics included strengths identification, applying strengths to new and challenging situations and theological exploration of calling and vocation

    31. Valencia Community College in Florida Valencia’s planning process through which students identify and achieve their career and educational goals Students’ guide for figuring out where they are going and easy step-by-step directions forgetting there. “Faculty and staff serve as partners with you in your journey”

    32. Want to know more? www.nacada.ksu.edu/clearinghouse

    33. “Well, what did you learn, and so what?" ~Sound advising has an important influence on student learning, student retention, and student success. Terenzini and Pascarella How College Affects Students This question posed to college students served as the underpinning for research conducted by Patrick Terenzini and Ernest Pascarella in their work How College Affects Students. You will notice that one of their findings—Sound advising has an important influence on student learning, student retention, and student success—echoes the conclusion that Richard Light arrived at in his research: that good advising may be the single most underestimated characteristic of a successful college experience. There are a number of educationally powerful experiences found in the nature and integrity of curriculum, in the pedagogies instructors adopt in their classrooms, and in a number of co-curricular experiences. Among other things, Terenzini and Pascarella examined the influences of students’ out-of-class experiences that influence students’ psychosocial development—for example, their identity formation, autonomy, interpersonal skills and attitude changes. One of their important conclusions? Sound Advising is an important influence that shapes student learning. This question posed to college students served as the underpinning for research conducted by Patrick Terenzini and Ernest Pascarella in their work How College Affects Students. You will notice that one of their findings—Sound advising has an important influence on student learning, student retention, and student success—echoes the conclusion that Richard Light arrived at in his research: that good advising may be the single most underestimated characteristic of a successful college experience. There are a number of educationally powerful experiences found in the nature and integrity of curriculum, in the pedagogies instructors adopt in their classrooms, and in a number of co-curricular experiences. Among other things, Terenzini and Pascarella examined the influences of students’ out-of-class experiences that influence students’ psychosocial development—for example, their identity formation, autonomy, interpersonal skills and attitude changes. One of their important conclusions? Sound Advising is an important influence that shapes student learning.

    34. A Parting Thought With the right approach come the right results. The Mental Game of Baseball

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