The Power of Planning and Sorcery of Strategy

1. The Power of Planning and Sorcery of Strategy Casey Mawson College of Sciences and Health Professions Cleveland State University

2. Was it your plan to be an advisor?

3. What I learned early in advising • Students need help scheduling • Students don’t have your knowledge base • Program knowledge • Catalog • Policies • Vocabulary • Can’t visualize through graduation • Aren’t able to strategize schedules

4. What is Strategic Planning? What are the benefits? How does it apply to Academic Advising?

5. Key Components of Strategic Planning • Mission and Values • Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats • Strategies • Measurements https://medium.com/@KeithKrach/5-key-components-of-a-powerful-strategic-plan-4fbb6f15eae3

6. Activity: How does your advising practice fit into a strategic planning model?

7. Mission and Values • Act as more than just a scheduler • Meet the needs of my students • Create a connection • Create a realistic plan for them to accomplish their goals • Engage my students in the planning process • Assist my students in successful and efficient degree completion

8. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats • Strengths: thorough understanding of degree requirements, course offerings, intensity of required courses • Weaknesses: high caseloads, time restrictions during appointments • Opportunities: Caseload is limited and my students don’t meet with other advisors. • Threats: no control over course offerings, students may not be successful in courses, students may not follow plan.

9. Strategies • Talk to students • Know their goals • Know their comfort level with difficult courses • Know their course load comfort level & preferences • Create a graduation plan • Layout all remaining course requirements • Encourage self-registration, but regular check-ins • Be prepared to adjust multiple times • Create guides or handouts when there is a pattern of questions • Tips for applying to grad school • Career option • Electives

10. Measurements • Graduation rates • Are Grad Plans Effective? • Students understanding requirements • Students being more self sufficient • Do they help you to advise • After appointment survey • Student testaments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ffli_eQqOQ

11. MAGIC TIME!

12. Graduation Plans for Every Student

13. How do grad plans benefit students? • Offering structure increases graduation rates and timeliness of degree completion • Gives a timeline for graduation • How many credits need to be taken each semester • Can explain why certain classes should be taken at specific times • Shows how much room students have for electives • Opportunity to discuss summer plans • Is financial aid available for summer courses? • Exams for grad school • Internships or other experiences • Other commitments

14. https://completecollege.org/strategy/academic-maps-with-proactive-advising/https://completecollege.org/strategy/academic-maps-with-proactive-advising/

15. How do grad plans benefit advisors? • Scheduling goes smoother • Time to focus on other issues • Many students are confident in creating their own schedules • Plan for electives • Easier to answer “quick” questions • Able to determine if there is room for a minor or second major • Others can review the plan, as needed • Verification of what was discussed during advising appointments

16. How do you make an effective graduation plan?

17. Know your majors • Course Requirements and Substitutions • Times and Semesters • Prerequisites • Sequencing • Grad School: Stay up to date on requirements • Gen Eds embedded in major • Common electives • Know your faculty

18. Understand the next steps for students in your majors • Grad School • Is there an exam? GRE, MCAT, GMAT, LSAT • What are the timelines to apply to grad school? • How can student best prepare or make themselves competitive? • Research • Experience • GPA • Work • Is an internship recommended? • Job market and how to have an edge • Resources to help with the job search process • Career Services • Career Fairs • Appropriate job boards

19. Pre-Professional Graduation Plan

20. Double Major Graduation Plan

21. Dual Admission Graduation Plan

22. Know how to advise for grad school Programs you are familiar with • Competitiveness • Timelines • Program length / Cohort • Work • Common / Local schools • Prerequisites Programs you don’t know about • Refer if possible • Get a basic understanding • Ask the student to conduct research • Ask questions

23. How can students utilize strategic planning?

24. Mission and Values What are the student’s long term and short term goals? • List priorities • Talk about why the student wants to achieve this goal • Explore if this is really the best option • Discuss if the goal is realistic and attainable

25. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats • Aptitude • Grade History • Support System • Is there anything that can hold them back?

26. Strategies • Advisors are essential in planning a strategy for degree completion • Plan courses • Plan timelines • Advise on resources • Discuss how to get through the most difficult courses • Work with students when hiccups arise

27. Measurements • Periodically check in to make student is on track • Assess progress to ensure student remains competitive • Graduation • Goal Attainment

28. Graduation plans are NOT magic!

29. Career Counseling • Refer to Career Services • Assessment tool and/or classes for career exploration • Guidance / Developmental Advising • Environment • Aptitude • Job expectations • Level of Education • Resources for research

30. Generalist Advising

31. Mission and Values • Get students started off on the right foot • Help them understand resources • Make sure they understand their path • Give them tools and advice to be successful • Make a valuable impact • Provide direction and support

32. Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths • First person they work with • Easy to create a connection • Mandatory meetings • Able to refer Weaknesses • May not have a lasting relationship • Know it alls • Don’t follow through

33. Strategies • Know your campus resources • General understanding of next steps and competitiveness of grad school • Don’t just refer, reach out

34. Measurements • Are students prepared when they move onto the next step? • Measure retention rates • After appointment survey

35. Case Studies

36. References Krach, K. (2016, September 6). 5 Key Components of Strategic Planning. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@KeithKrach/5-key-components-of-a-powerful-strategic-plan-4fbb6f15eae3 Karp, M.M. & Stacey, G.W. (2013) Designing a System for Strategic Advising, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. Retrieved from https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/designing-a-system-for-strategic-advising.pdf Academic Maps with Proactive Advising. Retrieved from https://completecollege.org/strategy/academic-maps-with-proactive-advising/ (2014) Four Year Myth: Make College Affordable. Restore the Promise of Graduating on Time, Complete College America. Retrieved from https://completecollege.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/4-Year-Myth.pdf