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Academic
Advising Today
Volume
30, Number 1, March 2007
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Practice
What We Preach: Advising and the Hiring Process
Thomas
S. Edwards ,
Vice President for Academic Affairs,
Thomas College
Good
advising may be the single most underestimated characteristic
of a successful college experience.
-Richard
Light, Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their
Minds (2001).
Good
advising is often underestimated in the college experience,
and we can trace part of the problem to the role which advising
plays-or doesn't play-in the recruitment of new faculty. If
we value good advising but fail to include it as part of our
hiring process, we miss an excellent opportunity to influence
the culture of our institutions.
The
hiring process - and the stated criteria we use to measure
candidates - reflect the values of our institution. So where
does advising fit in? Is the importance of advising reflected
in our hiring practice? Do we define advising as a key characteristic
of our ideal candidate, or does it function more as an afterthought,
relegated to a lower-tier status after research, teaching,
and collegiality?
In
recent years, the hiring process for faculty has seen dramatic
shifts, especially at institutions that emphasize quality
teaching and interaction with undergraduate students. Search
committees review a candidate's teaching experience in addition
to their research agenda. Samples of student evaluations and
teaching statements are commonly reviewed. Many institutions
now require teaching demonstrations.
The
role of advising in the hiring process is often less prominent,
however. Part of the problem lies in the lack of a commonly-held
definition of advising and the fact that advising models differ
widely across institutions. Some rely primarily on professional
staff advisors. Others may define advising as concerned with
course registration and thus may lack a more integrated approach
with Student Affairs. Many institutions lack a formal way
to recognize the advising provided by adjunct faculty or teaching
assistants.
It
is important that hiring committees understand that these
different models will produce a great deal of variability
related to advising within the applicant pool. At the same
time, this variability allows us to explore what candidates
understand about advising in general, and how they will be
expected to perform at their new institution.
The
first step comes in the formulation of the job description
and the advertisement. Does the institution have a clear definition
of advising roles and clear expectations of faculty contributions
to that activity? As a committee designs its documents for
a search, is advising included in a way that accurately reflects
the qualities and experience the institution seeks with regards
to advising?
If
advising is expected, placing a brief mention in the ad alerts
candidates to the importance of advising at the institution
and signals that advising will be one of the criteria that
will be used in their evaluation. The simple mention of advising
in a job announcement (e.g., "Evidence
of successful undergraduate teaching and advising preferred")
allows a search committee
to include advising in all stages of the process: in the initial
review of candidates, in preliminary telephone interviews,
and in on-campus conversations.
Open-ended
questions for candidates during an interview allow them to
speak about their advising experiences, whether as part of
a defined responsibility, or through more informal interactions
with students. Asking a candidate to "tell us about your advising
experience at your last position" also encourages the members
of the hiring committee to comment on their own institution's
practices related to advising. The committee gains a clearer
picture of how a candidate interacts with students, and candidates
understand better how advising functions at the new institution.
The
process shouldn't stop there, however. Reference calls can
include questions related to a candidate's experience with
advising, and new faculty orientation can include time devoted
to advising practices, technical support, and professional
development opportunities for advising.
An
integrated approach to advising that begins with the hiring
process sends the message that advising is central to what
we do. Making a good match between a candidate and an institution
is difficult enough. But if
we fail to be explicit in our hiring practice about the expectations
we have for advising, we run the risk of a disconnect between
a candidate and our institution in an area that is critical
to the educational process.
When
teaching institutions highlight teaching in their hiring process,
they send a message about the value they place on good faculty-student
interaction in the classroom. When advising institutions begin
to do the same, we may see a similar shift in the profile
of advising on our campuses. We must practice what we preach:
if we value quality advising in the way we work, a simple
first step is to practice it in the way we hire.
Thomas
S. Edwards
Vice
President for Academic Affairs
Thomas
College
edwardst@thomas.edu
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Strengthening
and Building NACADA
Susan
Campbell,
President, NACADA
Happy
New Year! While it hardly seems possible, Regional Conferences
are just around the corner and I know that conference chairs
and committees are busy gearing up for another year of successful
meetings. In my opinion, this is the most exciting part of
the year for it provides opportunities for us to share with
our regional colleagues practices that have worked and to
discuss ideas of mutual importance. These conferences also
demonstrate - through their continued growth and development
- that the member-driven nature of NACADA is indeed powerful.
As
a Board, we continue to work on those items noted in my December
2006 article for Academic Advising Today: building
on and supporting goals and initiatives of the past, reviewing
and codifying policies and procedures to strengthen and sustain
our future as an association, and continuing to broaden our
reach within higher education as the professional association
for academic advising. I want
to use this article as a way to update you on the Board's
progress with regard to these items.
First,
the Board continues to build on and support existing NACADA
goals and initiatives. To begin this, as a Board we agreed
to meet monthly to broaden our communication with each other.
These telephone conference calls have been extremely helpful
in keeping us all more in touch with the activities of the
Association. Most recently, the Board approved the piloting
of the Emerging Leaders Program. This approval
allows this important initiative to move forward to achieve
its intent - to provide opportunities as well
as support
for NACADA members to engage in leadership positions. Of particular
interest to this program is supporting NACADA members from
underrepresented groups.
Second,
our Bylaws Task Force, chaired by Board Member Jenny
Bloom, has been meeting regularly to identify issues
that would more closely align the NACADA By-Laws with the
governance structure of the Association. They will be presenting
their report - and recommendations - at the Board's mid-year
meeting in late March. The Policy Development Task Force,
chaired by Board Member Jane Jacobson, is
organizing to do its work in identifying policy areas for
the Association that should be developed in order to codify
and guide practice. At the mid-year Board meeting, we will
focus on the work of these Task Forces, as well as on the
Association's Strategic Plan. In the end, all four - By-Laws,
Governance, Policy, and Planning - are as important to
our future sustainability as they are inextricably intertwined.
Third,
as an Association we continue to strengthen our ties with
our brother/sister associations and expand our voice within
the international community. With regard to the former, we
continue to support the work of others with regard to the
student experience. In response to a request for a recommendation,
our own Jocelyn Harney (Dean of Student
Services, College of DuPage ), along with NACADA Past President
Betsy McCalla-Wriggins (Higher
Education Specialist for the Center for the Advancement of
Learning, Rowan University),
will be joining a National Resource Center teleconference
in April. NACADA Vice-President Nancy Walburn
will represent NACADA at the national meeting of the Collegiate
Honors Councils.
With
regard to the international community, we continue to build
upon the strength of our relationship with our Canadian Colleagues.
In April, NACADA has been again invited to participate in
the international conference on academic advising in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates; in May, the Higher Education Academy
will host its annual conference at the University of Edinburgh,
with co-sponsorship by NACADA; we also continue to receive
inquiries about the work of NACADA, those most recent come
from Australia. We are also
considering pursuing publications that will highlight international
higher education and advising practices. All
of this is proof positive that academic advising continues
to grow in importance in higher education AND that NACADA
continues to be viewed as the leader in academic advising!
With
this update, I wish you all the best as 2007 begins. May your
year be full of academic advising successes!
Susan
Campbell, President
National
Academic Advising Association
(207)
780-4485
scamp@usm.maine.edu
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Get
Involved in Your Association!
Roberta
"Bobbie" Flaherty, NACADA
Executive Director
2006
was a record setting year, and 2007 will bring even more resources
and services to NACADA members! 357 members are serving
the Association as elected, appointed, and willing volunteers
including steering committees, Region chairs, Region conference
chairs and committees, Commission and Interest Group chairs,
Advisory Boards, Task Forces, Review Board Members, publication
authors and editors, Council Members/Division Representatives,
and Board Members. In addition, countless others write
for Academic Advising Today and the NACADA Journal;
serve as presenters at Conferences, Institutes, Seminars,
and Webinars, and volunteer during the events to ensure their
success. A BIG THANK YOU to all of you and an invitation
to others to get involved in your Association! These
volunteers are the core of this organization and set the agenda
for the work of the Executive Office. And, this year
they have quite an agenda for us!
On
that agenda this year are numerous events, publications, and
management tasks. As Susan states in her column, we will be
working closely with the Board and Council to strengthen the
foundation documents of this growing organization to ensure
its continued growth and development. In addition, there are
eight publications in development with two Spring releases
- monographs on Advising First Year Students and
a Guidebook for New Advising Professionals, the already
completed Data-Driven Decision Making National Seminar,
Academic Advising Administrators' Institute, and Assessment
of Advising Institute; the upcoming Summer Institutes on Academic
Advising in Burlington, VT, and Salt Lake City, UT; this year's
Annual Conference in Baltimore in October; the new initiatives
with the NCAA that include an Advising Student Athletes Institute
in Colorado Springs in May and an on-line course already in
progress; and our popular and expanding Webinar series. Our
pilot series of Webinars has proven quite successful and we
have learned a lot about what our members want, so an Advisory
Board has been appointed to assist in the development of the
Webinars and how we might use this medium to deliver additional
services to our members. Add these efforts to our regular
work with membership renewals, event registrations, monthly
Highlights publication, finance and budget, Clearinghouse
maintenance and expansion, responding to member questions,
and planning for the future and you can be assured that your
Executive Office is keeping busy!
We
rely heavily on member comments about what is needed, so if
you would like to see a particular topic addressed in some
format or have an idea for a new resource that needs to be
developed, let us know or convey that information to anyone
in a leadership position and ask them to advance it for consideration.
Your daily interactions with students provide the best opportunity
for identifying issues of concern for you and your colleagues
throughout the world and keep NACADA on the cutting edge and
THE LEADER in academic advising.
Roberta
"Bobbie" Flaherty ,
Executive Director
National
Academic Advising Association
(785)
532-5717
NACADA@KSU.EDU
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NACADA
Announces New Emerging Leader Program
The NACADA Board of Directors recently approved a new program,
The Emerging Leader Program, which has the
goal of increasing the number of leaders from diverse groups
in elected and appointed positions. The program will encourage
members from diverse groups to get involved in leadership
opportunities in their area of interest or expertise and to
outfit the participants with the skills, tools, and resources
as well as provide intentional and personal mentoring relationship
with a past or current NACADA leader.
Ten Emerging Leaders will be selected annually
to participate in the two-year program. In addition to partnering
each participant with a NACADA leader in a mentoring relationship,
selected participants will be provided funding to attend the
Annual Conference in the first year of the program and meet
with their mentors to develop an Action Plan for their two
years in the program. Ten mentors will also be selected to
work directly with the Emerging Leaders during this two year
time.
Participants in the Emerging Leader program will be expected
to:
- Agree
to a two-year obligation with a mentor
- When
applying for the program, provide information on goals,
needs, level of participation desired (state, regional,
national, etc), and any specific level of expertise wanted
in a mentor
- With
guidance and support, provide a written plan for year-long
leadership development to their assigned mentor
- Provide
monthly progress reports to the mentor on goals
- Attend
at least one state, regional, or national conference with
mentor and while attending, meet one-on-one with the mentor
to discuss future expectations and/or past progress
- Attend
gathering at regional or national conferences to meet others
in the program
- Become
involved in a NACADA leadership role at whatever level participant
is comfortable
- At
whatever level a participant is involved, provide monthly
progress reports to the mentor
- Participate
in mid-year and end of year evaluations with the mentor
- Conduct
evaluation of the mentor and the program at the end of each
year and report those evaluations to NACADA
- Produce,
with the mentor's help, a presentation, article, or some
other form of communication on the participant's experience
in the program
- Assist
in the selection/assignment process of future participants
and mentors as the participant is leaving the program
The
mentors in the program will be expected to:
- Agree
to a two-year obligation with a participant
- Attend
mentor training at the Annual Conference
- Make
personal contact with the participant as soon as one is
assigned
- Map
out joint expectations and obligations, the role of each
person involved, and what will be done over the next three
years
- Make
contact with participant, via phone or email or letter,
at least once a month to discuss progress or to check in
- Provide
information and insight into the workings of NACADA
- Inform
participant of leadership opportunities in NACADA and encourage
him/her to take part at the participant's comfort level
- Participate
in mid-year and end-of-year evaluations of program's progress
- Whenever
possible, meet one-on-one with participant to discuss future
expectations and/or past progress
- Attend
gathering at regional or national conferences to introduce
the participant to others in the program
- Assist
participant in producing a presentation for regional or
national conferences or an article for the NACADA Journal
regarding the participant's plan, learning outcomes,
and reasons why the participant became involved
- Act
as a source of general information and someone the participant
can speak to about career plans and concerns
- Assist
in the selection/assignment process of participants to mentors
as their participant is leaving the program.
Applications
and nominations for Emerging Leader participants and mentors
will be accepted beginning April 1, 2007.
For additional information on the program, please go to www.nacada.ksu.edu.
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Changing
Culture: A New Program for Liberal Arts Advisement at an Urban
Community College
Glenn
Miller and Holly Messitt,
Borough of Manhattan Community College/City University
of New
York
As
greater numbers of students enter our institutions, retention
and ethical service to these students become even larger issues.
Bradburn (2002) indicates that approximately one-third of
entering students leave our institutions without a credential;
these numbers are even higher for minority (Hodge & Pickron,
2004) and community college students (ACT, 2005). Although
current scholarship (Lotkowski, et al. 2005) on academic retention
shows that a relationship with an academic advisor helps to
increase retention, many students do not take advantage of
this resource. One study showed that 34% of graduating seniors
had never met with an advisor and that 19% of graduating seniors
had met with an academic advisor three or fewer times ("Help!",
2006). Again, minority students pose an even greater challenge
since many, especially those experiencing academic difficulties,
are unwilling to seek advice because they fear that they may
appear weak or they are afraid that they will be a nuisance
("Help!", 2006).
The
retention rate at the Borough of Manhattan Community College
(BMCC)
mirrors these alarming trends. In 2003, BMCC received a grant
from the U.S. Department of Education's Title V program for
Hispanic-serving institutions to strengthen academic advising
as a tool to retain students. Our Title V program focuses
on liberal arts students, traditionally the students most
likely to leave BMCC
within the first year. Freshman to sophomore retention for
BMCC liberal arts students is 51% as opposed to a 60% retention
rate for students "housed" in one of the more defined degree
programs such as nursing. We asked why. Traditionally, BMCC
liberal arts advisees were assigned arbitrarily to one of
the liberal arts departments. There was no guarantee that
a student would see the same professor year-to-year, so there
was no continuity in the student's advisement; no one kept
track of a student's progress, special needs, or interests.
In the process, BMCC
clearly let students slip through unnoticed.
The
goal of the Title V program is to address these concerns and
prepare students to become more dynamic decision makers, thereby
increasing retention. The program's goals include training
that encourages faculty to accept greater responsibility for
employing advisement strategies and to become more knowledgeable
about taking a developmental approach to their advisement.
In particular, with a faculty that is 60% white and a student
population that is 90% minority, i.e., African American
(34%), Latino/a (26%), Asian (11%), and other ethnic minorities
(18%), advisors must develop sensitivity to the needs of BMCC
's diverse student population.
To accomplish these goals, our program provides faculty development,
technological support, and educational planners housed within
the Academic Advisement and Transfer
Center.
Strategy
Faculty
were accustomed to advising different students each semester
and emphasizing course selection. They needed to acquire new
skills if they were to advise the same student cohort throughout
their time at the college. To prepare for this change, faculty
members participated in a three-day workshop that stressed
NACADA's Core Values, provided information from various campus
offices, e.g., financial aid and counseling, and
received training in the computer software used to track advisement
sessions. Faculty also participated in follow-up workshops
throughout the semester to hone their advising skills and,
perhaps more importantly, to work with other faculty thus
forming a cohesive group capable of affecting the desired
cultural change on our campus.
In
addition to faculty training, we implemented a system to record
the outcomes of advisement sessions so that both advisors
and advisees can review student goals and the results of previous
sessions. In this way, advisors can focus on student changes
that have occurred since the last session. Software facilitates
communication among advisors and between advisors and advisees;
students' statements to advisors about goals and advisors'
recommendations to students are recorded.
Another
innovative aspect of the project is the use of educational
planners who serve as liaisons between the advisors and advisees.
The educational planners assist students when their advisors
are not on campus, serve as a contact person for advisors
seeking advisement information for special situations, and
assist with recruitment of students into the program.
Assessment
and results
Certain
measures provide short term indicators of progress towards
our goal, including the number of faculty who have completed
the training program (62 so far), the number of students who
have been advised in the program to date (currently approximately
1200 students), and usage statistics for the advising tracking
software. Students also complete an advisement satisfaction
survey each semester. This instrument, essentially the same
one that has been used for many years, helps us compare student
satisfaction levels with historical data. Faculty advisors
complete another survey which has been used as a formative
assessment tool that has lead to changes in some of our processes.
The
phase-in of a new advisement model has important implications
for BMCC. First, it has facilitated assessment since we now
collect outcomes data for students advised in our program
and compare that data to similar data for students not in
the program. Secondly, we ensure that the advising workload
for faculty in our developmental program does not differ significantly
from the load of advisors using the traditional advisement
model. We believe that the efficiency gained from recording
advisement session outcomes aids our advisors as does the
existence of educational planners. Finally, the gradual phase-in
makes our attempt to change the campus culture evolutionary
rather than revolutionary thus giving us time to adjust our
program as necessary to counter criticism from entrenched
campus interest groups.
Conclusion
The
example of a grant-funded program designed to improve advisement
shows the many benefits of approaching reform in a systemic
way. Conducting a thorough needs assessment allowed us to
choose one "manageable" area for the focus of our efforts.
We were able to target our proposal thus permitting a multi-faceted
approach towards solving the perceived problem. Setting measurable
outcomes and assessment implementation sharpened our focus
on providing a program that produces direct benefits to our
students and our institution.
Holly
Messitt
Borough
of Manhattan Community College/City University
of New
York
HMessitt@bmcc.cuny.edu
Glenn
Miller
Borough
of Manhattan Community College/City University
of New
York
gmiller@bmcc.cuny.edu
References
ACT.
(2005) 2005 Retention/Completion Summary Tables. Retrieved
November 9, 2006 from http://www.act.org/path/policy/pdf/05retain_trends.pdf
.
Bradburn,
E. M. (2002). Short-term enrollment in postsecondary education:
Student background and institutional differences for early
departure, 1996-1998. Washington
, DC
: U.S.
Department of Education.
Retrieved November 9, 2006
from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003153
Chaney,
B., Muraskin, L. D., Cahalan, M. W., Goodwin, D. (1998). Helping
the progress of disadvantaged students in higher education:
The federal Student Support Services Program. Educational
Evaluation and Policy Analysis 20 (3): 197-215. Retrieved
Sept. 25, 2006,
from JStor.
Frank,
K. S. (2000). Ethical considerations and obligations. In V.
N. Gordon and W. R. Habley (Eds).
Frost,
S. H. (1991). Academic Advising for Student Success: A
System of Shared Responsibility. Washington
, D.C.:
ERIC: Clearinghouse on Higher Education/George Washington
University.
---.
(2000). Historical and Philosophical Foundations for Academic
Advising. In V. N. Gordon and W. R. Habley (Eds).
Gordon,
V. N., and Habley, W. R. (Eds). (2000). Academic Advising:
A Comprehensive Handbook. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Wiley.
Habley,
W. R. (2000). Current practices in academic advising. In V.
N. Gordon and W. R. Habley (Eds).
Help!
Students who need it; students who seek it. (2006, May). The
Teaching Professor. Retrieved Sept.
25, 2006 from Academic
Search Premier/EBSCO.
Hodge,
T. V., and Pickron, C. (2004). Preparing students for success
in the academy. Black Issues in Higher Education 21 (20):
130. Retrieved Sept. 25,
2006 from ERIC.
Lotkowski,
V. A., Robbins, S. B., and Noeth, R. J. (2004). The Role of
Academic and Non-Academic in Improving College Retention.
Retrieved November 9, 2006
from http://qed.ncat.edu/beams/act-retention-study.pdf
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Student
Learning Outcomes: Evidence of the
Teaching
and Learning Components of Academic Advising
Don't
miss this live Webinar Event, which
will be broadcast over the Internet on Wednesday,
April 4, 2007
In
this NACADA-sponsored Webinar presentation, Tomarra
Adams (Assistant
Dean of Advising & Student Services and Assistant Professor
for Pan-African & Women & Gender Studies at the University
of Louisville) will provide a foundation for the development
of student learning outcomes as well as hands-on strategies
for teaching these outcomes, activities and experiences for
students, and strategies for measuring the outcomes.
Participation
is limited by our Service Provider, so visit http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Webinars/LearningOutcomes.htm
to learn more and REGISTER today! |
A
New Trend in Advising: ESL Advising
Aura
Rios Erickson, Chair,
ESL/International Student Advising Commission
Is
our profession facing a new trend? Are we ready for it?
When
academic advisors think of ESL advising, they may think in
terms of working with the International Program Office on
their campuses. However, it does not matter if advisors assist
students in engineering, nursing, their first year, or those
who are undecided about their major, most academic advisors
have had contact with students whose first language is not
English.
Stephen
Sahlman (2002) noted that U.S. Census Bureau figures show
an "11.3 million (or 57 percent) increase (of foreign-born
individuals in the U.S.),
from 19.8 million in 1990 to 31.1 million in 2000, is unprecedented
in the history of the United
States, both numerically
and proportionately" Student ethnic patterns will become
even more diverse in the future. Academic advisors will see
more students whose first language is not English (ESL). Are
these students different from other students? Definitely,
there are differences in terms of their needs. We, as advisors,
must be aware of them; we must prepare ourselves to help these
students.
Language
proficiency should be our first concern when advising students.
Language proficiency comprises the ability to read, write,
speak and listen in a language. An advisor or instructor might
assume that a student who speaks and understands English perfectly
is proficient. It is especially important to note that many
students come from countries where they learn only to 'speak'
English but fail to learn how to write or read it. This is
true for students who come from some African countries.
Also,
it is possible to assume that a student is not proficient
in English because he/she has difficulty speaking or understanding
spoken English. Students who come from some Asian countries
i.e., Korea, China, Vietnam, Japan, etc., might face
a greater challenge trying to express themselves given the
linguistic patterns of their native languages. It is likely
that many of these immigrant students have spent several years
learning to read and write English in their home countries.
Therefore,
it is important that we obtain accurate information about
each student's proficiency before developing an educational
plan or class schedule with these students. Some of the most
common assessment tools used by educational institutions include
the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), COMPASS
- ESL, and Michigan Language Test (MILT). These tools offer
a comprehensive assessment of student proficiency in English.
Other
factors that can influence proficiency are length of residence
in the country, previous educational background, work experience
and student age. Learning challenges faced by an older adult
with little formal education who has lived in the United
States for six years are
quite different from those faced by a young, newly-arrived
immigrant who was a working professional in his/her country
and who possesses a strong educational background.
As
advisors, we need to continually educate ourselves about other
cultures so that we can connect with our students. We must
be aware that individuals from different cultures view personal
relationships in different ways. Advisors might find students
who delay asking questions or resist becoming engaged in developing
educational goals. These students may view advisors as possessing
a position of authority. They expect our guidance and hold
our relationship with them in the utmost respect. Sometimes,
these students will not seek help out of a sense of embarrassment
('losing face') or shame.
Conversely,
other students might come to advising appointments with their
parents, children, spouses or close relatives. In some cultures,
educational decisions are made by the group. At times, what
will seem 'intrusive' in our culture is not seen that way
in another culture. Working together is how they relate to
each other. In these situations, our challenge is to welcome
all parties while honoring the student's individual educational
interests and needs.
Advisors
should possess information regarding culturally relevant community
resources. ESL students need advice, support and guidance
regarding their educational future. In addition, these students
may need assistance making a cultural adjustment. This adjustment
period might involve experiencing anger, grief, and dealing
with the loss they experience living in a different environment.
Some students are able to adjust relatively quickly to their
new environment. However, others go through a long period
of transition and adjustment. Students who are going through
difficult times often welcome help from someone who speaks
their own language or understands their native culture.
Last,
it is important that advisors have some basic knowledge of
immigration-related terminology and/or information. The immigration
issue has gained prominence in our national debate. Several
states have instituted laws regarding undocumented immigrants.
Some states allow undocumented immigrants to pay the 'resident'
cost of college tuition. Other states have stricter rules
for undocumented immigrants. It is important that we know
our institution and state policies regarding this important
issue.
NACADA
provides a wealth of information to all advisors. The ESL/International
Student Advising Commission (http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Commissions/C26/index.htm)
provides a forum for advisors in need of information for dealing
with situations with this particular student population. Members
can join the commission list serve to post questions or concerns.
Advisors who work with this student population should consider
joining this commission.
Aura
Rios Erickson
Shoreline
Community
College
aerickso@shoreline.edu
Reference
Sahlman,
Stephen. (2002). Immigration to the United
States : 2002 Update. Population
Resource
Center
.
Retrieved November 2, 2006
from http://www.prcdc.org/summaries/immigration/immigration.html
|

NACADA
Member Expertise Database
NACADA
members are encouraged to share their expertise by registering
with the NACADA Expertise Database at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/memberexpertise.htm.
This
database is used to identify members' areas of expertise for
media requests, authorships, presenters at NACADA events,
etc. So, make your expertise known by registering or updating
your information today!
|
Untapped
Talent
Peggy
Jordan,
Chair, Two-Year Colleges Commission
A
young man dropped out of high school and took whatever job
he could to pay his rent. He worked in numerous bars beating
out jazz tunes on the piano. He developed quite a following.
One night a tipsy customer, a regular at the bar, demanded
that he sing. The piano player protested, saying he was not
a singer. However, the bar owner encouraged him to sing in
order to make the customer happy. The piano player sang to
an audience for the first time. This "opportunity" led to
the world famous singing career of Nat King Cole (Cole, 1971).
Community
colleges routinely offer opportunities to individuals with
"untapped talent." Open admissions means that students have
the opportunity to attend college even if:
- no
one in their family attended college
- no
one ever saw them as "college material"
- they
did not score well on a standardized admissions test
- they
did not perform well in high school
- they
did not graduate from high school
- they
were suspended from another college
- they
are older than the "traditional" student
- they
have to work full time and attend class at night
- they
have serious doubts about their own ability to succeed in
college.
Many
students attend community colleges against all odds and yet
they succeed. This success is due in no small part to the
effort and dedication of community college advisors, faculty
and staff. The culture of the community college is one that
embraces, engages, and elevates students. As soon as a student
enters a community college, he or she is welcomed. Welcome
comes from staff at the information desk, from a recruiter
in prospective student services, from the student worker at
the admissions desk, from an academic advisor in a central
advising office, and from faculty members walking down the
halls.
I
was first employed at a community college as an adjunct instructor.
I taught two classes and had only ventured into the part of
the college in which I taught classes. One day I decided to
explore other areas of the campus. I was standing in a hallway,
trying to decide which route to take. Behind me came a smiling
voice who said, "You look lost. Can I help you find anything?"
I had to laugh. It was true that I was lost, but I
explained that I was just exploring. I was given a quick explanation
of the room numbering system and the logic of the "grid system"
on which the campus was planned. When telling a friend about
my experience, I said, "I didn't even have to ask for help.
Someone just recognized that I might need assistance and offered
it freely." For a first-generation, non-traditional,
academically underprepared, or uncertain new student, getting
help without even having to ask can make the difference between
starting a college career and leaving without ever trying.
Community
colleges work hard to engage students in learning. Students
often have to first learn how to be a college student, how
college is different than high school, how to ask for help,
and what resources are available. Faculty members provide
opportunities to get to know their students and listen to
their concerns. Faculty members get involved as sponsors of
student organizations. They meet with study groups and offer
tips on studying for their class. Faculty members call or
email students who are not attending to find out what is interfering
with the student's performance. They challenge students to
live up to the students' own dreams of success. They show
students how to beat the odds.
Community
colleges do a great job elevating students. They let students
know that they are doing a great job. Almost every office
in a community college has a way of rewarding and celebrating
student achievement. Sometimes the reward is through scholarships.
Other times it is through articles in the paper, pictures
displayed on a "Wall of Fame", plaques or certificates for
being "outstanding" in something. Before long, students begin
to be impressed with themselves. They begin to view themselves
differently. They begin to see themselves as "college students,"
and they begin to feel comfortable in the college and realize
the successes that familiarity can bring. Confidence gives
students the opportunity to tap into their own unknown resources.
These may be intellectual, social, or personal resources.
Through these previously unknown talents, community college
students can begin to find their voice and sing.
Peggy
Jordan
Oklahoma
City Community
College
PJordan@occc.edu
References
Cole,
Maria. (1971). Nat King Cole; an intimate biography.
New York. W. Morrow. |
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Academic
Advising: New Insights for Teaching
and
Learning in the First Year
The
New Advisor Guidebook:
Mastering
the Art of Academic Advising through the First Year
& Beyond |
|
 |
"Advising
as Teaching" Webinar on CD
Nancy
King |
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For
information on these and other NACADA publications visit:
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Confronting
change? What would Dorothy do? (WWDD?)
Lee
Kem, Chair,
Advising Education Majors Commission
Dorothy,
in The Wizard of Oz, was transported from her beloved
Kansas
to a foreign land where she met several strange characters
including the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow.
As academic advisors, we may sometimes think that we have
been transported to a foreign land filled with some equally
unique characters. However, even in "Kansas,"
change occurs, and we may find ourselves required to navigate
a new "Land Of Oz." What can we learn from Dorothy
and her three companions? Four questions will help us discover
direction in our journey.
What
has changed? When
in a "foreign land," we may want to get "back home" to the
familiar. But, sometimes this just isn't possible; things
may never be the same. In advising, we are conditioned to
hear, assess, and categorize information and situations into
familiar areas. However, our students may be different, our
administration may change, and institutional requirements
may no longer be the same. Yet, we may keep doing the same
things expecting the same results in this changed environment.
WWDD? "Dorothy" would assess the situation to determine the
areas of change. "Dorothy" would gather information from those
more familiar with the territory. Rather than run away from
change, Dorothy did, and we should, embrace the changes and
learn to cope in the new situation.
What
do I need to learn? It
was a new day for Dorothy in the Land of Oz; finding her way
to the Wizard required new ways of thinking and doing. What
is required to adapt to our new situations? There is much
to learn! Read/study/learn about new expectations and our
new environments. Participate in professional development
opportunities, learn more productive ways to cope with change
and stress, expand our own comfort zones.
Where
can I find partners to help me learn? Don't
be a Lone Ranger - Dorothy knew the importance of talking
to, and sharing with, others. Everyone needs a support network
for encouragement and direction. WWDD? Dorothy gathered a
support network of friends who helped and supported each other
in tough times. A network is helpful in finding resources
and essential when asking assistance. Creation of a NACADA
Allied Group (http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Membership/allied_members.htm)
at your institution may be a first step; a campus-wide advisor
group could be a beneficial avenue for support.
How
can I promote my own health and growth? Reduce
stress: seek balance, learn to say "no" to unreasonable requests;
get regular health checkups, eat correctly, and exercise.
Change increases stress levels as it decreases health and
personal growth. Schedule "alone time" and take occasional
breaks; advisors are givers - we also need to receive.
What
would Dorothy do? She sought assistance and gathered companions
who helped with her heart, mind and body. She utilized the
resources and support group available to her. She gained courage
from the Lion, emotional stability from the Tin Man, and wisdom
from the Scarecrow. As Dorothy discovered, in her ruby slippers
she had the wisdom and answers all along. We each have abilities
deep within us. We should tap into our strength and bravely
go down the yellow brick road toward growth through change.
Lee
Kem
Murray
State
University
Lee.Kem@coe.murraystate.edu
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Advising
Issues
In
the following articles, Jane
Fawkes (The
College of Estate Management) and
Julie Traxler
(Rutgers University) discuss issues of technology usage and
distance learning in North America and Great Britain.
Sink
or Swim - Equipping the e-Tutor for the Online World
Jane
Fawkes,
The College
of Estate
Management, England
Editor's
Note: "Tutors"
are the British equivalent to North American "Academic
Advisors." Jane Fawkes presented on this topic at the
Second Annual Conference on Personal Tutoring, St
John University
College,
York,
May 2006.
With
the continuing development of online teaching, tutors are
encouraged to take on the role of e-tutor and to provide tutoring
and personal support through this mechanism. However, what
works in a classroom does not always work online. With the
loss of face-to-face contact and the visual impact that it
brings, the question must be asked "What makes a good e-tutor?"
As
"instructors move from presenters to managers of activities"
(Collis and Moonen, 2001), instructors are required to shift
the way they teach; they must adapt to a new environment.
So too must tutors adapt. Increasingly students expect that
their tutor will be available online 24-7.
This
article focuses on the training and skills required to engage
students online, as well as common difficulties encountered.
Here we focus on the training programme that has been used
at the College of Estate Management.
Background.
The College of Estate Management is a distance learning college
based in Reading, England. The College has a team of
internal tutors who are supported in course delivery by external
tutors. The external tutor primarily marks assignment
and examination scripts, as well as assists with occasional
face-to-face teaching and writing course materials.
The external tutor has been remote from students, which has
led to a sens of isolation both for the students as they struggle
with the demands of distance learning and for the tutor who
is removed from the student cohort.
Three
years ago the College introduced the Graduate Development
Programme that utilized a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
to form a community of learners online and provide more contact
and support with the external tutors. To facilitate the development
of this community, students were divided into groups of 25-30
and learning activities were written. Students were encouraged
to discuss case studies within their tutor group; external
tutors were invited to become an e-tutor for each group.
Aim
for the e-Tutor. The e-tutor was to help build
and develop this online community of learners. "Online
educators who understand that safe, nurturing environments
are foremost in contributing to learners' happiness, sense
of comfort, and ultimately rates of completion place the creation
of community high on their list of priorities" (Conrad,
2002). Students who participate in online discussions
benefit from the learning experience. Learning online
is about "learning as participation. The process
of being a member of a community" (Collis and Moonen,
2001).
E-tutors
were challenged to facilitate interdependence between the
group as a whole and encourage participation online.
Training
Programme. Before
the e-tutors commenced working on the VLE, the College ran
a training programme. This was designed to build confidence
in the basic skills needed to tutor online. The course focussed
on:
- E-moderation skills.
- The importance of getting
the group talking.
- Use of ice- breakers.
- How to encourage participation
in an asynchronous environment.
- The tutor not being the focal
point of the group.
- How to facilitate discussion.
Struggling
to Build the Online Community.
Whilst some tutors quickly adapted to being an 'e-tutor',
others - despite the training - struggled, both with the technology
and the skills required to encourage participation. E-tutors
were unsure when and how they should respond to messages;
some did not like the increased student contact brought by
the VLE. Tutors expressed a sense of frustration that not
all students chose to participate and did not become a part
of the online community.
"It
is a pity more students did not participate on the VLE.
It was fairly evident that those who did not participate
did not learn."
Just
as the e-tutors were frustrated by the lack of student participation,
so students were frustrated by their perception of lack of
tutor involvement. Students expected their tutor to respond
immediately to posted messages and were frustrated by the
lack of feedback given by some e-tutors.
"If
any of the students posts a question for his/her tutor on
the VLE.the least useful response is 'what does the group
think the answer is?' The group doesn't have the spare time
to find out."
A
common problem with online learning is the student who 'lurks'
online. However, in the initial stages of the course, we encountered
the problem of the 'lurking e-tutor'. The College uses Blackboard
as its VLE, and whilst it shows how many times a message has
been read, it does not show who has read the message. From
the Course Statistics it was possible to see that some of
the e-tutors were reading the messages but not posting anything
to the group. The community became frustrated by the tutor's
lack of presence and quickly were disenfranchised from the
learning process.
Developing
the e-tutor. In
the light of feedback received, e-tutor training was reviewed
and revised so that the College could better equip tutors
in how to develop the online community. E-tutors are now encouraged
to regularly leave 'virtual footprints', a marker on the VLE
to show that they have read the messages and are participating
online. This footprint can take the form of an encouraging
comment, initial feedback, or leading the discussion in a
new direction. Whilst the group should not revolve around
the tutor, we have learnt the importance of the e-tutor being
persistent in their online behaviour.
Kearsley
(2000) emphasised that "If the Instructor regularly posts
messages in the discussion forum..this increases student involvement
and participation in a course." Our experience affirms
that participation of the e-tutor is critical.
Sink
or Swim - the Challenge? Virtual
opportunities for learning are significant. The challenge
for the e-tutor is how to adapt tutoring to this environment;
it can be both demanding and time consuming. "The task
of mediating group activity, while promoting some kind of
kinship among learners, is challenging in the extreme"
(Khan 1997).
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