Nancy
King
Kennesaw State University
'98-99
NACADA President
According
to ACT's Fifth National Survey on Academic Advising (1997), across
all institutions, academic affairs (chief and assistant) reporting
lines outnumber student affairs (chief and assistant) by more
than two to one (42% to 18%). However, nearly 40% of two-year
public college advising coordinators report to the chief student
affairs officer or the assistant vice president for student affairs
(p.9). This is a trend that seems to have remained constant. In
ACT's fourth national Survey on Academic Advising (1993), student
affairs was the reporting line for advising coordinators in less
than one of five institutions, and the majority of those institutions
were two-year colleges (p.20).
On many campuses, however, there are divisions
between the reporting lines of advising programs for undeclared or exploratory
students and students who have declared a major. Academic department
faculty members advise the majority of students declaring a major, with
advising oversight being provided by an individual within the Academic
Affairs Division. Professional or full-time advisors are used most often
in advising centers for undeclared and freshmen students. According
to the Fifth National Survey the two populations most likely to be served
by advising office staff across all institutions are undeclared students
(65%) and underprepared/at-risk students (63%) (p.37).
A conclusion of the Fifth National Survey suggests
a growing trend toward shared responsibility for academic advising.
"Data from the 1997 survey suggest there is a movement toward the
organization of advising services in which responsibility is shared
between faculty advisors and staff advisors and counselors" (p.62).
This would indicate that both Academic Affairs and Student Affairs have
a stake in advising programs since counselors and staff advisors frequently
report within Student Affairs divisions. Perhaps as the editors of the
ACT Survey suggest, there may be an "acceptance of a broader understanding
that campus approaches to advising must be systematic and collaborative"
(p.62).
This trend toward seeing advising as a shared
responsibility mirrors a movement toward greater collaboration between
Academic and Student Affairs. Student success is a campus-wide initiative
involving both academic affairs and student affairs personnel, all of
whom are responsible for creating a campus climate conducive to student
success. Certainly effective advising programs contribute to the creation
of such a climate. Student Affairs personnel offer a great deal in terms
of knowledge of student development theory, an understanding of student
backgrounds, and the establishment of a sense of community on campus.
There is also an increasing emphasis on student learning among student
affairs professionals and a strong desire to partner with academic affairs.
Publications like Student Learning Imperative (American College Personnel
Association [ACPA], 1993) and Reasonable Expectations (National Association
of Student Personnel Administrators [NASPA], 1995) have played a pivotal
role in the emerging "partnership movement" that is characterized
by an increased collaboration and connections between student affairs
and academic affairs. This partnership model appears to be extremely
beneficial for academic advising programs. The "silo approach"
that still exists on many campuses, with its clear division between
academic affairs and student affairs, is clearly not in the best interest
of a campus culture that facilitates student success.
Read More About
It! Annotated Bibliography dealing with this issue.
Cite
this resource using APA style as:
King,
N. S. (2002). Reporting through academic
vs. student affairs. Retrieved -insert today's date- from
the NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources
Web site: http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/acavsstu.htm
