INTRODUCTION
The National Academic Advising Association
Board of Directors endorses three documents that champion
the educational role of academic advising in a diverse
world.
The three documents are:
These sets of guiding principles affirm the role of academic
advising in higher education, thereby supporting institutional
mission, while at the same time, anticipating the needs
of 21st century students, academic advisors, and institutions.
They can be used for a variety of purposes including professional
development of academic advisors and program assessment.
They also can be used when implementing a new advising
program or revising a current one.
Academic advising is carried out by a vast array of individuals,
including faculty and staff members. These guiding principles
are intended for use by all who advise.
These documents support all categories of institutions
with every type of advising delivery system. Intentionally,
they do not address every detail and nuance of academic
advising. Rather they should be used as starting points
and references for a discussion of academic advising, providing
the framework for a coherent approach to implementing a
well-functioning academic advising program that would meet
any specified institutional goals.
PREAMBLE
Academic advising is integral to fulfilling the teaching
and learning mission of higher education. Through academic
advising, students learn to become members of their higher
education community, to think critically about their
roles and responsibilities as students, and to prepare
to be educated citizens of a democratic society and a
global community. Academic advising engages students
beyond their own world views, while acknowledging their
individual characteristics, values, and motivations as
they enter, move through, and exit the institution. Regardless
of the diversity of our institutions, our students, our
advisors, and our organizational structures, academic
advising has three components: curriculum (what advising
deals with), pedagogy (how advising does what it does),
and student learning outcomes (the result of academic
advising).
THE CURRICULUM OF ACADEMIC ADVISING
Academic advising draws primarily from theories in the
social sciences, humanities, and education. The curriculum
of academic advising ranges from the ideals of higher
education to the pragmatics of enrollment. This curriculum
includes, but is not limited to, the institution’s mission,
culture and expectations; the meaning, value, and interrelationship
of the institution’s curriculum and co-curriculum; modes
of thinking , learning, and decision-making; the selection
of academic programs and courses; the development of
life and career goals; campus/community resources, policies,
and procedures; and the transferability of skills and
knowledge.
THE PEDAGOGY OF ACADEMIC ADVISING
Academic advising, as a teaching and learning process,
requires a pedagogy that incorporates the preparation,
facilitation, documentation, and assessment of advising
interactions. Although the specific methods, strategies,
and techniques may vary, the relationship between advisors
and students is fundamental and is characterized by mutual
respect, trust, and ethical behavior.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES OF ACADEMIC ADVISING
The student learning outcomes of academic advising are
guided by an institution’s mission, goals, curriculum
and co-curriculum. These outcomes, defined in an advising
curriculum, articulate what students will demonstrate,
know, value, and do as a result of participating in academic
advising. Each institution must develop its own set of
student learning outcomes and the methods to assess them.
The following is a representative sample. Students will:
-
craft a coherent educational plan based on assessment
of abilities, aspirations, interests, and values
-
use complex information from various sources to
set goals, reach decisions, and achieve those goals
-
assume responsibility for meeting academic program
requirements
-
articulate the meaning of higher education and the
intent of the institution’s curriculum
-
cultivate the intellectual habits that lead to a
lifetime of learning
-
behave as citizens who engage in the wider world
around them
SUMMARY
Academic advising, based in the teaching and learning
mission of higher education, is a series of intentional
interactions with a curriculum, a pedagogy, and a set
of student learning outcomes. Academic advising synthesizes
and contextualizes students’ educational experiences
within the frameworks of their aspirations, abilities
and lives to extend learning beyond campus boundaries
and timeframes.
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