Designing and

Implementing

Effective Advisor

Development

Programs Jayne Drake

“

Would you tell me please, which way ought I go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on

where you want to get

to,” said the Cat.

“ I don’t much care where—”

said Alice.

“ Then it doesn’t matter which

way you go,” said the Cat.

“So long as I get

SOMEWHERE,” Alice added

as an explanation.

“Oh, you’re sure to do that,”

said the Cat,“ if only you walk long enough.”

Charlie Nutt: the EarlyYears

“Have a nice day”

Built in Assumptions• No advance preparation needed

to advise students• Advising = what courses to take• Only curriculum, rules, and

regulations matter—and where to find them

• Advising = a clerical function best just got through

• Students are all alike• “Just do as I say”

The Challenge and the ProcessI. Broad institutional commitment and administrative support

II. A carefully crafted advisor development program

III. Focused, on-going assessment of the advising program

IV. Recognition and reward for effective advising

I.Broad Institutional

Commitment and

Administrative Support

Starting from Scratch

1. Identify all campus stakeholders Who are critical to its success? Professional advisors? Faculty? Students? President? Provost? Bursar? Registrar? Career Center? Disability Services?

Next2. Gather together the stakeholders to discuss the purpose and goals of the program and how they hope to achieve them.

Craft an advising mission statement (if you don’t have one already) that sets the 3. foundation and guides the efforts that follow.

(Take the time you need to get this right.)

Next

Next4. If you are looking for funding, prepare a proposal that includes:A clear statement of the issues

Why is this program important to the institution?

What does it hope to accomplish?

How does it intend to achieve its goals?

How will it assess the outcomes?

And. . . .

Who is responsible for developing and sustaining the project?

If the project is long term, provide a timeline

If the project requires monetary resources, create a budget

Develop assessment plans for the project

About that mission statementIt is the backbone of everything

that you want to accomplish. “Promote student success”

“Academic excellence”

“Set academic, career and personal goals”

NACADA’s Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources

II.Carefully Crafted

Advisor Development

Program

1.Designate someone to be in charge

Job Description:Respected Leadership Perseverance and tenacityGutsPerspiration / inspirationSensitivity to audiences Sense of humor

2. Determine the audienceNew advisors?Well-seasoned advisors?Faculty advisors?Special populations advisors?Everyone at the same time?

Goals address the purpose of the program. Why are we developing this training and development program?

Outcomes are what we expect advisors to learn as a result of participating in the program.

3. Determine Goals and Outcomes

4. What do they need to know?

Generally, topics can be broken down into three areas:

Informational

Relational Conceptual

Informational: the substanceWhat advisors and students should KNOW

Curriculum and degree requirements

Institutional policies and procedures

Campus resources (and how to guide students to them)

Too often advising conversations stop

here

What advisors should DO that takes them beyond simply providing information“Competencies” include:

Relationship building

Communication and questioning skills

Mentoring skills

Relational: the developmental

For exampleProviding an open, welcoming

atmosphere

Getting to know the students by asking open-ended questions

Being a good listener

Expressing genuine interest in students and their uniqueness

AndRespecting their opinions

Showing concern for their academic, personal, and professional growth

Helping them to explore their own needs, interests, and values, and helping them get there

Exploring careers

Conceptual: the foundationWhat advisors should UNDERSTAND

The definition of advising

Student development theories

Learning theories and advising approaches

The connection between advising and student success

For exampleThe importance of being

available physically and mentally for students

Acknowledging that one size does not fit all—being sensitive to various learning styles and the cue students communicate

understanding the institution’s advising model and structure,

New Advisor Program

Experienced Advisor Program

Conceptualunderstand the university’s mission for academic advising.

comprehend career counseling theory and its relationship to academic advising.

Relational understand student expectations in the advising relationship.

demonstrate effective conflict resolution skills.

Informationalunderstand the course repeat policy for the university.

know how to direct students to scholarship opportunities

Outcomes Example—Advisors will:

Advising handbook

Course catalog

Access to the institution’s data information system

Available advising session notes (held in paper files or electronically)

Advising syllabus

5. Tools of the Advising Trade

Today at 1:00 p.m.

Topical Session #4Constructing an

Academic Advising Handbook

6. Possible Program Delivery Methods

Annual or semi-annual workshop or retreat

Series of workshops or brown bags throughout the academic year

On demand, on-line training

An advising newsletter

AndPanel discussions

Guest speakers

regional or national NACADA events

Case studies/advising scenarios(Scenes for Learning and Reflection)

7. Off to Market – Create the Buzz

A Pause to Recap—A person is in charge

Stakeholders are on board

Mission statement done

Audience determined and content established

Goals and outcomes have been identified

Professional development needs determined

Delivery methods worked out

The right tools for the job are lined up

Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Topical Session #13Focusing the Lens: Crafting Successful Advisor Training and

Development Programs

III.Focused, OngoingAssessment of theAdvising Program

Institutions must be accountable for the

advising services they provide

How do you know if your training and development program is working well (or needs tweaking), or is meeting its intended goals?**

Accountability—who is watching you?

** Collective conversations = collective understanding

Interpret evidence

Gather evidence Evaluate data and Design report Assessment

Identify Make Objectives decisions

Let’s just say. . . . Learning objectives—begin by asking

What do we want advisors to know?

What do we want them to be able to do?

What do we want them to value or appreciate as a result of the training and development program?

If advisors are expected to demonstrate a knowledge set, skills, and values related to academic advising, how do we state a learning objective and deliver the opportunity?E.g., as a result of the program, advisors will be expected to. . . .

If done right and well. . . .

Assessment ultimately improves student and advisor satisfaction with academic advising -- and --

Assessment ultimately provides a strong advising raison d’etre in an era of increased accountability and squeezed budgets.

Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.Foundation Session #4

Assessment of Academic Advising: An Overview

Thursday at 9:00 a.m.Workshop #3

Assessment of Academic Advising

IV.Recognition

and Rewards forEffective Advising

Commitment

What value does your unit/department/campus/institution place on quality academic advising?Does it acknowledge advisors and their roles in contributing to student success?

Tangible and intangible rewards are part of a clear, coherent strategy within the mission of an organization.

For the professional Development program in particular:

Acknowledge Completion of Programo Present framed certificateo Send letter to participant and

to supervisoro Administration participation

and visibilityo Other?

Other options?This is not a rhetorical question.

Develop the R&R PlanThe questions are:

Whom do you want to recognize/reward?

Why do you want to recognize/reward them?

How are they to be recognized/ rewarded?

How are the candidates to be nominated?

What criteria will be used to determine the awardees?

Who will evaluate the nominee packets?

What exactly will be the recognition/ reward?

At what venue, if any, will the awardee(s) by recognized?

The 10-step program 1. Committee and leader named

2. Needs identified

3. Goals and Outcomes determined

4. Develop content

5. Decide method of delivery

6. Assessment

7. Market the program

8. Evaluate the program’s effectiveness

9. Reward and recognition

10. Revise and start again

Good advising does not just

happen.

Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

Foundation Session #5Initiating Change:

Leading from Your Position

Effective Development Programs

• Allow advisors, new and veteran, to develop and deepen their knowledge

• Provide motivation to progress from first-year ‘survival’ to long-term goals

• Contribute to student success

Don’t just take my word for it. NACADA Resources

Thank youAnd my special thanks to

Jennifer JoslinCasey Self

Marsha Miller

For their words and inspiration