LaSota final project

LaSota Final Project 1

Final Project

David LaSota

[email protected]

Submitted: March 7, 2016

Expected Graduation: May 2016

Advisor: Dr. Christy Craft

mailto:[email protected]


Table of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………....3

Personal Philosophy of Advising……………………………………………………………......4

Case Studies

case of Megan…………………………………………………………………………….6

case of Maria……………………………………………………………………………12

case of Smallville Liberal Arts Advising Center……………………………………...18

References……………………………………………………………………………………….24


Introduction

The following pages contain my final project for the Master’s degree program for

Academic Advising at Kansas State University. This project conveys my growth and

development as a practitioner of academic advising, and my passion to support and guide

students through their academic and professional pursuits. The first portion of this project

contains my personal advising philosophy, which must be a fluid, living document. It details my

commitment to the student, university, and the profession of academic advising. Following the

advising philosophy are two case studies involving students needing special assistance and

advising in relation to their individual needs. Finally, the project concludes with a case study of

an academic advising program seeking to involve new technologies into their practice.


Personal Philosophy of Advising

My overarching goal of academic advising is to facilitate students’ success, development,

and learning academically, professionally, and personally. Using National Academic Advising

Association’s (NACADA) Core Values (NACADA.org, 2005) as my guide, I will provide

quality service to meet individual student need, offering access and opportunity across campus. I

will take a student-centered, shared responsibility approach to advising students, so that both the

advisor and the student will be responsible for the growth and development of the student. This

partnership and relationship will guide the student through the academic process and instill a

sense of responsibility for their own actions. My role will be to provide students with the

appropriate information in a timely manner. I am committed to the whole student, recognizing

and appreciating the individuality and unique characteristics of each one of my students and will

strive to foster their individual potential. My advising approach will help students make

successful transitions into college; become self-reliant and responsible throughout their stay in

college; and be able to pursue successful professional careers out of college. I will encourage

my students to become life-long learners and develop an appreciation for the education and

experiences they have throughout life.

The college environment is constantly changing and with it, course delivery and

communication. I will keep up-to-date on all available outlets of communication and

technological changes within and outside of the university environment. I acknowledge that

learning at the university level does not happen in a vacuum; students have concerns outside of

academics (financial, familial, social, etc.) that may affect their learning inside of the classroom.

I will recognize my limitations and where my area of expertise ends. I am aware of the other

student resources available to my students and will make timely and appropriate referrals to meet


students’ needs. I will keep abreast of all university policies and procedures and will respect the

student’s confidentiality, not only in regards to Family Educational Rights and Protection Act

(FERPA), but also to build rapport and trust with my students.

As I grow as a professional advisor, I will advocate and be a voice for the students by

joining curriculum development committees and student affairs committees to name a few. I

will also advocate for the importance of advising to students. In providing exceptional advising

to my students, I will contribute to the excellence and success of the university as a whole. As

much learning and development happens outside of the classroom as inside. Being aware of

student interests and co-curricular activities that are in line with these interests engage the

student more in the university setting and promote success.

In order help my students grow and develop, I must grow and develop personally and

professionally. This includes being a life-long learner, staying up-to-date on new theories and

practices emerging within the advising profession. To better address and understand the needs of

a diverse student population, I have to be educated and attend cross-cultural events and

opportunities. Depending on the needs of my students and where they are educationally and

developmentally, I must practice a fluid style of advising from prescriptive to developmental

advising and everything in between. My advising practice will change depending on the needs

of the student. As I grow as an advisor, so too will this philosophy; revisiting and revising this

statement throughout my career.


The Case of Megan

Karen is an advisor at a small, private college. Megan is an 18-year-old freshman. When

Megan calls to make her registration appointment for the spring semester, Karen remembers her

well. They met at summer orientation, and Karen found Megan to be enthusiastic about college

but completely undecided about a major. Her SAT and high school grades indicated a strong

preference for reading; she had average math scores and low scores in the sciences. Megan

stopped in at the beginning of the semester to switch her English class sections because of a

conflict with her new campus job at the library. At that time, Megan was enjoying life on

campus, getting along well with her roommate, and indicated that her classes were “fine.” When

Megan arrives for her appointment she is a bit more prepared to select classes for the spring. She

is still debating between her two majors and just wants to take “general classes” again in the

spring.

“I really like that sociology class. Are there more classes like that?” Megan asks.

Karen pulls up the list of sociology classes offered in the spring and asks Megan what she

liked about the sociology class. Megan describes the chapter on environmental sociology and

was fascinated. She has long been interested in environmental concerns and issues.

“One of my classmates is also interested in the environment. She’s majoring in geology

and was telling me about it. Is there a geology class I can take? Maybe I’ll major in that.”

Karen pulled up the geology classes offered in the spring, happy that Megan found

something in which she was interested, but concerned because of Megan’s past science grades

and test scores. “Tell me about the science classes you had in high school. Did they interest you?

How did you study for them?”


Megan describes her past science classes. She had earth science as a freshman and that

class did interest her more than the others. “I never had to study much in high school,” Megan

confessed. “I try to take notes but they never make sense when I read them later. In high school I

just listened to the instructor, read the book and got the information. But in my science classes

the instructors used all these diagrams and charts that I never really understood and then I would

get bored.” They discuss Megan’s strategies for studying for her classes a bit more.

Karen can see that Megan begins to brighten but still seems a bit nervous. Karen asks if

there is anything else she can do to help Megan. Megan thinks for a moment; clearly there is

something else troubling her.

“Well, I don’t know if you can really help me with this, but it has been on mind and I’m

not sure how to go about it.” Megan explains to Karen that she is gay and while she has come out

to her younger sister and to many of her friends, she has not yet told her parents. She feels it time

to do so and she wants to tell them when she is home over the semester break. But she is nervous

about their reaction to the news. Karen empathizes with Megan’s situation and asks more about

Megan’s relationship with her parents, how she told her sister, and what her sister’s reaction was

to the news.

Response to the case of Megan

Megan is not unlike many freshmen; excited about the possibilities but unsure about

which possibilities to pursue. It falls to Karen, Megan’s advisor to help Megan navigate through

the tough choices she is faced with. Megan is ahead of the curve in the sense that she is

considering two specific majors, but is completely uncommitted to either. Karen should show

some concern about Megan’s interest in Geology given Megan’s difficulties in math and science.

These difficulties may be a result from Megan’s learning preferences and/or her study habits;


these same preferences could lead to a successful academic career in Sociology. Assisting

Megan with her academic studies and guiding her to a potentially successful educational track is

important, but Karen has an opportunity to make a significant impact in this student’s life.

Another area that Megan needs support is her decision to come out to her parents.

Providing Megan with the proper support and direction to the appropriate support resources in

her navigation through her LGBT identity questions and significant life events.

Advising Megan’s Academics

Megan is similar to many other freshmen, being undecided about her future studies.

While there is some pressure to choose a course of study, the decision is not impending as she is

beginning her second semester. While she has interest in both potential areas of interest;

Geology and Sociology, Megan needs information about the fundamentals of both choices.

Where Megan’s dilemma lies is her lack of information about the two paths. Gordon (2006)

devised a career decision making process, the 3-I process. This process guides students to ask

and answer questions about their career goals; gather information about those goals; and then

integrate the information learned into career decisions and goals. Megan appears to be in the

Inquire phase of the 3-I process. She may be unable to decide between the two choices because

she is not equipped with the proper information. This is an opportunity for Karen to supply

Megan with the answers and information she needs to make the appropriate decision about her

academics. Megan’s inability to decide on a major is not Karen’s only concern regarding the

major choices.

Megan has two strong choices for majors; Sociology and Geology. Megan has expressed

interest in environmental studies and these two choices will allow her to pursue her interests.


The concern that Karen can and should express is Megan’s performance in the two disciplines

she chose. Megan’s performance in math and science should raise a flag to Karen about her

choice of Geology. Also, what Karen learns about Megan’s learning preferences and styles

could suggest Megan would be more comfortable and successful in Sociology. Fleming (2001,

as cited in Hawk & Shah, 2007) suggested that some students learn in different way and have

preferences for certain modes of teaching. Fleming’s VARK model (Hawk & Shah, 2007)

describes these preferences. Megan’s difficulty in understanding the diagrams in her math and

science classes suggests that she is not a visual learning and may continue to have difficulties in

the science heavy geology courses. On the other hand, Megan’s ability to gather, process, and

retain information through reading and listening to lectures suggests that she is strong in the R or

reading and writing aspect of the VARK model. Equipped with this information, Karen can in

good faith suggest to Megan academic pursuits and class schedules that will be beneficial and

help Megan succeed. With Megan’s interest in taking more general education classes, perhaps

Karen can suggest an environmental science or sociology class that will count towards Megan’s

general education requirements. Karen may also suggest Megan attend tutoring centers to help

with her troubles with the visual aspect of science courses. With a solid plan in place for

Megan’s academics, Karen can now assist Megan with her other concern.

Advising Megan’s Personal Issues

Megan’s decision to come out to her parents is a significant moment in her life. The fact

that Megan has trust in Karen to seek guidance from her is significant as well. In her short time

as Megan’s advisor Karen clearly had formed a relationship with Megan. This relationship

building is the first step in creating a helping relationship (Young, 2013). By building this


rapport, Megan felt comfortable in opening up and disclosing her sexuality. This relationship

created a safe environment, something that is essential for students in Megan’s position.

Along with Megan developing her identity as a student pursuing her education, she is

also developing a sense of self in her identity as a lesbian. Megan appears to be fairly committed

in her lesbian identity, having already disclosed her sexuality to her sister and friends. This level

of commitment and disclosure suggests that Megan is in Cass’s 4th stage – identity acceptance

(Evan, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010). Cass also related the importance of peer group

interactions; support from peers can influence Megan’s self-image. Megan’s decision to come

out to her parents, or become lesbian offspring (D’Augelli as cited in Evans et al., 2010). In this

stage, students often have issues disclosing their sexuality to their parents. D’Augelli suggested

that a positive relationship with her parents is possible for Megan through education and patience

Evans et al., 2010). Karen needs to be aware of all of these developmental factors in order to

assist Megan through this critical time in her development.

Karen has already created a safe environment for Megan, but Megan needs more support

from peers; people whom may have had experience with a situation similar to Megan’s will be

better equipped to support her. Being aware of student groups and other resources Megan can

look to for support could make the acceptance of her sexuality and its integration into her life

less stressful. Harding (2008) offered strategies in advising students developing their sexuality.

These strategies include using appropriate language and not assuming heterosexuality; learning

about LGBT culture, the people, issues, and concerns; and facilitating support for students to

advocate for themselves (Harding, 2008). If Karen is unfamiliar with Megan’s situation, she

should direct Megan to the appropriate resources for support. Judging by the questions Karen


has already asked, she appears to be able to facilitate a conversation with Megan and is aware of

Megan’s needs during this critical time in her life.

Conclusion

Megan is faced with some significant decisions. Karen is in a significant and unique

position to make an impact in Megan’s life, not only academically, but personally as well. By

fostering a safe environment and close relationship with Megan, Karen has become a person of

support through these tough times. Equipped with the proper knowledge of student development

and campus resources, Karen can make the appropriate referrals in order for Megan to receive

the support she needs from peers and similar men and women on campus that have experience in

Megan’s situation. All of this contributes to Megan’s experience on campus and provides her

with the appropriate and needed support for these developmental times.


The case of Maria

Maria is a 19-year-old Latina, first-generation university student in her second year of

study at a large predominately white suburban state university. She is “normal” in intelligence

but reports that she dislikes school. She is undecided about her major except for the fact that she

is not interested in “anything related to math or science.” Her current grade point average is 2.2

on a 4.0 scale. In her last visit to her advisor, Dave-a White male, she shared that she routinely

hands in her class assignments late, if at all. Maria is not involved in any university-related

activities but does work 20 hours per week at the fast food restaurant across the street from her

residence hall. She associates with a group of students who also have little involvement in

school-related activities and tend to not take studying that seriously. Some of her friends have

been in trouble with the police for drug-related activities. Maria regularly meets with her advisor.

Dave has taken an interest in Maria’s college success after meeting with her and her parents

during New Student Orientation. The entire family was very respectful and Maria’s parents

expressed their belief that a college education was important so that Maria could have a good

paying job to help provide for her own family someday. Maria appeared to respect her parents

and agreed with them that a college degree would be good for her future. However, Maria is

typically not enthusiastic when she meets with Dave. She schedules her meetings with him just

before she is eligible to enroll. Dave believes Maria’s only reason for meeting with him is to

have her advising flag lifted so that she can enroll. Maria’s father recently called Dave

encouraging him to help Maria select a major. Dave assures Maria’s father that they will discuss

her major options at their next visit. Without disclosing Maria’s grades or details of previous

advising conversations, Dave asks Maria’s father what he feels Maria’s interests and strengths

might be. Dave believes this might help open a real dialogue with Maria about her major options


and how her choice of a major and experience on campus can all impact her future success as

well. Dave begins to plan for his upcoming meeting with Maria.

Adapted from Feller and O’Bruba (2009, p. 36).

Response to the case

Maria is having difficulty in transitioning to college life. Her grades are not horrible, but

Dave, her advisor, needs to be concerned about a few issues regarding Maria. First, Maria is at a

point in her academic career that an academic major needs to be determined and a plan of study

should be in place. Next, Maria’s study skills and learning processes need to be addressed;

admittedly submitting assignments late or not at all is an issue also. It appears that Maria is not

involved with any co-curricular activities or positive peer groups that may be critical to Maria’s

success. Perhaps gaining knowledge about Maria, her likes, strengths, and background will

allow Dave to assist Maria in having a successful academic career moving forward.

Advising the whole student.

There are many factors that could be affecting Maria and her difficulties being successful

and integrating academically. These factors can range from Maria’s personal development,

learning styles or preferences, identity development, familial support, and social groups. All of

these factors play a significant role in a student’s success and need to be approached during

advising sessions. The fact that Maria meets regularly with her advisor, Dave, shows that she

has interest in her university life, but may be unsure of how to explore options to be successful.

This is a case where Dave may apply intrusive advising (Vanllandingham, 2009). Intrusive

advising involves proactive, action-oriented advising strategies to get the student involved in

their own education and career planning activities. Maria seems to lack motivation to choose a


major and career path; intentional, intrusive advising plans structure activities and opportunities

to build Maria’s success and hopefully motivate her to continue that success (Vanllandingham,

2009). This form of advising could also address another concern, Maria’s academic

performance.

Many factors can contribute to Maria’s lack of success in the classroom; lack of interest

in the material, time commitments outside of the classroom (Maria does have a part-time job),

and other extracurricular activities can all play a role. One factor that Dave can assist Maria with

is a factor concerning her learning ability. Maria’s lack of success in the classroom can be

attributed to a low self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is the belief the student has in his or her own

ability. Zimmerman (2000) stated that self-efficacy can influence a student’s choice to

participate (or not to participate in Maria’s case) in university activities, the level of effort a

student puts forth, and persistence. If Maria does not believe in herself and her ability to be

successful, then she is at a high-risk of leaving school and not returning. Dave can implement

strategies to increase Maria’s chances and attainment of success, thus raising her self-efficacy, as

a part of his intrusive advising strategies. Zimmerman (2000) suggested strategies that result in

small successes, thus raising the student’s belief that he or she can be successful. Setting short

term goals that are challenging yet attainable is one such strategy. Being successful in attaining

these goals motivates learning and begins to help students develop long term goal setting, self-

evaluation, and use of specific strategies. Helping Maria learn that she has the ability to be

successful during advising sessions may increase her belief in herself to be successful inside of

the classroom. Assisting Maria with her classroom success is a vital role for Dave, but other

factors are contributing to Maria’s success in college and her development as a student and

person.


Maria is a first generation student and with that distinction comes a lot of pressures.

Harding (2008) suggested a list of concerns that affect 1st generation students and some of them

apply to Maria. Harding (2008) concluded that 1st generation students are twice as likely to leave

college before their second year (Maria is currently in her second year but may be close to

withdrawing from school); Maria works part-time (perhaps she is contributing her income to

support her family at home?); she belongs to an ethnic minority (this concern will be discussed

later); and her low achievement academically may suggest she entered college underprepared

and may suffer from low self-esteem. In order to address these concerns, Harding (2008)

suggested using Peters’s strategies when dealing with first generation students. Dave can

develop a positive relationship with Maria, and judging by the frequency of visits, this may have

already occurred. Dave can also assist Maria with her time-management skills (potentially a

reason Maria has difficulty submitting assignments on time) by writing out a list of important

dates and having Maria do the same for assignment due dates. Harding (2008) also related that

first generation students need structure and guidelines to succeed. Helping Maria organized,

prioritize and develop time-management skills may allow Maria to experience success and

motivate her to persist. Along with these strategies, Peters also suggested using campus

resources like student groups and also involving the student’s parents in the process. Not only

could this help a first generation student, but may help Maria develop her other identities as well.

Patton, Harris, Ranero-Ramirez, Villacampa, and Lui (2015) considered some of the

issues facing Latina students in higher education. They related that women have been

historically and systematically silenced by a white male dominated society and this silencing

makes it difficult for women of minority groups to seek and ask for help. This feeling of

isolation Maria could be experiencing from attending a predominantly white university could


result in Maria feeling marginalized and invisible. Patton et al. (2015) suggested using

Schlossbergs components of mattering to combat marginality. Maria must be made to feel

noticed, important, that someone cares about her successes and failures, needed, and that her

contributions are valued. (Patton et al., 2015, p. 47-48). Dave can use a few strategies, some of

which he has already employed to assist Maria. Involving Maria’s father in gaining insights

about Maria’s likes and strengths is a great start. For many Latinas, family is the most

significant form of support. Dave may also suggest to Maria to join some student groups or a

peer mentoring program for support. She may discover that there are other women who have

been in a similar situation and were able to persist and succeed. This may also cause Maria to

change her circle of influence, which, judging by their academic behavior and troubles with the

law, will be a positive influence for Maria.

In order to effectively change Maria’s outlook and behavior, Dave may want to

implement what Young (2013) described as the REPLAN approach. All of the strategies

discussed previously lend to the REPLAN approach: Dave has established a strong Relationship;

by setting short term, attainable goals, Dave has helped Maria Enhance her self-efficacy; goal-

setting, time-management, and being involved in university activities help Maria Practice new

behaviors. By progressing through these first REPLAN steps, it may be easier for Dave to help

Maria Lower emotional reactions (depressed about difficulties in academics?), Activate Maria’s

expectations, hope, and motivation to perform better, and Provide new learning experiences that

will continue to motivate Maria (Young, 2013, p280-283). Dave is committed to Maria’s

success, if Maria commits to working on these strategies with Dave and learns to focus her

energies on her new learning experiences, she may be able to have a successful academic


experience and perhaps set an example for future generations of college students within her

family.


Case of Smallville Liberal Arts Advising Center

The Smallville Liberal Arts College Academic Advising Center is having their weekly staff

meeting. Alex, the director, brings up the idea of adding a Twitter feed and a blog to their

website in an effort to update their advising services as well as appeal to today’s students. The

majority of students at Smallville are traditional-aged college students, though there are more

non-traditional students enrolling, particularly in the new online General Studies program. A

student services survey of students over the past year revealed student interest in Tweets, text

messages, and other media sources for getting information. The survey also revealed that only

40% of students read their campus emails, making Alex feel it is time for a change.

Lynda, who has been an advisor in the center since its inception in 1990 is opposed to using

social media to reach students. “Students need a person that they connect with. Technology

cannot take the place of advisors.”

Steve thinks this idea has possibilities. His own children currently attend the large land grant

institution in the state. They have described the text alerts and Tweets they receive from their

advisors, reminding them of deadlines and events on campus. “They find it very helpful, ” he

tells the group.

“Students can now select their classes online, they enroll online, and now we have online classes.

We are just losing touch with our students. I don’t think we need any more technology. We need

to find ways to assure that they do come in to see us,” Lynda says emphatically.

Courtney, a recent graduate of a program in academic advising speaks up, “I understand the

concerns about veering away from direct contact with students. But I also think that technology

can actually help us to stay in closer touch with students and may draw in students who don’t

understand the importance of seeing their advisor. “


Steve agrees with Courtney, while Lynda is still against adding more technology in their work

with students. Alex has been listening to the thoughts and concerns of each staff member, and

would like to make a decision soon, but time for the staff meeting has run out for today.

“I see we’re out of time,” Alex interrupted. “I appreciate all of your input and will give this some

more thought.”

Alex now has to consider the attitudes and feelings of the staff before deciding how to proceed

with any additions to the Advising Center’s tool box. Alex believes the results of the student

survey indicate a need for change, but how is the best way to proceed? Alex wants to find the

best way to serve the students and to keep the advising staff empowered and happy in their

positions.

Response to case study

The importance of technology in education is clear. From course management systems,

student information systems, to communication and file sharing, technology plays a vital role in

the administration of higher education and the advising of students. Leonard (2008) went as far

as to say that introduction of new technologies has had the most significant impact of advising.

The results of the student survey suggest that the current uses of technology (predominantly

emails) have become outdated and are not the preferred methods of communication by students.

As important as technology is to the dissemination of information to a large populations of

students, it still does not replace the need for interpersonal relationships in advising. Many

researchers agree (Esposito, A., Pasquini, L. & Steele, G., 2011; Pasquini, L., 2011; Leonard, M.,

2008) that the proper utilization of technology can increase student support and retention

initiatives. Lynda’s fears about losing touch with students is not unwarranted though. Too much


reliance on technology can create an impersonal environment and can cause students to become

disengaged. There are also concerns about the effectiveness of technology at the developmental,

mentoring, and counselling aspect of advising (Esposito, et al., 2011). It is this concern that

requires advisors to develop and maintain strong interpersonal relationship with their students.

Implementing new technology

Before implementing new technology to any department, but specifically to the Advising

Center, a needs assessment must take place. The percentage of students that utilize campus

email as their preferred mode of communication suggests a change needs to take place. Other

forms of social media allow for mass dissemination of important information that reaches a

larger population of students. Using multiple modes of communication may be the best way of

accessing a diverse student population; the more ways advisors reach out, the more likely

advisors will reach more students (Leonard, 2008). Carter (2007) suggested that social media

sites are becoming the preferred method of communication of students; many students tend to

use social sites more often that their campus email. With the ability to reach the most students at

any time, it is clear why the Advising Center is considering adopting these modes of

communication.

On the surface, Lynda’s concerns about implementing a new technology to the advising

office are understandable. With the use of course management systems for online classes and

online registration, it appears that the personal aspect of one-on-one advising is becoming less

important. This, however is not the fact. Any technology that is adopted should enhance and

supplement the advisor-advisee relationship by expediting, simplifying and/or increasing access

to information (Leonard, 2008). Means of mass communicating information such as deadlines,


workshops, and events allows advisors to focus on the developmental aspects of advising during

their one-on-one sessions. Utilizing blogs and microblogging (Schwenn, 2010) allows for this

information to be located at a central place online and frees up time during the personal advising

meetings to work on other important matters. The main focus, goal, and objective of an advising

department should be the facilitation of student success and retention. Addition of new

technologies complement the current advising sessions and optimizes student support services

and academic success; allows for continued advising beyond the one-on-one sessions; and could

create a stronger connection between the advisor and advisee (Esposito et al., 2011). Expressing

these advantages to Lynda could alleviate some of her concerns about losing touch with the

student population and advising in general becoming obsolete.

Along with any technological implementation comes the training associated with

learning a new mode of communication. Alex, as the director, has to develop and facilitate the

training to his advising staff members. While this may not be an issue for some advisor, others

like Lynda may need extra development. Keeping up-to-date on the technology utilized by

students should be an obligation of advisors (Leonard, 2008). In order to effectively

communicate with students, advisors need to be aware and knowledgeable of the current trends

among the student population. This awareness could bridge the gap between advisor and advisee

and allow for better communication and a stronger bond between the two. There may be a

concern about privacy issues as well, especially when discussing class or grade information on

social media outlets. The NACADA Commission on Technology in Advising proposed

guidelines when adopting new social media forms of communication (Esposito et al., 2011).

One of these guidelines state that privacy standards for student records standards should be

similar to telephone and email (p. 268). Practicing these standards when using social media


outlets of communication should ease the concern of student, parents, and administrators. The

Commission also guides advisors’ behavior on public, social media sites. Just as in public, the

advisor represents the university and should conduct him or herself professionally (p. 268). The

use of these resource and their pertinence to the advising relationship should be reviewed often.

If a particular mode of technology becomes less utilized (like email the Smallville Liberal Arts

Advising Center), a needs assessment should be conducted and a new form of technology should

be adopted.

A few other concerns should be considered when implementing new technology. With

the rapid growth of technology on a daily basis, some programs may try to implement multiple

tools and technological resources. While it is advisable to stay abreast of current technological

trends, the implementation of too many resources at the same time could result in staff becoming

confused and disenchanted with the use of the tools. Making sure advising staff is properly

trained and comfortable using a technological tool before implementing new resources can

reduce this risk. Another concern is the non-traditional student population at the university,

mainly older, returning adult students. Younger, traditional-aged students are familiar with new

emerging technologies having grown up using technology and are used to the rapidly changing

technology advances. Older students, on the other hand, have a learning curve associated with

learning and using new technology. Advising administrators need to consider their student

populations and implement training for them as well when using new technology resources.

Conclusion

The uses of technology on campuses continue to grow. New technologies and forms of

communication seem to form daily. As the student population begins to utilize these forms of


technology, so too do universities and their faculty and staff need to be familiar with and be able

to use them to reach the most students possible. Advisors have an obligation to learn and utilize

the technology that students are currently using (Leonard, 2008). Becoming familiar with new

technologies should be a part of an advisors ongoing professional development. This necessity

can be articulated in job descriptions of staff and faculty that perform advising duties (Esposito

et al., 2011) and administrators should prepare for the development of training to utilize new

technologies. In no way should technology and new forms of communication take the place of

personal, one-on-one advising sessions. They should complement current practices and allow for

advisors to focus on the developmental areas of student learning outcomes as they will not have

to spend precious time with particulars that can and will be communicated via a mass

communication medium like social networks.


References

Carter, J. (2007). Utilizing Technology in Academic Advising. Retrieved: March 5, 2016 from

NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources Web site:

http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Technology.htm#tech

Esposito, A., Pasquini, L. & Steele, G. (2011). The world of tomorrow: Technology and

advising. In J. Joslin & N. Markee (Eds.), NACADA Monograph #22: Academic Advising

Administration: Essential Knowledge and Skills for the 21st Century (pp. 261-274).

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