Strategy/Project Description:
- During spring semester 2014, an academic advising task force under the leadership of the VPAA became involved in a number of activities with consulting support from the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).
- New vision and mission statements, as well as guiding values, goals, and outcomes for academic advising, were created.
- An academic advisement module was completed for the college’s first-year experience course, SGSC 1000, a course in which 75% of new students enroll each fall semester. Goals, student learning outcomes, and assessment measures for this module were also created. One focus of the advisement module is to help students understand their own roles and responsibilities in degree completion.
- During the major registration days that serve very large numbers of students, academic advising, financial aid processes, and registration take place in one location to keep students from having to trek across campus for various services.
- All academic program maps have been revised so that students have a ready guide for program completion. These maps were recognized by the USG Academic Affairs staff for their quality and serve as models for the USG.
- Advising “tip sheets” have been created for academic programs in specialized areas, such as pre-nursing, STEM pathways, and education; and information sheets on learning support policies and rules are available.
- “15-to-Finish” is being promoted through a three-pronged approach: distribution to students and faculty of a bar-coded brochure linked to an information video; the addition of a “15-to-Finish” logo on every course registration form; and the training of faculty advisors to define “15-to-Finish” in terms of program completion rather than course enrollment.
- Revision of the assignment method for matching students with faculty advisors is underway.
- Development and implementation of assessment tools for advising continues. A student and faculty advisor survey assessing numerous aspects of the SGSC advising process was administered to both students and faculty during the spring semester 2014.
- Training opportunities in advising for faculty members have been established, including opportunities prior to orientation and registration sessions, as well as throughout the academic year.
