Casey Capps, Registrar Martin Methodist College

 Faculty advising model › Faculty typically carry a load of hours in addition to advising and other duties › Most are on ten- month contracts and do not teach or keep office hours during breaks (including summer)

 Traditional registrar duties: transcript processing, schedule building, graduation audits for all graduating seniors, transfer evaluations, and “other duties as assigned”  Additional duties: committee duties, grade distribution, reporting, FERPA officer, athletic eligibility, graduation ceremony, and advising all transfer students

 Academic advising has been referred to as the “cornerstone of student retention” (Crockett, 1978).  Advising has often been linked to positive gains in retention and graduation rates for a number of reasons, including “(1) student satisfaction with the college experience, (2) effective educational and career planning and decision making, (3) student utilization of campus support services, (4) student-faculty contact outside the classroom, and (5) student mentoring.” (Cuseo, 2012)

 Ensures students are taking classes needed for their degree  Ensures they are registered for courses they are eligible to take (pre-requisites met)  Answers transfer questions they may have

 Transfer questions answered on the front end  Understanding of why they are taking the classes they are registered for  Gives some direction for future advising  Empowers them to begin owning their education

 Transfer evaluation complete  Less pre-requisites to check after classes start  Ensures students are taking classes required for their degree  Opportunity to clarify transfer policies

 Understanding of degree requirements in all majors  Advising guides (electronic or paper) to keep for student’s file  Transfer guides (which you may already have!)

 Allows student to plan out their courses for each semester  Gives them a goal to work toward  Gives them their degree requirements upfront  Shows them the light at the end of the tunnel

 Understanding for what it will take to receive a degree  Awareness of academic process and the players involved  Excitement for their future

 Clarify degree requirements  Explain course sequencing  Produce more graduates!

 Knowledge of academic programs and polices  Patience for students learning about college and your institution

 Get to know the advisors at your institution (professional or faculty)  Set up meetings or luncheons with them to have some face-to-face interaction  Consider monthly “Updates from the Registrar’s Office” newsletters to keep your campus informed  You know the catalog better than most on your campus, so if you are able to keep them in the loop on updates and changes, it will ultimately make your life easier because they will be able to better advise!

 Crockett, D. S. (1978). Academic advising: A cornerstone of student retention. In L. Noel (Ed.), Reducing the dropout rate. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.  Cuseo, J. (2012). Academic advisement and student retention: Empirical connections & systemic interventions. Retrieved from e-uploads/employees/academic- resources/esfy/_files/academic_advisemen t_and_student_renetion.pdf e-uploads/employees/academic- resources/esfy/_files/academic_advisemen t_and_student_renetion.pdf