Bridges To Success “Effective Advising in Guided Pathways: Executing advising plans that transform departments and institutions to help students achieve their full potential. (Helping students choose courses before and after they have chosen majors)." December 2, 2016 Terry Bubb Director, Advising and Testing Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, Tennessee

Best Practices Research 55% of colleges and universities utilize a shared model (ACT National Survey on Academic Advising) Greater student success rates for those who “feel connected” to the advisor or someone at the college Students typically do not do “optional,” even if it is presented as helpful to them “High Risk” students need mandatory advising Successful advising programs have mandatory advising training programs and some type of assessment/accountability Number one request of faculty in advising surveys: more advisor training Ideal Advisor/Advisee Ratios For VSCC: 40/1= Full-time faculty; 400/1= Full-Time Staff Advisors

ACT Advising Survey Lowest Scores (Largest Gap Between VSCC and National Norms) Advisor knows who I am Advisor keeps me up to date on changes in academic requirements Advisor expresses interest in me as a unique individual Advisor takes the initiative in arranging meetings with me Recommendations Establishing and maintaining a relationship with advisees should be prioritized. (Less emphasis on the mechanics of selecting a schedule) Advisors ideally should meet with advisees a minimum of two times per year for approximately 30 minutes each time. Key elements to include in the meetings: academic progress, graduation requirements, job placement/educational opportunities following graduation.

Previous Vol State Advising Problems Wait times due to lack of staffing in the Advising Center Walk-in system = No relationship established Walk-in system led to Advising = Scheduling No formal required training and development program for faculty or staff advisors Flawed advisor assignment process

Steps Leading to Campus-Wide Change Considered all options Best Practices Research Advising Task Force had broad campus representation but not too large of a group Established accountability for all parties Recommendations based on best practices and VSCC culture Transparent process

Summary of Changes Advising Program Overall Advising Model Adopted Advising focus is on “relationship building” and not just scheduling Appointment-based system adopted Comprehensive advisor training developed Advising Model Adopted Shared engagement model utilizing full-time and faculty advisors Mandatory advising for a defined group of students Undecided (“Academic Area of Focus” Majors) required to see an advisor during their second semester Academic probation/suspension advised by professional advisors Quick Question Advisor available to assist students and faculty via “Advising Hotline” Utilize GAP advisors during peak registration times All Advisor assignments performed by Advising Center Academic Interventions for Underperforming Students Early Alert Program “Murky Middle” Assigned to Full-Time Advisors VSCC 1000 (“College Success) for academic probation/suspension students and strongly encouraged for undecided students Intrusive (Proactive) Advising

Summary Of Changes Continued Working with Undecided Students During the first term of enrollment undecided students will be required to participate in a series of activities which will assist in declaring a major Students entering the College as undecided (“Academic Area of Focus”) will be required to declare a major during their second semester Assessing Effectiveness & Accountability ACT Advising Survey Learning outcomes for students and advisors correlated with CCSSE, ACT Advising Survey, and required training Faculty Evaluations will have a component that considers academic advising Student Focus Groups Training Required for all new faculty and full-time advisors Training needs determined and developed each semester; can be general or division-specific in nature; may be individualized according to advisor’s experience and personal assessment Deans may require training for additional faculty as warranted

Executive Summary Advising Tools Orientation DegreeWorks will provide students and advisors with the ability to forecast course scheduling and will assist in division-specific course scheduling. Degree Program Templates will be pre-built in DegreeWorks to streamline advising sessions. Individual Plans will be built within DegreeWorks for all students. Guided Pathways will be built for all degree programs and consistently updated in DegreeWorks and the catalog. An Early Alert system will be used as part of the Banner system. Assigned advisors will be alerted to make contact as necessary. Multiple advising documents are regularly created and distributed electronically and in paper form. The Advising Resource Manual (ARM) will be available both in printed and electronic searchable form. This will enable advisors to find answers to general advising-related questions and to obtain information on advising procedures. Orientation Mandatory for all new students face-to-face Division-specific aspect to include information sessions for each academic division Mandatory advising for new students Curriculum to include academic and student support services, registration procedures, advising, financial aid information, etc. Effectiveness assessed through satisfaction survey, CCSSE, the ACT Advising Survey, and retention rates

Concerns & Possible Solutions Training & Development Develop a comprehensive training program for all advisors (General & Division Specific). Faculty to have control over a portion of the training and devote Professional Development Day to advising Increased communication between faculty and staff concerning academic programs

Concerns & Possible Solutions Faculty Time Devoted to Advising Goal: Continue to lower ratios Virtual Bursting (Student Communication) Enhanced training reduces time of individual advising sessions Quick Question Advisor/Advising Hotline New students advised in Advising Center with increased staffing Appointment-based system allows for scheduling flexibility, better time management, and gives message to students that advising is important Format of advising appointments: Group, Online, Phone, Email

Any questions?