1. Ozarks Technical Community College’s Academic Advising
Functional Area Report
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Academic Advising
Michelle Ciesielski, Chelsea Clark, Whitley Denson, Zachery Holder,
David Lind, Riley O’Dell, & Johna Walsh

2. Functional Area
Academic advising at Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC)
Guiding students through their college careers as they prepare to enter the job market, advisors take on an important role on the campus
Why we chose advising?
Report Developed through
Relying on interviews with the Director of Advising, Ginger Luke
Documents and materials produced by OTC
Literature

3. Relationship to Student Affairs Profession
Student affairs takes on a strong service component aimed at assisting students navigate and interpret their college experience
Advisors
Assist students with :
Education plans
Academic Probation
Registration
Referrals to Campus wide resources
Collaborate with faculty and staff

4. OTC Local residents of Springfield, MO Age Range: 18-60 years old
Many students have other obligations
Degrees:
Associate of Arts Transfer Degrees
Technical Degrees
Allied Health Degrees A+
Bridge to Success

5. History of Advising Student advising is largely an American Phenomenon
Dating back to Colonial America college presidents acted in loco parentis (on behalf of absentee parents)
1820’s, Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio developed a formal system of advising that assigned students to specific faculty who served as student advisors
Morrill Act of 1862 allowed greater numbers of students and a more diverse student population to attend college prompting a greater need for student advising.
By 1882 more women and lady assistants were hired to oversee female students at co-educational colleges

6. History of Advising
1890’s colleges began hiring Deans of Men and Women
1919 the function known as student affairs became a mainstay on American campuses
That same year NASPA was formed
ACE followed in 1937
ACPA in 1949
National Association of Academic Advising Association (NACADA) evolved during a 1977 conference and was chartered in 1979

7. History of OTC
Founded in April 1990, OTC has provided a comprehensive community college education for the residents of Springfield and 13 surrounding school districts
Initial enrollment 1,198 (1991)
Recent enrollment 15,000 (2011)
Beginning in 2007, established education centers in Lebanon, Richwood Valley , Waynesville, and Branson
In 1991, the Higher Learning Commission granted OTC a five-year initial accreditation
following a self-study and comprehensive visit in 2001, OTC was granted a ten-year accreditation

8. HLC Challenges of OTC
The first challenge to OTC by the HLC was to have a better understanding and implementation of the Student Academic Achievement Assessment Plan by faculty and staff
The second was to examine the college’s retention rates of its technical programs to determine their viability (Hidgen, 2011)
To meet the challenges OTC implemented a four-part student assessment to assist student placement, academic achievement, degree completion, and workplace success after graduation

9. History of OTC Advising
OTC established four advising objectives
understanding of required courses and sequencing,
an understanding of placement test scores,
an ability to create education plan using E-Advisor,
and an ability to schedule classes online using MyOTC

10. History of OTC Advising Student Responsibility
Advisors expec6a6
(a) clarify personal values and goals
(b) participate proactively in the decision-making process
(c) communicate with assigned advisor on a regular basis
(d) prepare a list of questions and concerns before each advising meeting
(e) follow through on suggested actions, resources, and referrals
(f) they should maintain a personal record of academic progress
(g) understand college programs, policies, procedures, and deadlines

11. History of OTC Advising Advisor Responsibility
(a) provide guidance
(b) encourage and make referrals to resources to empower students to meet their own goals
(c) listen carefully
(d) maintain confidentiality
(e) provide students’ strategies and options
(f) monitor students’ progress
(g) be accessible by appointment as needed

12. Terms and Procedures of OTC Advising

14. Role and Purpose of Academic Advising on Campus
Welcomes new and transfer students to the college. Our professional advisors will assist you in making informed course decisions as you begin or continue your college career at OTC. In collaboration with faculty and staff, we will help you develop an educational plan that meets your personal goals. So, whether you are a new student or a transfer student, the Academic Advising staff is here to help you get started at Ozarks Technical Community College. (OTC Academic Advising, 2012)
Essentially, the role of Academic Advising is to assist new and transfer students in the planning of their education, and help them make informed decisions about their college careers.

15. Mission Statements Mission Statement of OTC Academic Advising
“Promote student learning through accessible, high quality, affordable workforce training, and technical and general education that is responsive to the educational needs of the community and its diverse constituencies.”
Be the community’s college by providing quality learning experiences that support community, workforce and personal development.
Academic Advising
“Assists students to define, plan and achieve their educational and career goals.”
Essentially, OTC’s mission is to be the “community’s college”. They want to promote student learning with effective education that is applicable to the population they are serving. The academic advising unit strengthens OTC’s overall mission by acting as the frontline of assistance to their population.

16. Goals of OTC Academic Advising
1. Provide exceptional customer service by delivering services in a respectful, courteous and professional manner, exceeding expectations at all times.
2. Create a strong foundational skill set for incoming students.
3. Disseminate accurate and timely information concerning OTC, its resources, the transfer process, educational and career planning in a variety of formats to all constituents.
4. Administer entrance and exit assessment services in a variety of formats and disseminate assessment result interpretive data (collected from ACT) to appropriate college constituents.
5. Conduct advising training to faculty and staff.
6. Serve as a central referral and information access point for the entire campus community.
7. Provide the most innovative/cutting edge services possible.
8. Evaluate services regularly through a variety of means (G. Luke, personal communication, November ).
These are the goals the functional unit. We selected OTC goals that the functional area may specifically strengthen.
1. Quality: Enhance the quality of the faculty, staff, administration and facilities to promote continuous responsiveness to the expanding learning needs of the community.
4. Retention and Graduation Rates: Increase student retention and graduation rates by encouraging faculty, staff and administration to continually strive to improvement.
5. Graduate Performance: Promote high academic standards to enhance the success of graduates in transfer institutions and the workplace.

17. Budget for 2012-2013 Academic Year
$659,000 total

18. Development of OTC Advising
2003 Lacked structure in advising
2006 Change in administration
New faculty advising by full-time instructors
Trained by advising
Challenge: Not all faculty want to advise
Allowed closer connections with incoming students and departments
2008 Group advising model was adapted - STAR
Challenge: less personal interaction with students
Faculty and advising have similar roles
Faculty more direct connection within field
E-Advising

19. Future of Advising at OTC
Five year review process for the mission and goals
lacked the commitment and follow-through that was needed to improve on the services provided
2013 changes to an annual review process
layout the mission and goals for the following 3-5 years
STAR: advisors help students define a program that suits their interests and goals, and then works to formulate an education plan
Blackboard advising for online student population
Bridge to Success: English, math, and reading
Educational Center Advisors
(G. Luke, Personal Communication, November 26, 2012).

20. Challenges Space Limited budget Diversity Student Procrastination
Offices for advisors and STAR program
Limited budget
Limits staffing
Limits available resources
Diversity
Student population more diverse than Springfield
Lack resources for diverse population
Student Procrastination
Registration
Students get overwhelmed

21. Assessments in Place New annual review process STAR Survey
College Student Satisfaction survey
More focused on the faculty advising
Staff evaluation
Used to improve and set professional goals for the next year

22. Higher Education Issues
Academic placement can be discouraging if the student is placed in classes lower than they expect.
Merging academics and student affairs with advising
Still a gap between the two, especially with faculty not wanting to advise beyond the requirement
Financial aid and academic advising colliding
Financial aid and responsibility

23. Recommendations Technology Facilitate training for faculty advisors
multi-user based scheduling system
Smart phone application
Facilitate training for faculty advisors
Addressing faculty buy-in
Assessment and evaluation
OTC’s continuing strengths
Continued collaborative efforts
Innovative Programs

24. Conclusion
Through our interviews, literature reviews, and materials from OTC, the functional area of academic advising is better understood. The history of the institution, operational procedures, vision and goals, all play a role in academic advising. The values student affairs as a profession compliments OTC’s academic advising. With collaboration, assessment, technology, and student development, academic advising can continue to grow in new ways at OTC.