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PO Box 9752
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303.541.0231

Introduction

Academic advising should focus on student learning within the context of a student's personal characteristics such as interests, values and abilities. Effective advising is a developmental process. As described by David Crockett (1984, p.1) "Academic advising is a developmental process which assists students in the clarification of their life and career goals and in the development of educational plans for the realization of these goals. It is a decision making process by which students realize their maximum educational potential through communication and information exchanges with an advisor. The advisor serves as a facilitator of communication, a coordinator of learning experiences through course and career planning and academic progress review and as an agent of referral to other campus agencies as necessary."

The challenge of providers of academic advising via Distance Education as to be able to offer a minimum set of core services related to academic advising which assist distance learners in identifying and achieving their maximum educational potential which enables them to reach their educational goals.

History

Academic advising has long been recognized as an essential educational service provided by institutions of higher education. In fact, the first formal system to be recognized was at John Hopkins University in 1877. However, we can track an informal reference regarding academic advising to Kenyon College 1841 "each student chooses a faculty member who would be an advisor and friend, as well as a medium of communication."

Although advising has traditionally been viewed as a person-to-person activity, the future of academic advising resides on the degree to which technology can be deployed to increase both the efficiency and effectiveness of advising. The by-product of advising -student retention- as it relates to distance learners is dependent on their feeling a part of the college community and that depends greatly on their having access to sound academic advising.

In recent years the impact of advising and the importance of providing support of distance learner's ability to successfully fulfill their educational goals has been well documented. This has had both AACRAO and NACADA establish mission statements and standards for distance learner support services programs that focus on academic advising.

Responsibilities

Institution

The institutional philosophy of a distance learning support services program must be to strive to respond to learner needs rather than the learner adjusting to an institution's established organizational structure.

Institutions must recognize the importance of advising and organize and deliver advising services in the most effective way possible by including technology enhancements. However, institutions have a responsibility never to let technology enhancements compromise the standards that have been set for the profession as described by CAS and NACADA.

Faculty and Staff

Advise on the level that the student needs and wants. Multiple systems and/or policies may be required. The principle goal of academic advising in a distance learner environment is to provide "individualized guidance" so learners may become more effective in dealing with concerns that influence their pursuit of personal learning goals at a distance and at the time and delivery mode preferred by the learner.

Faculty and staff are responsible for the following in academic advising:

• Know the academic abilities and background of a student
• Know objectives, interests, motivation of advisees
• Know University regulations
• Know academic programs
• Capitalize in academic planning on those things which enhance motivation
• Be available
• Know when and whom to refer
  

Students

The student is responsible for the following in advising:

• Discussing long range plans and goals
• Discussing their choice of a major
• Making final decisions about choices concerning academic matters
• Being able and willing to ask intelligent questions about their degree program
• Seeking help when needed
• Following through on referrals
• Accept responsibility for decisions
  

Challenges and Issues 

The goal of providing academic advising to distance learners should be characterized by these same qualities as considered "good practices" in serving on-campus learners. Effective advising for distance learners should include at a minimum the following:

• Convenient - ideally accessible any time, any place
• Easy to access
• Advisors help students to feel a part of the community, develop academic and career goals, be successful learners
• Understand the type of students the institution is serving at a distance and what their needs are
• Equal to, but not necessarily the same as, services provided to on-campus students
• To act as the ombudsman for advisee with the institution, administrators, faculty and staff to understand their academic and personal development needs
• To redesign academic advising for distance learners not just introduce technology
  

About the Author

Tom Kerr is Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management
Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has served as dean of the College of Evening and Professional Studies at Drexel University, associate provost for academic services at Rowan University, and as associate dean of academic and student affairs at Boston University. Among his publications on advising issues are "Funding Advising: Grant Preparation and Other Creative Approaches," "Retention is Not an Isolated Event," and "A Multi-faceted Approach to Training Advisors." He is a charter member of NACADA (National Academic Advising Association) and served as president from 1993 to 1995. He holds a master's degree in industrial engineering from Northeastern College and a Ph.D. in higher education from Boston College.

Associations and Organizations

• National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/
  NACADA is a membership organization for Academic Advisors with a goal to advance the theory and the practice of academic advising to ensure students’ intellectual, personal, and social development.

• NACADA Technology in Advising Commission http://www.psu.edu/dus/ncta/index.shtml
  NACADA's Technology in Advising Commission is dedicated to helping academic advisors understand the impact on academic advising of technologies such as the World Wide Web, email, degree audits, telephone and online registration, and student information systems.

• Integrated Counseling and Advisement Network (ICAN)  http://www.cpcc.cc.nc.us/ican/
  The ICAN site provides resources for students, academic advisors, and academic advisors and counselors.

• Florida Engineering Education Delivery System (F.E.E.D.S.)  http://feeds.eng.usf.edu 
  The FEEDS site contains resources for students including policies, resources, courses, and programs.

• Ohio Learning Network 
   http://www.oln.org
  The Ohio Learning Network is a consortium of Ohio's colleges and universities, all of which are working together to expand access to learning opportunities for citizens of Ohio.

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG) 
  http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL
  This site explains guidelines to make websites accessible to users with disabilities and to all users. This is a reference document for accessibility principles and design ideas.

Publications and Articles

• Student Affairs Online
  http://studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Spring_2001/advising.html
  An online magazine about tecnology and Student Affairs.

• The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal http://www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/
  The Mentor is a free electronic publication about academic advising in higher education. The goal of this journal (available only on the Web) is to provide a mechanism for the rapid dissemination of new ideas about advising and for ongoing discourse about advising issues.

• "Virtual Advising: Delivering Student Services" Linda Wagner, Assistant Director for Retention Programs, State University of West Georgia
  http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall43/wagner43.html
  This paper examines the current objectives and traditional purposes of academic advising and the current methods of bringing support services online in light of those objectives.

Campus Sites

• Career and Academic Counseling, Utah Valley State College http://www.uvsc.edu/careeracad/aa.html
  This site lists a number of academic counseling resources from finding an advisor to how to get a parking permit.

• Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Advising Page http://ben.franklin.uga.edu/saga/saga.htm
  This website provides information for students at Franklin College of Arts & Sciences.

• Rio Hondo College http://www.rh.cc.ca.us/student_services/counseling/index.htm
  This site provides academic counseling information for students at Rio Hondo College.

• MBNA Career Services Center, University of Delaware http://www.udel.edu/CSC/
  The mission of the University of Delaware Career Services Center is to provide the highest quality comprehensive career services to all students and alumni of the University of Delaware in order for them to choose and attain personally rewarding careers. Career services will be presented in a variety of formats utilizing technology and in an environment that is supportive and friendly.

• On Course! Home Page, University of Arizona http://wacky.ccit.arizona.edu/~oncourse/home3.html
  On Course is a computerized degree audit/advising support system designed to help students achieve their academic goals efficiently.

• Penn State eLion academic advising demo site (click the Late Drop link in the left column and follow the pages)
  http://eliondemo.oas.psu.edu/student/demo_student_page.html
  eLion is a portal environment for Penn State students to manage the course load online.

• Ralphie's Info Center, University of Colorado at Boulder http://www.colorado.edu/ralphie/
  This site provides services for CU students including a course catalog, admissions information, an online directory, and many other helpful inks.

• University of Delaware's Web Initiatives
  http://www.mis.udel.edu/main/webinits/
  This site provides a list of Web Initiatives which are demos on how to supply information to students and staff over the internet.

Corporate Sites

• ApplyYourself
  http://www.applyyourself.com/
  ApplyYourself helps colleges and universities better identify and qualify prospective students, build personal relationships with those students and streamline application and enrollment processing.

• Bay Learning
  http://www.baylearning.com
  Bay Learning was formed with an aggressive mission, "to revolutionize student services." They have deployed leading-edge eLearning solutions to academic customers.

• CollegisEduprise Inc.
  http://www.eduprise.com
  Founded in 1986, CollegisEduprise links administrative and academic goals through strategic vision and implementation

• SCT
  http://www.sct.com
  SCT’s unique administrative, self-service, and e-learning technology can help you adapt to students’ escalating expectations concerning the role technology and, at the same time, consider the best way to serve faculty, alumni, donors, and staff.