The new advising model is designed to cultivate ways to make improvements in academics and student services with strong technological support to help the institution increase enrollment, persistence and retention to graduation. The overall purpose of the new advising model is to create an integrated support system to increase the level of student achievement by re- plotting the path to graduation through an activity comprising of two major components: 1) Guided Academics and 2) Integrated Support Services.

Guided Academics establishes a collection of support from applicant to graduation. The student will experience using a customized academic support system to include an electronic learning plan that map their student progress towards graduation. This advising protocol will help a student learn how to navigate a course to completion. The academic support system is called “Navigate”. Navigate is an online advisement product for academic planning and registration. The system provide guidance to ensure that the student’s program of study is a good fit for their goals, it helps students connect to the institution’s resources and helps the students make sure no steps are missing in the onboarding process.

Integrated Support Services establishes a Hub to serve as a one-stop student experience to include student services and referrals to campus resources. The Integrated Support Services include onboarding, orientation, assessment, observing, mediations, and referrals. The onboarding process was redesigned to notify students that their application had been received, advise student to proceed to assessment of testing, invite students to an on-site Navigate your Path to Success session, and then connect student with their Navigator to receive information on academic plan, search courses, and registration.

The two components, Guided Academics and Integrated Support Services, help students gain a clear understanding of their academic path and connect the student with the appropriate support to assist them with their college experience.

An Advising Task Force Committee was developed to complete work on the advising syllabus to establish realistic expectations in the relationship between advisors and students. Each division provided guidance to the ‘handoff protocol’ to transition their students from the Navigator to the Academic Advisor for a seamless student progress.

Navigators receive immersive training for Holistic Support. Training is provided through Student Services and Academics. In-house weekly training on policies and processes to off-campus professional development training is provided to the Navigators. Navigators are given opportunity to build relationships with academic departments through shadowing academic advisors in their academic areas.

Submission ID:

6590

Presenter(s):

Kathy Simmons Trident Technical College