I. The Provost and I visited with each college (7) at the University and listened to their concerns about our enrollment. Retention rose very quickly to the top of the list. Just underneath retention was the topic of placing more work on our faculty outside of the classroom.

The Provost and I, after these meetings placed a priority on talking to students and gaining student concerns. Not surprisingly the students also mentioned advising. In my role as the Vice President for Student Success, the retention piece fell squarely on me, and also removing parts of the additional task for tracking each advisee assigned to a faculty member was also assigned to me.

II. I met with student focus groups about our strengths and weaknesses at VSU. These groups talked about advising and lack of a relationship, and how many advisors they have had in 2 - 4 years. The also discussed lack of knwoledge of wrap around services. (My word, not theirs, they called it help)

Digging into advising, they wanted to have one place to go for advising, one person, someone they could get to know to help guide them through the maze we call higher education curriculum.

III. We developed a Student Success Council made up of teaching faculty, faculty leadership, staff and top administration. (Vice President for Student Success and Provost co-chair the council.)

The council reviewed professional advising and the many tasks they would handle on a daily basis advising students on curriculum paths and tracking academic progress for early alerts. (removed this task from faculty) The council supported the concept, and the proposal was developed and taken to the Deans Council, and to the Council of Department Heads and vetted through each of these councils. The proposal was then presented to the University Council for final approval.

The best part was this was done in a budget reduction cycle, and added new positions while not hiring any new faculty positions.

The plan - All seven Colleges will have a Professional Advising Center, a Director that will have supervision duties plus 150 advisees, and enough advisors that will carry an advising load of 350 advisees to cover all majors in the college. (NACADA recommendation.) One center will also house the exploratory advising area. This area is for students in transition, between majors, undeclared, lost and wondering souls. :)

Implementation - 1) Hire a new Exec Director of Advising to oversee all 7 centers and 7 Directors.
2) Develop centers along with the College Deans and hire directors. 3) Hire new advisors (12) to add to current staff in advising 4) train faculty and new advisors together

Submission ID:

M3.1131

Day:

Monday, November 12, 2018

Time: 

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM