Academic Advising Handbook

Academic Advising Handbook Part 1 Academic Advising at WVNCC Some students are at "the front of the line" while others feel like they start at the back, losing their confidence Some students are all over the place in their goals and many change their goals frequently--today it's nursing...tomorrow it's culinary... Sometimes students will fall in line with their responsibilities, but sometimes they will veer off path... Advising is like a pendulum wave Help a student identify his or her long-term academic and career goals Guide a student through honest self-reflection about his or her abilities Motivate the student to be a success by setting a positive example Instill confidence in students so that they can make decisions and follow their chosen path Teach students the resources available to them and the responsibilities they have over their own education Educate students to appreciate that the short-term sacrifices they make for school can have long-term rewards But here is what an advisor can do... Define what advising means Identify the related but separate meaning of scheduling and registration Understand the rights and responsibilities of both the advisor and the advisee Build trust and rapport with your advisees Know where to find assistance with basic advising issues, such as program requirements, registration procedures, student support services, basic financial aid policies and processes, and advising strategies After reviewing this guide, you will be able to... Academic advising at WVNCC is a service to teach and assist students in the development of meaningful educational plans, to assist students in achieving their individual goals based on their unique circumstances, and to provide students the guidance and support they need to be successful in higher education. The Mission of Academic Advising Advising is about a lot more than scheduling and registration. These are processes and components of advising, but they do not define advising as they are more narrow objectives in the bigger goal of helping students realize and attain their goals Scheduling and Registration Scheduling and registration are also episodic; whereas, advising is an ongoing process and relationship with your advisees Career Choices and Searches Therefore, advising is about... Goal setting Overcoming boundaries Fostering appreciation for education TEACHING! Coaching Course selection per semester (short-term planning) Scheduling and Registration, on the other hand, are about... Understanding prerequisites and course sequencing Putting together a piece of the puzzle that is the picture of a student's academic aspirations and life ambitions According to the WVNCC 2012-2013 Catalog (p. 46): Help students assess career and life goals Assist students in understanding placement test scores Help students select courses Interpret college policies for students Advisor Responsibilities Teach students about academic student support services, like tutoring and disabilities services Stay knowledgeable about FERPA, HIPAA, ADA, and other laws that may apply to their students Inform students of viable alternatives for course and program completion (such as online, self-paced, and course petition options) Monitor the student's progress through degree completion Explain program requirements Use high level listening skills Provide students feedback about their progress, behaviors and attitudes Intervene when a student is at risk of withdrawing, being withdrawn, or failing courses Teach students their responsibilities in the advising relationship Advisors should also... Articulate academic, career, and life goals during advising sessions Become knowledgeable in program requirements Know the appropriate sequence for the program Ask for help when needed Schedule advising appointments each semester Attend advising appointments Use the support services needed to promote academic success Check the accuracy of academic records, including transcripts and degree audits Monitor the status of financial aid paperwork, as applicable Learn the Satisfactory Academic Progress standing, as applicable Ask about policies and processes for "good standing" academically Ask about policies and processes for "good standing" through financial aid, as applicable Review the Student Handbook Review the college Catalog Appreciate responsibility for his or her own academic success Complete assignments Student Responsibilities So how can all of this learning happen? It's all about trust... By Building Relationships ...and rapport. 1. Take your time. Even when other students are waiting to be seen, give each student your full attention to cover all of their needs and to discuss what you feel is important to their success. 2.Remember that each student is an individual with his or her own abilities, learning styles, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. Take time to listen. 3.Never assume that a student is familiar with college procedures or acronyms. Many of our students have never had a family member in college, so abbreviations like FAFSA and CIT and jargon like Registrar mean little to nothing to students. 4.Help students understand the differences in processes. “Enrollment” encompasses a variety of steps and policies (from applying to college to registering for classes to remaining in classes). “Registration” refers specifically to generating a course schedule in the database. A “Catalog” is a book of policies, procedures, program details, course descriptions, and more; whereas, a “Schedule of Classes” refers to specific course offerings in a given semester. It helps to explain these differences to students. Take a look at these tips and see how they can help you build relationships 5.Express a genuine interest in the student and his/her academic goals. 6.Encourage the student to voice his/her concerns, questions and needs. 7.Provide assistance or referrals as needed. 8.Refer new students to College Success (ORNT 100) and show them this means you care about their success in all classes 9.Refer students to CIT 090 (Computer Basics) if they severely lack technical know-how. 10.Discuss the student’s career plans. 11.Discuss the student’s educational plans. 12.Discuss the student’s educational background to help them do an individual “SWOT” (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis. 13.Discuss the student’s placement test results. 14.Plan a tentative outline of classes from admission to graduation. 15.Review college materials like the course schedule and Catalog, and point out things they need to know, such as part-of-term courses, distance education, IP Video, e-pop. 16.Emphasize to the student their responsibility to become familiar with the policies and procedures outlined in the Catalog and Student Handbook, including the Student Code of Conduct. 17.Make necessary referrals for tutoring, Support Services for Students with Disabilities, Veterans Affairs, and Career Services. 18.Encourage the student to become involved outside of the class. Student engagement outside of coursework is an indicator of retention. 19.Refer new students to New Student Orientation (sign-ups at the Service Center). 20.End the advising session on a positive note. Congratulate the student on making a positive step towards a better future, and commend him or her for conquering fears in starting the enrollment process. Enrollment FAQs Let's talk some practical topics Students seeking to substitute or waive credits need to complete a Student Petition for Alteration in Graduation of Program Requirements—aka, a Course Petition (available at the Service Center). The student completes parts A and C. The Advisor then signs in part A and forwards the form to the Records Office. How does a student request to substitute or waive requirements? ORNT 100, College Success. This course reviews the basics of college success—study skills, note-taking, time management, advising, college jargon, etc. CIT 090, Computer Basics. This course starts at the very basic level and teaches students what they need to know to begin using computers. What courses more specifically target student success? Nursing: 2.5 GPA, CNA Certification, TEAS Test Clinical Medical Assisting: 2.5 GPA, Completion of Administrative Medical Assisting CAS Radiology: 2.5 GPA, Pre-test required Surg Tech: 2.0 GPA Health Info Tech: 2.0 GPA Respiratory: 2.0 GPA ALL: Admission application, health science application, GED/HS transcripts, completion of transitional education courses What are the requirements for entry into an Allied Health program? Pages 72-73 of the current catalog (2012-2013) discusses the provisions that can assist students with poor coursework: ‘D’ and ‘F’ Repeat Provisions Academic Forgiveness Provisions With the first (‘D’ and ‘F’ Repeat Provisions), students can repeat a course and have that grade excluded from GPA calculation IF… 1. The course was taken within the first 60 hours of attempted coursework, 2. The student has not already earned a bachelors degree, and 3. The course was only taken once before (in other words, if a student fails a class twice, the third grade does not replace either of the first two and so on). The original grade will still appear on the student’s transcript. Can a student have D or F grades excluded from transcripts? In the second provision (Academic Forgiveness), students can receive deletion of grades from their transcripts. The following explains the provisions of this policy: 1. Students cannot have been enrolled on a full-time basis during any term in the previous 4 years. 2. Only courses taken at least four years ago are eligible to be disregarded from the transcript. 3. Grades may not be deleted from the transcript but will be excluded from GPA calculation. 4. If a student transfers, the receiving institution may still count grades excluded by Northern. 5. F’s can automatically be deleted if they meet the provisions described above. 6. Students must submit written requests for deletion of ‘D’ grades since these grades can technically account for requirements in most programs at Northern. Registration Procedures Academic Student Support Services Basic Financial Aid policies and procedures Advising Strategies View Part 2 of the Advisor Handbook for more information