Academic Advising and Career Development

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Academic Advising and Career Development A bridge
over new waters Jennifer Browne, Memorial
University Tamara Leary, University of Prince
Edward Island
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Agenda

• Welcome!
• Academic Advising Tamara Leary
• Career Development Jennifer Browne
• The Bridge
• UPEI
• MUN
• Case Studies
• Summary

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Academic Advising

• The intent of academic advising is to teach
  students to understand the meaning of higher
  education, teach students to understand the
  purpose of the curriculum, and to foster
  students intellectual and personal development
  toward academic success and lifelong learning
  (p.1) (NACADA, 2004), in Gordon, 2006, p. 11).

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According to Crockett (1984) in Gordon and
Hambley et al . (2000, p.289)

• Academic advising is a developmental process
  which assists students in the clarification of
  their life/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 it is ongoing,
  multifaceted and the responsibility of both
  students and advisor. The advisor serves as the
  facilitator of communication, a coordinator of
  learning experiences through course and career
  planning and academic progress review, and an
  agent of referral to other campus agencies as
  necessary.

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The National Academic Advising Association
(NACADA) categorizes the following four positions
as having a role in academic advising

• 1. Academic advisor,
• 2. Advising administrator,
• 3. Faculty advisor and,
• 4. Counselor.

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An academic advising approach?

• Prescriptive
• In order to graduate with A you need to take
  B, C, D
• Developmental
• Considered to be more effective than
  prescriptive. This approach recognizes the value
  of the relationship and interaction between
  student and advisor as well employing various
  teaching techniques to ensure students unique
  learning needs are met and that students have or
  are working toward establishing a sense of self
• The role of academic advising changes as
  students learn and develop" (Gordon and Hambley,
  2000, p.29).

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Who currently provides academic advising at UPEI
and Memorial?

• Essentially academic advising, providing some
  level of guidance or support to a student re
  their academic decision, is provided by many
  different people on campus staff, students,
  faculty and administration. Students encounter
  various university personnel under the umbrella
  of academic advising
• Faculty Administration
• Counselors Registrars office
• Recruitment Career
• Academic Advisors Other students

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Expectations of academic advising in higher
education today

• First year students and first time parents seek a
  path from year one to a career.
• It is important that the institution have a
  clearly defined definition and approach to
  academic advising
• Academic advising is not effective if the
  responsibility rests with one unit on campus.
• There can be some resistance from within higher
  education (faculty and staff) to be too quick to
  marry academic advising at a university with
  career or occupational outcomes.

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The Career Piece

• Typical approaches to delivering career guidance
• Courses, workshops etc. offering structured group
  experiences in career planning, decision making
  etc.
• Group counseling activities
• Individual counseling
• Placement programs

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The Career Piece continued.

• Typically career centres provide information and
  guidance on
• What you can do with a degree in..
• Labour Market Information
• Various Assessment tests
• Occupational Information
• One-on-one and group sessions
• Career related seminars and workshops
• This is very different from the mandate of the
• Academic Advising Centre

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The Bridge

• What is happening at UPEI?
• What is happening at MUN?
• Challenges and trends

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CAPCA at UPEI

• Centre for Academic Planning and Career
  Advisement (CAPCA)

The Centre for Academic Planning and Career
Advisement provides UPEI students with the
resources and supports required to develop
compatibility between a students academic,
career, and personal goals to maximize their
university learning experience. The Centre will
inspire students to build upon their university
experience and to fulfill their full potential as
individuals and citizens.
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CAPCAto date

• Proposal stage
• Partnership
• Career and First Year Academic Advising
• Deans
• Faculty
• Academic Support Group

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Memorial Universitys Approach

• Fall 2006 Career Development Experiential
  Learning invited all Academic Advising staff to
  get together
• Three times were confirmed
• Sessions included
• Academic Advising visiting the Career Centre,
  meeting staff and tour
• Career Staff visiting Academic Advising and tour
• Brainstorming session on how we could help each
  other and, as a result, better assist students

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Feedback from Units

• Very positive feedback
• Staff suggested doing this with other units
  (Registrars Office, International Student
  Advising, etc.)
• Increased knowledge of roles of each unit
• Networked with staff and created relationships

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Results of Brainstorming

• 18 ways identified to begin or improve working
  together
• Two pilot projects identified for Winter and
  Spring 2007 semesters aimed at student retention
• Undeclared students 30 credits or less
• Unsuccessful applicants to professional schools
  and faculties

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Overview of Pilot Programs

• Goal
• Expand outreach to targeted students through
  establishing relationships with the Academic
  Advising Centre and further support using on-line
  technology and on-campus resources provided by
  the Career Development Centre.
• Objectives
• Provide personal and professional career guidance
• Enable students to identify potential career
  opportunities
• Establish cohorts of students who will work with
  career coordinators to build and foster
  relationships that will support students through
  to program completion
• Overview of program
• Development of presentation/s for target audience
• Development of webpage
• Partnerships with Academic Advising Centre,
  Counselling Centre, Student Volunteer Bureau
• Development of messaging to be delivered by
  Academic Advising Centre and Career Development
  and Experiential Learning staff
• Outcome
• This program will provide students the necessary
  tools to transition from undeclared and undecided
  to a career plan.
• Delivery
• On-site and virtual presentations
• Individual appointments onsite and virtual
• Follow-up with students each semester

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Benefits of Partnership

• Impact on student retention (ties in with
  universities goal)
• Engages the students and campus community
• Increased support for students
• Greater connections between units and individuals
  on campus

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Case Study 1

• Ralph is a first year student who has been
  accepted into the faculty of science. He is
  unsure which science he would like to major in
  and at this point has no real idea what he might
  like to do with his degree. He is somewhat
  interested in the CSI TV show has thought about
  being one of those dudes. How will you advise
  him?

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Case study 2

• Julie is a second year student who just found out
  she was not accepted into a pharmacy program. She
  is not sure why she was unsuccessful and is
  beginning to doubt whether or not she should even
  stay at university. She feels completely lost
  how can you help?

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Case study 3

• Billy, a second year student, describes himself
  as a helper he loves to help others. He wants
  desperately to be a nurse. He took a first year
  science program and failed 2 of his four required
  sciences but he is game to try again. Sciences
  have never been his strength he thrives in the
  humanities. His parents have advised him that
  there is no future for him with a BA. How do you
  advise him?

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Trends Challenges

• What is happening at your institution?
• Comments/debrief

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Thank you for participating!

• Contact information
• Jennifer Browne
• Director Career Development Experiential
  Learning, UC 4002
• MUN
• jbrowne_at_mun.ca
• 709-737-3448
• Tamara Leary
• Acting Director Student Services
• UPEI Student Services
• tleary_at_upei.ca
• 902-628-4382

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References

• Herr, E.L. Cramer, S. H. (1996). Career
  guidance counselling through the lifespan. New
  York Harper Collins Publishers Inc.
• Gordon, V.N., (2006). Career Advising An
  academic advisors guide. Manhattan John Wiley
  Sons, Inc and National Academic Advising
  Association.
• Gordon, V.N., Habley, W.B. (2000). Academic
  Advising A comprehensive handbook. Manhattan
  John Wiley Sons, Inc and National Academic
  Advising Association.