ECSE Advising

1
ECSE Advising

• 10 September 2003

2
From the CSE ABET Report

• Program does not regularly and measurably advise
  students
• Percentage of students who see advisors is low
• Alumni evaluations of advisor value-added are
  extremely low.
• Seniors report a 60 satisfaction rate with
  helpfulness or information provided by advisors

3
From the CSE ABET Report

• Program appears not to require advisors and
  students to meet at all.
• Offers optional, large-group meetings as the
  alternative.
• It has not been demonstrated that this approach
  meets student needs or that it permits the
  program to adequately determine its success in
  meeting program objectives.

4
From the CSE ABET Report

• Program does not appear to regularly and
  measurably monitor students.
• CAPP form is sent to all students
• It is not evident that assigned advisors monitor
  the CAPP
• or that any faculty member monitors student
  progress using the CAPP or other methods to
  determine program success in meeting program
  objectives.

5
From the CSE ABET Report

• Program does not appear to have or enforce an
  understood, repeatable, enforceable policy for
  the validation of courses taken for credit
  elsewhere.
• In preparation for the review, the EAC
  anticipates receiving evidence that planned
  changes to the advising process have been
  implemented.

6
Background

• Feedback received from surveys of graduates
  (selected from classes that are 2 and 6 years
  from graduation) and graduating seniors suggests
  strong dissatisfaction with academic advising in
  the EE and CSE programs.
• Advising in general at Rensselaer has been under
  stress for some time since we have moved from
  paper to online registration.

7
Background

• Problems are recognized throughout the Institute.
• Problems are more critical within ECSE and
  especially within the CSE program, because of our
  large student population and small faculty.

8
Taskforce Report (Feb 03)

• Expand resources to assist advisors
• Improve training for all advisors
• Add full-time advising staff to assist faculty
  and students in schools and departments with
  large numbers of students
• Strengthen early warning systems for students at
  all levels

9
Taskforce Report

• Develop means for students to get answers to
  their career related questions
• Require all students to meet with their advisors
  at least once each year
• Continue development of online resources to aid
  both advisor and advisee

10
HKN Survey

• How satisfied with advising services 1.7/4
• Advisor knowledge 2.3/4
• Advisors effort in personalizing advice 1.6/4
• Discussed plans with advisor?
• Grad school 20
• Employment 40

11
HKN Survey

• Have you attended ECSE meetings on
• Grad School 50
• Employment 50
• How often do you meet with your advisor?
• 50 once a semester
• 30 once a year
• 20 never

12
HKN Survey

• Advisor meeting preference
• Phone 0, Email 20, In person 80
• Is your advisor accessible?
• 45 yes

13
HKN Survey

• Advice Preference
• One-on-one meetings with advisor
• Regular advising office hours staffed by ECSE
  advisors
• Small group meetings with advisor
• Extensive advising information (FAQ) provided on
  a Webpage
• Talking to friends
• Extensive advising information provided as a
  printed handout

14
HKN Survey

• Advice Preference (significantly less)
• Regular office hours staffed by students and
  advisors
• Small group meetings run by students
• Catalog
• Regular office hours staffed by students
• Large group meetings run by several faculty
  advisors
• Large group meetings run by advisor
• Large group meetings run by students

15
Online Advising Resources

• Engineering School in RPI Catalog
• Course Descriptions in Catalog
• Advising and Learning Assistance Center
• Academic information for ECSE (will be combined
  with Advising)
• Advising information for ECSE
• Senior Design information for ECSE

16
From 2002-2003 Catalog
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ECSE Advising

• Academic Advisor (Faculty)
• Meets with advisees once each year either in
  small groups or individually
• During the junior year, before the spring
  advising and registration period, meets with
  advisees to plan remainder of undergraduate
  courses using the degree templates, available on
  the ECSE website.
• Recommends to to ECSE Chair and Undergraduate
  Committee changes in advising system.
• Approves two course concentrations and forwards
  new concentrations to Undergraduate Committee for
  posting.

24
ECSE Advising

• Academic Advisor (Staff)
• Assists academic advisors with programmatic
  details
• Maintains Undergraduate Handbook for students and
  resource materials for advisors.
• Staffs Advising Office for 20 hours per week
• Reviews all student records each term to identify
  potential problems with student course selection.
  Arranges meetings to remedy problems.
• Provides readily available advice to students to
  supplement help from faculty advisor.
• Recommends to ECSE Chair changes in job
  description and generally in advising system.

25
ECSE Advising

• Academic Advisor (Staff)
• Performs preliminary and final degree clearance
• After preliminary and final degree clearance for
  graduating seniors, informs students of their
  status.
• Maintains survey instruments and analyzes data
  from an annual survey of undergraduates
• Assesses data from graduate survey relating to
  advising
• Reports on status of advising program annually to
  ECSE faculty
• Co-op advising
• All other advising tasks formerly done by
  Curriculum Chair.

26
ECSE Advising

• Undergraduate Committee
• Develops and maintains assessment tools for the
  advising system with the assistance of the
  Undergraduate Advisor, Faculty Advisors and
  student groups (HKN and IEEE).
• Analyzes assessment data and make recommendations
  based on the analysis
• Develops changes in the advising system to be
  discussed and approved by the ECSE faculty.

27
ECSE Advising

• Student Responsibilities
• Meet with advisor either in small groups or
  individually at least once each year
• During the junior year, before the spring
  advising and registration period, meet with a
  faculty advisor to plan remainder of courses
  using the degree templates available on the ECSE
  website.
• Provide feedback to HKN, the IEEE Student Branch,
  the ECSE Undergraduate Committee, the
  undergraduate advisor, faculty advisor or the
  ECSE Chair on the quality of advising and make
  recommendations for changes.

28
Graduate Advising

• Recommended to the Grad Committee
• Require all graduate students to attend at least
  one seminar per month during the academic year.
• Reduce the mandatory course requirements for the
  PhD, leaving this issue up to the advisor and
  student.
• Differentiate the EE and CSE grad degrees,
  probably at the DQE

29
New SoE Webpage
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Faculty Listing

• New SoE Webpage
• To Modify Your Info
• http//www.eng.rpi.edu/soe_admin
• usernameecse and password ecse
• click on "faculty"
• click on your name
• click on edit
• click on submit"

31
New Faculty Ad

• Please check the ECSE webpage under openings for
  our new faculty ad.
• Encourage your friends and colleagues at other
  institutions to apply, since we are looking for
  candidates at all levels.

32
One Page Research Summaries

• All but two of the groups have now provided the
  one PowerPoint slide summary of their research.
• These slides will be available online