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ox CAN Published by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development
With support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and Sid W. Richardson Foundation

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ACADEMIC ADVISING: THE WINNING SYSTEM

During the fall of 1983, Eastern Wyoming College’s administrators became concerned with the previous years’
attrition of full-time students. Nationally, community colleges had an attrition rate of about 52 percent, and
EWC’s attrition rate was 54 percent. The administrators decided that it was just as important to keep our
students in school as it was to recruit them. The Director of Admissions and the other administrators believed
that academic advising would help decrease attrition and increase overall enrollment. The Director of
Admissions became the Coordinator of Academic Advising, and he was given full administrative support. It
was decided that EWC would implement a three-year plan.

Academic Advisor Selection

In the spring of 1983, the Coordinator of Academic Advising selected five faculty members from various
disciplines to attend an A.C.T. Conference on academic advising. The faculty members were chosen because
they were dedicated to education and to Eastern Wyoming College and because they were willing to take time to
help students be more successful at EWC. This cadre of advisors became the Academic Advising Committee.

Following the A.C.T. Conference, the Academic Advising Committee conducted a workshop for all faculty
and professional staff. Topics covered were: skills of academic advising, motivating students to take
responsibility, how to work with exploratory/undecided students and academically underprepared students.

Five more faculty members volunteered to join the Academic Advising Committee. These ten members
agreed to be academic advising specialists who work with students, regardless of their background or major.
The academic advising specialists have become the elite of our campus advisors.

Academic Advising Delivery System

Advisee Assignments—During the month of August, the Coordinator studies each new student's application
and previous educational background. An Early Alert System (E.A.S.) is used at Eastern to identify potential
drop-outs. Each student identified is assigned to an advising specialist. The E.A.S. criteria may be any
combination of the following: undecided/undeclared major; general studies major; below 15 composite A.C.T.
score; below 2.50 GPA; being in the lower one-third class rank; having a G.E.D.; a late applicant; and other
special criteria such as health, age, and personal background. Students showing little concern for their academic
progress are also red-flagged and given an academic advising specialist who has set aside time to work with
these students on college survival skills—e.g., problem solving and goal setting. An E.A.S, student is given a
stronger possibility for success because an advisor is there to help and to care. No advisor is given more than
twenty-four advisees, so the advisor has time to take a personal interest in each one of his or her advisees.

New Student Orientation—New Student Orientation occurs during the first two days of the school year. The
ten advising specialists are orientation leaders. A student attends small group sessions with an orientation
leader and fifteen to twenty other students. In these sessions the student begins learning and developing
college survival skills. Each orientation leader helps his or her group explore interpersonal skills, survival skills,
time management; use the student handbook and the college catalog; schedule classes; and register. A student
develops a sense of belonging through the interaction that takes place in the sessions. The orientation leaders
and the students go beyond information sharing; the caring atmosphere fosters friendships and strong future
contacts for the student.

Eastern uses the A.C.T. ASSET program, giving the English and math placement tests during the small group
sessions while the students are in a somewhat familiar environment. We have found that correct placement
builds a stronger advising system, and it usually helps the students achieve success in their classes.

Finally, orientation ends with a faculty vs. student softball game and an all-school, family-style picnic. This
strengthens the friendships made during orientation. It also shows new students that the faculty and staff at
EWC are "real people" who care about students.

Advising Materials—Each academic advisor is provided an advising handbook, advisees’ academic records, an
EWC catalog, a course transfer guide, other college catalogs, and a list of referral agencies.

 

Coy; Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin, EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712