Advising Center

Statement of Purpose:

The Advising Center provides quality academic and professional/technical advising to students by assisting them in developing their educational program plan, while recognizing their uniqueness and worth as individuals. The Center is available to all prospective and enrolled students. The Center supports the mission of Student Development and NSCC in providing services to assist students to be successful by appropriate selection of coursework and pertinent information for their career and educational goals.

Objectives:

The Advising Center staff is comprised of a manager, two program coordinators, two curriculum advisors, all of whom participate in advising students, and one clerical support person. The Advising Center is responsible for providing accurate, up-to-date information to students regarding courses, program completion, degree and certification requirements, and college transfer information. They also provide training to a small faculty cadre who assist them during peak advising times.

Every quarter, all new students and students with less than 31 credits are required to see their advisors before they are permitted to register. New students are assisted in developing their educational plans based on their individual goals. After completing 30 credits, students may self-advise and register without seeing the advisor. Self-advised students are encouraged to see an advisor should they need continued assistance or change their educational plan. In addition to one-on-one advising, the Center provides the following services:

Coordinate visits and workshops from four-year institutions for transfer information.

Recruit and train students as Peer Advisors for credit.

Recruit and train faculty who volunteer to advise on the faculty cadre.

Develop, organize, and present ten new student orientations a year.

Coordinate a Mentor Program for ESL students.

Provide and interpret computerized degree audits for students.

Interpret test scores for appropriate course selection.

Provide unofficial transcript evaluations of incoming transfer students.

Approve graduation applications.

Provide a library of Washington State college catalogs.

Maintain waiting lists for selected programs.

Actively participate in technical advisory meetings.

Maintain evening hours to assist evening students.

Over the past three years, major changes have occurred in the Advising Center due to advances in technology and the addition of new programs; i.e., Workforce Training, Running Start, and International Students. Both of these changes brought increased numbers of students needing services and the necessity to change old practices.

In the technology area, all advisors obtained new PC’s requiring training time to be fitted into their schedules. With the PC’s came the ability to print off the computer students’ records for degree audit purposes. The degree audit capability eliminated time spent manually recording information for students but also increased the number and frequency of students requesting this service. Due to the availability of Touchtone Registration, advising processes had to be revised. A transition from advising each student each quarter was made. Selected students with 31 credits or more at NSCC are coded self-advise and no longer need to see an advisor before registering. However, it then became necessary to spend more time with new students developing an educational plan so they would be prepared and capable of selecting courses pertaining to their programs. Appointment times were instituted two days a week for students needing to spend more time with the advisors than is possible during the drop-in schedule.

A new voicemail phone system has increased the efficiency and convenience of serving students by phone. This system is only one year old but already it is impossible to think how advising only had one incoming line that was always busy for so many years.

Servicing students in Running Start, Workforce Training, and International Student Services has had a great impact on the Advising Center. These three programs serve students who require in-depth advising. All three programs have seen growth in numbers over the past three years placing different requirements on the advisors. As the volume and pressure increased, it became evident help was needed. Fall ‘95 Workforce Training funded a new half-time advisor to work specifically with its students. The half-time Workforce Training advisor position was filled by one of the advisors who needed to change her work schedule. This then opened up a full-time position to advise students in the Business programs. This staffing change was a positive move for the Center and brought in a new person full of energy.

All of these changes have altered the delivery of services to students. Certainly the technological developments caused a reaction that improved services to students. Full realization of the department’s mission and its relationship to NSCC’s mission to provide quality advising and educational planning sessions is hindered by shortage of staff and cramped physical space.

Current goals of the Advising Center demonstrate their continued efforts to provide top-rated service. For the next year, they have committed their efforts to:

Goal 1:Increase students’ participation at orientation by 10%.

Goal 2:Continue implementation of introducing new students to take responsibility for planning their coursework necessary for achieving their long-range goals by making an academic plan.

Goal 3:The Center will provide improved service to students based on feedback collected from student surveys.

Analysis and Appraisal:

The Advising Center uses several methods of evaluating services, programs, and staff. In an effort to assess the services, an evaluation form was distributed to students during fall and winter of 1995-96. Results from the tabulated forms will be instrumental in the spring planning and goal-setting retreat for the 1996-97 year. Office policies and procedures, changes to current services, and recommendations for improvement will be reviewed in respect to the results.

After each quarterly orientation sessions, student evaluation forms are gathered. Over the past three years, the results show students appreciate having the opportunity to get information about getting started at NSCC successfully. They like meeting the advisors and other college staff in person. The question and answer period proves to be very beneficial. Students generally feel the session is the right length of time although they would like the sessions to be offered every hour to accommodate their schedules. (Lack of staff time prohibits implementing this. We currently do a presentation at 1:00pm and again at 5:30pm ten times a year.) Students who joined in for the campus tour were glad they did.

As with other Student Services areas, the Advising Center aims to provide services to special populations. The following services have been implemented or improved upon since 1993:

Priority advising for Workforce Training students.

Special advising and registration days for Running Start and International students.

Individual accommodations for students with disabilities requesting services.

Advising appointments for students receiving veterans benefits.

Assisted in developing a program to increase minority students to transfer.

Provides an advisor for Adult Basis Education/ESL, GED, and High School Completion students.

Works collaboratively with Diversity Services which includes Disabled Students, Multicultural Services, and Women’s Center to assist those who need specialized attention.

Since 1993, the Advising Center has made a real effort to maintain records of students using the Center and their satisfaction levels. Those records show:

Statistical Data:

Number of Students Served:

1993-9420,233

1994-9522,724

1995-96

Staff to Student Ratio:

1993-944.5 staff = 4,496 students to one staff member

1994-954.5 staff = 5,050 students to one staff member

1995-96

Number of Students Attending Orientations:

Fall ‘93 433*Fall ‘94 194Fall ‘95 227

Winter ‘94 132Winter ‘95 128Winter ‘96

Spring ‘94 182Spring ‘95 96Spring ‘96

Summer ‘94 64Summer ‘95 53Summer ‘96

*held twice as many orientations fall ‘93

The Office of Institutional Advancement conducted a student survey during spring ‘95 which included questions about advising (included faculty advising and Advising Center).

Outcomes and Results:

As has been mentioned, students surveyed are satisfied with the Advising Center. What is harder to record and track are the comments by former students who return to the campus for a visit after transferring to another community college or to a four-year institution. Consistently they express high praise and appreciation for the Advising Center. Many have been surprised to learn not all campuses have non-faculty staff devoted to advising and helping students.

North Seattle’s centralized model is one several other Washington community colleges are reviewing. In the past two years, personnel from five other colleges have visited NSCC interested in copying our system. NSCC staff have given presentations at state and regional professional advising conferences explaining the pros and cons of this model.

A weakness the Advising Center shares with other colleges is an Orientation Program that would attract more students. The students who really need to attend the orientations never seem to be the ones present. Discussions by the advisors have resulted in improving the actual presentation. A slide show projecting positive images related to pertinent information enhances the orientation for those attending. Requests have been made to develop a video orientation program that students could view while waiting to see an advisor. National research provides us with information that students make decisions to stay or leave a community college in the first few days and weeks of their first quarter. If connections to the college are not made, the retention rate is low. Improvising innovative ways to get students to participate in orientation is becoming a higher priority to the institution. A collaborative effort with all faculty and Student Services personnel is needed to design a truly effective orientation.

Future Plans and Needs:

In keeping with the Student Development’s mission, all efforts to keep a centralized Advising Center providing quality service will be made. The Advising Center in many ways is the driving force for the other areas in Student Enrollment. We are in the beginning stages of seeing the need for the different departments to blend their functions to provide a less compartmentalized approach. Any desire to aim for a one-stop approach affects the role of the Advising Center.

When thinking of future effectiveness in the Advising Center, the following deficiencies occur:

The Center’s current waiting area is cramped, cluttered, uncomfortable, and uninviting.

The advisors lack offices compromising the confidentiality of students and the area maintains a high noise level and poor air quality.

Current configuration encourages interruptions and lacks professionalism.

The Advising Center’s furniture is worn, uncomfortable, and unattractive.

There is not room for representatives from other colleges to visit with our students interested in transferring.

The new half-time Workforce Training advisor is located in a room adjacent to the Center that is used for college wide meetings.

During peak times students sit on the floor and flow out into the hallway.

Efforts to make a separate Transfer Center for encouraging students of color to complete and transfer have not materialized because of lack of space.

In spite of these limitations, the Advising staff has performed at an excellent level. Staff often feels frustrated with administration because they are constantly asked to do more with less. Cutting the budget to hire faculty who assist with advising is one example. Adjustments have been made such as implementing self-advising for returning students but in reality this is also cutting availability to some students who need continued advising.

The Advising Center staff is engaged in the vision and moving the mission of the college. When their schedules permit they participate in campus activities and have served on various committees. Their dedication to helping students succeed rates them high praise from their colleagues.

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