General College Contents

A Student-Centered Approach to Advising

Statement of Philosophy
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 advisors. The advisor serves as a facilitator of communication, a coordinator of learning experiences through course and career planning and academic progress review, and an agent of referral to other agencies as necessary. (Winston, Miller, Ender, and Grites. Developmental Faculty Advising. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, l984.)

Statement of Core Values of Academic Advising
Central to the advising system at the college is a set of core values adopted from the National Academic Advising Association:

1. Advisors are responsible to the individuals they advise.

2. Advisors are responsible for involving others, when appropriate, in the advising process.

3. Advisors are responsible to their institutions.

4. Advisors are responsible to higher education.

5. Advisors are responsible to their educational community.

6. Advisors are responsible for their professional practices and for themselves personally.

NACADA. (2004). NACADA Statement of Core Values of Academic Advising. Retrieved May 24, 2006 from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources Web site:

http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Core-Values.htm.

Steps in Student Admissions Process

Students can apply to Edgecombe Community College (the college) in three ways: in person, by mail, or online. Below are the specific procedures for students in each category of admissions.

In Person

1. Students submit an application to Student Services (Attachment 1).

2. Students request official transcripts (high school, GED, and/or any post secondary colleges or universities) to be mailed to the college. Transcripts must be on file before students are allowed to register for classes.

3. Students are scheduled for placement tests as needed. Exceptions include SAT scores, scores from other colleges, and transfer credit for related courses.

a. A score of 500 or above on the SAT verbal exempts students from taking the English and reading placement assessments and enables students to enter ENG 111.

b. A score of 500 or above on the SAT math exempts students from the math placement assessment and allows students to enter college-level math courses.

c. The college accepts the following placement tests from other colleges: ACCUPLACER, ASSET, and COMPASS.

Placement tests are given each month at varying times on both campuses. Students are given a document that indicates the results of placement testing at the completion of testing, along with placement criteria (Attachment 2). Faculty and advisors have access to the results of placement testing at the completion of testing, along with placement criteria.

Placement test scores become invalid after two years if applicants do not enroll in the appropriate courses.

4. Students are then scheduled for a personal interview with a counselor. This interview gives students the opportunity to ask questions about the college and programs, as well as gives the counselor the opportunity to evaluate the students’ aptitudes and capabilities to pursue the desired programs of study.

5. Students are sent a letter of acceptance into the college and are ready to register for classes. Students register according to the procedures described on p. 21 in this handbook.

By Mail

1. Students mail in an application to Student Services (Attachment 1).

2. Students are sent a notice of confirmation of receipt of application and are requested to send official transcripts (high school, GED, and/or any post secondary colleges or universities) to the college. Transcripts must be on file before students are allowed to register for classes.

3. Students are scheduled for placement tests as needed. Exceptions include SAT scores, scores from other colleges, and transfer credit for related courses.

a. A score of 500 or above on the SAT verbal exempts students from taking the English and reading placement assessments and enables students to enter ENG 111.

b. A score of 500 or above on the SAT math exempts students from the math placement assessment and allows students to enter college-level math courses.

c. The college accepts the following placement tests from other colleges: ACCUPLACER, ASSET, and COMPASS.

Placement test scores become invalid after two years if applicants do not enroll in the appropriate courses.

5. Students are sent a letter of acceptance into the college and are ready to register for classes. Students register according to the procedures described on p. 21 in this handbook.

Online

1. Students submit an on-line application (Attachment 3).

3. Students are scheduled for placement tests as needed. Exceptions include SAT scores, scores from other colleges, and transfer credit for related courses.

a. A score of 500 or above on the SAT verbal exempts students from taking the English and reading placement assessments and enables students to enter ENG 111.

b. A score of 500 or above on the SAT math exempts students from the math placement assessment and allows students to enter college-level math courses.

c. The college accepts the following placement tests from other colleges: ACCUPLACER, ASSET, and COMPASS.

Placement test scores become invalid after two years if applicants do not enroll in the appropriate courses.

5. Students are sent a letter of acceptance into the college and are ready to register for classes. Students register according to the procedures described on p. 21 in this handbook.

Instructor’s Role in the Advising Process

Academic advising is an integral part of the instructor’s role at the college. For instructional faculty, advising is the highest priority after teaching.

Academic advising, effectively delivered, can be a powerful influence on student development and learning and, as such, can be a potent retention force on campus. (Crockett, Davis S. Advising Skills, Techniques, and Resources. Iowa City, Iowa: The American College Testing Program, 1996).

Student-centered (academic) advising focuses on a student-advisor relationship intended to aid students in achieving educational, career, and personal goals through the utilization of institutional and community resources. This approach to advising is designed to accomplish the following:

· Foster an ongoing, one-on-one relationship

· Emphasize the identification and accomplishment of academic/career goals

· Promote intellectual and personal growth

The college’s advising system provides guidance for students, influences their development, promotes retention, builds relationships within the college, and identifies services that help students clarify both their career and life goals. Advising is centered around instructional services that go beyond the academic interests and promote a caring attitude on the part of faculty and college personnel towards students.

Student-Centered Approach

The term “student-centered” suggests that the major objective is student growth, including the following:

1. Growth in self-awareness

2. Growth in the ability to identify realistic educational and career goals, as well as a program of study to achieve them

3. Growth in the awareness that life extends beyond the college experience.

Student-Centered Model (New) Prescriptive Model (Old)
Focus on Potential Focus on Limitations

Growth-Oriented Emphasis Problem-Oriented Emphasis

Proactive Approach Reactive Approach

Equal, shared problem-solving basis Authoritarian, advice-giving basis

Responsibility shared by student and advisor Responsibility assumed by advisor

View of student as wanting to learn and View of student as not highly
capable of self-direction motivated, requiring close Supervision

Shared evaluation Evaluation by advisor alone

Shared initiative Initiative taken by advisor

Relationship based on trust and respect Relationship based on status

Core Values of Advisors (from NACADA Statement of Core Values)

Advisors have responsibility as follows:

1. To the students and individuals they serve.

2. For involving others, when appropriate, in the advising process.

3. To the college in which they work.

4. To higher education generally.

5. To the community in which the college is located.

6. To their professional role as advisors and to themselves personally.

The Power of Academic Advising
Few experiences in students’ post secondary careers have as much potential for influencing their development as does academic advising.

Through regular contact with students, whether face-to-face, through the mail, on the telephone, or through email, advisors gain meaningful insights into students’ academic, social, and personal experiences and needs. Advisors use these insights to help students feel a part of the academic community, develop sound academic and career goals, and ultimately be successful learners.

Because of the nature of academic advising, advisors often develop a broad vision of the institution. Advisors can, therefore, play an important interpretive role with administrators, faculty, and staff, helping them further understand students’ academic and personal development needs. Advisors can teach others to identify students who, with additional attention from academic faculty and staff, may achieve their goals to succeed academically and personally.

Students place a great deal of trust in their advisors. The trust warrants quality programs and services. It is through the college’s core values that students’ expectations of academic advising are honored.

Beliefs About Students

As educators, academic advisors work to strengthen the importance, dignity, potential, and unique nature of all individuals served within the academic setting. Work as advisors is guided by the following beliefs:

1. Students are responsible for their own behavior.

2. Students can be successful as a result of their individual goals and efforts.

3. Students have a desire to learn.

4. Learning needs vary according to individual skills, goals, and experiences.

5. Students hold their own beliefs and opinions.

Roles and Responsibilities of Academic Advisors

Academic advising is a cooperative effort between the advisor, other program and related faculty, and the Student Support Services counselor. Designed to assist the college’s students in succeeding academically, academic advising recognizes the importance of student decision making and sees others as support for the students’ personal goals and responsibilities.

Retention and support of students are critical during the first semester of students’ enrollment at the institution and need to be continued throughout students’ educational programs. Students’ instructors and advisors have specific responsibilities for the provision of the services related to counseling and advising.

The advisor’s role in the student-centered advisement model at the college is to work cooperatively with the Student Support Services counselor to provide ongoing assistance to students. The advisor receives appropriate training in the college delivery model to be able to facilitate students in their progress toward reaching their educational goals.

The advisor has responsibilities in three major areas: registration, academic support and graduation.

Registration

Advisors perform the following functions:

1. Help students clarify their program choices and provide information to students.

2. May provide personal contact that includes the advisor name and role. This contact may be made by letter, note, phone call, or email to students after an application has been received. Additional mid-term contact regarding course registration/scheduling is expected.

3. Are accessible.

4. Meet with students twice the first semester (once within the first three weeks and again prior to registration) and at least once each semester thereafter.

5. Assist new students in registration and coordinate the registration of continuing students.

6. Work collaboratively with Developmental Studies advisors to ensure that students are placed into appropriate developmental courses.

Academic Support

Advisors perform the following functions:

1. Provide adequate time with all students to determine issues and resolve them.

2. Refer students to a Student Support Services counselor when it is appropriate (academic and personal problems, crisis situation, instructor/student issues.)

3. Refer students to other student support services within the college when appropriate (Career Counseling, Job Placement, Tutoring, Special Needs.)

4. Are the first stop for students needing help outside the classroom.

5. Provide information about the college policies and procedures in the Student Handbook and College Catalog while stressing the responsibilities of students.

6. Follow up on assigned advisees identified through the Academic Support System.

7. Ensure that students who do not show up for class or who have poor class attendance are referred to the Student Support Services counselor.

8. Monitor student progress of advisees who are on Probation/Suspension due to the college policy.

9. Provide a system, in cooperation with Student Development Services, to have contact with students who withdraw from their program.

Graduation

Advisors perform the following functions:

1. Assist students in reviewing their records of credits completed toward their certificate, diploma, or degree and graduation. Provide students with student employment services information at that time.

2. Work with Student Support Services to have a system of providing an exit interview for all students near program completion to discuss jobs/career choices, goals, or additional training as desired.

Advisor Selection
Advising is an expected role for teaching faculty. If faculty members choose not to advise, their program chair/department chair needs to work with them in assigning the advising role to other team members. Faculty members who choose not to advise have other assignments or responsibilities. One member of the program area or department coordinates the advising needs of the program.

Qualities of Effective Advisors

1. Approachable

2. Available

3. Patient

4. Knowledgeable

5. Proactive

6. Communicative

7. Detail-oriented

8. Accepting

Advising of Developmental Students

Developmental advisors/curriculum advisors are assigned students having more than 12 hours of developmental education coursework, including English 070, 080, and 090; Reading 070, 080, and 090; Math 060, 070, and 080; CIS 070; OST 080; BIO 094; or ACA 090 or 111.

These advisors are the students’ advisors until students have fewer than 12 hours remaining in developmental education. Developmental advisors work with students to design an academic plan to complete the developmental courses in a timely manner.

Developmental advisors should include developmental teaching faculty and could include identified developmental teachers in other areas, such as humanities and math. Ideally, the advising load of these advisors should be kept low so that personalized attention can be given to developmental students.

When students have fewer than 12 hours remaining in developmental education, they are referred to Student Services, who assigns a curriculum advisor.

Advising Students with Developmental Pre-requisites Remaining

Below are some guidelines for advising curriculum students who have 12 or fewer hours of developmental education coursework remaining:

1. Advisors should determine which developmental pre-requisites have been completed by following these steps.

a. Check students’ transcripts (currently available in Anzio or from Student Services). Courses to look for include RED 080 and 090, ENG 080 and 090, CIS 070, and OST 080.

b. If these courses are not on the transcripts, verify the placement test scores for Reading, English, and Math, using Colleague. Current schedules of students are also available in Colleague.

c. If students’ transcripts or schedules do not show CIS 070, determine students’ placement by contacting Charlotte O’Neal at 247. If she does not have a record of scores, administer the CIS 070 placement test available on the college’s intranet in the ECC forms folder (Attachment 4). Score the tests and place students in CIS 070, if needed (Attachment 5). Forward the tests to Charlotte O’Neal. Students are allowed to take the CIS 070 placement test only once.

d. If transcripts or schedules do not indicate OST 080, check the placement in OST 080 by giving students the OST 080 placement test (Attachment 6). This placement test is distributed via e-mail before the registration period and is also available on the intranet in the ECC forms folder. Place students according to the key provided (Attachment 7).

2. After determining placement or course completion, schedule any remaining developmental courses in this sequence:

a. RED 090 and ENG 090 These courses are pre-requisites for numerous curriculum courses and should be scheduled first.

b. OST 070 and CIS 070 Before students can take ENG 111, they must complete both of these courses or place out of them. In addition, CIS 070 is a pre-requisite for many other courses.

c. MATH 060, 070, OR 080 Schedule these as required by the students’ curricula.

3. While completing developmental prerequisites, students will probably need to register for at least one additional course to be full-time. A list of suggested courses is outlined on the following page.

Courses for which less than MAT 080 or ENG/RED 090 is required

College Transfer courses are marked with *

Revised June 20, 2006

Course #	Course Title	State Pre-Req	ECC Pre-Req	Co-Req
ACA 111*	College Student Success	None	None
ACC 120*	Prin. of Financial Acct.	None	MAT 060
ACC 121*	Prin. of Managerial Acct.	ACC 120	ACC 120
BIO 094	Concepts of Human Biology	None	None	RED 090
BUS 110*	Intro. to Business	None	None
BUS 115*	Business Law I	None	None
CIS 070	Fundamentals of Computing	None	None
CJC 111*	Intro. to Criminal Justice	None	None
CJC 141*	Corrections	None	None
EDU 111	Early Childhood Credentials I	None	None
EDU 112	Early Childhood Credentials II	None	None
EDU 113	Family/Early Childhood Credentials	None	None
EDU 118	Teacher Associate Principles & Practices	None	None
EDU 119	Early Childhood Education	None	None
EDU 131	Child, Family, and Community	None	None
EDU 144	Child Development I	None	None
EDU 145	Child Development II	None	None
EDU 146	Child Guidance	None	None
EDU 151	Creative Activities	None	None
EDU 153	Health, Safety, & Nutrition	None	None
EDU 157	Active Play	None	None
EDU 162	Early Exp/Prosp Teachers	None	None
EDU 171	Instructional Media	None	None
ELC 111	Introduction to Electricity	None	CIS 070, MAT 060
ELC 112	DC/AC Electricity	None	CIS 070, MAT 060
FMW 100	Intro to National Electrical Code	None	CIS 070, MAT 060
HEA 110*	Personal Health / Wellness	None	None
HEA 112*	First Aid and CPR	None	None
HYD 110	Hydraulics/Pneumatics I	None	CIS 070, MAT 060
ISC 110	Workplace Safety	None	None
ISC 112	Industrial Safety