Developmental academic advising to promote students success

DEVELOPMENTAL ACADEMIC ADVISING TO PROMOTE STUDENTS’ SUCCESS Nguyen Thuy Van(I\ Ham dan Saidf?> Ros liy a n i R o s d i(lj Tee Tiam C h a i(l>, Noriadah Abdul K arim (li, Norashuha Tajuddirt '' Introduction A cadem ic advising has been in existence for quite long tim e in m any parts o the w orld H isto rica lly, the earlier version o f academic advising focused m erely 01 academic aspects o f student’ s life H ow ever, w ith die change o f studenits demographic, the focus o f academic advising experiences gradual changc A present, academic advising is seen as a continuing process in w h ic h students ar! assisted in personal developm ent and achievem ent o f educational and career g o a k The provision o f advisory services perform s by the academ ic advisors is change< into guidance and developm ent to produce a w ell-ro u n d ed w o rk force • Definition o f Academic Advising There are plen tifu l o f definitions given by the researchers to the term academ ii advising (G a ry, 0 ) These researchers, how ever, seem cannot agree on a n ! definition for the term T h e pioneer o f academ ic advising, Crookston (1 ) define< Ihe term as the "developmental counseling or advising is concerned not only w ith specific personal or vocational decision but also w ith rational processes, environm ental and interpersonal fa c ilita tin g the student': interactions, b ehavio awareness, and problem -so lving, decision-m aking, and evaluation skills" A t abou the same tim e, O ’B anion (1972) defined academic advising as a process in whiici advisor and advisee enter a dynam ic relationship respectful o f the student', concerns Ideally, the advisor serves as teachers and guides in an interactiivỉ partnership aimed at enhancing the student's self-awareness and fu lfillm en t Researchers took into account various aspects o f student development i] defining the term academic advising (Gary, 2003) W h ile some w rite rs emphasise! * (1) PhD student in Faculty o f Ed ucation , U niversiti'Tcknologi M alaysia (U T M ) (2) Deputy Dean, School o f G raduate Studies, Universiti Teknologi M alay sia (U T M ) 230 d e v e l o p m e n t a l a c a d e m ic a d v is in g t o p ro m o te in the good result o f student’ s academic lasks, recent researchers added achieving carciT and personal goals for the developmental academic advising Winston et al (1^82) indicated lhal developmental academic advising is "a systematic process based on a close student-advisor relationship intended to aid students in achieving educational, career, and personal goals Ihrough the use o f the full range o f instiutiona] and com m unity resources" Crockett (1987) noted that academic advising "is a developmental process which assists students in the clarification o f ih e ii life/carecr goals and in the development o f educational plans fo r the realization o f these goals" Developm ental acadcmic advising is both a process and an orientation reflected to the idea o f movement and progression Raushi (1993) suggests that "to advise from a developmental perspective is to view students at w ork on life tasks in the context o f their w hole life settings, including the collcgc experience" (p 6) Developmental academic advising rccognizcs the importance o f interactions betveen the student and the campus environment, it focuses on the whole person, and it works with the student at that person's own life stage o f development (Creamer, 2000; Creamer & Creamer, 1994; Raushi 1993; W inston, et al., 1984) • Types o f Academic Advising There are tw o types o f acadcmic advising prescriptive academic advising and devilopm cntal acadcm ic advising (Gary, 2003) Prescriptive academic advising is a traditional method in w hich academic adviiors usually impose their viewpoints to students Prescriptive academic advisors activities are lim ite d to providing information about courses, and explaining registration procedures and ensuring students enroll in appropriate courses This meals that the prescriptive academic advisors tell the students o f what to do, decidc which class the students should take and register fo r them, and indicate best choice when students face d iffic u ltie s lo make decisions In short, the prescriptive acaccmic advisors perform clerical functions o f scheduling, registration and signing fonrs Students, on the other hand, play very m inima] role and make lim ited decisions concerning their academic matters Relationship between students and prescriptive academic advisors is based merely on authority, a top-down management style o f advising This type o f academic advising w ill not address brocdcr academic concerns U nlike prescriptive academic advising, developmental academic advising is a stud:nt-centered approach towards developing a relationship between students and acaccmic advisors The developmental acadcmic advisors help students to identify, 231 VIỆT NAM HỌC - KỶ YẾU HỘI T H Ả O QUỎC TẺ LÀN T H Ủ T Ư clarify and realize personal, academic and career goals Ih e y guide and neIp students understand their strengths and areas for growth They present class options, teach students how to register classes and encourage students to make selection o f courses Particularly, developmental academic advisors rarely make decisions for students Rather they encourage students to ask open-ended questions, use campus resources to find answers, and plan courses o f study and schedule around the outcomes o f their explorations (B ro w n , 1984) They assist students in identifying alternatives and w eighing consequences The developmental academic advisors allow students to leam by taking control in m aking decisions and accomplishing goals In this regard academic advisors play a role o f facilitators, coordinators, and referral agents • Characteristic o f E ffective A cademic Advising M any studies have been conducted to attest what constitutes o f an effective academic advising (e.g., L ig h t, 2001; Pizzolato, 2008; Bahr, 2008) M any studies found that an effective academic advising plays an role in student development (L ig h t, 2001; Pizzolato, 2008; Reinarz & E hrlich, 2002), is tied to students’ academic success (Bahr, 2008; Cam pbell & N utt, 2008; Museus & Ravello, 2(10), influences decisions about and attitudes toward life lo n g learning (H unter & White, 2004; Smith & A lle n , 2006; Stickle, 1982), and is associated w ith students’ satisfaction, recruitm ent, and retention (E llio tt & Healy, 2001; Freeman, 2108; Peterson, Wagner, & Lam b, 2001) H igher education institutions are expected to be tim ely, e fficie n t and effective in their delivery o f diverse services They are expected to be proactively invested on the highest level o f tra in in g to diverse customers and stakeholders They are expected to be proactive w ith regard to students' development as a w hole peison Students who are unable to complete iheir studies or dropped o f colleges is a great loss o f potential human capital not only (o the universities but also to the co u niics Therefore developmental academic advising is w e ll-like d and plays an impcrtant role to the u n ive rsity’ s mission This type o f academic advising is a pToce?s in which students seek and receive guidance w ith academic program planning, us-jally from an acadcmic s ta ff advisor M any studies indicated that the presence o f developmental academic advising provides students w ith a m eaningful educatonal planning that is com patible w ith their life goals The developmental academic advising encompasses discussion of life goals and assistance w ith the developm ental process o f life goals clarification T h e application o f this tyỊC o f academic advising puts the ultim ate responsibility for m aking decisions cbout educational plans and life goals s till rests w ith the individual students 232 DEVEl OPMFNTAL ACADEMIC ADVISING TO PROMOTE Assistance with the clarification o f life goals rendered lo the students is not limiied to (he acadcmic relationship only In fact, this relaiionship may include staff from other areas such as carccr development, residential life, and counseling For acaccmic advisors, assisting students in the clarification o f life goals means helping students to explore and define their educational and carecr goals in an atmosphere o f nutual rcspect and learning This lype o f advising, w hile far from prescriptive, encourages students to think critically, seek out resources, and develop action steps The siudems are treated as educated persons The desired result is that students feci a sense o f connection w ith (he advisor and a sense o f guidance, w hile realizing personal responsibility for exploring options and making decisions The developmental acadcmic advising approach has been im plemented in m ary universities in many countries This academic advising approach becomes a d o rm a n t paradigm in today's teaching profession (Lowenstein, 1999/ Additionally, in m ary countries, academic advising becomes one o f the most im portant factors that in fl jences the quality o f higher education • Academic Advising in Malaysia A ll 20 public universities in Malaysia employ a systematic approach o f academic advising to promote students success These universities u tilize developmental academic advising to ensure that students get the best experience th a1 they can w h ile on campus Academ ic advising system in Malaysia has been experiencing several development phases w ith regard to the role o f the academic advisors D uring the period o f establishment, academic advisors assisted students in the exploration o f lifie goals, exploration o f vocational goals, choosing the appropriate program o f stiucy, selecting appropriate courses, and scheduling the courses (O ’Banion, 1972) Reacting to the needs o f the stakeholders and work place, the role o f die academic advsors changed s lig h tly into helping students to improve study skills, to plan coirses o f study, to im prove interpersonal skills, to understand their own values, and to explore career options (Fielstein & Ĩ ammers, J 992) C urrently, as the dcrrand o f society changes, the role o f academic advisors also changes This tim e th e academic advisors are needed to help students in setting career and life goals, h u i’ding self-insight and eslecm, broadening interests, establishing meaningful interpersonal relationships, clarifying personal values and styles o f life, and enhincing critical th in k in g and reasoning (Creamer and Creamer, 1994) When students receive good acadcmic advising all stages o f their studies, thic quality o f education that students receive is greatly enhanced Given the 233 VIỆT NAM HỌC - KỲ YẾ ll HỘI THAO QUỒC TẺ LÀN THÚ TƯ diversity o f students' needs, each higher institution must determine the best way to provide academic advising to students Each higher institution should prepare a document available to students and academic staff that describes ihc institution's view on good advising practice To help academic staff or lecturers perform ing their advising tasks e ffe ctive ly, cach higher institution should have a clear policy on how good academic advising is assessed and rewarded This policy can ensure that good advising becomes a cooperative activity that students and academic sta ff must work together to achieve The main point to stress here is the responsibilities o f the academic sta ff in different periods o f advising The academic sta ff w ill accommodate students with different levels o f assistance depending on their levels o f studies For example, the focus o f advising fo r the first year students is on survival w hile for the fin a l year students the focus is more programs related to em ployability Regardless o f the year o f study students play the most important role in the developmental academic advising They are expected to devote an appropriate amount o f time and energy towards achieving academic excellence and earning advance degree For the academic advisors, they are expected to be fam iliar w ith the regulations and policies concerning graduation, controlling o f time and other demands imposed on academic staff The understanding o f both roles ensures high quality com m unication result that is very much valued by both parties This understanding can be reached when they meet and jo in regularly, prepare questions and answers, and are confident in presenting their own ideas to each other For further elaboration, an example o f the application o f developmental academic advising is put forward here This is a ease study in the College of Engineering at U niversiti Tenaga Nasional (U N IT E N ) (M alaysia) w ith the purpose to promote academic excellence among engineering students and to enhancc their academic standings In IJN IT E N , academic advising system is designed based on five main components com prising orientation and m otivation programs, student support, engineering related enrichment activities, and outcome based education (OBE) Each o f these components accommodates different roles The orientation and motivation component helps students to adjust and expose themselves to university life, build up community network among them, and test their resilience toward university life and registration, and use o f library as a research and reference center The focus in this component is on study s k ill and future career development in the engineering field This orientation and motivation program usually is fille d w ith the fo llow ing activities: ice breaking session w ith the 234 DEVELOPMENTAL ACADEMIC ADVISING TO PROMOTE academic staff; m otivational talks; forums w ith excellent alumni and cuưent senior students; academic performance monitoring - logbook and computer advisory systems; award ccrcm ony for lop students; engineering design com petition; and informal survey Activities carried out by the College of Engineering in promoting academic cxcellcncc in IJN1TEN Source: (1) RnMi mw nmoncnưrãumn The students' support component consists o f remedial activities and academic advising system In order to avoid difficulties once students jo in into an academic envronm ent, remedial activities are introduced as a wake-up call to enable these students to check on how they manage their time, stress and study habits, and evertually im prove their academic achievement A t Ư N ITE N , the academic advising system is supported by the computer advisory system w ith various features fo r icademic advisors to keep track the academic performance o f their advisees Tw c methods have heen introduced to monitor Ihe students' academic progress throughout the semester log-book and computerized online m onitoring The online m onta rin g approach is more effective than the traditional one The engineering related enrichment activities are added to help students to l'ocu> on their professional compeiencies very much needed for the future Several impcrtant course contents arc included to train young engineering students Some o f 235 VIỆT NAM H Ọ C - KỶ YẾU HỘI T H Ả O QUỔC TÉ LẰN THÍ) T the activities included are exposure to software to enhance the learning o f numerical methods, electronics sim ulation, mat lab practice, power system protection, and mobile robotics group The Outcome Rased Education (O B E ) component is a convincing evidence to increase awareness o f the importance o f O B E in tertiary education sectors F o llow ing the fact that M alaysia is a provisionary signatory member o f the Washington A ccord, the Engineering A ccreditation C ouncil has been seriously im plem enting O BE in the engineering related academic programs When every course taught manages to attain it outcomes, the goal o f the program is considered achieved The assumption employs in the O BE im plem entation is that O D E is expected to increase the students understanding on engineering knowledge and principle w hich w ou ld lead to academic excellence Leadership in this academic advising system comes fro m many different positions This leadership is most effective when it is used together w ith collaborative style o f change Bennis (1985) indicated that collaborative mode] of leadership must three things: develop a vision, develop com m itm ent and trust, and facilitate organizational learning W ith regard to academic advising, a vision is articulated in the organization in w hich academic advisors and students share academic tasks to achieve the goal Secondly, com m itm ent and trust o f academic advisors as leaders These leaders help all members o f the organization to subscribe to organizational aims T h ird ly, organizational learning requires that leaders facilitate learning more than training and students have to take greater responsibility (Frost, 1991) • Academic Advising in Vietnam In Vietnam , from the period o f 2009-2012, a large number o f first-year students is suspended from their studies For instance, in the Danang U nive rsity o f Technology (2009) more than 1000 students were dropped out; in H anoi U niversity o f M in in g and Geology (2010) almost 900 students were dropped out; and in Hue Science U niversity (2009) 202 students were dropped out S im ilary, although no exact figure was disclosed, the number o f students dropped o f V ietnam M aritim e U niversity and H ochim inh Teachers’ Technology U nive rsity were substantial According to some Vietnamese educational experts, one o f contributing factors o r students' failures came from poor academic advising system (Nguyen Van Khuyen 2010, Nguyen K im Son, 2011; Lan Anh, Hong Hanh, V u Tho, 2010) Many universities have organized series o f workshops related to the experiences in crcdit-based training and most agreed w ith the ideas that academic advising system in universities needs to be improved in order to support students in adapting to ihc 36 DEVELOPMENTAL ACADEMIC ADVISING TO PROMOTE IIL'W environm ent and requirement o f the modern society M a n y agreed that this IS llic best strategy to prom oic students success since its b ring Ihc best results nol only to (he universities and students hut also restrict the waste o f students' money and time I hcrcforc, lcclurcrs need to conccnlratc their focus on acadcmic advising fo r im proving higher education in Vietnam An important point to be stressed here is that the assessment o f acadcmic advising system in Vietnam Several academic advisors argued in workshops that many universities in Vietnam have also appointed non-academic sta ff as student advisors T his appointm ent, however, al least in the in itia l period, usually focused on the adm inistration o f ihe students records and these advisors played the role o f consultants more than academic advisors In manv lim es, these advisors only focus to support students in course registration or class changc Due to that, attending the training program on academic advising and rendering help on academic advising to students is only done by a few lccturcrs Despite o f this, not all academic advisors arc good at perform ing this simple task According to Nguyen Thu Giang (2010), i f academic advisors are only consulted in the administration o f the students' record without adaptable strategics to strengthen [heir study skills, students w ill not he able gel high grade Many sludies indicated that many first-year students lack o f not only study skills needed to survive in higher education bul also low in motivation Additionally poor quality o f lecturers and facilities arc the leading causes o f problems in conducting credit-based tra in in g (Nguyen The Hung, 2010) Added to the problems is the lack o f time for m u hiple tasks experienced by the lecturers As a result, academic advising is nol considered as the main responsibility o f Ihc lecturers leading to weak acadcmic advising system in many universities (Trương Chí Tiên, 1) lo m inim ize this problem, it is suggested that we fo llo w the academic advising system carried out in Malaysia However, further studies and series o f quality trainings on acadcmic advising are needed before em barking to adapt this way o f academic advising For a start, the follow ing process is suggested for im proving acadcmic advising system in Vietnam • Designing acadcmic advising goals that correlate with vision o f the university • Develop programs that correlate w ith crcdit-bascd training • Determining roles and functions o f all elements in acadcmic advising system • D eveloping acadcmic advising • Im proving fa cilitie s for academic advising im plem entation 237 VIỆT NAM HỌC - KỶ YẾU HỘI T H ẢO QUÓC TẾ LẰN T H Ứ T Ư • Designing p rinciple and polices fo r running academic advising sysem effectively ■ Assessment and innovation o f academic advising system ■ Developing rewards for academic advising champions Conclusion The developmental academic advising approach is one o f the domirant strategies that is designed to promote students1 success in higher education This approach not only enhances quality o f training for students but also redices students1 drop out, increases students’ retention and promotes students’ m otivaton By em ploying this approach o f academic advising, it is hoped that the students v ill experience the true sense and meaningful eco-system o f education Reference Anim Salleh, Mohd Azree Idris, et al (2006) Promoting Academic Excellence among the Engineering Students; Kolej Kejuruteraan, Universiti Tenaga Nasiona, Creamer, D G (2000) Use o f Theory in Academic Advising Academic Advisin ị : a Comprehensive Handbook San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Creamer, D G & Creamer, E G (1994) Practicing Developmental Advising: Theoretical Contexts and Functional Applications NACADẢ Journal' I4 (2), 17-Ĩ4 Crookston, B B (1972) A developmental view o f academic advising as teacHng Journal o f College Student Personnel, 13, 12-17 David H Goldenberg and Steve B Pcrmuth (2003) Managing and leading fatuity advising to 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advantages, inadequacies and improvement measures; http://www.kh-sdh udn.vn 14 l.an Anh (2010) News in almost 900 students dropped out study in Mine-Geonogy university http://www.haomoi.com 15- Lowenstein, M (1999) An Alternative to the Developmental Theory o f Advising The Mentor by Penn Slate's Division of Undergraduate Studies 16 Nancy Slonneger Hancock, Developmental Acadcmic Advising and LearnerCentered Education 17 O' Banion, T (1972) An academic advising model Junior College Journal, 42, 62-69 18 Tien Chi Truong (2011) Improving Academic Advising in Cantho university Documents o f workshop in Cantho University 19 Vu Tho, Dieu Hien (2010) ITiousands students dropped out by credil-based learning ht1p://www.lienphong.vn 20 Winston, Jr R B., Enders, s c, & M iller, T K (Eds.) (March 1982) Developmental approaches 10 academic advising New Directions fo r Student Services, 17 239 ... Malaysia employ a systematic approach o f academic advising to promote students success These universities u tilize developmental academic advising to ensure that students get the best experience th... f students' needs, each higher institution must determine the best way to provide academic advising to students Each higher institution should prepare a document available to students and academic. .. w ith the 234 DEVELOPMENTAL ACADEMIC ADVISING TO PROMOTE academic staff; m otivational talks; forums w ith excellent alumni and cuưent senior students; academic performance monitoring - logbook