This commentary is by Bill Falls and Kim Hughes. Falls is dean and Hughes is advising supervisor for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Vermont.
The May 1 deadline for students to decide which college they plan to attend is fast approaching. Students and families are weighing their choices, balancing common considerations such as cost of attendance, available majors, location, campus life and co-curricular opportunities. There is, however, one often overlooked consideration that should be given special attention when making this important decision: the availability and quality of advising.
Years ago, advising was typically delivered by a faculty member in the student’s major and centered around course selection and occasional conversations about post-graduation opportunities. Students met with their advisors mostly during critical points in the semester, like course registration, midterm and final exams, and the weeks leading up to graduation. In all, the objective of advising was to help students to succeed by meeting their educational goals and graduating.
Since then, information about requirements for majors, minor and degree programs have become readily available on university websites. Course selection is now guided by sophisticated software that tracks progress on requirements, greatly demystifying the class registration process. The best student success-focused universities offer a variety of resources, including writing centers, tutoring, career advising, accommodations for students with learning differences, mental health services, wellness coaching and support with technology, to name a few. Professional staff in campus identity centers and student housing are also often available to offer assistance.
One would be forgiven for concluding, then, that the role of the advisor has diminished. But the reality is that this role is more important and more challenging than ever. Not only do students continue to seek guidance regarding course selection and degree requirements, but they also have far more and varied needs. As the main point of contact for students, advisors have become the hub in the wheel of support services. As such, they must be capable of identifying student needs, well-versed in the support resources available and proficient in directing students appropriately to ensure their success.
While they are experts in their fields and fully capable of helping students navigate course selection, most faculty lack the experience to identify student needs and direct them to the appropriate support. This can lead to challenges in providing consistent, high-quality advising. Recognizing the evolving nature of advising, some colleges and universities have adopted a hybrid advising model in which advising is carried out by a combination of faculty and professional staff who are trained to provide holistic support to their students. This is a potent combination: Whereas the average faculty advisor knows a lot about a specific academic piece of the university experience, professional advisors know a little about nearly everything, from academic planning to navigating personal difficulties to identifying opportunities for social engagement.
Over the past few years, the University of Vermont has adopted this hybrid model in support of the provost’s academic success goals. In the College of Arts & Sciences, first-year students are assigned a professional advisor prior to arriving on campus in the fall. Our professional advising team consists of highly trained, talented and (most importantly) compassionate individuals who are adept at navigating UVM’s support systems. Students are able to engage with their advisors as much or as little as needed. Some students find a quick email to confirm their course registration plans sufficient, while others may need biweekly appointments to check in on progress toward various academic, personal or social goals.
Professional advisors work to proactively educate students on the supports available to them rather than passively waiting for students to come to them with questions. In this way, a professional advising model encourages students to build independence and self-advocacy skills. While faculty continue to play a critical role in advising in the college, that role is evolving to focus more on discipline-specific supports in which they are experts, such as questions about engaging in research or attending graduate school.
Since adopting a hybrid advising model, the UVM College of Arts and Sciences has seen an increase in first-year student retention (the percentage of first-year students who return for their second year), which is a key indicator of student satisfaction and success. This fall, 88% of the fall 2022 first-year class returned for their second year, up from 85 percent from just two years ago. The college has also seen an increase in another key indicator, the percentage of students who graduate in four years. In the coming years, the college plans to expand professional advising to students in all years, thus increasing our commitment to student success.
As students and families weigh their choices for the May 1 decision deadline, they should not only consider the range of student supports a college provides, but also whether the system of advising is oriented toward helping students navigate those supports. The presence of high-quality professional advising, as exists in UVM’s College of Arts & Sciences, is one way to assess a university’s commitment to student success.
