Academic Advising at Buffalo State Past Present and

Academic Advising at Buffalo State: Past, Present, and Future Image Credit: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Academic Advising Center - https: //www. utrgv. edu/advising/ Presented by the Academic Advising Advisory Council (AAAC) Co-Chairs: Dr. Lisa Berglund and Dr. Aimee Woznick

Today’s Discussion I. BSC Advising Mission & Values / Committee Charge II. How Did We Get Here? III. Where are We Now? : A Snapshot of the Data i. Spring 2018 Survey: Student Assessment of Advising ii. Fall 2018 Survey: Faculty Assessment of Advising IV. Initiatives in Progress and Directions for the Future V. Questions?

Buffalo State College Advising Mission and Values Mission Academic advisement serves as inspiration, motivation, and support for all students in their academic and professional goals as they develop as members of the Buffalo State community and transition to being active alumni leaders of a diverse society. Values Access Diversity Service to Society Integrity Source: Buffalo State College Mandatory Advising Plan; https: //academiccommons. buffalostate. edu/advising-mission-and-values

Charge: Academic Advising Advisory Council (AAAC) “The charge of the Academic Advisement Advisory Council is to provide oversight of the mandatory advising plan, to create an assessment plan for advising at Buffalo State College, and to provide a consultative role to the campus regarding best practices for advising. ”

Timeline of Advising Initiatives at Buffalo State • Spring 2016: College Senate Report – Subcommittee of Standards for Students produces report titled Recommendations for Improving Academic Advisement at SUNY Buffalo State • Spring 2017: Mandatory Advising Plan approved – Hybrid staff/faculty advising model – Every incoming freshman is assigned a first-year (staff) adviser by major – At 24 credits, the student transitions to a faculty adviser in the major – Some first-year students may also be assigned additional advisers • Examples: faculty adviser, special program adviser, etc.

Timeline of Recent Changes to Advising (cont. ) • Fall 2017: Mandatory Advising Plan Takes Effect – – – Reorganization of the former University College into new units in Academic Affairs Academic Commons founded (housed in Academic Affairs) Provost establishes Academic Advising Advisory Council (AAAC) Advising PINs are now required for course registration Initial rollout of Bengal Success Portal (Starfish) SUNY PIF funds enable expansion of first-year and sophomore advising staff • Spring 2018: Student Survey Deployed • Fall 2018: Faculty Survey Deployed; Title III Funds Awarded ($2. 19 million)

2018 Advising Data

Survey Methodology • Student Assessment of Advising – AAAC crafted 11 multiple choice questions and one free-response question – Multiple choice questions assessed student familiarity with college advising processes, resources, and tools, as well as overall satisfaction – Survey deployed via multiple emails to all enrolled undergraduate students in spring 2018 – 1, 318 students responded • Faculty Perceptions of Advising – AAAC crafted 4 multiple choice questions and two free-response questions • Multiple choice questions paralleled student questions • Free-response questions asked about professional development and general feedback – Survey deployed via emails to all instructors and in a posting in the Daily in December 2018 – 130 instructors with advising responsibilities responded

Student Assessment Data: SLOs Measure “Understood” or “Comfortable with” (strongly agree, and slightly agree) College processes: registration, withdrawing, resolving holds, etc. 95% (n=1, 246) Locating adviser(s): finding name, email, office, etc. 95% (n=1, 254) Comfort using Degree. Works: for course planning, to check GPA, etc. 95% (n=1, 254) Comfort using Banner: to register for classes, look up holds, Schedule. Planner 98% (n=1, 288) Comfort with Bengal Success Portal: to schedule appointments, seek out help, etc. 75% (of those who knew the tool; n = 778) 21% of respondents had not heard of tool (n=275) Using academic roadmaps 71% comfortable (n=825) 23% (n=295) had never heard of a roadmap

Student Assessment Data: Drop-in Advising • 20% of respondents (n=269) had visited the Drop-in Advising Center in the library Ø Note: Drop-in Center saw 1, 516 total visits in 2017 -18 • 78% of respondents (n=1, 029) were aware of the Drop-in Center • 91% of respondents who visited the Drop-in Center said their question was answered by the adviser there

Student Assessment Data: Content of Advising Discussions • 81% of respondents had spoken with an adviser about their course of study …but, • Only 61% of respondents had spoken with an adviser about post-graduation plans

Student Assessment Data: Trends 1. Advisers are helpful 9. PINs unnecessary 2. Advisers are not helpful 10. Insufficient career advising 3. Advisers seem disinterested/uncaring 11. Lack of transfer advising 4. Concerns about accuracy 12. Good career advising 5. Lack of adviser availability 13. Drop-in advising is helpful 6. Advisers are supportive/encouraging 14. PINs helpful 7. Advisers are not responsive 15. Nontraditional students marginalized 8. Some advisers more helpful than others 16. Concerns about profiling

Student/Faculty Comparison Measure Faculty Students successfully navigate / understand college processes 75% (n=91) 95% (n=1, 246) Students successfully navigate advising resources and online advising tools 80% (n=97) 95% (n=1, 252) DW 98% (n=1, 288) Banner 59% (n=778) (BSP) Adviser assistance with 100% (n=130) decisions about course of self- report that they study and poststrongly agree, or graduation plans slightly agree that they do this 81% felt their adviser had assisted with course of study decisions; only 61% cited conversations about post-graduation plans

Faculty Assessment Data: Trends 1. Need for more holistic advising 2. Need for consistency and accuracy in advising 3. High caseloads for faculty advisers (& distributing PINs is challenging) 4. Faculty & professional advisers: need to clarify roles and improve bidirectional communication 5. Need to increase training opportunities

Faculty Survey: Top 5 Requests for Professional Development 1. Financial aid implications for advising 2. Best practices & general overview 3. Bengal Success Portal 4. How to refer students to appropriate resources 5. Advising & student mental health

Okay, we have data. So: what are we doing with it? • In-progress projects include efforts to: o centralize academic roadmaps on the redesigned Academic Commons website o strengthen communication among Academic Commons advisers and departments o foster a culture of holistic, proactive advising using the Bengal Success Portal to respond to early alerts and refer students to appropriate supports o increase access to professional development for Academic Commons advisers o strengthen existing advising, coaching, and mentoring services on campus in order to boost retention (Title III) o create an online pre-orientation experience (Title III) • Future directions include plans to: o design a user-friendly virtual home of advising resources for faculty advisers o develop an orientation experience for faculty new to advising at Buffalo State

Questions?