Integrating Academic Advising with Frontline Student Services A

Integrating Academic Advising with Frontline Student Services : A Sure Bet! • Andrea G. Harris, Senior Director Student Administrative Services • Andrea. harris@pepperdine. edu Office of Student Information and Services Pepperdine University Malibu, CA

Higher education trends towards integration, but what about academic advising? • Integration of all aspects of student administrative services – Registration, Bursar (Student Accounts), Financial Aid • Why have only several schools attempted to include academic advising in this integrated student services structure? Pepperdine University Malibu, CA

Advising is academic and the administrative building is the Slytherin section helmed by evil Registrar Lord Voldemort Academic Advising VS. He Who Shall Not Be Named DBA Evil Registrar

Pepperdine University affirms that the student, as a person of infinite dignity, is the heart of the educational enterprise.

Major Advisor First-year Advisor G. E. Advisor Dean of Advisement

First. Year Advisor Major Advisor Dean of Advisement G. E. Advisor Voldemort/ Registrar

The “Silent Phase” • Learn from those who have gone before us… from literature as well as in person – We host several school teams every semester for a site visit and integration Q&A • Form “steering committee” including appropriate stakeholders • Engage executive support for vision • Conduct preliminary focus groups of students to determine their views, expectations, and experience of advisement and student services

Getting Started • Explicit executive buy-in, support and involvement • Selling the problem vs. the solution • Engage critical decision makers in the vision • Engage community of practice in the development of idea

Question Processes! • Harness naïveté!!! Find people who don’t know it’s impossible!!! (Kawasaki, 1999) • Ask WHY? • “It’s the way we’ve always done it” is an unacceptable answer • Honor the past while planning for the future • Keep the student at the center of what we do

OSIS • • • Office of Student Information & Services Frontline – One. Stop Student Accounts University Registrar Records Academic Advising

Seaver College Academic Advising Incoming first-year students will have at least 3 advisors: • First-year Seminar Advisor • Academic Advisor in the Academic Advising Center at One. Stop • Major Advisor

Academic Services @ One. Stop • • Degree Audit Reports Class selection and registration Program changes and “what if” scenarios Daily options for walk-in advising 4 -year, 2 -year, and any year planning Graduation Audit One common e-mail box accessed by 8 staff members to increase response time to advising e-mail and calls

Our students are happy because we can guarantee the following: • • • Minimum of two advisors (faculty major and professional staff) The opportunity to establish a more meaningful relationship with her/his faculty advisor Increased walk-in advising options Faster turnaround time on phone and email advising requests. Easier, more streamlined access to the right people

Happy Students With the World at Their Fingertips! 1. Happy students = happy parents 2. Happy parents = fewer negative phone calls 3. Fewer negative phone calls = more time for staff to do productive work 4. More time = greater opportunity for meaningful interaction with students 5. More meaningful interaction = greater retention and increased graduation rate 6. Greater retention and increased grad rate = more, happy alumni 7. More, happy alumni = gee, we don’t know! Ask advancement!

Even our faculty are happy! Faculty have the time and space to engage with their students without worrying about administrative issues! • Centralized processes – transfer/substitution of units – incomplete grades – academic notification – medical/psychological withdrawals • We will handle all FERPA issues so that faculty don’t have to worry! We’ll even talk to the few disgruntled parents we have! Happy faculty = Happy Pepperdine (and Andrea)

Retention Percentages

Our Retention Processes in Print

Lessons learned • Stay committed • Steering Committee must be thickskinned • Critical to have champions of the cause integrated in the community of practice • Communicate vision clearly and work to keep it in sight at all times • Embrace change

Lessons learned • Re-think and re-engineer • Make substantive changes that will help ensure success • Focus on action rather than information collection • Question everything!!! Keep asking “Why/Why not? ”

Lessons learned • Never underestimate the human factor (good or bad) • Never underestimate the power of naysayers • Communicate! • Use training as an opportunity for change and engage home offices in the process • Use technology to enhance service rather than replace service providers

One. Stop Start with us! If we can’t help you, we’ll find someone who can!

Integrating Academic Advising with Student Administrative Services aka: Collaborating with the Academic Enemy • Andrea G. Harris, Senior Director Student Administrative Services • Andrea. harris@pepperdine. edu Office of Student Information and Services Pepperdine University Malibu, CA