In spring 2024, a self-study committee was convened to collect campuswide feedback and provide recommendations on how to strengthen the impact of academic advising on student success at the University of Iowa.
Campuswide Feedback
The committee gathered diverse perspectives on academic advising from interviews with college and unit advising leads, student focus groups, and a faculty and staff survey. Key takeaways and overarching data themes include:
- Affirmed purpose and meaning: Students, faculty, and staff reinforced the value of advising, and its role for holistic student success that contributes to retention and graduation efforts.
- Desire for shared practices and learning outcomes: Some students shared how vastly different advising experiences can be by individual advisor, while many faculty and staff shared the need to create campuswide shared practices, learning outcomes, and assessment that centers students' voices.
- Unique needs for primary versus faculty advisors: Responses varied by faculty and staff, highlighting the imperative to focus on the unique needs of both primary role advisors and faculty advisors. For example, while students report enjoying the faculty advising relationship, on average, faculty report feeling less confident in skills associated with advising national best practices.
- Expanded professional development and training: Advisors expressed a desire for greater internal and external opportunities that focus on broader technology training, expanded opportunities to connect with colleagues across campus, and promoting student wellbeing and belonging.
- Technology enhancements: Students and advisors shared appreciation for the range of technology available. Advisors demonstrated a need for expanded training, and having a greater role in technology development and improvement.
- Stronger campuswide collaboration: Many advisors shared a desire for more opportunities to learn from and with advisors across campus and form stronger partnerships with campus partners.
From entry to graduation from one college to the next – what does the advising path at Iowa look like…What can we promise to all students about their advising experience?
The most rewarding aspect of academic advising is the relationships we get to build with students… If students know there is someone who cares about them…and understands their needs, that is when they are most successful. Advising is a powerful tool for student retention and success, when understood across all levels.
Recommendations
Five recommendations emerged from campuswide feedback, along with consideration of an external review process conducted in the fall 2023 semester and additional external resources, including national advising professional standards and reports.
Shared Foundation
Create a shared foundation of academic advising across all colleges
Technology
Address critical advising technology needs
Advisor Development
Expand training and professional development resources, advance career pathways, and promote equitable pay structures.
Campuswide Collaborations
Facilitate stronger communication across the advising community, campus partners, and students.
Faculty Needs
Address unique needs of faculty advising.
Next Steps: Implementation
Implementation will span multiple years and necessitate a flexible process driven by partnerships across colleges/units and alignment with collegiate and institutional strategic priorities.
Leadership and guidance: The Advising Council is a representative group of advising leadership from colleges and central units, and in consultation with the Office of the Provost and collegiate associate deans, will provide overall guidance on the implementation process.
Implementation team: Given input from the Advising Council, the Office of the Provost and collegiate associate deans will appoint members of the implementation team who represent campuswide advising and various advising roles and experiences to begin meeting early in the Spring 2025 semester.