Articles

Citizenship Learning Through Academic Advising

Introduction

In 2011, Kimmel suggested by taking a “community-minded” approach, academic advisers can play a role in preparing students for citizenship in a democracy (¶ 1). While Kimmel is to be commended for his efforts to demonstrate the potential for academic advisers to contribute to citizenship learning, academic advising has more to offer students than referrals. Academic advisers interested in maximizing students’ civic learning can engage students in ways that enhance the knowledge, abilities, and …

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The Benefits of Undergraduate Research: The Student’s Perspective

The undergraduate experience is greatly enriched by attaining research experience early and often. Recently this has been demonstrated empirically and discussed at length in a variety of disciplines, including but not limited to engineering (Narayanan, 1999), medicine (Murdoch-Eaton et al., 2010), biology (Reynolds, Smith, Moskovitz, & Sayle, 2009), physiology (Desai et al., 2008), neuroscience (Frantz, DeHaan, Demetrikopoulos, & Carruth, 2006), psychology (Wayment & Dickson, 2008), as well as in multidisciplinary discussions in prestigious journals (e.g., …

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The Parent Trap: Advisers, Parents, and Serving the Student

Imagine the person you care about most in the world has been in a terrible car accident and is rushed to the hospital with a severe head injury. The surgery lasts for hours, and afterward you talk to the surgeon, whose bedside manner leaves something to be desired. You have many questions, but the surgeon insists you should be patient, wait for updates, and follow her recommendations. She asks that you trust her expertise and …

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Best Practices for Advising Veteran Students

A Population in Need

Clark and Kalionzes wrote, “It is one thing to be aware of our diverse students and to know how to address their issues thoughtfully and appropriately. It is an even greater task to learn to genuinely value and affirm diversity in advising work and commit to transform institutions to better support students of color” (2008, pp. 211–212). Academic advisers need to respect the unique backgrounds of all students they advise. Further, …

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What Role Can Questioning Play in Mentorship?

Abstract

In this conceptual article, the authors explore how advisers’ and advisees’ use of questioning can enhance the mentoring process. The authors frame this discussion within one developmental mentoring model, Adaptive Mentorship © (AM), which they have designed, researched, and refined. They contend that AM has relevance for mentoring in its broadest sense across all disciplines, including academic advising. The authors illustrate how participants using the AM model would typically pose questions to enhance the …

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First-Year Student Exploration of Career and Life Goals: An Application of O’Banion’s Advising Model

Introduction

Choosing a major is a daunting task for college students and many are making a choice about an academic major before they are developmentally ready. Gordon (2007) indicates that “many college students are in the midst of maturational and identity struggles; choosing an academic major from a myriad of choices is a developmental task for which they are not prepared” (p. 87).  Nevertheless, choosing an academic major is extremely important not only in terms …

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From Advising to Mentoring: Shifting the Metaphor

Abstract

Institutions of higher education should reconsider and reposition academic advising as mentoring. By shifting the metaphor from advising to mentoring, we discover how to better help our students develop the skills they need to be successful in their public and private domains. This essay considers the meaning of “mentor,” from its origins in philosophical thought to practical applications in contemporary experience, and identifies selected literature on academic advising pertinent to making this linguistic shift. …

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Advising Satisfaction: Implications for First-Year Students’ Sense of Belonging and Student Retention

Many scholars have noted the importance of academic advising in promoting the successful transition and retention of first-year students. For example, King and Kerr (2005) noted that “academic advising is clearly a key factor in challenging and supporting students in making a successful transition to college, feeling a part of their institutions, and achieving their educational goals” (p. 320). While many acknowledge the importance of academic advising in a student’s educational journey, concise empirical evidence …

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The eQuad: A Next-Generation eAdvising Tool to Build Community and Retain Students

The art and practice of eAdvising (defined here as using electronic means to advise online students) continues to evolve. The first generation of eAdvising (termed here as eAdvising 1.0) featured one-way communication between faculty and students, asynchronous communication via email, and even early advancements such as individual faculty web pages that provided resources and information for advisees (e.g., Luna and Medina, 2005; Wagner, 2001). eAdvising 2.0 expanded to develop state-of-the-art eTools, such as virtual advising …

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Learning and Changing: My College Experience (Part 10)

Editor’s Note: While numerous academic advisers and administrators have written about the advising endeavor, the voice of the student is often missing in the academic literature.

In September 2009, The Mentor began publishing a series of articles by Taryn Noll, a Penn State undergraduate student who volunteered to share her thoughts, observations, challenges, and strategies while navigating the University, making decisions, and experiencing educational opportunities. Below is Taryn’s tenth journal entry, which marks the beginning …

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