Establishment of an Academic Advising Improvement Team

Background:

The Campus Academic Plan, 1996-2001, makes a significant commitment to the improvement of advising at UNC Charlotte. The commitment embodied by the Plan recognizes that timely and effective academic advice is an essential element of an overall strategy to enhance student retention and success.

The specific initiatives contained in the Academic Plan include:

1. Development of systematic, clear, and carefully-constructed systems of advising through college and departmental advising plans that specify the designated roles and responsibilities of faculty, staff, and peer advising.

2. Renewed attention through enhanced training and support to improve the quality of advising delivered by faculty members who have been assigned advising responsibilities.

3. As a supplement to college-based efforts, development of regular advisor training concerning University-wide requirements and academic policies and procedures, including but not limited to general education, progression, and academic integrity.

4. Development of statements for use by faculty and staff advisers, parents, and students concerning students’ responsibility for their own educational success, with particular attention to the limitations that students should observe when undertaking full-or-part-time employment while pursuing a University degree.

With the Plan now approved, it is appropriate to set in place the administrative structure we need for dealing with these issues on an ongoing basis. The centerpiece of that structure must continue to be the Administrative Council on Undergraduate Affairs which includes among its membership the associate and assistant deans with formal responsibilities that include the oversight of advising. But we also need a group of individuals who have daily operational understanding of advising issues to assess continually the effectiveness of our advising processes and to make recommendations with respect to kinds of programs, activities, policy changes, and resources we need to address the priorities articulated in the Campus Academic Plan.

Academic Advising Improvement Team:

Accordingly, it is appropriate to establish the Academic Advising Improvement Team. The Team will report through and make recommendations to the Administrative Council on Undergraduate Affairs which is chaired by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Programs.

As appropriate, recommendations from the Academic Advising Improvement Team may be implemented directly or referred through the Provost to the Council of Deans and the faculty governance system for further consideration.

Membership (17 members)

3 faculty advisors (selected by Provost from dean’s nominations)

1 team member from each of the College-based advising centers (6 total)

1 team member from Athletic Advising

1 team member from the Office of Adult Students and Evening Services

1 team member from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

1 team member from the Office of Minority Academic Services

1 team member from the Office of the Registrar

1 student team member to be named by the President of the Student Body

1 student team member to be named by the Dean of Students

1 staff team member from an academic department office

Charge: The overall mission of the Academic Advising Improvement Team is to assess and improve academic advising across the campus on a continuous basis by:

*Identifying the primary stakeholders and customers of the advising activities on campus and their suggested measures of effectiveness of the results;

*Continuously monitoring campus-wide performance in meeting the expectations of these stakeholders using the most appropriate of the measures identified;

*Identifying the processes involved in advising on campus and opportunities for improvement or redesign of them to better serve the stakeholders and customers across the campus;

*Assigning specific smaller teams composed of individuals from this group or others on campus to address particular advising processes with clear potential for improvement;

*Receiving the reports of these teams and assisting them in implementing their recommendations for improvement; and

*Serving as a coordinating body and clearinghouse for effective advising practices across campus, and serving as the body responsible for maintaining awareness and communication of the most effective advising practices in other institutions across the country.

Team Resources: It is envisioned that the Academic Advising Improvement Team will serve as the campus’ primary mechanism for the continuous assessment and improvement of advising. Accordingly, the Team will be provided with opportunities to learn the procedures of continuous quality improvement (CQI) with the support of facilitators trained under the auspices of the University Quality Improvement Steering Committee (QISC).

In addition to the resources of key administrative offices represented through membership on the Team, the Team may call upon other units or individual members of the campus community for assistance as needed.

Team Constraints: Although it is recognized that facility interest and involvement is an important factor affecting the quality of academic advising, the Team should confine its assessment of opportunities for improving advising to those that do not involve fundamental changes in the faculty reward system, including either the formal or informal criteria that govern the processes of faculty reappointment, promotion, tenure, and salary administration. These matters are being addressed elsewhere.

Reporting: It is expected that the Team will report as required to the Administrative Council and/or the Provost, and will prepare an Annual Report to the Provost which details the accomplishments for the year and a program of initiatives for the upcoming year.