revised - march 2014 · works cited ..... 66 appendices ..... 68 revised - march 2014. 2 about...

REVISED - MARCH 2014

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Table of Contents

About Virginia Western .............................................................................. 2

Executive Summary ................................................................................... 3

Description of Terms ................................................................................. 5

Identification of the Topic .......................................................................... 6

Topic Selection .................................................................................. 6

Current Conditions ............................................................................. 10

Narrowing of the Topic ...................................................................... 15

Development of the Topic .................................................................. 16

Marketing and Communication .......................................................... 22

Literature Review ....................................................................................... 24

Student Learning Outcomes ..................................................................... 28

Implementation ........................................................................................... 31

Initial Changes ................................................................................... 32

Year One ........................................................................................... 36

Year Two ........................................................................................... 45

Years Three, Four and Five ............................................................... 49

Organizational Structure ........................................................................... 50

Assessment ................................................................................................ 54

Resources ................................................................................................... 60

Summary ..................................................................................................... 64

Works Cited ................................................................................................ 66

Appendices ................................................................................................. 68


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About Virginia Western

Virginia Western Community College is a two-year public institution located in Roanoke,

Virginia. It serves the city of Roanoke as well as the city of Salem, Roanoke County, Craig

County, southern Botetourt County and northern Franklin County. The current enrollment of

over 12,000 students represents a variety of backgrounds, interests and needs. The mission of

Virginia Western is to provide “affordable, accessible, and quality educational opportunities and

workforce training to meet individual, community and global needs”. The core values of integrity,

excellence, service and community inform the policies, programs and methods of Virginia

Western. Institutional goals for the College include promoting effective teaching and learning

through quality instruction, programs and services designed to meet the needs of a diverse

student body.

With its mission, core values and institutional goals in mind, Virginia Western has chosen a

Quality Enhancement Plan that will address the student learning environment. Navigate: Get

THERE Through Team Advising is designed to promote student success through effective and

efficient advising practices. The integration of Navigate will provide a positive change that will

benefit the entire campus community.


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Executive Summary

Virginia Western strongly believes that broad-based campus involvement in the development of

its QEP is essential to make the project a success. Through an extensive and inclusive process,

the College reached out to faculty, staff, students and alumni through focus groups and surveys.

It became clear that advising was the area in which the College should focus its attention to

improve the student learning environment. Advising was already an area of concern on campus,

for the advising center was often overwhelmed with students needing assistance and the ratings

for advising from satisfaction surveys were not as high as the College would like. Initiatives to

improve advising on campus were in progress, including restructuring student services and

obtaining the Starfish Early Alert System. After examination of current assessment data, a

literature review, and another survey of faculty, staff and students, Advising Teamwork became

the basis for Navigate: Get THERE through Team Advising.

Navigate: Get THERE through Team Advising will assist students in setting their educational

success goals and making plans to reach them. To accomplish this best, the College

determined that additional revision to the current advising structure was needed. The goal for

the project is aimed at student success, with a particular focus on degree-seeking students. For

these students, Virginia Western defined student success as successful completion of individual

courses, retention from year to year, successful transfer to a four year college, and/or

graduation from Virginia Western.

Navigate Goal

To foster student success through improved academic planning skills

Navigate will be continually assessed over the next five years to evaluate its

effectiveness/success. Quantitative measures, such as retention and course completion rates,


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as well as qualitative measures, including focus groups and other feedback mechanisms, will

identify any necessary adjustments needed in the plan.


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Description of Terms

New Student Advisors – Advising staff specializing in new students and returning students

who are not program-placed.

Program Advisors – Advising staff assigned to a specific academic school.

Case Management System – A system that will provide a shared repository of student-specific

advising information accessible as appropriate to each member of the advising team. The case

management system selected, Starfish Connect, will integrate with and expand upon the

functionality of the Starfish Early Alert System.

Faculty advisors – Full-time faculty with advising responsibilities. Faculty advisors are the

student resource for detailed information about a specific program of study.

Prescriptive advising - Advising in which advisors work most closely with students on actual

course selection and scheduling.

Progressive advising - Also known as developmental advising, this style of advising focuses

on the student as a whole person and emphasizes goal exploration and program choice while

considering student abilities and external obligations.

SDV - Student development skills course, required for all students seeking an associate degree

at Virginia Western.

SIS – Student Information System, the computer-housed student records system at Virginia

Western.

Spring Fling – An annual campus-wide Virginia Western event that includes an art show, food,

music, giveaways, activities, and information tables for student organizations and academic

programs.

Starfish Early Alert System – An early warning and student tracking system designed to assist

colleges in promoting student success. The capabilities of the Starfish Early Alert System

integrate with information from Blackboard and SIS, as well as with the Starfish Connect case

management system referenced above.

Total Intake Model of advising – A system in which all entering students begin at a central

advising center.

Virginia Education Wizard – A comprehensive website to assist students in planning their

college education. Among other functions, it provides skills, interest, and values assessments

and additional career planning resources.


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Identification of the Topic

Virginia Western used the initiation of the QEP process as an opportunity to have a campus

conversation about how to improve student learning or the student learning environment at the

College. The selection process ensured a QEP topic grounded in institutional research data,

campus-wide involvement in the selection and widespread enthusiasm for improvements for the

topic. It also gave a voice to all portions of the campus community in making college

improvements and identified a variety of projects to be addressed by committees and other

groups on campus.

Topic Selection

The College’s Steering Committee for SACSCOC reaffirmation began the topic selection

process by holding multiple focus groups in Spring 2012 for faculty, staff and students. Based

on the information gathered from these sessions, the areas of concern were categorized. The

entire campus community (faculty and adjuncts, staff, students, alumni, board members and

curriculum advisory committee members) was asked to rank the top concerns. Some categories

were deemed ineligible as potential QEP topics because improvements were already underway

in those areas or because the concern did not directly impact student learning or the student

learning environment. However, results for all categories of concern were compiled and

forwarded in Fall 2012 to appropriate groups for consideration of actions to improve the College.

The remaining concerns were compared against institutional research data for validity as

potential QEP topics. The top eight concerns, with support from multiple data sources as an

area for improvement, were included in a follow-up survey conducted during the campus-wide

Spring Fling event in Spring 2012. Advising was selected as the QEP topic by respondents

consisting of faculty, staff and students and was the top choice in each of these groups.


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Supporting Data

Data collected regarding Virginia Western supported the selection of an advising topic. This

data revealed that advising was important to the campus community but was in need of

improvement and that students needed career and goal setting discussions as a part of their

advising experience.

CCSSE Results

In 2005, 2008 and 2011, Virginia Western participated in the Community College Survey of

Student Engagement (CCSSE). In 2011, well over half of the students indicated that academic

advising was very important to them, which was a slightly larger percentage than in the previous

two CCSSE surveys. Consistent with these findings, more than half of students reported that

they used academic advising “sometimes” or “frequently”. However, less than a third of students

were “very satisfied” with the service. Likewise, nearly half of students indicated that career

counseling was very important to them, yet only slightly more than a quarter of students

reported using career counseling services “frequently” or “sometimes”. In fact, more than a third

of students reported that they had never discussed career plans with an instructor or advisor.

These results support the need of improved advising at the College.

Selected CCSSE Results Related to Advising and Planning

Item Measure 2011 2008 2005

Academic advising/planning

How important the service is to you % very important 59% 52% 55%

How often you use the service % use frequently or sometimes

55% 48% 45%

How satisfied you are with the service % very satisfied 30% 26% 20%

Career Counseling

How important the service is to you % very important 47% 46% 46%

How often you use the service % use frequently or sometimes

27% 26% 26%

During the current school year, how often have you . . .

discussed career plans with an instructor or advisor

% never 35% 38% 41%


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Other Survey Results

In-house surveys also support the selection of advising. Results are summarized below. In

annual surveys of graduating students, the response average for satisfaction with academic

advising has been at or below the survey threshold for areas of concern. This data is supported

by results from surveys of campus employees. On this survey, administered every two years,

averages for whether academic advising opportunities meet the needs of the students have

been at or below the survey threshold for areas of concern since 2009.

Virginia Western Survey Results for Advising Average Scores (Mean)

Graduation Survey 2012 2011 Threshold for areas of concern

Satisfaction with academic advising 3.25 / 4.0 3.18 / 4.0 3.25

Campus Employee Survey 2011 2009 Threshold for areas of concern

Academic advising opportunities meet the needs of the students

3.47 / 5.0 3.50 / 5.0 3.50

General Studies Program

The most common program of study at Virginia Western is the A.S. in General Studies, which is

selected by nearly 20% of the degree-seeking students. Although the General Studies program

is entirely appropriate for some students, for many others it serves as a placeholder for

educational goals not yet fully selected or articulated. Less than half of the General Studies

students (47%) for Fall 2011 returned for the next fall. Of the remainder who did return, 25%

had changed to a different program of study by Fall 2012. With appropriate advising, incoming

students may be encouraged to consider their educational goals more closely as they enter the

College, leading to greater educational success.

Student Development Courses

Virginia Western encourages all degree-seeking students to take a student development skills

course (SDV) within their first 15 credit hours. However, only about two-thirds of students

actually do this. This course helps students build skills in setting educational goals and in


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academic planning. Requiring SDV within the first fifteen credits will emphasize importance of

the SDV course and highlight the important role it plays in developing the knowledge and

responsibility to achieve academic success.

Course Success Rates

Student educational success is impacted by course success rates. Course failures and

withdrawals waste student resources of money, time and mental focus and can have

repercussions for financial aid. Over the past several years, 20 percent or more of Virginia

Western’s non-developmental course enrollments have resulted in a grade of D, F, or W. With

appropriate advising, students may be more likely to take courses in accordance with their

interests and abilities, leading to greater course success rates and greater student success

overall.

Non-Developmental Course Success Rates (Grade of A/B/C/P)

2012-13 (Fall/Spring only)

2011-12 2010-11 2009-10

77% 80% 78% 78%

Rate of Persistence

Research has shown that advising can have a positive impact on students’ rate of persistence

(McArthur 3; Ishler and Upcraft 43). Virginia Western uses fall-to-fall retention rates as its

primary measurement of student persistence. These retention rates for first-time curricular

students at Virginia Western have risen steadily over the past several years and are now above

average within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). However, while the current rate

of persistence of 54 percent may be acceptable, it is not optimal for students, particularly in an

era of economic hardships and increasing educational costs.

Increasing the rate of persistence for degree-seeking students is an important part of improving

academic success. Appropriate advising with emphasis on educational goals, academic


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planning, and individual responsibility should lead to increased rates of persistence, as

demonstrated through fall-to-fall retention rates.

Current Conditions

Virginia Western currently has Academic Advisors who meet with students in the Advising and

Retention Office. Through Navigate, these advisors will be renamed New Student Advisors and

the Advising and Retention Office will become the Advising Center; therefore, the terms New

Student Advisors and Advising Center are used in this document for consistency.

Advising Structure

To ensure that student success becomes a more dominant focus, the College examined

advising to consider what it is already doing well and how changes can be made for more

effective fostering of student success. The advising structure at Virginia Western currently has

many effective components. The Total Intake Model of advising, the model recommended as

most effective for community colleges, is already in place at Virginia Western (King and Kerr

337). Incoming students interact with New Student Advisors through one-on-one appointments

at the Advising Center or within the new student orientation program (Discover) to receive initial

advising. New Student Advisors advise students in ways that incorporate developmental

40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Fall-to-Fall Retention: First-Time Curricular

VWCC VCCS


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advising ideology (which for the purposes of this project will be referred to as progressive

advising).

All program-placed students are assigned faculty advisors, who are experts within their program

areas. A detailed description of faculty advisor roles is provided in the next section.

In the School of Health Professions, there is an intermediary advisor, the Health Careers

Information Specialist. This advisor works with students after their initial advising session with a

New Student Advisor before admittance to restricted admissions programs. Once admitted, the

Health Careers Information Specialist connects the students with their faculty advisor and

provides general advising assistance throughout their enrollment.

All of these current conditions reflect best practices within academic advising. The reality,

though, is that these efforts are not enough. The New Student Advisors are often overloaded

with students waiting for an advising appointment. Only students in the Health Professions

programs are given a clear path from the initial New Student Advisor session to an advisor to

whom they can return for advising needs throughout their time at Virginia Western. Additionally,

many faculty advisors are unprepared to be effective advisors.

Faculty Advising

Overall, the campus community (faculty, staff and students) has an inadequate understanding of

the importance of advising. The role of the faculty advisor is not clearly communicated or

understood by the campus community. Due to process constraints, Virginia Western moved

several years ago to a system that did not directly associate a faculty advisor with a student’s

record. Instead, students were assigned by last name to faculty advisors. Students must consult

an online table outside of their normal processes to determine their faculty advisor. Many

students do not take this step and instead return to their initial point of contact, the New Student

Advisor. Students are required to meet with their faculty advisors when completing their


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graduation applications, and for many students this is the first time they ever meet their faculty

advisor. Within this meeting, students sometimes realize that they have not taken the correct

sequence of classes to graduate from their programs; consequently, students may find that they

will have to stay another semester to complete the needed courses.

Attempts to get students to visit their faculty advisors early in their Virginia Western experience

have suffered from poor coordination of information. For example, in 2010, Virginia Western

began asking students who were at risk of losing their financial aid or who were on academic

probation to meet with their faculty advisors regarding their academic plans. As an expansion of

this, several SDV instructors initiated an academic plan assignment that required students to

complete an academic plan which must then be approved by their faculty advisors. Faculty

members were not consistently informed about the new policy or the SDV assignments and

were unprepared for the number of students suddenly appearing at their doors asking for

assistance. The students were not always clear on the details of the SDV assignment or what

was needed under the new policy. Faculty advisors became frustrated because they did not

know what was expected of them in helping the students.

This background is complicated by the reality that increasingly, many faculty members

nationwide do not see advising as a primary part of their job. Vowell and Farren explain that

faculty often see advising “as a low-status activity or as an add-on to a faculty load already full

with the obligations of teaching, research, and service” (qtd. in Allen and Smith 398). This

attitude has become pervasive at Virginia Western and is exacerbated by the absence of

professional development regarding advising in recent years. The result is that the students who

do seek out their faculty advisors (either voluntarily or due to a course assignment) often get

prescriptive advising from their faculty advisors. Students who are not actually in the appropriate

program or who have substantial difficulties with their courses and course loads do not always


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receive the type of progressive advising that Virginia Western believes encourages student

success.

Advising Center

Students often return to the Advising Center for their advising needs. During non-registration

periods, this office is able to meet effectively with students and engage students in discussions

regarding their life goals, educational expectations, interests and abilities. These discussions

help students make informed decisions about their programs of study and make realistic plans

for academic success, including appropriate choices for courses and course loads for each

semester. When registration periods are open, however, students find themselves waiting for up

to several hours just to see a New Student Advisor. These sessions often fall into prescriptive

advising, even to the point that the New Student Advisor registers the student for classes. While

this might seem like a useful service for a student who has been waiting several hours, the

result is that many students now see registration as a task that they cannot complete

themselves, even if there are no obstacles such as blocks or holds on their enrollment. The

students return semester after semester, even several times within a semester, to get

assistance developing and revising their course schedules. In order to be well prepared for the

workforce or their experience at a four year institution, it is important for students to develop

individual responsibility for their academic success. Developing their own class schedules after

consultation with Virginia Western resources can be part of this development process.

All of these conditions further support the choice of advising as the QEP topic. By providing

appropriate advising, and resources for advising, Virginia Western can improve the student

learning environment and further encourage student success.


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SDV Orientation

An orientation course (SDV) is incorporated into curriculum requirements, and within this course

students are asked to explore career options and engage in academic planning. Three different

orientation course options are offered: SDV 100, SDV 101 and SDV 108. While the student

learning outcomes are the same for these courses, SDV 100 sections are general student

success classes while SDV 101 sections are geared toward students within a given field, such

as engineering and SDV 108 sections are associated with learning communities for students in

developmental courses. Student focus groups revealed that while the same information was

covered in the different SDV sections, the emphasis placed on goal setting, academic planning

and time management varied from class to class. And, despite recommendations from the New

Student Advisors, not all students take SDV within their first year of enrollment, so they are not

receiving this important information early in their career.


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Narrowing of the Topic

In late Spring 2012, a QEP Leadership Team was formed consisting of three teaching faculty

members along with two administrative faculty members from the Institutional Effectiveness

Office. One of the teaching faculty served as the QEP Coordinator and another as the Assistant

Coordinator. The third was the faculty chair of the College’s Steering Committee for SACSCOC

reaffirmation.

QEP Leadership Team

Rachelle Koudelik-Jones Dean of Institutional Effectiveness

Carol Rowlett Coordinator of Research and Assessment

Kristel Clark QEP Coordinator/Associate Professor-Accounting

Jenifer Kurtz QEP Assistant Coordinator/Associate Professor-English

Sarah Chitwood Faculty Chair Reaffirmation Committee/Associate Professor-French and English

After initial discussions, it became obvious that the broad topic of advising needed to be

narrowed further. Nationwide, college campuses are putting increased emphasis on student

advising, recognizing the tie between advising and student success. A Literature Review team

worked in the summer of 2012 to review best practices and innovative approaches to advising

college students. This team included faculty, advising staff, library personnel and institutional

effectiveness staff. Five general approaches to advising improvements were identified, as

shown below.

Approaches for Advising Improvements

Progressive Advising

SDV Advising

Online Advising

Advising Teamwork

Assistive Advising for Developmental Education

Additionally, the QEP leadership team consulted with lead advising staff across campus to

discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Virginia Western’s current advising programs.


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Members of the team visited a sister college, Virginia Highlands Community College, to gain

insight regarding revisions that had been made to its advising program.

At the beginning of the fall 2012 semester, faculty and staff with advising responsibilities were

targeted in a survey and asked to choose the primary approach for the advising QEP, with the

understanding that the full QEP might include aspects from some or all of the other approaches.

The survey was then opened to all College employees for verification of the results. Both the

advising group and the expanded survey group selected advising teamwork for the primary QEP

approach.

Development of the Topic

For the 2012-2013 academic year, committees for QEP functions were established, as shown

below.

QEP Committees

Development Outcomes Implementation

Assessment Budget Professional Development

Technology Communications Editing

Design

Along with other employees from across the College, 28 faculty members (approximately one

third of the full time faculty) participated in the development of the QEP by serving on these

committees. Student representatives and adjunct faculty members were solicited to serve on the

QEP Development Team and the Design Team. Much of the communications work became the

charge of the College’s Institutional Advancement Committee, which focused on naming the

QEP, running a student logo contest, and preliminary marketing.

Initial Steps

The Development Team was provided a summary of research that resulted from the summer

literature review, as well as results from the data regarding advising at Virginia Western.


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Membership of this team represented broad-based involvement from across campus, as seen

below:

QEP Development Team

B. Bagby Information & Educational Technologies-Head Media Geek

Lori Baker Dean of Student Services

Chuck Brady Student Representative

Annemarie Carroll Assistant Professor - Psychology & Mental Health

Ruth Cassell Alumni & Development Services Coordinator

Annette Chamberlin Associate Professor - History

Rhonda Chewning Student Representative

Kristel Clark QEP Coordinator/Associate Professor - Accounting

Sue Clark Division Secretary-School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Linda Davis Associate Professor - Administrative Support Technology

Bonnie Dennis Associate Professor - Psychology

Dale Dulaney Reference & Instruction Librarian

Virginia Garden Professor – Biology

Sarah Grubb Division Secretary-School of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Angela Hairston-Niblett New Student Advisor

Heather Harris Instructor - Dental Hygiene

Heather Hunter Admissions Office Manager


Jenifer Kurtz QEP Assistant Coordinator/Associate Professor - English

Cheryl Miller Vice President of Financial & Administrative Services

Rhonda Perdue Coordinator of Career Services

Jackie Rearick Grant Specialist

Rick Robers Tutor / Accommodations Coordinator

Carol Rowlett Coordinator of Research & Assessment

Elizabeth Wilmer Interim Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs

Diane Wolff Professor – Information Systems Technology

As the initial planning and brainstorming meetings were held in Fall 2012, best practices for

advising were considered. Committee members reviewed several articles chosen by the QEP

Leadership Team related to best practices. Three faculty and three New Student Advisors

attended a National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) regional drive-in conference in

September of 2012. Additionally, the QEP Coordinator and a New Student Advisor attended the

National NACADA conference in October of 2012.


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The Development Team began with the topic of advising teamwork. Its initial job was to define

the advising team and examine the philosophy of advising that is most appropriate for the

College’s student population. The team decided that developmental advising and the focus on

individual responsibility that it implies is the best fit for Virginia Western students. However,

because Virginia Western offers developmental courses and the term “developmental” is so

firmly associated with those courses, the committee suggested that the term “progressive

advising” be used instead. The discussion then centered on defining the advising team

members based on the diverse student population at Virginia Western.

Preliminary Goals and Outcomes

The Development Team decided that the ultimate purpose of the QEP was to enhance student

success through an emphasis on improving students’ academic planning skills and that this

would be approached through team advising. Guided by this purpose, the Outcomes Committee

was able to develop preliminary goals and accompanying outcomes for the project. Members

from the various QEP committees, including the two student representatives, were invited to

attend a joint brainstorming meeting. At this meeting, members discussed advising at Virginia

Western, making a list of what the College already does well and areas needing improvement.

From this session came the idea to create more positions like our current Health Careers

Information Specialist, later termed Program Advisor. Following the health professions model,

the Program Advisors would be housed near the administrative offices for each Academic

School. The Program Advisors would serve returning students for the programs within that

school. Technology was also a recurring topic at this session, for committee members stressed

the significant role that technology could play in connecting the different groups on campus and

offering access to advising information.


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Implementation Planning

After this initial meeting, two additional meetings were held to refine the ideas into a preliminary

implementation plan. At this same time, members of the QEP Leadership Team consulted with

other groups on campus, including the Student Council, the Dean’s Workgroup, the Faculty

Senate and the Executive Staff. It also held open forums for the campus community. Based on

the preliminary plan, the Budget Committee began compiling an initial list of all items within the

plan that would require financial resources, facilities, and personnel. By the end of the fall 2012

semester, the members decided that the preliminary plan was achievable, suitable and in the

best interest of the students. At this point, members of the QEP Leadership Team shared the

preliminary plan with the College’s Executive Staff, who approved it.

For Spring 2013, a small group of QEP team members served on a Design Team, which

outlined the details of the implementation plan and worked with the Assessment and Budget

committees. This team consisted of the following members:

Design Team

B. Bagby Information & Educational Technologies-Head Media Geek

Lori Baker Dean of Student Services

Annette Chamberlin Associate Professor – History

Kristel Clark QEP Coordinator/Associate Professor – Accounting

Allison Dooley CCAP Advisor and Recruiter

Virginia Garden Professor – Biology

Angela Hairston-Niblett New Student Advisor


Jenifer Kurtz QEP Assistant Coordinator/Associate Professor – English

Natasha Lee Student Activities Coordinator

Lindsey Narmour Student Representative

Carol Rowlett Coordinator of Research & Assessment

Marty Sullivan Program Head of Dental Hygiene

Elizabeth Wilmer Interim Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs

Annie Woodford Adjunct Faculty – English

Pam Woody Health Careers Information Specialist


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Advising Team

One of the initial tasks of the Design Team was to outline the roles of each of the advising team

members (see Appendix A). Discussion led to the following descriptions for each member of the

team.

New Student Advisors will be located in the Advising Center and meet with first time

students, non-curricular students and students who are returning to Virginia Western after

an absence of three or more years. These advisors are knowledgeable about the variety of

programs and curriculum options that Virginia Western offers and can help students find

Virginia Western programs that fit with their career goals, interests, and abilities. Using

progressive advising, these advisors will have conversations with the students they see

about placement test scores, academic success goals and academic planning.

Program Advisors will be located in the administrative offices of each of the College’s

academic schools, using the existing staff position in Health Professions as the model for

this function. Program Advisors will see returning students who are enrolled in programs

housed within their respective schools. They will be knowledgeable about programs offered

within their academic schools and will serve as essential members of the advising team.

Program Advisors will be able to offer students within their school information about the

course requirements for specific programs, the similarities and differences between

programs, the details about transfer and articulation agreements that Virginia Western has

established with four year institutions, and other resources available on campus for

students. Their schedules will include a certain number of evening office hours to extend

advising services to this demographic. These positions do not replace faculty advising but

serve as an important supplement to help students with general program information and to

assist students in establishing relationships with their faculty advisors.


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Faculty Advisors will be able to offer field and program specific information to students.

One goal of forming the team is to connect students to their faculty advisors early in their

academic careers at Virginia Western. This will enable students to develop a clear idea of

the specific requirements of the programs they have chosen, as well as the ways in which

those programs lead to employment or transfers to a four-year institution. King and Kerr

highlight the important role that faculty play in advising by explaining that “the advantages of

using faculty [advisors] are their program and course knowledge, their knowledge of related

career fields, the respect they hold within the institution, the cost to the institution, and the

fact that research shows a clear relationship between student interaction with faculty and

student retention” (322).

The student is an integral part of the team. Students will be educated about their advising

teams during their initial advising sessions with a New Student Advisor as well as during

Discover orientation and within the SDV courses. Students will engage with various

members of their teams at different points within their academic careers at Virginia Western,

depending on their particular needs and interests. A student who is unsure of the benefits of

the program he has chosen will be able to sit down with his faculty advisor and discuss the

job options related to that particular program. That student will also be able to access other

Virginia Western services, such as the Career Center, to explore different career options.

Advising Mission Statement

Another significant task of the Design Team was to create an Advising Mission Statement. Early

in the literature review process it became apparent that Virginia Western lacked such a

statement and, without it, did not have a clear, unified focus on advising. The Council for the

Advancement of Standards in Higher Education CAS Standards and Guidelines for Academic

Advising Programs explains that “the institution must have a clearly written mission statement

pertaining to academic advising” (Dean 29). The Design Team consulted Wes Habley’s


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“Developing a Mission Statement for the Academic Advising Program” while creating a mission

statement, which was approved by the Dean of Student Services and the Vice President of

Academic and Student Affairs.

The mission of Academic Advising is to partner with students to help them define, plan

and progress towards their educational goals by fostering independence, facilitating a

professional, supportive environment and promoting student development skills.

This team also made recommendations regarding selection of the lead evaluator, assisted in the

development of the budget and created the Program Advisor job description.

During the same time period, the Assessment Committee examined the preliminary goals and

outcomes and worked with the Design Team to refine them. From there, the Assessment

Committee examined the current assessment measures in place at Virginia Western,

researched national surveys, and listed additional assessment needs. The assessments are

explained in detail in the Assessment Section of this document.

Marketing and Communication

Starting in Fall 2012, the QEP Leadership Team began a clear and continued effort to keep the

entire College community informed about the QEP. Virginia Western hosts a college-wide in-

service assembly at the beginning of each semester. At that assembly for Fall 2012, a brief

video and update on the QEP process was provided. Subsequently, the Leadership Team held

three open forums in the fall semester and two in the spring semester; faculty, staff and

students were invited to attend, learn about the current progress of the QEP development, offer

suggestions and ask questions. Virginia Western’s Daily Bulletins, which are daily campus email

updates sent to faculty, staff and students, provided regular updates on the progress of the QEP

and advertised open forums and focus groups.


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The planning process included numerous opportunities for student involvement. Two students

served on the Development Team, and another student served on the Design Team. The QEP

coordinator and assistant coordinator also consulted with the Student Council and held student-

centered focus groups and open forums. The feedback from students was useful in establishing

the current trends and perceptions regarding advising at Virginia Western and clarified to the

committee members that communication should be an essential focus as the College developed

the implementation plan. The Institutional Advancement committee solicited feedback from

students in terms of how most effectively to market the QEP to the student body and what type

of name would resonate with students. Out of their efforts three titles were chosen, and after a

campus-wide vote, Navigate: Get THERE through Team Advising was selected as the title.

Another key part of the process was the logo creation contest, which took place in an ART

Portfolio and Resume Preparation class. These students were given the title of the QEP as well

as specific requirements for the logo design. Based on this assignment, students submitted

designs to their instructor. The Institutional Advancement Committee narrowed the design

choices to three; then, students in four classes and the Executive Staff chose the winning

design through a survey. The winning logo was unveiled at the annual Virginia Western Spring

Fling Art Show with an award for the designer and with recognition on the College’s website.


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Literature Review

Navigate is a project grounded in current research in student success and academic advising

practices. Virginia Western has based Navigate on the developmental advising philosophy,

initially outlined by Crookston (1972) and described in O’Banion’s five dimensions of the

academic advising process. Margaret King describes developmental advising as “both a

process and an orientation … [i]t reflects the idea of movement and progression … [and]

recognizes the importance of interactions between the student and the campus environment, it

focuses on the whole person, and it works with the student in that person’s own life stage of

development” (par. 2). Additionally, Frost explains that this method “understands advising as a

system of shared responsibility in which the primary goal is to help the student take

responsibility for his or her decisions and actions” (qtd. in King par. 4).

Virginia Western has decided to use the term progressive advising to encompass the ideology

of developmental advising because the term “developmental” is associated with remedial

courses on campus. Progressive advising focuses on the student as a whole person and

emphasizes goal exploration and program choice while considering student abilities and

external obligations. This is in contrast to prescriptive advising, in which advisors work most

closely with students on actual course selection and scheduling.

O’Banion’s model of effective community college advising programs includes exploration of life

and vocation goals, program and course choice and scheduling courses (83). This theory

expects the student to participate in the advising process and to take responsibility for making

academic decisions. The advisor serves as an informational resource that encourages students

to make sound academic decisions (King) and to engage in self-reflection, but the student is the

one who makes decisions that lead to his success.


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O’Banion’s model lends itself well to a team approach in which an advising staff member, faculty

advisor and student are connected, resulting in higher retention rates, higher graduation rates

and increased student satisfaction. Smith and Allen assert the importance of “academic advising

[that is] delivered through a collaboration between faculty and student affairs professionals” and

advocate a dual model of advising in which students’ needs are met both by faculty advisors

and student affairs advisors (623). Community college settings seem particularly appropriate for

this model because students are enrolled for varying amounts of time, depending on their

enrollment status, and often engage with different departments on campus for different reasons

(such as a Veteran who engages with Veterans’ Affairs as well as a faculty advisor, a tutor and

an advising staff member). Marguerite Culp outlines several components of student success

and notes, “[w]hen subject matter specialists (faculty members) partner with learning and

human development specialists (student affairs practitioners) to create learning-centered

institutions, retention and graduation rates increase” (80). Kadar continues in this vein, saying,

“when counseling and advisement are linked with the academic departments, it also allows for a

consistent and reciprocal relationship between and among the counselor, faculty, and student”

(175). The team approach also reflects the reality that no one person on campus can be

knowledgeable about everything. Working as a team allows faculty advisors and advising staff

to be focused on their areas of expertise and to consult with one another when additional

expertise is needed.

For the progressive model and a team approach to lead to student success, the student must

take individual responsibility for setting appropriate, achievable goals and creating a plan to

achieve those goals. Creating an environment in which the student is an active member of the

team allows a sense of empowerment within the student. Kristina Allemand of Nicholls State

University discusses students’ desires to have an advisor “just tell me what classes to take”

(par. 3) and the importance of subverting that to help students take “control over their degree.”


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This is a particular challenge within the community college setting, where many students are

non-traditional or first generation college students who are unsure of how to Navigate the

college environment. “The Statement of Core Values of Academic Advising Exposition” provided

by NACADA explains that “Advisors encourage self-reliance and support students as they strive

to make informed and responsible decisions, set realistic goals, and develop lifelong learning

and self-management skills.” In his article “How to be a Good Advisee,” Dr. Ken Petress begins

by explaining that the advisee and advisor must work “as a team” in order for the advising to be

successful (598). Making it clear that the student is an integral member of the team and is

expected to take independent actions towards planning his own success is paramount.

Using a model of advising that emphasizes responsibility helps prepare students for the work

world and reinforces the expectations faculty have within the classroom setting. However,

students need support and guidance to attain this level of individual responsibility, and the

institution must support students. CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education explains

that Academic Advising Programs must “assist students in assessing their interests and

abilities, examining their educational goals, making decisions and developing short-term and

long-term plans to meet their objectives” (Dean 31). Just as instructors facilitate learning within

the classroom, advisors facilitate learning by “[coaching] advisees into an understanding of the

overall structure and logic of their curriculum” (Lowenstein 130). This type of support will result

in students who are “more likely [to] persist to degree graduation” (Cuseo 8).

Advisors (faculty and staff) need to be equipped with the appropriate professional development

and training to provide this support. They also need to understand the importance of advising

and how it leads to student success. A well-developed professional development program that

educates all faculty and staff is essential to successful advising. O’Banion emphasizes the

importance of “a continuing in-service program for all advisors, and a special, more intensive

program for new instructors before they are allowed to participate [in advising]” ( 87). Focusing


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professional development on the rationale for the chosen advising model is important, as is

addressing the key components of the advising model. Training, the nuts and bolts of how to

complete forms and utilize technology, should also be covered in advising professional

development (Weston 58-59). Establishing advising professional development as a part of the

college culture helps assert the importance of advising on campus and enables faculty and staff

to engage regularly in refresher sessions. Weston highlights the need for sequential training

sessions as well as “ongoing, mandatory, in-service training” (58). Creation of advising

resources that accompany professional development is also important so that faculty and staff

have ready access to information as they need it. Weisman and Messitt acknowledge that

“many of the faculty members who received training continued asking questions once they

moved from the theoretical aspects to practice with students” (37).

Another way to emphasize the importance of advising on campus is to incorporate advising into

the college’s faculty and staff rewards and recognition program. In this, King and Kerr suggest

“Extrinsic rewards for both individual advisers and the institution are important because they

demonstrate the value the institution places on advising and can help improve the quality of

service provided for first year students” (330). Walsh corroborates this, suggesting that colleges

should “reward excellence in advising” (449) much the way it already rewards excellence in

teaching.

Overall, there are many different methods of advising and situations in which various methods

are more relevant and useful than others. The purpose of Navigate must be on student success,

with recognition that the strategies chosen are what seem to be the most appropriate fit for

Virginia Western at this time. A commitment to the importance of goal setting and academic

planning is at the core of Navigate, and the best practices outlined here represent parts of the

strategy to be employed to accomplish Navigate’s purpose.


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Student Learning Outcomes

The purpose of Navigate is to enhance student success through improving students’ academic

planning skills. This will be approached through a team advising structure. Students with

effective academic planning skills have the knowledge and ability to set realistic educational

success goals and take the necessary steps to achieve these goals. Adjusting the student

learning environment at Virginia Western to one that fosters students’ abilities to examine their

goals realistically and align their educational planning with these goals is essential to the

success of Navigate.

Goal

Navigate’s goal supports this overarching purpose with several outcomes, as are outlined

below.

Goal: To foster student success through improved academic planning skills.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLO):

1. To set an educational success goal(s).

2. To engage in academic planning to achieve one’s educational success goal.

3. To develop individual responsibility for one’s academic success.

Set an Educational Success Goal

Virginia Western has defined student success as successful completion of individual courses,

retention from year to year, successful transfer to a four year college, and/or graduation from

Virginia Western. The Virginia Western Admission Application currently requires that students

choose an education goal. However, students do not necessarily have enough information upon

application to make the most appropriate choice for their individual circumstances. Students will,

therefore, be encouraged to rethink and reiterate their educational success goals, particularly

during the initial semester. The New Student Advisors will engage students in a conversation

about educational success goals as a part of the student’s initial advising session. There, the


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student will discuss vocational and life goals and gain insight into the ways in which specific

programs at Virginia Western can lead in that direction. Academic scheduling and college

expectations will also be covered at this session, attempting to guide students to make realistic

choices about their course schedules and course load.

Goal setting and refinement is a discussion that will continue to take place in a variety of

settings. For example, students will discuss educational success goals during advising sessions

with their faculty advisors and as they explore career options through the Hall Associates

Career Center. All SDV courses specifically address goal setting through their student learning

objectives.

Engage in Academic Planning

Part I of the Mission of CAS (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education)

explains that “the primary purpose of Academic Advising Programs (AAP) is to assist students

in the development of meaningful educational plans” (Dean 29). An initial step to encourage

early academic planning is to require that students take SDV within their first fifteen credits.

While discussion of an academic plan will begin during the initial advising appointment with a

New Student Advisor, academic planning takes some time, for it requires students to engage in

personal reflection and assessment. One way Navigate will attempt to foster students’ personal

reflection is by developing self-reflection and self-assessment assignments that specifically

geared towards preparing students for academic planning. These assignments will become part

of a SDV Career and Planning Project, which will be administered as a part of all SDV courses.

By assessing interests, values and skills, as well as personal goals, expectations and limits,

students will be more informed as they set their educational success goals and engage in

academic planning.

Another part of the SDV Career and Planning Project will focus on developing an academic plan

that fits with the students’ chosen program of study. This structure will provide opportunities for


30

students to become aware of the paths available to explore their program requirements prior to

meeting with their faculty advisors as well as enable them to engage in academic planning

through degree completion (see Appendix B).

Develop Individual Responsibility

The CAS guidelines indicate that “The ultimate responsibility for making decisions about

educational plans and life goals should rest with the individual student” (Dean 38). To that end,

Navigate will shift the focus of advising on campus to a progressive model whereby students are

empowered to work with the advisors at Virginia Western to make their own choices and take

responsibility for their own academic success. Focusing on and building from an educational

success goal will clearly put the student in the driver’s seat. The College plans to facilitate

individual responsibility by:

- encouraging students to self-register;

- providing a staffed Registration Room where the students can gain registration skills in a

supportive environment;

- educating students on the program requirements for their specific programs;

- expecting that students create and use an academic plan;

- and expecting that students come prepared to their advising sessions.


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Implementation

The implementation of Navigate will be completed based on the following timetable. Details of

planning and piloting of these actions are included in the narrative sections.

Implementation Plan

Action Main Purpose Responsible Party

Initial Changes

Set up Registration Room separate from the Advising Center

Encourage student responsibility for course selection and registration

Coordinator of Enrollment Services

Allow time for progressive advising by New Student Advisors

Initiate advising follow-up survey

Provide feedback about advising experiences


Year One (Summer 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014)

Initiate Navigate Leadership Team

Coordinate Navigate responsibilities

Navigate Manager

Initiate Navigate Advisory Committee

Feedback and input into Navigate activities

Navigate Manager

Implement routing questionnaire in Advising Center

Encourage student responsibility for advising preparation


Hire Program Advisors Provide advising support for returning students


Develop Advising Resources for faculty and staff

Facilitate uniform advising Navigate Advisory Committee/Navigate Manager

Emphasize Faculty Advisors Encourage students to consult faculty advisors when appropriate

Navigate Leadership Team/Navigate Advisory Committee

Develop and Pilot Virginia Education Wizard Career Planning Project

Encourage student development of goals and academic planning

Navigate Leadership Team /SDV Faculty

Provide SDV Professional Development

Promote best practices in advising among faculty and staff

Navigate Manager/SDV Program Head

Provide Advising Professional Development

Encourage progressive advising among all advisors

Navigate Leadership Team

Develop Advising Guide for Students

Encourage students to develop individual responsibility for academic decisions


Expand Advising Meetings Enhance communication among members of the advising team


Purchase Case Management System

Enhance communication throughout the advising team

Navigate Advisory Committee/VP Finance


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Year Two (Summer 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015)

Require SDV course during the first 15 credits

Promote enhanced student success skills


Expand advising resources Provide advising information for students, faculty and staff


Expand Advising Follow-Up Survey

Provide feedback about advising experiences

Navigate Manager

Revise SDV Career and Planning Project

Encourage student development of goals and academic planning

SDV instructors/Navigate Leadership Team

Initiate Master Advisor award Promote progressive advising Navigate Manager/Rewards and Recognition Committee

New Faculty Advisor Training Continue to promote best practices in advising among faculty

Navigate Manager

Expand Faculty Advisor Access

Provide greater advising access for faculty advisors

Coordinator of Enrollment Services/IET

Pilot and Roll-out Case Management System to faculty and staff

Enhance communication throughout the advising team

Dean of Student Services/IET

To improve students’ academic planning skills, Virginia Western will implement a variety of

strategies focused on creating resources to facilitate effective advising, restructuring advising to

better meet students’ needs and educating the campus community about progressive advising.

By refining the ways in which we advise students, students will be given the tools to take charge

of their own educational success and the resources to consult as they make plans to achieve

their goals. Because Navigate is designed to affect the environment in which students learn, its

initiatives are intertwined with other activities on campus. A description of some changes

external to Navigate itself but closely associated with its initiatives is included in the following

narrative.

Initial Changes

Overview of Initial Changes

Associated Changes

Coordination of Enrollment Services

Navigate Initiatives

Set up Registration Room separate from the Advising Center

Initiate advising follow-up survey


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Through the planning process for the QEP, it became apparent that a few of the items

discussed should be implemented immediately to serve students better and improve the student

learning environment. At the same time, long-term plans to restructure Student Services were

underway.

Associated Changes

Coordination of Enrollment Services

In Spring 2013, a Coordinator of Enrollment Services was hired to oversee four Student

Services departments, including the Advising Center. This change promotes a smooth entry

process for new students by coordinating activities between Recruiting, Admissions, Student

Records and the Advising Center. The Coordinator of Enrollment Services has been an

important advocate of the initial changes and planned implementation for Navigate.


Registration Room

To immediately address the overload that New Student Advisors face during peak registration

time, a Registration Room was created for Summer 2013. This Registration Room is separated

from the offices of the New Student Advisors but is staffed by Student Services personnel to

provide assistance to students.

Prior to Summer 2013, the long lines of students waiting to see New Student Advisors created a

prescriptive advising approach in advising sessions. New Student Advisors would access a

student’s academic record, determine what courses a student needed to take, and register the

student for classes. In many cases, the majority of the time in the advising session was spent

determining which class sections would suit the students’ availability. This also led to students

returning to the Advising Center in subsequent semesters for assistance with registering for


34

classes or altering their class schedule because they were not shown how to use the Student

Information System (SIS) to register on their own.

With the implementation of the Registration Room, New Student Advisors are free to focus on

progressive advising rather than on course scheduling and registration. The New Student

Advisors discuss educational success goals, program choice and academic planning with

students. They show students how to choose the classes based on the curricula in their

programs of study and discuss appropriate course loads based on their current obligations,

including work and family responsibilities. The New Student Advisors help students develop a

list of classes most appropriate for given semesters but do not generally assist with course

schedules. Students develop academic planning skills by observing how classes were chosen

and how to follow the curricula for their programs. New Student Advisors can also discuss the

career planning resources, such as the Virginia Education Wizard, the importance of academic

planning, and other resources including faculty advisors that are available to the student.

After the advising session, new students are referred to the Registration Room to complete their

course scheduling and registration. Services in the Registration Room are available to all

students, both new and returning. In the Registration Room, students log into their accounts in

SIS and register for their own classes. Student Services staff are available in the Registration

Room to assist students in self-registering for their classes. Through this hands-on experience

in a supportive environment, students learn how to Navigate SIS, plan schedules and register

for classes. This process encourages students to develop individual responsibility by allowing

them to understand how to register for classes and giving them confidence that they are

capable of navigating SIS and making changes to their class schedules.

Initiation of this Registration Room was an immediate success far exceeding expectations. For

the first time in more than twenty years, every student who visited the Advising Center on the


35

first day of open enrollment was able to meet with a New Student Advisor. In the past, extensive

wait times had resulted in students being turned away as early as 2:00 p.m. and told to return

the next day, which led to long lines of students on the second day even before offices opened.

This year, because every student who visited on the first day was seen that day, these second-

day lines were non-existent, allowing all students to be advised more thoroughly and in a timely

manner. The absolute success of this one initial change has set a tone of enthusiasm for

Navigate throughout Student Services.

Advising Follow-Up Survey

To assess the effectiveness of advising sessions immediately, the College implemented an

Advising Follow-Up Survey for students (see Appendix C). This survey is the initial screen on

the computers in the Registration Room. As students leave the Advising Center, they also

receive a card with instructions for accessing the survey from any computer. Results are

reported to the Coordinator of Enrollment Services on a regular basis.

Effects and Assessment

These initial changes reflect best practices in academic advising and reinforce Virginia

Western’s commitment to student success. The changes affect all three student learning

outcomes (goals, academic planning and individual responsibility). Through additional focus on

progressive advising, new students will be encouraged to think through and set educational

success goals. This should lead to an increase in the use of the Virginia Education Wizard

career planning resources and a decrease in students in the General Studies program. New

Student Advisors will emphasize the importance of taking SDV as one of the first courses, since

taking SDV within the first fifteen credits will be a requirement at Virginia Western as part of the

changes for Year Two. The Registration Room promotes individual responsibility through self-

registration. As students develop academic planning skills, their course registrations should be

more appropriately tied to their program and developmental level, and course loads should be


36

more reflective of outside obligations. These changes should lead to an increase in course

success rates.

Year One

Overview of Year One Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Further Steps


Initiate Navigate Leadership Team Establish Continue Continue

Initiate Navigate Advisory Committee Establish Continue Continue

Implement routing questionnaire in Advising Center

Develop Pilot Roll out in Year 2

Hire Program Advisors Hiring Process

Positions Start Continue

Develop online Advising Resources for Faculty and Staff

Develop Implement Continue

Emphasize Faculty Advisors Implement Continue Continue

Develop and Pilot SDV Career and Planning Project

Develop Pilot Rollout in Year 2

Provide SDV Professional Development Planning Develop and Implement

(as needed)

Provide Advising Professional Development Develop Implement (as needed)

Develop Advising Guide for students Develop Develop Rollout in Year 2

Expand Advising Meetings Planning Expansion Continue

Purchase Case Management System Purchase Set-up

Pilot in Summer Rollout in Year 2

Associated Changes

Establish Advising Center Manager Establish Continue Continue

Implement Starfish Early Alert System Pilot Training, Expanded Pilot

Rollout in Year 2



A Navigate Leadership Team will be formed to ensure that Navigate activities and other new

initiatives fit together to promote student success. This group will facilitate good communication

between the departments to maintain focus on Navigate goals and student learning outcomes.


37

The team will also coordinate implementation of the different aspects of Navigate, review

assessment results and make recommendations for revisions to the plan. The Leadership

Team will include the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, the Navigate Manager,

and administrators from Student Services and from Institutional Effectiveness who are involved

in the Navigate implementation.

Navigate Advisory Committee

The Navigate Leadership Team will be supported by the Navigate Advisory Committee

comprised of faculty and staff representing advising across the campus. The committee will also

include student representation. The Navigate Advisory Committee will provide feedback on

Navigate initiatives, do research on best practices, and generate ideas for problem-solving.

Routing Questionnaire

New and returning students currently visit the Advising Center for assistance registering for

classes. With over 8,000 students a semester and six New Student Advisors, wait times for

advising assistance often reach two or three hours. When students finally see a New Student

Advisor, they often have additional issues that need to be addressed prior to meeting with an

advisor.

To improve this situation, the Navigate Leadership team, with assistance from additional student

services staff and the Navigate Advisory Committee, will develop a questionnaire for students to

complete upon entering the Advising Center (see Appendix D for Routing Questionnaire draft).

After this questionnaire is implemented, students may avoid waiting in the Advising Center only

to be told that they need to go to another office and then return to the Advising Center. For

example, students must complete placement tests prior to meeting with a New Student Advisor.

When students indicate that they have not completed placement testing, staff can immediately

direct them to the testing center. This questionnaire will also be made available in the Advising


38

Guide for students, so that students can review it individually and use it to Navigate to the most

appropriate office or resource on campus.

Hire Program Advisors

Three new positions, Program Advisors, will be added to the advising staff. These full-time staff

members will have offices near the administrative offices of each academic school rather than in

the Advising Center. As the Advising Center shifts its focus to advising new and non-curricular

students, the locations of the Program Advisors will reinforce this shift by providing an

alternative location for returning students to receive advising. The location of these advisors will

also provide advising assistance for students near their classrooms and their faculty advisors’

offices. Because students often need assistance when the faculty advisor is not available, the

Program Advisors will be an immediate resource to assist students with general program and

advising information as well as a resource to connect students who need more detailed and

program-specific advising assistance with their faculty advisors. Program Advisors will have a

set work schedule each week, which will be posted for students. This schedule will include

evening hours to meet the needs of students taking night classes, an opportunity not currently

available to students at Virginia Western. Although returning students will be encouraged to take

individual responsibility by scheduling an appointment, Program Advisors will also assist “drop

in” students as time permits.

Develop Advising Resources for Faculty and Staff

Advising resources (see Appendix E) for a preliminary list of topics covered) will be developed

by the Navigate Advisory Committee for roll-out in the latter part of Year One. These resources

will be available to all advisors and will improve the student learning environment by promoting

a level of advising consistency. The resources will be updated as policies and programs are

revised and created, with the update process overseen by the Navigate Advisory Committee.


39

The resources will be maintained online, allowing faculty and staff to access the most current

information at all times.

Emphasize Faculty Advisors

Currently, students access the names and locations of their faculty advisors through the Virginia

Western advising website. For each program, faculty advisors are listed for an alphabetical

range of student last names. Because this information is housed outside of the student records

in SIS, a message of “No faculty advisor is assigned” appears in SIS itself. This gives students

the impression that they do not have a faculty advisor when, in fact, they do. In addition,

assigning faculty advisors by alphabetical ranges has created imbalances in advising loads,

leading some faculty advisors to be overwhelmed by their advising responsibilities while others

have insufficient advising contact to develop strong progressive advising skills. To address the

imbalance in advising loads, faculty advisors will be reallocated for existing students and will be

assigned for new students in an algorithm designed to maintain the new balance. By Spring

2014, faculty advisor information will be added to the Student Center in SIS. In addition to

making it easier for students to identify their faculty advisors, the faculty will be able to view a list

of their advisees and contact their advisees as needed, thus improving the communication

between these advising team members.

Develop and Pilot the Career and Planning Project in SDV Classes

All degree-seeking students are expected to take a Student Development (SDV) class within the

first 15 credits of their curriculum. (This will be a requirement starting in Year Two of the

Navigate implementation.) The SDV class is an orientation to college that provides an overview

of Virginia Western policies, procedures and curriculum offerings; encourages contact with other

students and staff; and assists students toward college success by providing information

regarding effective study habits, career and academic planning and college services. All

sections of this course are designed around the same student learning outcomes; however,


40

different versions of the course address concerns for developmental English students, those in

specific programs such as Engineering and students outside of these areas.

Several of the SDV course objectives focus on information related to advising. In Year One, a

group of SDV instructors will work with the Navigate Leadership Team to create common course

content related to advising and reflecting the changes proposed in Navigate. These changes will

be piloted in the latter part of Year One and fully implemented at the beginning of Year Two (Fall

2014). The course content will enable students to assess their values, interests and skills, to

align the results of these assessments with an appropriate program choice, and to engage in

academic planning for the completion this program. This project will use the Virginia Education

Wizard, which is an online resource provided by the state of Virginia (at no cost to students) and

available to all students.

The assignment for the SDV courses is comprised of a three phase career and planning project

(see Appendix B):

- engagement in the Virginia Education Wizard Career Assessments of interests, values

and skills,

- a self-reflection assignment,

- and an academic planning assignment in the Virginia Education Wizard.

The first two assignments allow students to engage in self-reflection concerning long term and

short term goals, career plans, potential barriers to these goals, outside commitments, time

constraints and interests. Once students have engaged in this type of self-reflection, they will

better be able to set and revise their education success goals.

The third assignment focuses on academic planning which follows refining one’s educational

success goal. The Virginia Education Wizard was recently upgraded to include a Career and

Course Planner, which works with our SIS system to pull in the specific courses students need


41

for their chosen program of study. The Career and Course Planner enables students to develop

an electronic semester to semester plan for accomplishing their program requirements (and

achieving their educational success goal). This plan will be reviewed by the SDV instructor, but

will also be accessible to the student beyond the SDV course. This plan can become a tool for

students as they register for courses each semester and as they engage in advising discussions

with their faculty advisors and other campus support personnel.

Professional Development for SDV Faculty

The SDV course content developed through the Navigate Leadership Team will be piloted in

Spring 2014. Based on the results, the content and assignments will be refined and revised. The

information will then be presented to all of the SDV instructors through professional

development opportunities late in the spring semester and over the summer as necessary prior

to full rollout in Fall 2014.

Professional Development for Advisors

The Navigate Advisory Committee will coordinate the creation of a professional development

program based on information gathered in the development of the online advising resources.

This program will focus on the ways advising can lead to greater student success by

emphasizing a progressive model of advising and development of student individual

responsibility. Starting in Spring 2014, professional development opportunities will be provided

for all advising faculty and staff. Initial opportunities will focus on areas where faculty and staff

have indicated discomfort or uncertainty. These areas were identified during the process of

refining the QEP topic and include topics such as how to advise undecided students and how to

handle the implications of Financial Aid’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policies. Additional

professional development will be philosophically based, focusing on the components of

progressive advising, the concept of advising as teaching and the connection between fostering

students’ individual responsibility and student success. After the initial professional development


42

offerings, the College will provide annual professional development opportunities related to

advising for faculty and staff. A follow-up survey will be used to assess the effectiveness of the

professional development sessions (see Appendix F).

Development of an Advising Guide for Students

A student Advising Guide will be developed during Year One for publication on the Virginia

Western advising website at the beginning of Year Two. This guide will be part of an initiative to

provide a more robust advising webpage for students, but the information will also be a valuable

resource for faculty and staff. It will compile the useful resources that the College already offers

into one easy-to-access location and will include new resources that meet students’ advising

needs. The advising guide will also prominently feature the Virginia Education Wizard. As with

the online advising resources for the faculty and staff, the Advising Guide will be overseen by

the Navigate Advisory Committee and will be continually updated as resources change.

Advising Meetings

At the end of each academic year, the dean of each academic school meets with Student

Services staff to describe changes to academic programs within that dean’s area for the

upcoming year. To enhance communication within the advising team, this system will be

expanded.

The Program Advisors will facilitate advising communication not only with the students but also

with other areas of the College. Program Advisors will meet with the program heads and faculty

in their respective academic schools at the beginning of each semester to discuss program

changes, advising needs of students and other issues to ensure open communication. The

Program Advisors will also meet with the New Student Advisors each semester to discuss

advising among staff. Prior to the beginning of each academic year, the dean of each school will


43

meet with program heads, the Program Advisor and student services staff as a group to discuss

curriculum changes for the upcoming year.

Case Management System

As part of Navigate, the College recognized the need for technology to support the Advising

Team and improve communication. The QEP Technology Committee has identified the need for

a case management system for this purpose that will include:

a way for advisors to leave notes within a student record that other advisors and

appropriate personnel can access;

a kiosk feature that students can use as they enter the Advising Center;

the ability for students to store and access their electronic academic plans.

Easy connectivity to and integration with our current systems (including Blackboard, Starfish

Early Alert and SIS) are important for campus buy-in and ease of use. Starfish Connect has

been selected as the best choice to meet these needs, and will be purchased in Year One.

Associated Changes

Advising Center Management

Virginia Western is in the process of hiring an Advising Manager for Fall 2013. This is a

redefinition of a position held by a long-term and valued employee who retired in Spring 2013.

Under the new job description, the Advising Manager will provide day-to-day supervision of the

Advising Center and report to the Coordinator of Enrollment Services.

Starfish Early Alert System

As part of a larger Virginia Community College System (VCCS) initiative, Virginia Western is

adopting Starfish Early Alert. Virginia Western’s Dean of Student Services is involved in this

system-wide implementation, and members of the QEP Leadership Team have been consulting


44

with her regarding implementation of the system and its impact on Navigate’s goals and

outcomes. Starfish Early Alert is currently scheduled to pilot in Fall 2013 and Spring 2014, with

a full roll-out in Fall 2014 following professional development and training for faculty and staff.

Starfish Early Alert will enable faculty members to flag students to indicate concerns regarding

items such as class participation, class progress, test scores or low attendance. It will also allow

for kudos to provide encouragement to students for improvement and/or excellent progress or

simply to acknowledge hard work in the classroom. When a faculty member flags a student,

Starfish Early Alert will send a notification to the student through email as well as provide a

record of the flag visible to other members of the student’s advising team. Communication

among advising team members, faculty and students will be improved by the system because of

the transparency that this technology will offer.

Summary of Effects

Year One sets the majority of Navigate’s pieces into development and/or implementation. The

Navigate Advisory Committee and Navigate Leadership Team provide coordination and

oversight of the initiatives. The addition of the Program Advisors provides support for student

learning outcomes for goals and academic planning. The emphasis on student access to faculty

advisors supports student learning outcomes for academic planning and will help students learn

individual responsibility in seeking out and preparing for meetings. Professional development,

training and the online advising resources address all student learning outcomes (goals,

academic planning, and individual responsibility). As students learn greater skills in setting

educational goals, engaging in academic planning and developing individual responsibility, they

should become more confident in their fit with the College community and in their ability to

succeed. This should be reflected in an increase in the percent of non-developmental courses

successfully completed, and a reduction in the number of students who are choosing the A.S.

General Studies program when their educational success goal would be better achieved by a


45

more specific degree or certificate program. Appropriate selection of the transfer-oriented A.S.

General Studies program should eventually lead to an increase in the percentage of General

Studies students who continue to a four-year institution.

Year Two

Overview of Year Two Fall 2014 Spring 2015 Further Steps


Require SDV course during the first 15 credits Establish Continue Continue

Expand advising resources Implement Update Update

Expand Advising Follow-Up Survey Implement Continue Continue

Initiate Master Advisor Award Implement Continue

Implement SDV Career and Planning Project Implement Continue Continue

New Faculty Advising Training Implement Continue Continue

Expand Faculty Advisor SIS Access Pilot, Training Training, Implementation

Continue

Pilot and Rollout Case Management System Implementation Continue Continue

Associated Changes

Update College Catalog Establish Continue Continue


Require SDV Course within the first 15 credits

Advisors currently encourage students to take the SDV course within their first 15 credits.

Starting in Fall 2014, this will become a requirement for all degree-seeking students.

Expand advising resources

In Year Two, the student Advising Guide, which was developed in Year one, will be published

on the Virginia Western website, offering students an immediate advising resource. This guide

will assist the entire campus community, by providing consistent advising information. Additional

advising resources will be provided to the campus community, both through tutorials on using

SIS and the case management software, and through creating a consistent repository of

advising related documents.


46

Expand Advising Follow-Up Survey

Starting in Year Two, the advisor follow-up survey cards will also be available for distribution by

the Program Advisors and the faculty advisors. Survey results for each group will be reported as

appropriate and on a regular basis by the Institutional Effectiveness Office and will be used in

assessment of the success of Navigate.

Rollout of SDV Career and Planning Project

The SDV Career and Planning Project will be rolled out in all SDV sections. This will include the

program-specific SDV 101 and developmental English SDV 108 sections. Faculty who assisted

during the pilot phase of this project will be used to train and mentor the other SDV faculty.

Master Advisor Award

To emphasize the importance of advising, a Master Advisor Award will be created. Walsh

(1979) among others encourages, “reward excellence in advising” (449). Faculty and staff will

be nominated for this award each year, with nominations being forwarded to the College’s

Rewards and Recognition Committee. The recipients of this award will receive a monetary

award of $500. Beginning in Fall 2014, the award will be presented at the annual awards

ceremony in November.

The creation of this award will emphasize the importance the College is placing on advising.

The award will be publicized to encourage faculty and staff to engage in progressive advising

and to use the resources provided through Navigate; additionally, the award will serve as a tool

to promote efforts to improve student success and encourage student individual responsibility.

New Faculty Advising Training

Virginia Western currently has a new faculty orientation program, which includes a session on

academic advising. This session will be expanded to reflect the reality that “unless training is a

formal and regular element, new advisors will not absorb the philosophy and skills needed for


47

advising” (Walsh 449). Advising training will cover many of the same components of the initial

advising professional development from year one as well as the basic training for how to use

Virginia Western’s advising technology.

Expand Faculty Advisor SIS Access

Faculty advisors, Program Advisors, and New Student Advisors will be given the same advising

access (Student Inquiry) through our SIS system. Faculty advisors currently have limited access

to student information, and the information is only available piecemeal on a variety of screens.

This change will expand access for faculty advisors to relevant information when advising

students, such as the specific section of a course a student is registered in, and will enable

them to access information more efficiently. Having the same access will allow for more

effective training, as the information being presented will be consistent for all members of the

advising team and provide more consistent communication among advising team members.

Case Management System (Starfish Connect)

The Starfish Connect case management system to be implemented as part of Navigate is

closely intertwined with the Starfish Early Alert System already in pilot as a separate College

initiative. This system is already in use at four other colleges within the Virginia Community

College System. Data integration from existing systems has therefore already been tested,

which will ease implementation. Training materials for faculty and staff are also available from

these “sister” colleges, in addition to the materials and services provided through Starfish.

Because of these factors, Connect will be implemented in conjunction with the Early Alert

System. During Spring 2014, the College will review the existing tutorials and resources for

faculty and staff and modify them as necessary for Virginia Western processes. Connect will be

piloted with the New Student Advisors, the Program Advisors, and volunteer Faculty Advisors in

Summer 2014. Connect will then be deployed alongside the full roll-out of Starfish Early Alert in


48

Fall 2014. The faculty from the pilot will assist with Connect training and support for the rest of

the faculty advisors.

Associated Changes

Update College Catalog

Changes to the structure of the program pages within the College Catalog will assist with

academic planning. Beginning in 2014-15, program pages will outline the curriculum by

semester with the ability for students to use the page as a check sheet for progress through a

program of study. The program page will provide a way for students to indicate classes they

have completed and provide space for students to write in the courses that they have taken, or

plan to take, to satisfy elective requirements (see Appendix G for a draft of the revised page).

This will provide further guidance for students to plan appropriately to complete the courses

within their programs of study in the appropriate order.

Summary of Effects

Year Two sees the implementation of important aspects for the students, such as the SDV

Career and Planning Project and the student Advising Guide. These initiatives, plus the new

Master Advisor award, will impact all student learning outcomes. Additional emphasis on SDV,

and additional structure for key assignments, should lead to an increase in the percentage of

SDV enrollments that are completed successfully within the first 15 credit hours. Changes in

the SDV courses will be assessed through specific questions relevant to the Career and

Planning Project, which will be added to an existing SDV assessment (see Appendix H). The

skills learned in these courses should be reflected in student results from the CCSSE on the

importance of academic advising. The percentage of graduating students who have constructed

an academic plan in the Virginia Education Wizard should also increase. As more students have

progressive advising sessions and engage in academic planning, the percentage of credits

taken that directly apply to the student’s enrolled program should increase. With advising


49

resources becoming available online, the number of hits on the advising website should

increase. Use of these resources will promote better progressive advising by faculty and staff,

and the development of academic success skills among students.

The case management system, Starfish Connect, is designed to promote student success

through enhanced communication among the advising team members. As part of the Connect

implementation planning process with Starfish, Virginia Western has articulated a project vision,

established short-term and long-term Connect goals, and identified metrics for each goal.

Overall assessment of the case management system will focus on whether use of the system

appropriately increases communication among the advising team members, and whether the

results adequately support student success. (see Appendix K)

Years Three, Four and Five

Efforts in Years Three, Four and Five will focus on refinements to the substantial initiatives from

the prior years and on integration of these programs and their results with other College

initiatives for student success. Feedback and assessment results will be used to make further

improvements, and objectives, assessments and benchmarks will be reviewed as necessary to

reflect these changes. Throughout the QEP, the Navigate Leadership Team will work with the

Navigate Advisory Committee, Virginia Western’s Executive Staff and other areas across the

College to help ensure that communications are clear and that all Navigate activities continue to

support an environment in which student learning is paramount.


50

Organizational Structure

Operational Structure

The operational structure for the advising team is shown below, delineating the chain of

command back to the College President.

Team

Virginia Western President

VP of Academic and Student Affairs

Dean of Student Services


Advising Center Manager

Program Advisors Faculty Advisors Students New Student Advisors

Academic Deans

Advising Team


51

Navigate Oversight Structure

The oversight structure for the Navigate QEP is shown below.

Broad-based involvement from the entire campus community is required for successful

implementation of Navigate. While College members will be involved throughout the process as

described in the Implementation and Assessment tables, the Navigate Manager, with the

assistance of the Coordinator of Enrollment Services and the new Navigate Leadership Team,

will lead the process, with assistance from the Navigate Advisory Committee. The Navigate

Leadership Team will include the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, the Navigate

Manager, and administrators from Student Services and from Institutional Effectiveness who are

involved in the Navigate implementation. The group will facilitate good communication between

the different departments, oversee the implementation and make revisions as necessary based

on assessment results, and ensure that Navigate activities remain integrated with other College

initiatives.


Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs

Navigate Manager (faculty)

Dean of Student Services



Dean of Institutional Effectiveness

Coordinator of Institutional Research and Assessment

Virginia Western President

VP of Academic and Student Affairs

VP of Finance and

Administrative Services Navigate Leadership Team

Academic and Student Affairs Committee

Navigate Advisory Committee


52

The Navigate Leadership Team will be supported in these tasks by the Navigate Advisory

Committee which will provide feedback on Navigate initiatives, do research on best practices,

and generate ideas for problem-solving. Membership will include the Navigate Manager and

representatives from all parts of the advising team, including students.

Navigate Advisory Committee Membership

Navigate Manager (faculty)



New Student Advisor

Program Advisor

Institutional Effectiveness Office representative

Faculty Member, School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Faculty Member, School of Business, Information Technology and Trades

Faculty Member, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Faculty Member, School of Health Professions

Student representatives – One from an AA/AS program and one from an AAS program

The roles of the overall committee and its leaders are described below.

Type of Activity Navigate Leadership Team / Navigate Advisory Committee

Navigate Manager Coordinator of Enrollment Services

Overall Serve as advocates for Navigate Ensure integration of Navigate with other college initiatives

Chair the Navigate Advisory Committee and Navigate Leadership Team Communicate the outcomes of Navigate to the campus community

Oversee advising staff and operations, including the Advising Center, New Student Advisors and Program Advisors

Implementation Coordinate the implementation of Navigate

Ensure that each piece of the implementation plan is completed on time

Facilitate implementation regarding the Advising Center and advising staff

-SDV changes Coordinate SDV changes

Ensure that SDV changes meet Navigate goals

Spearhead the efforts to make changes in the SDV courses


53

Type of Activity Navigate Leadership Team / Navigate Advisory Committee

Navigate Manager Coordinator of Enrollment Services

-Professional Development

Coordinate the development of professional development and training materials Develop and oversee implementation of Master Advisor Awards

Lead professional development sessions

Lead professional development sessions

-Technology Coordinate acquisition, testing, training and deployment of case management system

Work with VP of Finance and ITE staff to acquire and deploy case management system

Coordinate training and deployment of case management system for advising staff

-Advising resources

Coordinate the deployment of advising resources

Ensure that advising resources developed and deployed meet Navigate goals and objectives

Spearhead the development of advising resources

-Policies Develop appropriate advising policies

Ensure that policies support Navigate

Oversee implementation of policies affecting Enrollment Services

-Other Coordinate development and implementation as needed

Ensure that implementation activities address Navigate goals

Facilitate implementation for incoming students, including Registration Room

Assessment Coordinate the assessment of Navigate

Ensure that assessments are appropriate, completed and reviewed, and that results are used to make improvements

Oversee deployment of assessments for the Advising Center, Program Advisors and New Student Advisors

Budget Ensure that resources are available throughout the five year plan

Work with VP of Finance to ensure appropriate fiscal resources

Identify any budget revisions needed for the Advising Center and advising staff

Reporting Assist with preparation of Fifth-Year QEP Impact Report

Maintain documentation related to Navigate Prepare the Fifth-Year QEP Impact Report

Assist with preparation of Fifth-Year QEP Impact Report


54

Assessment

This section focuses on assessment of the Navigate goals and student learning outcomes.

Assessment of individual initiatives such as professional development sessions, the SDV

Career and Planning Project, and the Starfish Connect case management system are included

in the discussion of these items in the previous section.

Navigate will be assessed throughout its implementation, addressing the overall goal and each

expected student learning outcome. Measures include quantitative and qualitative data and use

both direct and indirect measures. Through this layering of assessments, Virginia Western will

continually be able to review the Navigate project and make adjustments as needed during each

phase of the rollout.

Overall Navigate Success

Overall student success will be measured through existing metrics such as rates for retention,

completion, and transfer. Baseline data for these measures has already been gathered as part

of normal college processes.

Indirect measures from surveys of graduating students, faculty, and staff will be used as

supporting data. These surveys provided information during the QEP topic selection process

that substantiated advising weakness; continued use will provide insight into the success of the

project. The advising sections of existing internal surveys for students, faculty and staff have

been further enhanced to support Navigate assessments (see Appendix I). Baseline measures

for these expanded items were gathered in Spring 2013.

Input from student focus groups will also be used to provide qualitative feedback on the advising

changes, overall and in relation to each of the student learning outcomes (see Appendix J).


55

SLO #1 – Setting an educational success goal

Navigate’s impact on SLO #1, student educational success goals, will be assessed through the

use of the Virginia Education Wizard for career planning, and through the percentage of

students in the A.S. General Studies program. Currently, less than 20% of all students have

Virginia Education Wizard accounts. Increased use of this tool will assist students to set

appropriate educational success goals.

The A.S. General Studies program is a general transfer degree program, intended for students

who are planning to transfer to a four year college and earn a more specific degree there. Often,

though, it becomes the default degree choice for students who are undecided. By engaging in

self-reflection and assessment, students whose educational success goals are not best met by

this program will be encouraged to enroll in a program that better suits their goal. For example,

a student who wants employment after achieving her two year degree is better suited by an

AAS degree program that leads directly to employment opportunities. As students work with

their advising team and expanded advising resources, the percentage of students selecting this

program of study should decrease.

SLO #2 – Academic planning to achieve one’s educational success goal

Assessment of SLO #2, academic planning, will also use the Virginia Education Wizard.

Students will be encouraged to store their Academic Plans centrally on the Virginia Education

Wizard to make the plans easily accessible from semester to semester, and the percentage of

students with Academic Plans on file will be used as an assessment.

These Academic Plans will be emphasized through the SDV Career and Planning Project (see

Appendix B). To ensure that students receive this training early in their Virginia Western

coursework, assessment will include the percentage of SDV enrollments that are completed

successfully within the first 15 credit hours.


56

As students develop and follow their Academic Plans, they should be selecting courses that

align more consistently with their educational success goal. Therefore, the percentage of credits

applying directly to graduates’ program of study will be included in the assessments.

SLO #3 – Individual responsibility for one’s academic success

SLO #3, individual responsibility for academic success, will be assessed through several

measures. As students learn to take responsibility for their own success, they should be more

successful in their courses. This success will also be guided through the development of the

Academic Plans, which will help students to take courses in an appropriate sequence. Course

completion for non-developmental credits will be used as a measure of this success.

Students taking individual responsibility will seek out the resources they need for academic

success. This should result in increased hits on the advising website.

Student feedback on the CCSSE survey will provide indirect evidence of the value students

place on academic advising and planning. To better support Navigate, starting in 2014, the

College will participate in CCSSE every two years instead of every three years as has been

done in the past. Results will be compared to previous data (2005, 2008, and 2011) which was

used to help substantiate the selection of advising as the QEP topic.

The A.S. General Studies program is specifically designed for students pursuing a four-year

degree, with or without graduation from Virginia Western. Therefore, assessment will include the

percentage of General Studies students who take responsibility for their academic success by

continuing to a four-year institution.


57

NAVIGATE Assessments

The following definitions are used in assessing Navigate. Numbers and rates are specific to Navigate and are not comparable to data from other sources

such as IPEDS or the VCCS.

Program-Placed: Associate or Certificate program

Persistence:

For students who were first program placed during an academic year, the number who had credit-bearing enrollment

during the following fall semester. This count excludes students who graduated or transferred to a four-year institution

during that time period. Persistence = Returning students / (Original enrollment - completions - transfers)

Completion: For students who were first program placed during an academic year, the number who completed a program of study

(Associate, Certificate, or CSC) at Virginia Western within 3 years.

Transfer: For students who were first program placed during an academic year, the number who transferred to a four-year

institution within 3 years without graduating from Virginia Western.

Continuing Education:

For students who were first program placed during an academic year, the number who transferred to a four-year

institution within 3 years. Includes students who graduated from Virginia Western and those who transferred prior to

graduation.

Credits Completed

Successfully: Course grade of A, B, C, or P versus D, F, or W.

Assessment Tool

Direct/

Indirect Group Assessed

Initial

Implementation Schedule Baseline Standard for Success

Responsibility

of:

Overall Assessment

Navigate Persistence Rate -

(Retention) Direct

CERT, Assoc

degree students Existing Annual 51%

5% increase across 5

years

Institutional

Effectiveness

Office (IEO)

Navigate Completion Rate

(Graduation) Direct

CERT, Assoc



years IEO


58

Assessment Tool

Direct/


Initial


Responsibility

of:

Navigate Transfer Rate Direct CERT, Assoc



years IEO

Focus groups (students) Indirect SDV cohorts Fall 2013 Ea.

semester not applicable

Results used to refine

Navigate project

Navigate

Manager

Graduation Survey –

Satisfaction with academic

advising

Indirect Graduates at

May ceremony Existing Annual

3.25 on scale

of 4.0 3.50 IEO

Employee Survey – Academic

advising opportunities meet

the needs of the students

Indirect All faculty and

staff Existing Annual

3.50 on scale

of 5.0 4.0 IEO

SLO #1 Educational success goal % of students in General

Studies Direct

CERT, Assoc

degree students Existing

Annual

(Spring) 18%

Decrease to 13% across

5 years IEO

Use of Virginia Wizard for

Career Planning Direct SDV cohorts Fall 2013

Ea.

semester

2,157

accounts 5% increase each year

Enrollment

Coordinator

SLO #2 Academic plan % of students with Academic

Plans in Virginia Wizard Direct SDV cohorts Fall 2013

Ea.

Semester 6%

Increase for each of the

five years

Enrollment

Coordinator

% of SDV enrollments that

are completed successfully

within the first 15 credit

hours

Direct CERT, Assoc

degree students Existing Annual 64.2%

Increase to 80% across 5

years IEO

% of credits applying directly

to program of study Direct

CERT, Assoc

degree graduates Existing Annual 65%

Decrease to 75% across

5 years IEO


59

Assessment Tool

Direct/


Initial


Responsibility

of:

SLO #3 Individual responsibility

CCSSE: Importance of

academic advising/planning Indirect All students

Existing, on 3-

year cycle

2-year

cycle

2.49 average

on a 4-point

scale

Avg. score >= 3.0 out of

4.0 IEO

Number of advising website

hits annually Direct All students Fall 2013 Annual 6,682 5% increase each year

Navigate

Manager

% of General Studies students

who continue to a 4-year

institution

Direct General Studies

students Existing Annual 33.3%


years IEO

% of non-developmental

credits successfully

completed (Course

completion)

Direct CERT, Assoc

degree students Existing

Ea.

Semester 78.0%


years IEO


60

Resources

Virginia Western has demonstrated its commitment to the importance of advising to promote

student success by funding the initiatives proposed in Navigate. The College worked

collaboratively to develop an integrated, transparent five year budget plan in support of

Navigate. The plan is designed to allow flexibility in terms of both process and change

management.

Budget Development

A Budget Committee consisting of two faculty members, a representative from the Grants and

Special Projects Department and the Vice President of Financial and Administrative Services

began meeting in December 2012. Using the initial draft of the implementation plan, the Budget

Committee created an initial list of the personnel needs and Other Than Personnel Services

(OTPS) needs in order to implement Navigate.

This list was presented to the Design Team in Spring 2013. The purpose of the list was to make

sure that there was a clear understanding of need between the two QEP committees. The

Design Team reviewed the initial list and provided suggested additions. Throughout the

semester, the Budget Committee continued to meet and refine the list of needs in preparation

for drafting the budget plan. Working closely with the Vice President of Financial and

Administrative Services, the Budget Committee and QEP Leadership Team developed the costs

associated with each need. The proposed budget was reviewed by the Design Team and

finalized by the Vice President of Financial and Administrative Services. The draft budget plan

was reviewed and approved by the QEP Budget Committee, the President and his Executive

Staff. The final proposed budget plan was submitted through the College’s budget process in

March 2013 and has been fully funded in the College’s 2013-2014 budget. The Navigate budget

spreadsheet is provided below.


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Budget Structure

The Navigate budget includes costs for project supervision, the Registration Room, personnel,

professional development, technology, marketing and other associated costs. Ongoing

personnel costs reflect a salary increase of 2% annually.

In addition to allocating new funding, the College has deliberately identified existing funding

across the many schools and departments that was related to Navigate initiatives. This

approach results in a budget plan that is sustainable over time and clearly demonstrates the

College’s commitment to the QEP.

Budget Oversight

The Navigate Leadership Team will work closely with the Vice President of Financial and

Administrative Services to ensure that adequate resources are provided in support of Navigate.

The College envisions an on-going, integrated budget process that requires the current five year

budget plan to be adjusted and updated in the early spring of each year in anticipation of

funding in the College’s established budget cycle.


62

Virginia Western Community College - QEP Budget Development

Budget Categories Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total New/Existing Expenses

Navigate Supervision

Adjunct Faculty Cost (Est) to cover release time of QEP Mgr. 19,377.00 16,954.88 7,266.38 7,266.38 12,110.63 62,975.25 New

Enrollment Coordinator 10,455.45 10,664.56 10,877.85 11,095.41 11,317.32 54,410.58 Existing

Advising Center Manager 9,200.00 9,384.00 9,571.68 9,763.11 9,958.38 47,877.17 Existing

Navigate Supervision Total 39,032.45 37,003.43 27,715.91 28,124.90 33,386.32 165,263.00

Registration Room

Student Services Staff 61,367.91 61,367.91 61,367.91 61,367.91 61,367.91 306,839.57 Existing

Part Time Student Workers 10,065.28 10,065.28 10,065.28 10,065.28 10,065.28 50,326.40 Existing

Associated Costs (furniture, computers, space usage, etc.) 37,313.88 5,713.88 5,713.88 5,713.88 29,713.88 84,169.40

space usage Existing, all other New

Registration Room Total 108,747.07 77,147.07 77,147.07 77,147.07 101,147.07 441,335.37

Program Advisors

Program Advisors (4) 52,250.01 116,280.00 118,605.60 120,977.10 123,397.56 531,510.27 3 New, 1 Existing

Fringe benefits for program advisor positions 25,602.50 56,977.20 58,116.74 59,278.78 60,464.80 1,314,708.74

3 New, 1 Existing

Associated Costs (furniture, computers, office supplies, space usage, etc.) 27,562.00 10,562.00 10,562.00 10,562.00 25,562.00 64,500.00

space usage Existing, all other New

Program Advisors Total 101,352.51 179,757.20 183,222.34 186,755.88 205,362.36 856,450.30

Other Student Services Support Student Workers for Advising Center front desk 5,709.76 5,709.76 5,709.76 5,709.76 5,709.76 5,709.76 Existing

Other Student Services Support Total 5,709.76 5,709.76 5,709.76 5,709.76 5,709.76 28,548.80


63

Budget Categories Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total New/Existing Expenses

Professional Development

Professional Development 13,044.25 17,614.75 16,000.00 16,000.00 16,000.00 72,200.00 Existing

Guest speakers 15,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 15,000.00 New

NACADA Memberships (6) 390.00 390.00 390.00 390.00 390.00 1,950.00 Existing

Professional Development Total 28,434.25 18,004.75 16,390.00 16,390.00 16,390.00 95,609.00

Case Management System and Other Technology Case Management System - Starfish Connect 33,900.00 31,925.00 35,075.00 40,500.00 46,000.00 187,400.00 New

Staff time to complete case management activities 28,879.40 29,456.99 30,046.13 30,647.05 31,259.99 150,289.56 Existing

Kiosks for Advising Center 3,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3,000.00 New

Case Mgt. & Technology Total 65,779.40 61,381.99 65,121.13 71,147.05 77,259.99 340,689.56

Other

IEO Support 44,147.00 33,772.46 34,434.66 23,397.91 47,678.76 183,430.79 Existing

Server and IT Support 22,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 10,000.00 62,000.00 Existing

Marketing 15,000.00 3,000.00 1,000.00 3,750.00 3,750.00 26,500.00 Existing

Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) 9,500.00 0.00 9,750.00 0.00 10,000.00 29,250.00 Existing

QEP Evaluator 1,500.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,500.00 New

Other Total 92,147.00 46,772.46 55,184.66 37,147.91 71,428.76 302,680.79

GRAND TOTAL 441,202.45 425,776.66 430,490.87 422,422.57 510,684.27 2,230,576.81


64

Summary

Navigate: Get THERE Through Team Advising is an exciting new process for Virginia Western.

The start of this student-centered project created positive dialogue and interaction throughout

the campus community, and the atmosphere has remained enthusiastic. Through initial changes

such as establishing Registration Rooms separate from the New Student Advisors, the College

has already experienced the positive effects the QEP will offer and is excited to see the student

success that will result from full implementation. Navigate will continue the course of Virginia

Western’s goal to promote effective teaching and learning through quality instruction, programs

and services.


65

Works Cited

Allemand, K. “’Just Tell Me What Classes to Take’: How to Advise Students in a Non-

Prescriptive Major.” Academic Advising Today 35.2 (June 2013). Web. 21 May

2013.

Allen, Janine, and Cathleen Smith. “Faculty and Student Perspectives on Advising:

Implications for Student Dissatisfaction.” Journal of College Student

Development 49.6 (Nov/Dec 2008): 609-624. Print.

Crookston, Burns. “A Developmental View of Academic Advising as Teaching.”

NACADA Journal 29.1 (Spring 2009): 78-82. Print.

Culp, M. “Doing More of What Matters: The Key to Student Success.” New Directions

For Community Colleges 13 (Fall 2005): 77-87. Print.

Cuseo, Joe. “Academic Advisement and Student Retention: Empirical Connections &

Systemic Interventions.” Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. Web. 8

August 2013.

Dean, Laura A, Ph.D., ed. CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education. 6th ed.

Washington, D.C: Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher

Education, 2006. Print.

Habley, Wes. “Developing a Mission Statement for the Academic Advising Program.”

NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources. 2005. Web. 12

February 2013.

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Upcraft, Gardner and Barefoot. 27-46. Print.


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Journal 25.2 (Fall 2005): 65-73. Print.

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the First Year Student: A Handbook for Improving the First Year of College. San

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Advisor Program.” NACADA Journal 30.2 (Fall 2010): 35-52. Print.


68

Appendices

A .............................. Advising Team Roles

B ............................... SDV Career and Planning Project

C ............................... Advising Follow-up Survey

D ............................... Draft of Routing Questionnaire

E ............................... Advising Resources List of Topics

F ............................... Professional Development Survey

G ............................... Draft of Catalog Page Redesign

H ............................... Assessment of SDV Career and Planning Project

I ................................ Relevant Questions from the Graduation and Employee Surveys

J ................................ Advisor Focus Group Questions

K ............................... Starfish Connect Assessment


Navigate Appendix A

69

Advising Team Roles

New Student Advisors Program Advisors Faculty Advisors

Engage in individual, progressive advising to assist new students in developing an educational success goal; Recommend appropriate programs of study congruent with goals

Engage in individual, progressive advising with returning, program-placed students when Faculty Advisors are unavailable due to scheduling/contractual constraints

Engage in individual, progressive advising with returning students continuing in their program of study regarding academic planning and program completion

Interpret placement test scores and determine eligibility for placement test exemptions for new students

Facilitate and support well-developed advising relationships between returning, program-placed students and Faculty Advisors

Work with returning, program-placed students to adjust their academic plan based on changing circumstances or needs

Engage in progressive advising with non-curricular students to develop an educational success goal; Recommend courses congruent with goals

Advise returning students considering a change of major about programs of study within the academic school

Provide insight into career fields and employment opportunities that may be applicable to the respective program

Staff the Registration Room Serve as an institutional resource for Advising Team members, other staff members, and deans regarding transfer agreements and employment/certification opportunities for programs within the academic school

Offer guidance regarding program-related transfer agreements; Support returning students as they investigate transfer opportunities and navigate the transfer process

Evaluate transcripts for transfer credit Support New Student Advisors in the transcript evaluation process when content-related expertise is needed

Work with students to review graduation applications and any other accompanying forms, including course substitutions

Respond accurately to basic advising inquiries posed by new students

Respond accurately to basic advising inquiries posed by students; Provide advising support to faculty, staff and deans in the academic school

Respond accurately to basic advising inquiries posed by students

Provide academic interventions to first semester students experiencing difficulty (SAILS); Connect these students with applicable supports

Conduct group advising sessions, personal development workshops, and other programming to support students and faculty in the academic school

Assist with the Discover Orientation Program (New Student Advisors & Program Advisors- Required; Faculty Advisors- Volunteer Basis)

Assist in college-wide retention efforts (SAILS, etc.)

Teach Student Development courses (New Student Advisors & Program Advisors- Required; Faculty Advisors- Volunteer Basis)

Remain up-to-date regarding program of study requirements (New Student Advisors- All Programs; Program Advisors- Programs in Academic School; Faculty Advisors- Assigned Program)

Extend professional courtesy to all Advising Team members

Appropriately support students in developing the skills necessary to be independent, successful college students


Navigate Appendix B

70

Virginia Education Wizard Career Planning Project (Phase 1)

_____________________________________________ ______________________________

Student Name Student ID#

DIRECTIONS: During the course of this project, you will complete a Skills assessment, an Interest

assessment, and a Values assessment in the Virginia Education Wizard. The purpose of completing

these assessments is to determine if your long-term goals match your skills, interests and values.

This assignment is the beginning of a three phase assignment, so it is important that you do not lose

this information.

PART I: Prior to completing the Career Assessments in the Virginia Education Wizard, please answer the

following questions.

1. My overall employment objective is to be a ______________________________________________.

2. To achieve my overall employment objective I will need (Circle all that apply):

A. a certificate (1-2 years)

B. an associate’s degree (2 years)

C. a bachelor’s degree (4 years)

D. a graduate or post-graduate degree (Master’s, Ph.D., M.D., etc.)

E. a professional certification or licensure

F. I am unsure of what I will need.

3. In order to accomplish this objective, I should complete the following degree or certificate program at

Virginia Western____________________________________________________________________.

PART II: Log-in to the Virginia Education Wizard through your My VWCC account and complete the Skills,

Interest, and Values assessments. Step-by-step instructions are attached. Answer the following

questions based on your results.

1. Based on my Interest Assessment, my primary Interest Type is

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Based on my Values Assessment, my primary Work Values Type is

____________________________________________________________________________________

3. My Combined Assessment Results indicate that I may be well-suited for employment in the following

Career Clusters:

a. ________________________________________________________________________

b. ________________________________________________________________________


Navigate Appendix B

71

c. ________________________________________________________________________

4. How do the Career Clusters identified by your Combined Assessment Results compare to your

program of study at Virginia Western? Will your program of study qualify you for employment in any of

these identified Career Clusters? If you have not declared a program of study at Virginia Western, what

degree or certificate could you complete to prepare you for employment in one of your identified

Career Clusters?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

5. How do the Career Clusters identified by your Combined Assessment Results compare to your overall

employment objective?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________


Navigate Appendix B

72


_____________________________________________ ______________________________


DIRECTIONS: During the course of this project, you will complete a Skills assessment, an Interest

assessment, and a Values assessment in the Virginia Education Wizard. The purpose of completing

these assessments is to determine if your long-term goals match your skills, interests and values.

This assignment is the second phase of a three phase assignment, so it is important that you do not

lose this information once it has been returned to you.

1. My educational success goals while at Virginia Western are:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. I feel my strongest academic areas are: _________________________________________________.

3. How does this compare to your Combined Assessment Results from the Virginia Education Wizard?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

4. My program of study at Virginia Western is ______________________________________________

5. How do your Combined Assessment Results and the Career Clusters identified in these results

compare to your program of study at Virginia Western? If they do not match your program of study,

what program of study at Virginia Western would better match these assessment results?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________


Navigate Appendix B

73

6. What obstacles may prevent you from achieving your goals? (i.e. time constraints, family

obligations, finances)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

7. What resources will you need to achieve these goals (i.e. financial aid, family support)?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

8. My employment objective after completing my educational goal(s) is:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

9. To achieve my overall employment objective I will need (Select all that apply): A. a certificate (1-2 years) B. an associate’s degree (2 year) C. a bachelor’s degree (4 year) D. a graduate or post-graduate degree (Master’s, Ph.D., M.D., etc.) E. a professional certification or license F. I am unsure what I will need.

What I need to do in the next six months to reach my educational goals Goal date

Example: visit the Academic Link to get assistance with my chemistry class.

One week from today

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.


Navigate Appendix B

74


____________________________________________ ______________________________


In order to achieve your goals, it is important to have an academic plan to guide your actions and

decisions. The Career and Course Planner (CCP) in the Virginia Education Wizard allows you to develop

an academic plan based on the Combined Results of your Career Assessment, your overall employment

objective, and your identified program of study at Virginia Western. Please follow the instructions

outlined below to complete the final phase of this project.

1. College Catalog Page Attached: YES or NO

Obtain a copy of the College Catalog page for your program of study at Virginia Western.

This information can be printed from the online College Catalog:

https://www.virginiawestern.edu/catalog/.

Attach your College Catalog Page to this instruction sheet.

Non-Curricular Students: If you have not declared a program of study at Virginia Western, print

the College Catalog page for a program of study that would prepare you for employment in one

of the three Career Clusters identified in your Combined Assessment Results from the Virginia

Education Wizard. Attach that College Catalog Page to this instruction sheet.

2. Advisement Report Attached: YES or NO

Log-in to the Student Information System through your My VWCC account and print

your Advisement Report. Step-by-step instructions for accessing your Advisement

Report are available on the My VWCC Survival Guide:

http://www.virginiawestern.edu/studenthelp/student/viewadvisementreport.php.

Attach your Advisement Report to this instruction sheet.

Non-Curricular Students: If you have not declared a program of study at Virginia Western, log-in

to the Student Information System through your My VWCC account and print a What-if Report

for the program of study you identified in question #1 that would prepare you for employment in

one of your three Career Clusters from the Virginia Education Wizard. Attach your What-If

Report to this instruction sheet.

3. Virginia Education Wizard Career Planning Project (Phase 1) Attached: YES or NO

Virginia Education Wizard Career Planning Project (Phase 2) Attached: YES or NO

The Skills, Interests, and Work Values assessments you completed in the Virginia

Education Wizard provide you with valuable information that can inform decisions

regarding your academic plan. The Career Assessments you completed through the

Virginia Education Wizard earlier in this course are automatically imported into your


https://www.virginiawestern.edu/catalog/

http://www.virginiawestern.edu/studenthelp/student/viewadvisementreport.php

Navigate Appendix B

75

Career and Course Planner. Attach the Virginia Education Wizard Career Planning

Project (Phase 1), and Virginia Education Wizard Career Planning Project (Phase 2) that

you completed earlier in this course to this instruction sheet.

4. Virginia Education Wizard Career and Course Planner Completed: YES or NO

Log-in to the Virginia Education Wizard Career and Course Planner (CCP) through your

My VWCC account. Using the step-by-step instructions attached, develop a Career and

Course Plan in the Virginia Education Wizard. Submit your Career and Course Plan (CCP)

to your SDV instructor for grading.

Non-Curricular Students: If you have not declared a program of study at Virginia Western, please

list the courses you intend to complete to meet your educational goals and overall employment

objective. Attach that list to this instruction sheet.

5. Other Advising Information Completed: YES or NO

Virginia Western Program of Study: (Please write “Not Applicable” if you are a non-curricular student.)

Academic School Responsible for your Program of Study (Check One): Find your program of study at the following link to determine your academic school: http://www.virginiawestern.edu/academics/programs.php. School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) School of Business, Technology & Trades (BTT) School of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences (LASS) School of Health Professions I have not declared a program of study at Virginia Western.


http://www.virginiawestern.edu/academics/programs.php

Navigate Appendix B

76

Please list any questions you have regarding the classes you plan to take next semester. (Must identify at least one)

Please list any questions you have about your program of study. If you have not identified a program of study, please list any questions you have related to the educational goals you identified on your Virginia Education Wizard Career Planning Project (Phase 2).

(Must identify at least one)

Do you need to transfer to another college to achieve your overall employment objective? YES or NO If YES, list your transfer questions. (Must identify at least one if transferring)


Navigate Appendix B

77

Following the completion of your education, your overall employment objective is to find a job as a(n) _________________________________________________________________. Please list any questions you have about seeking employment or working in this career field. (Must identify at least one)

Faculty Advisor Name: Log-in to the Student Information System through your My VWCC account to view your assigned Faculty Advisor. Step-by-step instructions are available in the My VWCC Survival Guide: http://www.virginiawestern.edu/studenthelp/student/viewadvisors.php. Please write “Not Applicable” if you are a non-curricular student. Non-curricular students can receive academic planning assistance in the _______________________________________ by working with a New Student Advisor.

Faculty Advisor Phone Number:


http://www.virginiawestern.edu/studenthelp/student/viewadvisors.php

Navigate Appendix C

78

Advising Follow-up Survey

Please help us improve student advising by answering a few short questions.

1) Who assisted you with advising most recently?

A New Student Advisor in Chapman Hall

A faculty member

Other Virginia Western staff

None of the above

2) When did you receive this advising assistance?

Within the last week

Within the last month

Within the current semester

Other

3) Please rate your advising experience for the following items.

Strongly

agree

Agree Disagree Strongly

disagree

Not

applicable

My advisor was interested in helping me.

My advisor asked about my goals for

educational success.

My advisor answered all of my questions.

My advisor referred me to other helpful

resources.

4) Please provide any comments about your advising experience.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Thanks for your help!


Navigate Appendix D

79

Pilot Routing Questionnaire

I need to talk to a

counselor/advisor.

I need to register

for classes.

Are you currently enrolled in classes or are

you new to the college?

I’m currently enrolled. I’m new to the college.

Do you know what classes you

need to register for?

Yes.

You can visit the

Registration Room in

Duncan 211 to register for

your classes.

No.

Have you completed or been

waived from placement testing?

Yes.

A New Student

Advisor in the

Advising Center will

be happy to assist

you.

No.

You’ll need to complete

placement testing before

meeting with a New Student

Advisor. (Provide testing info.)

If you think you qualify for an

exemption based on SAT

scores, or other college-level

English or math classes you’ve

completed, you can discuss this

with a New Student Advisor.

Are you continuing in

the same program of

study?

Yes.

Your Faculty Advisor can

assist you with academic

planning. If you have

questions about your

academic plan, schedule

an appointment with your

Faculty Advisor. Their

contact information is

available in your Student

Center.

No.

If you are

considering a

program change,

you’ll want to

meet with the

Program Advisor

for your potential

new major.

(Provide info.)

How can we help you

today?


Navigate Appendix E

80

Advising Resources List of Topics

Advising Mission Statement

Definition of Progressive Advising and overview of advising structure

Overview of The Admissions Process

Roles and Responsibilities of Advising Team members

o Advising Specialists

o Advising Liaisons

o Faculty Advisors

Role and Responsibilities of Students

Ethical and Legal Issues in Advising and FERPA

Financial Aid information

Tips for Advising Students

Advising Transfer Students

o Overview of Virginia Western transfer agreements with links to specific

documents

Career Counseling

Advising Students on Academic Warning

Advising Developmental Students

o Developmental Math Course Guide

Reference List of offices and staff across campus (who to call for what on campus)

Degree Requirements—linkable to online College Catalogue

Policies and Procedures—linkable to relevant sections of online Student Handbook

Forms

o Course substitution

o Program change form

o Change of advisor request form

o Graduation Application

Overview of Starfish Early Alert System

Reference list of outside resources for students


Navigate Appendix F

81

Professional Development Sessions

Follow-Up Survey

1. In general, how useful would the information presented be for advisors when assisting

students?

o Extremely Useful

o Very Useful

o Somewhat Useful

o Slightly Useful

o Not at all Useful

2. How will the information presented affect the way you advise students?

o The information presented will greatly assist me in advising students.

o Some of the information presented will assist me in advising students.

o Some of the information presented may eventually assist me in advising

students.

o The information presented was a review of information I already use in advising

students.

o The information presented was not relevant to me in advising students

3. The information was presented in a way that helped me clearly understand the issues.

o Strongly Agree

o Agree

o Neutral

o Disagree

o Strongly Disagree

4. What additional information on THIS topic would assist you in advising students?

5. What additional topics would you want to discuss in future sessions in order to

effectively advise students?


82


Navigate Appendix H

83

Assessment of SDV Career and Planning Project

Please rate your level of

confidence in the following:

Very

confident

Fairly

confident

Somewhat

confident

Slightly

confident

Not at all

confident

My program of study is

consistent with my overall

employment objectives.

My academic plan fits my

individual needs.

I know how to locate support

resources (such as the Virginia

Wizard, career services, and

advising).


Navigate Appendix I

84

Relevant Questions from the Graduation and Employee Surveys

Graduation Survey

Please rate your academic advising experience in regards to the following:

(4 point scale)

Your understanding of the current advising process

Your ability to locate academic support resources, such as tutoring

Your overall satisfaction with academic advising

How did you typically register for classes at Virginia Western?

Registered myself online in a campus computer lab

Registered myself online from another location

Registered on campus with assistance from faculty or staff

Were you required to construct an Academic Plan?

Yes

No

Campus Employee Survey

Please indicate your satisfaction with advising at Virginia Western:

Overall advising structure

Academic advising (Chapman)

Faculty advising

Please indicate your satisfaction with advising at Virginia Western.

Overall advising structure

Academic advising (Chapman)

Faculty advising


Navigate Appendix J

85

Advisor Focus Group Questions

Focus groups to be held each semester.

1. How comfortable are you with your role in advising students?

2. How well is the advising team model working?

a. Among team members?

b. In helping students?

c. What has worked well?

d. How can the system be improved?

3. What kinds of questions are most common from students?

4. What types of questions do you have the most difficulty in addressing?

5. How do you encourage students to take individual responsibility for their educational

success?

6. What else should we do to encourage student success?

7. Are there any other issues you would like to raise?


Navigate Appendix K

86

Starfish Connect Assessment

Starfish Project Vision

Starfish will help us to:

A. Provide consistent advising to students

B. Promote individual responsibility among students

C. Support an environment focused on progressive advising

D. Increase campus emphasis on the importance of advising

Project Goals

Type Goal Metric

Short Term Starfish has good adoption rates (supports Vision D)

Quantitative - Number of faculty submitting surveys, number of flags raised/cleared, number of notes added

Short Term Users are satisfied with Starfish (Vision C)

Qualitative - Student responses to intervention emails, feedback questions to students and/or faculty

Short Term Use of Starfish is having a positive Impact (Vision A and B)

Qualitative/Quantitative - Number of Students who follow up on interventions, increased interaction between students and advisors, flagged students who persist in the course

Long Term Students receive consistent advising (Vision A)

% of credits applying directly to program of study will increase; course completion rates will increase; student satisfaction with advising will increase

Long Term Faculty engagement with students is increased (Vision A, C, D)

# of faculty allowing students to make appointments through Connect; metrics for adoption rates listed above

Long Term Students take increased responsibility for their academic success (Vision B)

# of appointments made through Connect; % of students following through on referrals to support services


revised - march 2014 · works cited ..... 66 appendices ..... 68 revised - march 2014. 2 about...

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