Advising Philosophy Statement – Kate Woodman

I love education. The overarching reason is that educational establishments are places

which allow professionals like myself to interact with, support, motivate and inspire students

from all walks of life. Coming from being an Economics teacher in the UK (2002-2015), I

have been influenced by both my colleagues and the students whom I taught and mentored.

What I am most proud of was our open-door policy, where we developed a “go-to space” for

all our students. I had great satisfaction at not only being a respected classroom teacher; but

an approachable member of staff that students could seek guidance from, no matter who

they were, over a range of academic, pastoral and social issues. I believe that as an

academic adviser, I will have the opportunity to practice this part of teaching that I enjoyed

so much. Using the advising Core Values and various theoretical frameworks as a

scaffolding, I offer the following goals as an outline to the personal philosophy I hold, as a

commitment to advising my students:

Professional Goals:

Compassion and Advocacy:

According to Schreiner (2014), life and particularly college, is full of transitions and in each

transition, there is the opportunity for growth and development. I recognize that times of

transition can be both positive and negative. Students may be experiencing lots of issues

and would need to have someone who can be compassionate to their needs and exercise

advocacy when needed. I aim to be that person and when a situation arises that is outside of

my professional abilities, I will use the appropriate resources and connect with the necessary

staff.

Accessibility:

I have always had an open-door policy both literally and metaphorically. My goal is to create

a welcoming environment for all students and to be available for them, wherever possible. I

understand that some students would feel more comfortable with more privacy and I would

be sensitive and flexible to that. Either way, it is important that students know they have

someone they can access, who will not turn them away. According to Schlossberg (1989), it

is important to us as people, that whether right or wrong, we matter to someone. In the

student context, by being accessible, I aim for them to feel like they matter to me.

Embracing Diversity:

At a time where universities are becoming more globalized and students are enrolling from

all walks of life, there is a distinct need to understand and embrace diversity. I am British and

therefore a foreigner to the US myself. I am also returning to learning after many years

teaching, by studying for a Master’s degree through Penn State’s World Campus. I therefore

have some understanding of the challenges which different groups of student face. I believe

in the notion that students are individuals and should be treated as such; but with equal level

of understanding and respect. I want to encourage students to embrace diversity

themselves, in order that they can learn and develop from each other. Considering the

importance of Schlossberg’s Marginality and Mattering (1989), individual student sub-

populations can be at risk of feeling marginalized. I want to create a space where students

feel welcome.

Listening and Positivity:

In my years of teaching, I have also been in a pastoral role having many one-to-one

conversations with my charges. I believe that in order to understand and help students, it is

important to listen first. I am also a positive person. Considering Bandura’s self-efficacy

theory (1977), by listening to students and being positive, I aim to facilitate a step towards

their belief in themselves and the goals that they want to reach.

Honesty and Integrity:

These two elements have played a pivotal role in my success as a student and as an

educator. They are also a part of Penn State’s Core Values and I uphold them with the

greatest respect. I believe that every student should be encouraged to practice honesty and

integrity throughout their time in higher education. In teaching, I have seen many instances

where students have not practiced this and consequently, I have advised them on their

choices and I have taken the appropriate action. My goal is to continue to act in this manner,

so that I can effectively perform my role as an academic adviser.

Planning and Organization:

In order to strive towards their goals, students need to have a clear direction. I will

encourage regular meetings with students, where I will endeavour to ask appropriate

questions about their progress, their course selection and future planning. I will help them to

take ownership of building frameworks to facilitate their organization throughout each

semester if need be. If students are to develop effectively, it is important for them to achieve

self-direction and a sense of purpose (Chickering, 1969).

Motivation and Success:

As a teacher, I believe that it is important to help students take ownership of their learning,

by encouraging them to think critically about all new material they are presented with, to be

excited about their learning and to always ask questions. My goal is based upon Schreiner’s

concept of “thriving” at university, rather than just “surviving” (Schreiner, L. A. 2014). I want

to help students think about who they can become, to target their talents and build upon

them, to consider what could be changed, with a view to promoting their overall success.

Connectivity and Collaboration:

One of Penn State’s Core Values is about every member working together for the betterment

of the University and the communities that it serves. My aim is to uphold that value, by

connecting and working with other colleagues and departments, so that I can best serve the

students whom I see. To quote Grites (1979, as cited in NACADA), “advising cannot be done

in isolation. This process must be integrated among all constituents of the institution.

Advisors are in a unique position to champion and monitor this integration.”

Concluding Statement:

In the words of Tinto (1987, as cited in NACADA), “academic advising is the very core of

successful institutional efforts to educate and retain students.” Through my advising

philosophy, I aim to highlight the importance of academic advising and outline the ways in

which I will uphold this view.

Summary and Final Reflection:

When I first started the course, I had very little understanding of US higher education in its entirety, let alone academic advising. As a British K-12 Economics teacher, I knew that I wanted to stay in education, as this is something that I love. However, I was not sure where exactly I could “fit”. I am so glad that I took this course as combined with the other two courses I am taking this semester (HI ED 490 and 556), I have realized my interest in this area through the parallels it has with teaching. I loved the interactions with students that I had as a teacher and the sense that I was able to help and guide young leaners. I learned that this is very much central to academic advisers. Furthermore, as I wish to step away from the classroom and pursue more of a pastoral role, this is something I can do in academic advising. I know that there will be challenges and I am not naïve to think that every session would be a “success”; but if I have the opportunity to engage and help students with the next stage of their educational journey (higher education), I would get an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and achievement. In terms of crafting my advising technique, it has been a very long time since I have taken part in a role play scenario – but I think this has been a great experience. I remember thinking at the start how nervous I was. This was strange to me, since my job was about standing in front of a group of 17-18 students, delivering them new subject material. Furthermore, I have been so used to having one-to-one conversations with this age group about a various range of issues. So I questioned why I should be feeling this way. I think the underlying answer was that I worried about how I would come across to my peers. I was concerned about whether I would ask the “right” questions and be effective in engaging the student in conversation. The first time I took part in the skill-building session and reflected on my part, I realized just how much I used filler words. However, I did feel that not being able to see the person I was talking to, had created this situation. From this I learned just how much I am a visual person. I need to be able to engage in face-to-face conversation. To observe emotions and expressions, helps me to gauge the type of questions which are appropriate at the time. The second exercise was demonstrative of this. I found that seeing the student really helped me to communicate more effectively. As I settled into the conversation, I took more time in questioning and gained more confidence as an adviser. Furthermore, it was interesting that the second skill-building session had come after the lessons on advocacy, vulnerable students and the importance of note taking. As a former teacher, I have had a lot of experience with the first two, yet I learnt a lot from note taking. The latter is something I had never done before; but very soon I realized its importance in effective academic advising. In the second session, the situation of our students had changed. I therefore used the information on the issues as a basis for my notes. This I found really helped me to craft more directed questions, as well as avoiding the issue of filler words. Furthermore, by using the evaluation forms from the first session for everyone in our group, I found it helped me to focus on emulating the positive practices of my peers (for example, starting with open-ended questions and then narrowing down to specific target questions like Gabby and making reference to relevant support networks and departments like Kaysey). I really want to be an academic adviser. The overarching thing that I have learnt is like teaching, advising is an art that takes time to craft. By reading the material in the lessons, having interviews with two academic advisers (who were former K-12 teachers like myself) and reflecting the development of my own abilities over the semester, I have come to realize that I do in fact, have transferrable skills and characteristics. I am a good communicator, listener and organizer, as well as being very sociable and compassionate. I have learned that like teaching advisers help students with

a range of backgrounds, circumstances and issues. Advocacy, understanding of relevant law and ethics, communication, utilization/connection with all facets of university and finally, effective note-taking are key to the adviser. I hope to be able to always consider these factors with each student that I see. In order to develop my skills as adviser, I hope to be able to secure an internship in academic advising, so that I can practice what I have learned. I recognize that it will take time; but I hope with every advising meeting that I have, I will continue to develop. I am also a firm believer in a balance of literature and practice. I have been reading the recommended course text, which has been invaluable in helping me to understand the basics of this new career field and I intend to always refer to this excellent book. However, I have come to realize that there is so much material out there, merely by researching the information I needed for my topic paper. I have found this material on the study of academic advising and just one student sub-population (international students) fascinating. I would like to find out more about other student populations, as by reading material from another course I am doing, there are so many. Indeed, university is a rich environment with so many individuals. To better understand their needs requires more reading. Yet, I also believe in doing. As a teacher, I found that there was only so much I could learn from a book. The most learning I did was in the classroom, where I interacted with my charges on a daily basis. I believe this to be true of learning in the advising sense too. Therefore, my aim is to secure an internship in academic advising, so that I can learn from the work environment and interaction with students themselves. I also wish to build up my professional network with established professionals I have met in my studies, as well as classmates in the field. I have already learned so much from them and I believe I still can learn from this valuable resource. In terms of how my portfolio and personal philosophy has developed, I believe the following to be true. I have always been a positive and sociable person. As a teacher, I have always tried to bring this into the classroom in the way that I deal with my students. When I started this course, with little understanding of academic advising, I guess my philosophy was based upon these two factors. Yet, as the course has evolved and I have reflected on the different lessons, I have been able to relate to my experiences in teaching in every case. I have therefore been less afraid to incorporate other factors which I have held close to my heart in teaching. In essence, the materials, reflections, assignments and skill-building sessions have helped me to draw out the elements of teaching which I felt so important. Thinking back to the thoughts of Rita Pierson, I found myself nodding in earnest at her beliefs of how we should treat students: being approachable as educators, giving them respect and advocacy. By using both the profiles provided to us and the ones which we created in our teams for the written assignments and the skill-building exercises, I realize that advisers interact so many different students. As teachers, we embrace diversity, yet I have come to realize that academic advisers do this in a greater range. In teaching my students have always needed direction. From reviewing and discussing the evolving situations of the case students, I realize how important this is to students in higher education too. Finally, I have always sought the advice and services of my teaching and non-teaching colleagues, when I have not been able to help a student myself. By taking part in the skill building sessions and reflecting on the case scenarios, I believe that collaboration is also key to effective academic advising if a student is to be best supported through university. I have not listed all the aspects of my philosophy, except to say that these are the instances which have helped me to understand the parallels with the aims and objectives I held in teaching. I know now not to be afraid to include them in my aims as an aspiring adviser.

Formal Interview with an Adviser:

Adviser Subjects:

I intend to interview two academic advisers: Dr Nona Prestine and Dr Catherine Augustine.

I am interested to see what their “take” on the roles they play, the important aspects of academic

advising, together with their individual philosophies and how they came to be academic advisers.

Interview Protocol: Kate Woodman - Interview conducted at 1.00 pm Wednesday October 7th 2015

Interviewee: Dr Nona Prestine, Academic Adviser and Professor of Education (Educational Leadership)

Good afternoon Dr Prestine, thank you very much for agreeing to meet with me today. During the interview, I will be focussing on four key topic areas to do with Academic Advising: Questions about you as an Academic Adviser; the skills and characteristics of being an effective Academic Adviser; the rewards and challenges and types of student, needs and the future. I am sure that my classmates and I will find this information useful as we research our career goals in this field of study.

This interview will take less than one hour. If it is okay with you, I will be recording our conversation which will remain confidential as noted on the informed consent form.

Questions: Introduction: Questions about you as an Academic Adviser: 1. How long have you been an Academic Adviser for? 2. Why did you decide to become an Academic Adviser? 3. What did you do before becoming an Academic Adviser? 4. Could you please describe a typical day in your life as an Academic Adviser? The skills and characteristics of being an effective Academic Adviser: 5. Did you have any special education or training that prepared you for this position? 6. What would you say are your greatest skills as far as being an academic adviser is concerned? 7. Do the skills you possess have to change in order of priority, with different types of student? Rewards and Challenges: 9. What is the best part about being an Academic Adviser?

10. What is the most challenging part about being an Academic Adviser? In what ways is it challenging? 11. Are there times when you haven’t been able to help an advisee? What were the circumstances? Types of student, needs and the future: 12. What type of student seeks advice the (a) most (b) least? 13. According to Levine and Dean’s Generation on a Tightrope, they propose that higher education institutions need to change to accommodate the needs of the Millennium generation. What unique opportunities and challenges does the Millennium generation have on your department? 14. How important do you think Academic Advisers are to the Millennium generation? 15. How important do you think Academic Advising is in contributing towards a student’s overall ‘experience’ at University? That is, what is the importance of student engagement on your department? 16. Why should someone become an Academic Adviser? Consent Form:

Study of Academic Advisers for use in a Presentation on Student Engagement and its Effects on Alumni Relations (407 – Higher Education Careers) and for use in Assignments for the Academic Advising module (807).

I, Dr. Nona Prestine, give permission for Kate Elizabeth Woodman to conduct an interview. I am being asked to take part in a research study of the role of Academic Advisers.

What the study is about: The purpose of the study is to find out about the role of Academic Advisers, their skills and their impact on student engagement.

What I will ask you to do: During the interview, I will be focussing on four key topic areas to do with Academic Advising: Questions about you as an Academic Adviser; the skills and characteristics of being an effective Academic Adviser; the rewards and challenges and types of student, needs and the future. I am sure that my classmates and I will find this information useful as we research our career goals in this field of study.

Your answers will be confidential. The records of this study will be kept private. In any sort of report we make public we will not include any information that will make it possible to identify you.

Taking part is voluntary: Taking part in this study is completely voluntary. You may skip any questions that you do not want to answer. If you decide not to take part or to skip some of the questions, it will not affect your current or future relationship with the Pennsylvania State University. If you decide to take part, you are free to withdraw at any time.

Statement of Consent: I have read the above information, and have received answers to any questions I asked. I consent to take part in the study.

Your Signature ___________________________________ Date ________________________

Your Name (printed) ____________________________________________________________

Interview with an Academic Adviser – Kate Woodman

For the purposes of this assignment, I wanted to gauge the perspectives of academic advising from the

undergraduate and graduate level. The reason being, I wanted to ascertain whether there were certain

similarities with academic advising throughout higher education. I chose two academic advisers who

work at Penn State’s University Park: Dr Catherine Augustine (Academic Adviser and Affiliate

Assistant Professor of Education) and Dr Nona Prestine (Professor of Education - Educational

Leadership). These two highly accomplished professionals interested me because they both came

from a previous career of K–12 teaching, which is the profession I left in the UK, when I emigrated to

the US this summer.

On meeting Drs Augustine and Prestine, I was immediately drawn to their warm demeanour and

welcoming offices. Dr Augustine’s was particularly inviting, and I thought how much it reflected her

personality. The room was adorned with photos, batik-designed pictures, spider plants, gentle lighting

and books. She invited me to sit on one of her comfy sofas and I thought, if I was a student I would

love to have her as my adviser.

After making my formal introductions on the two separate occasions, I started to ask them questions

from the first of four sections: Questions about them, as Academic Advisers; The skills and

characteristics of being an Academic Adviser; Rewards and Challenges; Types of student, needs and

the future.

On starting the interview, I asked them how long they had been an Academic Adviser, what they did

before as a career and what made them want to change to this position. Dr Augustine had been an

Academic Adviser (professionally) for about 5 and a half years at Penn State. Before this, she had

been a teacher of K-12, where she taught Institutional Design at Lock Haven, before embarking on

her PhD. She told me that she decided to make this transition to Higher Education, for the reason that

she wanted a job that would allow her more, “…one-to-one interaction with people (students)”.

Furthermore, she added, “I am a people person, I just love having conversations with anyone, no

matter who they are!” Likewise, Dr Prestine had been an adviser for 28 years and before that, she had

been in teaching for 17 years (incidentally, she had become a Principal in that time). When I asked Dr

Prestine about why she choose to become an academic adviser from such an accomplished role as

Principal, she simply stated, “freedom”. She added that she was a person who becomes bored very

easily and likes to be challenged. By changing career path, it was a way to cure the boredom of doing

the same job for an extended period and was an exciting challenge. In both cases, I found myself

nodding in earnest, as this was one of the main reasons I went into teaching in the first place.

When I asked them both about their “typical day”, in both cases the response was the same. They

replied that there was no real “typical” day. From Dr Augustine’s perspective at undergraduate level,

she said the reason for this was that she dealt with people and that is something which is difficult to

predict. She added that, usually the mornings were pretty quiet and then after lunch, the afternoons get

really busy. From the perspective of Dr Prestine in the graduate school, she said that she was “always

busy” and “needed a calendar!” With graduate students, she said that her advising was intermingled

with having to give feedback on papers and therefore, rather than having set appointments, she had to

prioritize what is the most immediate and pressing thing of the day. Furthermore, rather than having

students “drop-in” for an advising session, most of Dr Prestine’s advising is done on-line or over-the-

phone, so a lot of this time would be spent replying to e-mails and giving advice.

The next part of the interview was about ascertaining the skills and qualifications needed to be an

academic adviser. This part I was most interested in, as I was concerned about my transferrable skills

from K–12 teaching. Again, pleasingly Dr Augustine and Dr Prestine’s responses allayed my fears.

My first question was about the specific training and credentials they had in order to become an

Academic Adviser. Dr Augustine responded with, “To do anything at higher education level you

pretty much have to have a Masters. I did an MEd Arts and Education (I did a counselling course but

that is not a requirement to become an Adviser).” I was pleased with this response, as I was initially

concerned that Academic Advisers might have been scholars in Psychology or had years of

counselling behind them. Although Dr Prestine is a Professor of Educational Leadership, she said that

she didn’t have any specific training or certificates to become an adviser (i.e. counselling etc.). Yet,

what she did say (and to me, this was very interesting) was that teaching has been an invaluable

experience and qualification to her personally in terms of being an effective adviser. When I pressed

her a little further on this, she added that it has served her well so many times and in so many

instances when dealing with students at the higher education level.

In terms of the skills required, the first thing Dr Augustine stated was that, “You really have to have

human-oriented skills.” She then added that her greatest skills were, “…being able to see the “whole”

person, as well as being very sensitive - meet the person where they are - and having good intuition in

order to develop rapport with students.” Furthermore, I was heartened to hear that Dr Prestine too,

shared the same view. She stated that academic advisers need to have “people skills” and be

“interpersonal”. She added that to be an effective adviser, you have to be able to “build a relationship

of trust” with a student. When I asked her specifically, how she was able to do this, she replied that

her particular skills were, “being organised, methodical, having sensitivity to student’s issues and

being cognisant”. She continued that to each student she acted almost as a “mentor”. Interestingly, at

the graduate school, she mentioned that many students are mid-career and need the same level of

encouragement and support as undergraduate students, often because they are balancing their job,

families etc. with studying. Furthermore, she told me that this was an example of a good “fit” with

teaching, as teaching too, is about being able to build relationships with students, by listening,

encouraging and supporting.

In my interview with Dr Augustine, I asked her to tell me the best Academic Adviser she knew and

what skills or qualities they possessed to make them so effective. She answered honestly, “There are

two: One is my colleague next door and the other, an ex-Dean of the school. Both had these qualities

in abundance. They care, they listen, they are absolute advocates for the students, they make eye-to-

eye contact and my colleague in particular, is right “there” with the student. It’s like her advice is

coming from the heart and she “feels” everything the student is telling her. She’s great.”

In terms of the rewards of being an Academic Adviser, I quizzed Dr Augustine and Dr Prestine about

the best parts of their job and whether they had any “feel good stories” to share. Dr Augustine stated

the best part of it was, “…the one-to-one interaction you get with a student. Getting to know a person

and being able to give that person direction. The Transfer students are the ones which you particularly

get to do that with, as they need that direction about their future.” Similarly, Dr Prestine said it was

about being able to help. Interestingly though, her standpoint was knowing that she has often been

able to help students who might have been in “debilitating relationships” with other academic

advisers. She said that sometimes students may just not have the right relationship with an academic

adviser. Indeed, reflecting on this, I can understand that (and it is the same with teaching) advisers are

people dealing with people and sometimes, through no fault of their own, personalities clash.

However, the interesting take on both of these situations is that these two professionals get a great

amount of satisfaction by being able to help. I totally get that. Teaching and advising are vocations. I

went into teaching because I am sociable, I love being around people and specifically in that job, I

loved being able to help by passing on my knowledge and supporting young learners.

In terms of a “feel good story”, Dr Augustine gave the example of “Jordan”. She went on to say that,

“…this story hits all my emotions. I was made aware that I might be her Academic Adviser, yet I was

not prepared for my encounter. I found out just before my meeting with her that her older sister had

recently died. I went to the “viewing” to pay my respects* and I was so surprised to see her so brave,

greeting and ushering people (to my mind I had expected her to be grieving). When people worried

about this her retort was “my sister had a great life”. I talked to her after and that was it, we built up a

bond. She is such a remarkable, determined brave young lady.” With Dr Prestine, it was about a

young athlete. In her other role as an instructor, she noticed that one semester he was continually late

and/or kept sleeping in class. She then decided to have the student in to talk to her, in order to

ascertain why. She found that he was having difficulty organising his time between class and training

and therefore assignments were catching up on him. After she helped him (and also gave him some

advice about making distinct choices about what he really wanted to get out of college) and liaised

with his coach, his attendance and grades lifted.

Contrastingly, I then asked them both about what the most challenging aspect of their jobs were and

whether they had any instances where they could not help a student or any “disaster stories” they had.

Dr Augustine reflected that there was one student, Jordy, she said who fitted all these criteria. To

begin with, she said the most challenging types of student were those who were “needy” in terms of

the fact that they may come with underlying mental health issues or psychological problems (such as

Bi-Polar, ADHD or drugs). In these instances, she wished she could have more training in

counselling. She then continued with a story about Jordy to illustrate. This was a young man who,

“…came to me with psychological problems that he had had since he was little. I spoke with his Mom

and she told me all about it. I had to refer him for additional support at CAPS (counselling) and he did

take it. However, sadly he got into drugs and he I didn’t hear from him for a while. He ended up

dropping out of university, despite the help that was available and given.” At this point, I found

myself nodding empathetically, as this observation had taken me back to sad times, where having got

to know students, there were underlying issues that they came to school with, that no matter what I

did as a professional, they were beyond my help. That, is also the worst part of teaching. At the

graduate school level, there are still issues, yet the most challenging part seems to change. Dr Prestine

said that the thing she battled with the most was time (or lack of it) to devote to helping students. She

then added that there were two types of student who are the most challenging. The first she said, was

the “needy” student, who plagues her with an overwhelming amount of emails and questions. She

continued that at the graduate level, there does need to be a certain amount of assertion on the part of

the student. Furthermore, in the graduate school, there are not professional advisers as there are in

undergraduate level. In this case, Dr Prestine has multiple roles (adviser, instructor, researcher etc.)

and therefore, she cannot devote the same amount of time as she might if she were advising at the

undergraduate level. The second type of challenging student, she said (and this seems peculiar to the

graduate school) was the males who have been out of education for a while and may be leaders in

industry already (i.e. senior teaching staff such as Heads of Department or Principals). Here, she said

this type of student was a challenge to her as a female adviser because they feel conversely, that they

don’t need to have any help or support.

In the final part of the interview, my objective was looking to the future. Specifically, I wanted to find

out the importance of the “Millennials” (today’s “typical” college student) on academic advising. In

addition, I was trying to ascertain whether there were any generational differences in the types of

student which seek help and the importance of academic advising to student engagement. I had been

reading two books, Generation on a Tightrope (Levine and Dean, 2012) and Student Engagement in

Higher Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Approaches for Diverse Populations

(Quaye & Harper 2015).

In terms of seeking help, Dr Augustine stated that there was a generational difference in the types of

student who she sees the most. Specifically, she informed me that it was the older, more mature

students were the ones who don’t tend to come to see her. She added, “…I think the reason is that

here, at Penn State, we have these Accepted Student programs for incoming freshmen and we “drill”

our presence to them before they even start their first semester. They therefore know who to come to

and how often is “acceptable”. They are therefore much better at coming to see us.” Conversely, Dr

Prestine alluded to the fact that it was not necessarily generational at the graduate level; but more

gender-oriented and academic. She stated that the students who come and seek help the most were the

“needy” ones, who generally academically weaker. Furthermore, she stated that it is females who are

more comfortable making contact with her for advice; whereas (and this overlaps with the challenges

she stated) it is the males who are already in “high ranking” professional roles, such as

Superintendents, who do not come and seek help. Then again, it could be said that this may be

generational as well as gender-oriented, as I would question the age of the males she was describing.

If they are older (which I suspect they may be), then this may be a generational phenomenon.

With regard to the Millennials, I wanted to know how important these types of student were to

academic advising in terms of the opportunities or threats they may present and in turn, how important

academic advising was to this their student engagement. In terms of challenges, Dr Augustine stated

that, “…it’s not just a question about accommodating this generation. For so long and over multiple

generations, universities need to move away from the Industrial Age. There needs to be more

flexibility in the student deciding what they want to do. With more flexibility, there would be more

empowerment for the student and in turn, the Academic Adviser.” Interestingly, although Dr Prestine

did not share the same view, in that it is Generation X which is more prominent at graduate level

rather than the Millennials. However, she did suggest (similarly) that there wasn’t enough focus on

the effective use of technology. She added, that in many circumstances, academics have felt they

don’t have to use it. This would be an interesting thing to observe over time as Millennials move into

graduate level, as this generation is of the digital age and academics need to change accordingly.

In terms of the opportunities and the importance of academic advising on student engagement, Dr

Augustine said it was an exciting time and that there were very interesting projects afoot. She

informed me that, “Academic Advisers should look to acquire more knowledge and create a bridge

with other departments. All facilities are integrated and therefore they play equally important roles. If

there is a move towards empowering the student with their choices then there will be a real need for

supporting them and helping terms of direction. There is talk of “digital badges” being used for

students. They are a new culture of credentialing a student as to their achievements and

accomplishments. I see a real move towards this and the Adviser almost playing the role of the

“porthole” to gaining these badges.” Conversely, at the graduate level, Dr Prestine stated that

academic advising is critical to student success. In today’s competitive environment and at this level,

the adviser is a “template of inspiration”. Advisers need to be able to equip students through

mentoring, introductions and networking.

Finally, part of Penn State’s mission is that it is there to “educate students from Pennsylvania, the

nation and the world, and improve the well-being and health of individuals and communities through

integrated programs of teaching, research, and service”. I believe the answers which Dr Augustine and

Dr Prestine gave demonstrate that. To summarize, the fact that they, and their colleagues give

direction to students, act as mentors and create networks (education), form relationships, enjoy

helping and being sensitive to student needs (well-being and health), as part of a daily routine in

conjunction with other departments at the university (integrated programs of teaching, research and

service) is testament to this. In reading the material in the lessons and having discussions with my

peers, I know that academic advising is a rewarding career and important integral part of higher

education. Yet, by conducting these interviews, I gained a much greater insight into the level of job-

satisfaction and importance to higher education (and certainly Penn State) of this career. Furthermore,

I truly enjoyed my time with these remarkable women and the information they provided me with.

Before these interviews I was interested in pursuing academic advising after my program of study.

Now I am absolutely convinced that this is what I want to do and more importantly, coming from K-

12 teaching, that someone like me can have the opportunity to do it.

*Dr Augustine had informed me that she knew the family before-hand.

I would like to sincerely extend my thanks to Dr Augustine and Dr Prestine for their time. It has

been really informative and insightful.

Participation:

Discussion Forums: Lesson 1 What Would You Do? My Journey – Kate Woodman

This first assignment has really made me think! I am currently on a journey having had to “cull” most

of the stuff I have accumulated over the years in the UK in order to start a new life in the US!

So if I had to “cull” some more what is essential to me?...

1. Family. My husband and my kids are my life. The current journey I am on here in the US

has made me realise how important they are. A shoulder to cry on, the laughter and fun

times they create, the need for me as a mother and a wife.

2. First Aid kit. Taking (1) above, I am constantly needing this, not just for myself; but for

them as well! It would have to be more than the one you would buy in Walmart –

something which would contain penicillin, aspirin, etc…

3. Bag - Nice big army-style ruck-sack that can fit everything in (including my kitchen sink).

4. Metal camping saucepan. I am assuming that at some point I will actually be in

civilization. Therefore, I would not be taking water. In the event that I am not in

civilization, I may need to boil this water to make it drinkable. Food I can acquire in some

form from anywhere. Watching many Bear Grylls (UK SAS hero) documentaries has

taught me that!

5. Sunglasses. I love my sunglasses! I also find it very difficult (seriously!) to go a day

without them. I cannot do squinting or watery eyes. An absolute must.

Lesson 2: Rita Pierson – Every Kid Needs a Champion Discussion

Forum: Kate Woodman.

Oh my goodness me! I thoroughly enjoyed that talk by Rita – what an inspiring lady! She

reinforced all the reasons why I became a teacher and all the positive experiences I have had

with students.

I found myself nodding in agreement when she said educators should “say sorry” once in a

while when they are wrong. That is so true, I have done just that on more than one occasion.

I am an educator. I am not an encyclopaedia. My vocation has been to communicate the

syllabus as best I can and to inspire young minds to question and learn. I have not done that

by just regurgitating stuff to them. They (students) give you so much more respect if you

listen to them, interact with things they wish to tell you or ask you and admitting that you

can be wrong.

I also totally agree with her positive reinforcement argument. A student will switch off and

not engage or learn if you give them the impression they are not good at something. Yes, it

is good to constructively criticise, where a student might improve, that way they can build

upon what they have done. However, it is equally important to reinforce to the student

where they have done well. Sadly, I had too many teachers at school who told me I was no

good. Thankfully in today’s society they are fewer in numbers. The best educators were the

ones who didn’t shut the door in your face when you asked them how you could improve.

They were the ones who were passionate about their field, who listened and when you

wanted to know more about a topic because it was interesting, they gave you the time.

Lesson 3: Topic Paper Proposal – Kate Woodman

The US is the top destination for foreign students wishing to study abroad and the number is rising, with a 15% increase in enrolment from 2011-12 to 2013/14 (Institute of International Education). The largest percentage of students coming to higher education institutions (43%) appears to be for undergraduate study, with Masters Degrees in second at 39.9% and Doctoral study at just 16.3% of foreign students (N. G. Ruiz, The Geography of Foreign Students in US Higher Education: Origins and Destinations).

I too, am a foreign student, originating from the UK and I currently reside in the US. This is my chosen topic of study, as firstly, I feel an affinity with the issues which face many foreign students. Secondly, I am coming from teaching at Secondary (High) school level and I have witnessed some of my students leaving the UK to further their education in the US, complete with all their fears and concerns as to the new world they are entering. I believe the increase in foreign students is an important issue for Academic Advising and I would like to know more about it, as I hope to move into this area from a teaching background.

Lesson 4: Discussion Forum – Building Relationships: Further Questions I would ask

This week was really interesting, as it gave an insight into the importance of relationship building

with students, particularly given that they are all different and come with different backgrounds

(Inputs). This, I found really overlaps with Astin’s Involvement Theory (Astin, 1985).

Furthermore, I was fortunate enough to have an interview with an Academic Adviser this week and I

was invited to sit in on two interviews, both very different students – one was a transfer student, a

Junior, aspiring to be a teacher and the other, a mature international student, mother of three, who

was on her own and in her Freshman year. It was great to be able to see the Adviser interact, use

questions to develop a rapport with each student and to see how the lesson this week applied to her

work. Both interviews were very positive in nature.

The questions I would use have been based upon my observations and the things I have learned so

far:

Starter Questions:

1. “So (name), it is really good to meet you! How (if a Monday) was your weekend? Maybe a follow-

up: What did you do?”

2. “Hi (name) I am very happy to meet you! How is the semester treating you?”

For Students I know a bit about:

I would tailor my questions (depending on whether I had a previous meeting with them) specifically

to something that relates directly to them. Here are a few examples of what I would use:

1. Jeff – as a follow-up question to the sports: “So, Dad likes football – are you interested? (If yes,

have you been to any/seen any games and what did you think? If no, what sports/hobbies and

interests do you have Jeff?)

2. Monica – “How is your little one (name) doing? What has he/she been up to lately?”

3. Steven – “So, Steven, last time you spoke about being a resident on campus, how is that going for

you? Has there been any progress or set-backs since our last meeting?”

4. Maria – “So, Maria, tell me how is (name of boyfriend) getting on at his college? Is he enjoying it

so far?”

5. Allen – “Hi Allen, it’s good to see you again! How did you get on with the Finance Office about

your funding, since we last met?”

Things I would try to avoid would be frowning. Unfortunately, it is something I sometimes display

when I am concentrating; but it can give off the wrong message of anger. I generally smile a lot

(when I am not concentrating!); but something I think (and try to do) is give direct eye contact, so

the listener knows they have my full attention.

I would make my office a welcoming “homely” place for people to feel relaxed. I would try to

decorate it the way I would my home – as my home is me. I would have a comfy seat or sofa

(depending on size!), pictures of my own kids (and cat!), plants, shelves with things I like from my

travels… I think it would be important to have something that might spark an interest or an accord

with a student. Interesting but not cluttered.

Lesson 5: Advocacy Discussion Forum – Kate Woodman

1. How did the adviser seem to define advocacy?

Kay Logan seemed to interpret advocacy in terms of the fact that it is about empowering a student

to help them achieve their goals. To use her words, she described advocacy as a being “viewed

through a lens of youth “self-advocacy” and “self-determination”. Further, she quoted the words of

Geenan and Powers, by stating that, “…youth must have the opportunity to exercise their own

abilities and strengths and achieve goals that are personally meaningful to them.”

2. What methods of advocacy did the adviser use?

Kay Logan referred to the My Life program in her first statement. She described it as an “advocacy-

focused mentoring program that has been shown to have large and moderate effect sizes on

multiple outcomes in randomized-assignment studies”. Further, it is a program designed to

“…incorporate both individual and group peer mentoring and serves 16-17 old youths who are both

in the foster-care and the special education system.” Moreover, she describes how mentors (called

coaches) meet with youths weekly. They hope to achieve the following: (1) working with a youth on

the skills they need to achieve their goals and (2) to help youths prepare themselves to lead a

transition planning meeting with all of the adults charged with making decisions about them. Youths

also attend group mentoring sessions led by a “near-peer” mentor who has been through the system

in order that they can learn critical advocacy skills.

She also refers to another program (albeit not in any detail) called the FosterClub All-Stars. As she

believes them to have a great saying: “Nothing about me without me.”

3. Do you think this approach/these approaches were appropriate? Why?

I think at first glance, the program, My Life she discusses in detail, is appropriate to the view that Kay

Logan has on advocacy, in terms of the fact that it is about empowerment of the individual youth. By

focusing on a student-coach (mentor) relationship on a weekly basis is a good support for students

who may well be particularly vulnerable in society (i.e. they are either from foster homes or are

special educational need (SEN) youths). In this instance, I believe communication and support is

really paramount. I also think that the approach is appropriate in terms of the level of involvement

that it has with all those associated with the youth. There is a real sense of support network around

the youth. Further, to quote Kay Logan, she says that, “successful programs tend to get all of the

program components pulling together on the oars….because advocacy demands consistency,

perseverance and follow-through, so having staff, mentors, mentees and families engaged is both an

added protection and a key to success.” However, my main concern with this program, is the nature

of the objective to get a youth to lead a transition meeting with all the adults who are charged with

making decisions about them. I believe there is a risk that in a youth, only 16-17 years old, this could

be a very daunting experience and therefore would negate any positive goals the program may have.

Indeed, this would possibly worry any youth that age, let alone one who has possibly encountered or

may have many extraneous problems in their life, such as the type of student she describes.

4. What would you do differently if presented with this situation?

As stated in (3) above, I think the regularity of meetings to facilitate communication and a support

network for potentially vulnerable youths is very important. Therefore, this aspect of the program I

would not change. Further, I do believe (particularly from the stand-point of being a teacher of this

age group for many years), that to allow empowerment of a youth is important. However, one must

be mindful of the audience. I would not suggest making such youths have meetings with adults

about these issues as there is a huge risk of it being daunting and having reverse effects to those

intended. Instead, I would as an adviser (or mentor/coach) work with them help them build up a

framework for learning and achieving goals on a one-to-one basis and then, towards the end of the

meetings, as a youth gains confidence, perhaps act as intermediary and present the framework

prepared by the youth to those adults who make decisions about them. Therefore, there would be

an element of empowerment; but at the same time, the onus of leadership is taken away from the

youth who may be negatively affected by it. Moreover, I would possibly make the latter an optional

choice, should the youth actually want to lead the meeting (as every individual is different).

Lesson 6 Discussion Forum - Maria

Given that I had previously built up a rapport with Maria, I would try to be honest with her. Being

aware that there is a distinct risk with the courses that she has chosen of her not graduating; but at

the same time being understanding and respective of her, I would do the following: Firstly, I would

try to contact her previous adviser and then ask them if they have any information regarding the

substitute course, so that I could ascertain whether it is in fact suitable. I would copy Maria in on the

email, as I think it is important to communicate with her, the action which is being taken me in order

to resolve the issue at hand. Furthermore, I would think it prudent to ask Maria herself if she had

any correspondence with about the course either from her adviser or the course registrar. If that is

the case, I would ask her if it were possible for her forward them to me, explaining that it was

necessary for me to find all the information so best help her next semester. I would write these two

approaches I have taken in my notes, as it is important to keep a trail of information either for

myself or another adviser (or other professional who may need to see the information) in the future

– especially since I am needing to rectify the lack of information here.

Lesson 7 - Students In Crisis – Group Discussion Forum

I was thinking about the profile and what we had to do with our student for this week's discussion.

Thinking about the excellent suggestions already (as you know I came late to this, so happy to ignore my

suggestion of foreign student!), can I make the first offering?

Developments since last meeting:

Bearing in mind he has test anxiety, this anxiety has in fact got worse and he has not had the time to

speak to a counsellor or talk to his course provider. He has had a test back and got 55% on a Managerial Accounting module. He is really worried what this might mean next semester.

Further, he is finding that the demands on his studies from his personal life (coaching little league and

family commitments) are becoming increasingly pressured (he is not able to balance it very well, thus

adding to his anxiety).

Perhaps the issues to discuss would be: Averages of test scores this semester and general academic progress, whether he intends to see a counsellor or his course provider and action needed on that front,

what his plans are next semester, discussion of action plan for work-life balance?

That is my two cents. As always, let me know what you think.

Looking foward to hearing from you!

Kate.

Lesson 8 Discussion Forum

1. What cultural issues are present? Describe them.

Teaching Economics, there is naturally a huge overlap between the two subjects. However, the absolute wrong thing to do from a teaching perspective is to give your view, or indeed advocate one country’s policy/policies over that of another.

From an advisory role, I can understand why there would be an issue. Not only for students of different culture and nationality; but for domestic students of different (and indeed the same) ethnic origin, politics is a very contentious subject. If what the student says is true (and there may be no substance to this – just opposing personalities), the Economics instructor has “crossed the teaching line” giving political opinion. The student may come from a culture or ethnic minority which the teacher may have given a view about and therefore may justly feel affronted. Then again, it may not be that at all – rather the student may be of the same culture and ethnicity as the teacher; but has very different political views. Political views could be different from that of cultural views in some circumstances, therefore knowing the background to this student is important.

2. How might you approach the situation?

Even if the claims are unfounded, it is something I would need to follow up. I would need to know more on the background of the student. It is assumed that I do, as he is one of mine and therefore I would probably have met him before and know about his background culture and ethnicity. If I have not met the student before, I would need to find out by reading the notes on their file before I met with them. Secondly, on meeting with the student, I would perhaps delve a little deeper and ask the student some questions about the topic in Macroeconomics they have been studying. I may then ask a follow-up question as to what the teacher may have said. Thirdly, I would ask the student what they got in their exams (but I would have investigated this before the meeting to be sure). Finally, if I believe that the claims may have some substance, I would ask the student if it is okay for me to write an email outlining the claims they are making, and send it to the head of school and copy them in on it. That way, I can find out whether the claims the student is making are substantiated. Naturally making notes on all the courses of action of the meeting, it may then be a case that the student’s claims are founded and then it would be a matter for the head of school.

3. What questions do I have?

1. What is the background of this student? (With regard to nationality, culture, religion, ethnicity or political view – possibly the student may be rather “active” politically).

2. What grades did this student get in the tests in Macroeconomics?

3. What topic was being discussed in Macroeconomics (bearing in mind, to teach the syllabus, there is inevitable historic and current affairs political overlap which cannot be ignored).

4. What specifically did the teacher say and in what context did they say it?

5. Did the student ask any politically motivated questions to the teacher and if so, what did they ask?

6. How has the student been performing in other subjects? For example if they are doing a Micro-Economics course?

4. What concerns do you have?

This student could just simply have a personality clash with a teacher. If that is the case and in subjects like Economics, therecould be more scope for that student to make claims about something a teacher may have said.

There are concerns that the teacher has made an unprofessional judgement. It could indeed be that the teacher feels they can voice their political views and opinions insensitively on domestic or international historic or current affairs events to embellish the Macroeconomic content of the lesson.

I also have concerns that the teacher has apparently not been answering the student’s emails or requests to see her during her office hours. I wonder why this is the case – I there another underlying and valid reason for the teacher not replying to this particular student? I am also concerned for the student, if this is likely to hinder their success in the subject.

Finally, it could be that the student is indeed failing the course as the teacher has intimated and the claims that they are doing well in the exams may not be true – avoidance by the student to address some deeper problems.

5. How do you prepare for the interaction?

I would need to get the notes up on the student’s background (particularly to find out about ethnicity, nationality, religion and possible clubs they may be involved with, like political groups). I would also need to email the teacher and ask them to send me the test scores for the student, so that I can see how they are doing. I may also email other course instructors that he has, in order to ascertain whether this is a course-wide phenomenon or just unique to Macroeconomics.

6. What actions do you anticipate taking based upon the scenario?

If the student is doing well, as they claim, then I would need to follow up by contacting the head of school and copying the student in on the email. Due to the nature of the possible sensitivity of this case, it may be wise to by-pass the teacher, so as not to embarrass the student.

I would need to email the teacher (informing the student) I would not in the email make reference to the political issue. I would ask the teacher if they have received any emails from the student and whether they have responded. Again, I have to be careful here as the emails themselves may have content which is insightful on the part of the student, rather than queries. i.e the teacher may have chosen not to respond, if the content of the email is

inappropriate. It may also be important to copy the head of school in on the email as a matter of precaution. If the student is indeed failing, I would help them to devise an action plan. If they are failing because there are underlying “other” issues then I would need to question the student further to find out how best to help them. If it is a “personality clash” with the teacher and the claims are unfounded, I would (depending on how far into the course they are) recommend a transfer to another more suitable course.

Lesson 9 Discussion Forum

International Students – Primary Stress Factors Discussion Forum

My biggest take from the literature on international students is that three factors, colloquial langage, feelings of social isolation and the cost of tuition fees ranked highest amongst the problems facing them (Robertson et al. 2000) and consquently, they are the 'primary' stress factors in their lives (Misra et al. 2003). Naturally, depending on the who the student is and degree of "cultural baggage" which they may carry with them before they start university (Nilsson, 2008. as cited Habib et al. 2014), the further geographically away their country of origin may be from the host, the more stress they feel (Chapdelaine & Alexitch 2004).

This is important for academic advisors because more often than not, these students will try to cope with their stresses and may not necessarily be forthcoming in admitting or sharing their problems. Interestingly, it is Asian students which experience more stress than any other international student group, yet due to fears of stigmatisation, they will not seek medical or psychological help and therefore there is a greater proportion of illnesses arising because of this (Poyrazli et al. 2004). Academic advisers would need to be able to recognize the signs of stress and be aware of the three main stress factors mentioned as well as making sufficient notes during sessions, so that any developing signs of stress can be dealt with through the appropriate channels of support. Furthermore, by asking the appropriate questions to these students about their well-being, which may cover these three stressors, then the at-risk students may feel that someone is aware of their situation and may feel more inclined to "open up" about the adaptation to university life in a foreign country. Currently, academic advisers themselves could get specialized training about the signs and symptoms of stress, so that they can better spot them when they talk to international students. If there is no training for advisers to spot the signs of stress, then there is a risk that these students will try to cope on their own until it is too late.

Chapdelain, R. F. & Alexitch, L. R. (2004). Project Muse - Social Skills Difficulty: Model of Culture Shock for International Graduae Students. Journal of College Student Development. Vol 45(2) p. 167-184.

Habib, L. et al. (2014). Experiences and Challenges of International Students in Technology-Rich Learning Environments. Educational Technology & Society, Vol. 17(2), 196-206.

Misra, R. et al. (2003). Relationships Among Life Stress, Social Support, Academic Stressors, and Reactions to Stressors of International Students in the United States. International Journal of Stress Management. Vol. 10(2) p137-157.

Poyrazli, S. et al. (2004). Social Support and Demographic Correlates of Acculturative Stress in International Students. Journal of College Counselling 7, 1. Proquest Social Sciences Premium Collection p. 73.

Robertson, M. et al (2000). International Students, Learning Environments and Perceptions: A Case Study Using the Delphi Technique. Higher Education, Research and Development. Routledge.

Lesson Activities:

Lesson 5: Written Assignment: Kate Woodman Lesson 5 – Jeffrey and Maria

Jeffrey:

Case:

Assume that Jeffrey has been coming to your office each week for the first five weeks of the

semester, asking you questions, many of which are repeat questions from previous meetings.

How would you approach Jeffrey about his behavior? What might be underlying factors that

are contributing to Jeffrey’s desire to meet with you frequently regarding the same

issues/questions?

Knowing that Jeffrey is a Freshman and is keen to learn, there could possibly be some underlying

anxiety issues which he is suffering. The need to ask repeat questions could be that he needs lots of

reassurance about his current situation. It would also depend what the questions are. For example, if

he were to repeatedly ask questions about “settling in” or life on campus and relationship building with

other students, it could be that he is finding it really difficult trying to adapt to his new environment. In

which case, I might need to refer Jeffrey to a counsellor (if he hasn’t already got one).

If he is repeatedly asking how to do something or whether he should approach his professors (i.e. a

more academic stand point), it may be that I need to encourage him to seek out the answers himself. I

may need to gently ask him whether he has sought the questions he seeks from his class teacher or

not. If not, I may need to discuss with him alternative strategies, such as emailing the professor. This

could be something which would allow him to communicate with the person that he needs to get the

answer from; but if he is anxious, he could approach the matter without having the face-to-face

interaction.

Maria:

Case:

Due to Maria’s student teaching assignment not being near campus, and being demanding of

her time, she has not been in contact with you for over a month. You are concerned that the

courses she is registered for in her final semester will not meet her remaining graduation

requirements. How would you reach out to Maria? Would an ‘intrusive’ approach be

appropriate? Why or why not?

Knowing that Maria is a busy Mom and that there may be a difficulty in organizing a work-life balance,

I need to be aware of helping Maria manage her time effectively. Given that she has not been in

contact with me for over a month, could signal that she is struggling to manage her time. Furthermore,

with the assignment not being near to campus (depending on how far away Maria is), she may be

spending a lot of her time travelling just to try and complete it. There is also the added problem of her

remaining courses. If intrusive action is not taken, Maria may well be in danger of failing courses or

not completing altogether.

How I reach out to Maria, entirely depends on how much contact information I have for her and in

what ways I may have been communicating with her before. If I had communicated at all with her by

telephone previously, then I would seek to make a call now. If I had not got this information or it was

not suitable, then I would find another means, such as email. Either way I would seek her out rather

than the other way around – intrusion. I think it is necessary at this point, as we have had little

communication lately (although this may be normal for my meetings with Maria). In this first “reach

out”, I would ask how she is doing and how the assignment is going. If possible, I would delve a little

deeper and ask how her time management is going and whether she is coping – perhaps linking to

how she is doing with the assignment and whether it is likely that she would meet the deadline. If

there appears to be difficulties here, I would then gently suggest if it is possible for her to come in and

meet me to discuss how we put a framework together for her to work to and if possible, what her

options are as far as the next semester’s courses are concerned.

Lesson 5 – Written Assignment – Kate Woodman

Allen

Case:

After week five of the semester, Allen comes to your office. He is upset about his grade on his

first Psychology exam. He asks you to contact his professor so that he can understand why he

didn’t do well on the exam. He claims that due to his limited English proficiency, he does not

feel comfortable speaking with the professor one-on-one. How do you address/respond to

Allen’s request?

Answer:

The key take-away from this lesson is that as an adviser, it is important to be able to distinguish

when it is important to use intrusion to help prompt appropriate action or involvement by the

student. Clearly, Allen needs some assistance as he is in distress. He is an international student, with

English as a second language. Furthermore, it appears that due to his difficult financial situation, he

would be at risk possibly of dropping out of college altogether. He is clearly vulnerable and needs to

have some sort of support to help him in this situation. Therefore intrusion would be necessary in

this instance. The question remains however, to what extent?

Thinking about the earlier case scenario in Lesson 5, Kevin, there are some parallels which can be

drawn. i.e there has been a “negative” response from a professor regarding grades and the reason

why this happened, clearly needs to come from them – both sides of the argument need to be

sought. Therefore using this information, I think it would be prudent, as adviser, to find out more

about why Allen did not do well on his Psychology exam. However, rather than “do the job for him”,

I would discuss with Allen another way in which he might contact his professor. Reading Gordon, V.

N. et al. (2008, chapter 8, p. 124), although referring to adult learners, I think it is important to

understand that a student like Allen may feel very vulnerable about the classroom environment and

interacting with students and professors in a one-to-one or group scenario. Clearly, as English is a

second language, he feels vulnerable about approaching his professor to find out why he did not do

so well in his test. Gordon et al. suggest that in these situations, such vulnerabilities cause the

student to use other means of communication, such as e-mail. I would suggest this to Allen if a face-

to-face approach is too daunting. In this way, he may also be able to overcome the language barrier,

through the auto-correct. Then, if he gets a response from the professor, he could “digest” the

information in his own time or indeed arrange another meeting with me to go over the response.

Furthermore, using my own experience as a class tutor (and subject teacher) in school, I have often

suggested this course of action. Then, if the situation presents itself (I appreciate in a bigger

environment such as university this may not be realistic), I have contacted the subject teacher in

question, either in person or via e-mail to give them a “heads-up” that I have advised a student to

come and see them. I could as an adviser, apply this approach too. That way, I would have used an

intrusive approach; but at the same time, Allen has been empowered to address his problem.

Gordon, V. N. Habley, W. R. Grites, T. J. et al (2008) Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook

2nd Ed. National Academic Advising Association. Jossey-Bass.

Lesson 6: Written Assignment: Good Will Hunting Note Taking (Kate

Woodman)

In the first interview my notes were very observational of Will’s character and demeanour. Putting

myself in Sean’s position, I did not know Will at all. There were many questions asked of him and he

gave little by way of answers in return. This made it very difficult to write any notes regarding who

Will was, what he wanted to do and why he was doing the Janitor job (whilst finishing off all the

complex equations on the chalk boards in the college). Therefore, I wrote about how he was

aggressive, rude and dismissive, as well as being very bright and well-read. In essence, I chose to

write opinion rather than fact. The reason I did that was because I believed, if I was Sean, it would

help me to better understand him as a person and perhaps do some more research into his

background. I chose to leave out the ad verbatim expletives and the personal, direct questions and

observations he made, as I did not believe that that kind of detail would be constructive to the next

meeting (nor indeed that of anyone else who would read the notes).

In the second meeting, having got to know Will a bit more and having built more of a rapport with

him at the pond, my note taking changed. Bearing in mind the guidelines in the lesson too, I found

that I made side-notes for the more personal observations (and my opinions of Will – his rudeness

and evasive nature) and short, more formal notes on the questions which Sean asked of Will. The

reason for the latter, was that I felt it important for any future meetings which Sean (or someone

else) had with Will, to know the progression he had made (if any) since the first meeting. Specifically,

I made a note of the opening question and whether there was a response from Will. Further, I noted

the question of “what do you want?” Reading Gordon, V. N. et al. (2008, p. 143), this relates to the

first of 5 important goals for academic advisers to address: exploration of life goals. I also wrote that

there was no response as yet and that Will evaded the question. I felt this important as if I was Sean,

I would be able to explore this important academic advising goal in the next meeting. Overall, my

notes had changed now from opinion to fact.

Gordon, V. N. et al (2008) Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook, 2nd Eds. Jossey-Bass.

Lesson 8 Week 1: Written Assignment – Kate Woodman Scenario 1:

1. What cultural issues are present? Describe them.

This is an interesting question and one, as an Economics teacher, I know only too well. In teaching

the Macro-Economy (particularly the UK, EU and Global economy), I can see why there would be the

issue of politics. There is naturally a huge overlap between the two subjects and as a teacher,

students have very often tried to bring me in to political debate and ask my political views. However,

the absolute wrong thing to do from a teaching perspective is to give your view, or indeed advocate

one country’s policy/policies over that of another.

Therefore playing the advocate from an advisory role, I can understand why there would be an issue.

Not only for students of different culture and nationality; but for domestic students of different (and

indeed the same) ethnic origin, politics is a very contentious subject. If what the student says is true

(and there may be no substance to this – just opposing personalities), the Economics instructor has

“crossed the teaching line” and unprofessionally given political opinion or view. The student may

come from a culture (this is not specified) or ethnic minority which the teacher may have given a

view about and therefore may justly feel affronted at the comments which may have been made in

class. Then again, as I have witnessed many times, it may not be that at all – rather the student may

be of the same culture and ethnicity as the teacher; but has very different political views.

2. How might you approach the situation?

Even if the claims are unfounded and that it is no more than the student failing or having a

personality clash, either way as an adviser, it is something I need to follow up. It could also

potentially be a delicate issue and would need to be handled very much with that in mind. Firstly, I

would need to know more on the background of the student. It is assumed that I do, as he is one of

mine and therefore I would probably have met him before and know about his background culture

and ethnicity. If I have not met the student before, I would need to find out by reading the notes on

their file before I met with them. I cannot state anything further than this at this point, as the case

does not provide that detail. Secondly, on meeting with the student, I would perhaps delve a little

deeper and ask the student some questions about the topic in Macroeconomics they have been

studying. If the student appears happy to discuss this with me, I may then ask a follow-up question

as to what the teacher may have said. Thirdly, I would ask the student what they got in their exams

(but I would have investigated this before the meeting to be sure). Finally, if I believe that the claims

may have some substance, I would ask the student if it is okay for me to write an email outlining the

claims they are making, and send it to the head of school and copy them in on it. That way, I can find

out whether the claims the student is making are substantiated. Naturally making notes on all the

courses of action of the meeting, it may then be a case that the student’s claims are founded and

then it would be a matter for the head of school.

3. What questions do I have?

In answering (2) above, I have outlined some of the questions. However, to clarify these are the

things which immediately sprung to mind as I read the case study:

1. What is the background of this student? (With regard to nationality, culture, religion, ethnicity or

political view – possibly the student may be rather “active” politically).

2. What grades did this student get in the tests in Macroeconomics?

3. What topic was being discussed in Macroeconomics (bearing in mind, to teach the syllabus, there

is inevitable historic and current affairs political overlap which cannot be ignored).

4. What specifically did the teacher say and in what context did they say it?

5. Did the student ask any politically motivated questions to the teacher and if so, what did they ask?

6. How has the student been performing in other subjects? For example if they are doing a Micro-

Economics course?

4. What concerns do you have?

My overall concerns arise primarily from my teaching background. That is to say, sometimes the

following can happen: A student could just simply have a personality clash with a teacher. If that is

the case and in subjects like Economics, where there is potential political overlap and coverage of

contentious issues, then there is more scope for that student to make claims about something a

teacher may have said.

Then again, it goes both ways. There could equally (and sadly I have witnessed this in teaching too)

be an unprofessional judgement or act by the teacher themselves. That is to say, even if the student

“lured” that teacher into a debate about politics or cultural issues by asking a provoking question, it

is ultimately up to the teacher to make that professional call and not to answer it or be drawn into a

topic which could end up being insensitive. Furthermore, it could indeed be that the teacher feels

they can voice their political views and opinions insensitively on domestic or international historic or

current affairs events to embellish the Macroeconomic content of the lesson. This too, is extremely

provocative and unprofessional.

I also have concerns that the teacher has apparently not been answering the student’s emails or

requests to see her during her office hours. I wonder why this is the case – I there another

underlying and valid reason for the teacher not replying to this particular student? I am also

concerned for the student, if this is likely to hinder their success in the subject.

Finally, it could be that the student is indeed failing the course as the teacher has intimated and the

claims that they are doing well in the exams may not be true – avoidance by the student to address

some deeper problems.

5. How do you prepare for the interaction?

I would need to get the notes up on the student’s background (particularly to find out about

ethnicity, nationality, religion and possible clubs they may be involved with, like political groups). I

would also need to email the teacher and ask them to send me the test scores for the student, so

that I can see how they are doing. I may also email other course instructors that he has, in order to

ascertain whether this is a course-wide phenomenon or just unique to Macroeconomics.

6. What actions do you anticipate taking based upon the scenario?

As state in (2) above, I would envisage a follow-up regardless of whether the claims the student is

making are true or not. If the student is doing well, as they claim, then I would need to follow up by

contacting the head of school and copying the student in on the email. Due to the nature of the

possible sensitivity of this case, it may be wise to by-pass the teacher, so as not to embarrass the

student.

In terms of the claims that the teacher is not replying to the student, I would need to email the

teacher and inform the student that I am doing so (also ask them if I can copy them in to the email). I

would not in the email make reference to the political issue, as this could be insensitive, however, I

would ask the teacher if they have received any emails from the student and whether they have

responded. Again, I have to be careful here as the emails themselves may have content which is

insightful on the part of the student, rather than queries. i.e the teacher may have chosen not to

respond, if the content of the email is inappropriate. It may also be important to copy the head of

school in on the email as a matter of precaution; but ask the student if it is okay for me to do so, (not

why).

If the student is indeed failing, I would need to discuss with them and help them to devise an action

plan in further meetings, to help them academically. If they are failing because there are underlying

“other” issues then I would need to question the student further to find out how best to help them.

If it is a “personality clash” with the teacher and the claims are unfounded, I would (depending on

how far into the course they are) recommend a transfer to another more suitable course.

Scenario 4:

1. What cultural issues are present? Describe them.

Firstly, there could be cultural issues with regard to the attainment in her Science and Maths classes.

The reason being that how she actually approaches her lessons and instructor could be the reason

why she is having difficulty with her classes. For example, in the case it mentions that the student is

of Indian descent, with this in mind, it may be that she has difficulty addressing or questioning her

instructor. In a class which requires constructive evaluation of the material which the instructor

provides or a question that they pose, this could be a problem for this student, where to question

your teacher is not acceptable. Certainly, according to Lee (2015), when she describes the challenges

faced by students in terms of cultural norms, classroom interaction can widely differ by culture. She

continues that, in some Asian cultures questioning authority, criticism and debate tend to be

frowned upon. This could be the case here.

Furthermore, in the Science lessons (less so in the Maths lessons), it may be that the material is

sensitive in nature to the cultural background of this student. For example, depending on the actual

science itself, it may be that for assignments students are expected to dissect or handle animals. In

certain cultures, this again, may be something which is unacceptable (for example handling cow

parts, where cows are deemed sacred in Hinduism or dissecting animals if a student is vegetarian).

Therefore, the student may have chosen not to participate in the assignment, thereby failing.

In terms of the student joining a concert band and not telling her parents, again in certain cultures it

can be “frowned upon” with females actively participating in certain activities. A concert band may

not be something that her parents agree with and therefore, she would be unhappy telling them

about it, even if she wishes to participate herself. Then again, it may not and she just hasn’t got

round to telling them. Nevertheless, there could be a non-cultural problem here anyway, with

regard to the amount of time she is spending with the concert band.

Lee, J. J. (2015) Engaging International Students. In Quaye, S. R. and Harper, S. J. (2015). Student

Engagement in Higher Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Approaches for Diverse

Populations. New York: Routledge.

2. How might you approach the situation?

Again, sensitivity is key here. Firstly, I would need to ascertain what she is studying as part of her

coursework, so that I get a better idea of the material that she is struggling with. I would also ask her

about what particularly she is finding difficult – as it may be a cultural thing which is stopping her

from proceeding with any degree of success in these subjects. I would also ask her if she is enjoying

these two classes as it may be the reason she is failing is because she doesn’t actually want to do

them in the first place (i.e. it may be that her parents want her to do it). Knowing that she has

struggled with these topics before, makes me wonder (a) whether there is a common cultural theme

here preventing her from excelling and (b) whether she is just no good at the course.

Furthermore, in order to get a better understanding of her situation, I would ask her how she is

doing in her other subjects. It may be that she is excelling in other minor subjects not related to

Maths or Science and therefore, as a sophomore, it could be that the next course of action is to

examine the possibility of other majors. With this in mind, it may be that I would ask her what she

actually enjoys if there appears to be no obvious cultural “barrier” to her not doing well on her

coursework.

Finally, in terms of the concert band, I would ask her how that is going, what her level of

participation is, as well as whether she is enjoying it. There could be an issue here as to the amount

of time she is dedicating to it, as this may be a contributing factor to her difficulties with the

coursework. If she hasn’t told her parents about the involvement here, I may ask if she is going to. If

she seems distressed at this, I may not get her to raise this with her parents. Instead, I may ask her

about constructing an action plan as to how much and when she dedicates time to her studies and

concert practice.

Finally, in terms of the suggestion for a tutor by her parents, all other things being equal (i.e. no

issues with culture, her enjoyment of the subjects and concert playing at a “sensible” level), I may

ask her how she feels about a tutor and whether she has had one before. If she is happy to have one

and wants to continue the course, I would ask her if it is okay to email her parents back (and copy

her in on the email), with regard to the next course of action regarding a tutor.

3. What questions do you have?

There could be some major cultural issues here which are preventing this student from excelling in

the course. Then again, it could be that she is just not suited to this study program. The things I

would need to ascertain though are as follows:

1. What is the coursework content she is failing on (what are the topics)?

2. Is there any reason to believe that there is a cultural “barrier” to stop her from completing this

coursework effectively and has this been the case in the past?

3. What did she specifically have difficulty with in the past with these subjects? Are there any

similarities with what she is having difficulty with now?

4. What are her grades like for the rest of the course and the other subjects she is studying?

5. Is she actually enjoying these courses? Why did she choose to do these course and indeed, did she

actually choose to study this?

6. Has she had tutoring before for these subjects in the past? How did that work out?

7. Why has she not told her parents about her involvement with the concert band?

8. How much time is she devoting to the concert band in comparison to her studies? How long has

she been involved with the band? Does it in fact coincide with the same semester that she is having

difficulty with these subjects?

9. Has she considered options as far as next year is concerned? I.e. does she want to continue to be

a pre-med?

4. What concerns do you have?

My main concerns stem from my observations in (1) and (2) above. Firstly, I am concerned that there

may be underlying cultural reasons for her having difficulty with her coursework and that these

needs have not been properly recognised or addressed by faculty.

Secondly, I am concerned that she is struggling with the same subjects that she had in the past. It

makes me question why she would choose to do the same subjects again – if indeed she did choose

them at all. If her parent “forced” her to choose them, perhaps due to cultural norms, I concerned

for her welfare.

Finally, I am concerned about her involvement in the concert band and the fact that she has not told

her parents. As an immediate, I am wondering whether the involvement in the concert band is

having any bearing on her studies (i.e. she is not getting a balance). Secondly, it may be innocently,

that she has only just joined the band and that she hasn’t got around to telling her parents; but if is

that she doesn’t want to because of something more sinister (like she is too afraid to), then I would

be concerned about this.

5. How do you prepare for the interaction?

This is a difficult scenario in terms of preparation. The reason being that the student comes into my

office. It is not known from the case, whether this is unannounced. If it is, there is little to do by way

of preparation.

However, assuming that this is a prearranged meeting in order to discuss progress, I would look at

my notes firstly from the previous meetings, to ascertain whether the difficulty is ongoing and how

she has been doing as a general rule. If I did not know or had no previous notes as to her grades, I

would seek to email her course instructors to find out what her grades were and what the material

she was studying. I would also include questions as to their observations about why she may be

having difficulty (i.e. was it based upon a practical, which she could not perform for some reason). I

would also be asking them about her participation in lessons, her demeanour (i.e. is she enjoying

them? Does she appear tired or withdrawn in some way?). I would also look into her background a

bit deeper (i.e. is there anything on her file with regard to cultural norms and religious beliefs that

might play bearing on her academic attainment?). It may also be worth finding out about her grades

with regard to her other subjects, which would also be through an email to other course instructors.

Finally, I might email the concert band’s teacher or leader (if possible), to find out about her

involvement and the practice times, in order that I may get a better understanding of the level of her

commitment to that in comparison to her study time.

6. What actions do you anticipate taking based upon the scenario?

Firstly, a fuller background picture needs to be built up before the meeting, if at all possible.

Therefore I would take the initial steps outlined in (5) above.

During the meeting, I would proceed with the steps as outlined in (2) above.

Finally, as a follow-up after the meeting, I would make notes on the meeting in my file, so that other

educators (for example course instructors, a tutors etc..) would be appropriately informed if need

be.

If her grades have been failing in the coursework as a result of a cultural barrier, then with her

permission, I may send an email to her teachers to ask them if there is an alternative for her in the

coursework.

If they have been failing, because she is simply finding the course too challenging (and if I ascertain

that a tutor did in fact help), I may email the parents (and copy her in on the email) and agree that a

tutor may help her. Then, I would need to have some follow-up meetings later in the semester to

check on her progress,

If she is failing because she is simply not enjoying the course, I may suggest the possibility of other

courses she may like. It could be difficult and something which is out of my control, if her parents are

forcing her to do this.

If she is failing because of her involvement with the concert band, I may discuss with her and help

her plan a schedule which incorporates study time and band time, so that she may have a better

balance.

Scenario 5:

1. What cultural issues are present? Describe them.

This scenario does not present any immediate or obvious cultural issues. Yet, that is not to say that

there aren’t any. The most obvious thing to say would be that this is simply an issue of time-

management.

Yet, on closer inspection, there is doubt. The reason being that the coach has stressed that there are

“mandatory study halls” whilst the team are on tours. So the question then, is why is she struggling?

It could be that due to the types of subject that she is taking and the topics in the homework she is

being asked to undertake. If it is based upon something which presents cultural differences or

something which she does not understand or recognise in her culture, this could be the reason why.

Furthermore, it is not evident whether English is a second language with Brandi. Is this student

foreign? In which case, she may be struggling with the language of the homework.

2. How might you approach the situation?

As a first instance, I would reach out to Brandi by sending her an email. If she is on campus (and not

presently or imminently on tour), I would ask her if she would like to schedule a meeting with me to

discuss her progress.

If she is on tour, then this makes things a little more difficult. I could either send her an email or I

could try and phone her to discuss her progress.

If I am able to have a meeting with her, I would ask her how her subjects are going. What homework

tasks she has been set and what she specifically has been having problems with (i.e. is it a time

management issue, a simple lack of understanding the material or is it a cultural issue?).

I would also discuss with her how her sport is going and how much time she has to dedicate to that.

Also, how does she feel she is managing the time?

3. What questions do you have?

I would like to know the following:

1. What subjects is she doing and how many is she having problems with? Further, how many

homeworks is she having difficulty with?

2. What, in her homework is she specifically having problems with?

3. Are there any underlying background cultural or language differences which might cause her to

have difficulty?

4. Has she had difficulty with similar subjects before? Did she have a tutor before and did this help?

5. Does she have a tutor now? How often and where does she see the tutor? Is the tutor any help to

her?

6. How is she managing her time? Is she “coping” okay with the demands of her sport and academic

study?

4. What concerns do you have?

Again, my concerns overlap with that of (1) and (2) above.

I am concerned, like scenario 4, that she is having difficulty with her homework, due to a cultural

barrier or language barrier which may be preventing her from completing the homework effectively.

I stress this, because the coach has said that there is time on her tour to complete homework.

Secondly, I am concerned that Brandi may actually just academically not be suited to the courses

which she is doing and therefore may continue to struggle.

Finally, I am concerned that the amount of time which she dedicates to her sport and the fact that

the schedule may be “punishing”, may be making Brandi too tired to manage her time on her studies

effectively.

5. How do you prepare for the interaction?

As with scenario 4 above, the prudent course of action would be to find out as much as I can on

Brandi’s background from my files. This information could help me better understand if there is any

reason to believe if culture, religion, nationality is playing a part in her difficulty with her studies

here.

I might email the coach and ask her about the amount of time Brandi spends on her sport and when

the mandatory studying takes place (i.e. is it later at night after training or events?). This would help

me better understand whether her sport is interfering in her studies.

I might also do some investigating with her course instructors to find out where and for how long

she has been failing with her homework and whether this is across the board.

6. What actions do you anticipate taking based upon the scenario?

If I am able to have a meeting with Brandi and I find out that there is a difficulty because of language

barrier or she is simply struggling with material (and assuming that she doesn’t already have a tutor),

I might make a suggestion to her about getting a tutor.

If I find out that there is a cultural reason for her having difficulty with her homework, I may send a

follow-up email to her course instructor (copying her in on it), asking if they are able to meet with

Brandi to discuss action plans and alternatives. I may, if Brandi is happy to do so, suggest that she

herself, goes to see her course instructors to seek advice.

If it is a time management thing, I would need to help Brandi put together an action plan, timetable

for study and goals for her to aim for until the next meeting.

Lesson 9 Discussion Forum

International Students – Primary Stress Factors Discussion Forum

My biggest take from the literature on international students is that three factors, colloquial langage, feelings of social isolation and the cost of tuition fees ranked highest amongst the problems facing them (Robertson et al. 2000) and consquently, they are the 'primary' stress factors in their lives (Misra et al. 2003). Naturally, depending on the who the student is and degree of "cultural baggage" which they may carry with them before they start university (Nilsson, 2008. as cited Habib et al. 2014), the further geographically away their country of origin may be from the host, the more stress they feel (Chapdelaine & Alexitch 2004).

This is important for academic advisors because more often than not, these students will try to cope with their stresses and may not necessarily be forthcoming in admitting or sharing their problems. Interestingly, it is Asian students which experience more stress than any other international student group, yet due to fears of stigmatisation, they will not seek medical or psychological help and therefore there is a greater proportion of illnesses arising because of this (Poyrazli et al. 2004). Academic advisers would need to be able to recognize the signs of stress and be aware of the three main stress factors mentioned as well as making sufficient notes during sessions, so that any developing signs of stress can be dealt with through the appropriate channels of support. Furthermore, by asking the appropriate questions to these students about their well-being, which may cover these three stressors, then the at-risk students may feel that someone is aware of their situation and may feel more inclined to "open up" about the adaptation to university life in a foreign country. Currently, academic advisers themselves could get specialized training about the signs and symptoms of stress, so that they can better spot them when they talk to international students. If there is no training for advisers to spot the signs of stress, then there is a risk that these students will try to cope on their own until it is too late.

Chapdelain, R. F. & Alexitch, L. R. (2004). Project Muse - Social Skills Difficulty: Model of Culture Shock for International Graduae Students. Journal of College Student Development. Vol 45(2) p. 167-184.

Habib, L. et al. (2014). Experiences and Challenges of International Students in Technology-Rich Learning Environments. Educational Technology & Society, Vol. 17(2), 196-206.

Misra, R. et al. (2003). Relationships Among Life Stress, Social Support, Academic Stressors, and Reactions to Stressors of International Students in the United States. International Journal of Stress Management. Vol. 10(2) p137-157.

Poyrazli, S. et al. (2004). Social Support and Demographic Correlates of Acculturative Stress in International Students. Journal of College Counselling 7, 1. Proquest Social Sciences Premium Collection p. 73.

Robertson, M. et al (2000). International Students, Learning Environments and Perceptions: A Case Study Using the Delphi Technique. Higher Education, Research and Development. Routledge.

Lesson 10 – Case Scenario Writing Assignment – Kate Woodman

1. Our veteran student, Stephen, is motivated to complete all of his graduation requirements and

earn his degree. While degree completion is his ultimate goal, how would you engage Stephen in

an ongoing conversation about the value of his higher education experience?

Knowing that Stephen is a returning adult-learner, having been out of education for certainly 10

years, during his service in the marines, he will need to have direction. Furthermore, he is a student

who because of his background, needs to have specific instruction. Motivation is not a problem with

Stephen and he is determined that he will meet all academic requirements in order to earn his

degree. However, the problem may be that this is the only focus he has (i.e. that graduation is all he

needs to do to get a career).

To start, the question that Stephen may need to be asking his adviser is “what is my next step?”

What we know is that he is completely focused on his degree and courses, yet he may have given

little thought to the future or his major. Depending on which year he is in (I assume that he is a

freshman), will determine what he may be thinking. If he is a freshman, he would need to ask his

adviser “what courses should I choose next semester/year?” However, if he is a sophomore, he may

need to start asking his adviser “what should be my intended major?” Then again, if he is in his

senior year, the question then should be “what will I do with my degree?” or “what do I do after I

graduate?” In any of the cases, Stephen should really look to ask these types of question early on in

the first semester, so that he has time to engage in conversations with his adviser and take the

necessary steps (i.e. research, discussions with peers and professionals etc.) to facilitate the answers

to his questions.

As stated before, although Stephen is a motivated learner, as it states in the lesson reading material,

employers do not employ majors - they employ people. If Stephen does not ask these questions, he

is in danger of just drifting through college without finding out about himself and why he is there

(i.e. “surviving” rather than “thriving” in college. Schreiner, 2012). Indeed the mere fact that he

stated he just wanted “to knock this out as soon as possible” seems to me that he isn’t the type of

student which has given much thought to these issues. I would therefore definitely intervene if he

has not asked the questions I listed. In the sessions, I would ask him about what he enjoys most, so

that he makes careful decisions about the courses that he takes – so as to maximize his experience

of university whilst he is there. Furthermore, the more he progresses through college I would need

to press him on why he thinks he is here, has he given any thought to what he wants to do after

college, has he spoken to any peers and professionals about careers in the related field to his major

and finally, had he spoken to any career adviser to find out more about himself and particular career

opportunities and “fits” (i.e. thinking about Holland’s model in p. 104, Gordon et al. 2008).

2. How could collaboration with Career Services be useful/helpful for Maria as she discerns which

teaching opportunities may be available to her?

Reflecting on Maria, she seems a little underprepared for life after college. We know that she is in

her senior year, majoring in education (with minors in English and French), yet she doesn’t really

know what to do with it. Indeed, she seems more preoccupied with what her boyfriend in New York

is doing. It is important for Maria to seek the advice of a careers counsellor, as she is coming to the

end of her university career. It is good that she is taking this semester to do student teaching, as this

will give her the necessary skills and experience of the classroom environment. However, if she were

to seek the advice of a careers counsellor, she could ask them about the relevant teaching websites

to seek jobs in teaching (specifically in New York, if that is where she wishes to go). Furthermore, a

careers counsellor may be able to give her advice about how to construct a resume and cover letter

in readiness for her leaving university. As a student, she should really be asking the questions of

“when do I need to start getting my resume up to scratch?” and “when should I start looking for

jobs?” as well as “where should I start looking for jobs?” As an adviser, I would suggest to her that

she seeks the advice of a careers counsellor (I may be able to email them myself and give her a

contact address to facilitate a meeting). Here, they would be able to address the questions that she

has and may even have the relevant contacts of employers in the teaching field.

3. How could Monica’s academic adviser and a pre-law adviser on her campus work together to

help her decide if law school is a viable option?

I assume from the information available in the question that Monica is in her senior year. Reflecting

on Monica’s background, she is an adult learner, who has to juggle family with study. Furthermore,

she is transferring from community college, where some of her classes could possibly have been

remedial. Law school is a very demanding environment and there may be complex and difficult

criteria for someone like Monica to overcome if she is to get into it and succeed. Yet, her academic

adviser needs to be her advocate. The academic adviser needs to take the first steps in contacting

the pre-law adviser (probably by e-mail), to find out the basic entry requirements to law school and

the various programs available, as well as the required study time for each course. That would

enable her academic adviser to make comparisons with Monica’s courses and grades so far, coupled

with the demands of her time from her family commitments, as to whether her desire to go to law

school is realistic. Furthermore, it might be possible for her academic adviser to schedule a meeting

on the telephone or in person (depending where the prelaw advising offices are on campus) to

further discuss the options available to Monica.

4. How can advisers promote civic engagement among international students such as Allen?

Please keep in mind his interests.

This is an interesting question and coming from the perspective of being an international student, I

can safely say that they probably have little understanding of the term “civic engagement” and what

it actually entails. Furthermore, students such as Allen, may have language barriers to overcome and

their own cultures, values and religions and beliefs are important to them. As advisers, it is

important not to alienate students such as Allen, but to embrace their backgrounds and help them

to understand the importance of civic engagement by nurturing and embracing their own cultures in

the college enviroment. In Allen’s case, he is a practicing devout Buddhist and he is also aware of

how his cultural and religious background makes him “different” to that of his American class mates.

An adviser in this case could ask Allen whether his Buddhist temple at the college does any

fundraising activities or whether they get involved with any community projects on campus. The

adviser could also suggest to Allen about how he and his fellow Buddhists feel about raising

awareness of their religion to their fellow students on campus. As stated before, he is already aware

of how he may differ from his American peers; but maybe if the adviser suggested to Allen about

creating communication with classmates through community activities with his temple, he may be

able to share his views and interact more with them. Furthermore, by creating more dialogue with

students of different cultures and religions there is a chance to create understanding on both sides.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………References:

Gordon, N et al. (2008). Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook. 2nd Eds. Jossey-Bass.

Schreiner, L. A. et al. (2012). Thriving in Transitions: A Research-Based Approach to College Student

Success. Columbia, SC. (p. 1-15)

Personal Learning Journals:

Lesson 1 Personal Learning Journal Kate Woodman

What

Take brief notes of what you did (summarized at the end of the day): what

happened in your work or personal life and your coursework (readings,

assignments, etc.) What personal or professional question(s) are you

pondering?

This week I enrolled on the Med program and started the three modules (490, 565 and

807). My children also started school in a new country! So for our family it has been an

extraordinarily busy and challenging (but rewarding time). For 807, I completed the

“Journey” and YouSeeU tasks. Both exercises I have never done before; but thoroughly

enjoyed. I read the profiles of the students which will be used on the course and I made

notes on them. The questions I am pondering are: Am I going to catch up in enough time?!

I also want to know more about the specific things that Academic Advisors (AA)

specifically advise on, with so many diverse customers (students).

Why

Make brief analytical notes regarding your activities. How useful were your

activities? What learning goals did they address? What was the most

important “takeaway” from this day/week and why? Knowing why you are

doing something allows you to move from passive to active learning.

I really enjoyed the activities. The primary goals they are addressing are learning more

about myself as a person and a professional. What are my priorities? What skills do I

already have? What do I need to build on? With regards to the latter, I want to (and I am

already starting to!) learn more about ICT (ie YouSeeU – completely alien concept to me!)

and learning more about the parallels and differences in AA at Higher Ed versus Secondary

(High) school.

Reactions

Make brief notes or drawings to describe your thoughts and feelings about

your activities or a specific event. Your reactions will help you better

understand what activities and scholarly topics you enjoy.

I absolutely loved reading the profiles of the students we will be using! As a visual learner,

I have categorized them and given them my own pictures, so that I can understand their

backgrounds and needs as the course progresses. I also identified with Monica – a student,

working Mom of two young children, juggling work with childcare and being married to

an academic on campus! Already, just reading these profiles, has brought me right back to

the school term and listening to all the issues and concerns of my charges as a teacher. I

cannot wait to engage with others on the course and see how (through their different

experienced backgrounds) they would deal with the individuals in the course.

Learning

Take notes on what you think you learned from your activities. How do you

plan to apply what you are learning to some aspect of your life? You can

make this section as detailed as needed. This section will allow you to be

more aware of your learning.

I always thought, as a senior examiner, that I can write concisely. However, this program

of study is forcing me to write in an unfamiliar style: Reflective and concise as opposed to

creative and concise. I am really having to think about skills I have somewhere deep down,

which are very rusty and use them all the time. It is a real challenge; but I love challenges!

As far as the specific activities are concerned, the “journey” was great. Again, 5

things…that encourages clarity and priority. It made me think about myself as a person.

What do I value the most? What do I think is important? I also viewed the exercise as not

just a “conventional” journey where one might be attacking the jungle bush; more that it

could be a journey that could be anywhere and over any time. In that case, would it be a

long life-journey? If so, a first aid kit would not necessarily suffice. Interpreting the

“journey” made me think about how to cover all those possibilities in just 5 items – hard.

As far as the YouSeeU exercise was concerned, I would say that again this is something I

have learned loads about already. Not just about a piece of ICT software (I am typical

Microsoft Windows type of gal) I have never used; but also getting out of my comfort zone

and posting a video about myself for others to view – REALLY scary!! I would also say,

that as a teacher, I can talk and talk in front of loads of students. However, that is my arena.

I just see them – easy enough. I do not have to look at myself. I made me really think about

what I was saying!!!

Goals for

Next Time

Make brief notes of what you will do next. What were the “lessons learned”

and enduring understandings from this activity. With regard to your learning,

what are you still wondering about? What goals will you establish for

yourself based on this experience?

Continue to strive to get out of my comfort zone and converse with people online…

Continue to develop my reflective skills

Learn more about the ICT packages being used.

Develop an understanding of the diversity of backgrounds to students in Hi Ed and

the parallels and differences to those in Secondary (High) school.

Lesson 1: Learning Journey – My Personal Experiences with Academic

Advising. Kate Woodman.

I come from the UK. I was also an undergraduate from 1995-98. Therefore, that puts me instantly in

a very different scenario from many of today’s “typical” American students. My first observation is

that we simply did not have Academic Advisers.

So, I had to think hard about what (if any) experiences I have had with “Academic Advisers” (hereto

referred as AA). Certainly, my thoughts of career aspiration and the future have changed many times

over the years. Could an AA have made a positive difference and given me more guidance and

direction, thereby minimising this?

In the UK, AA’s do not exist by that title – they are referred to as Career Adviser or Officer. My first

experience with a Career Adviser came at Secondary (High) school. Back then, I loved Business

Studies, I had been inspired in talks on school trips by the likes of the late Dame Anita Roddick and I

had watched Wall Street and Gordon Gecko many times. I wanted to be a Stockbroker and have a

penthouse in New York.

As part of our extra-curricular activity, we were required to go and see the Career Adviser at least

once before we left school. The response to that was generally negative, she was a joke. Every

student trundled off to her dusty old office somewhere in the bowels of the school and awaited

“what the computer would say” about their lives ahead. In other words, she would punch in a few

one-word answers from students about their likes, dislikes and what they were studying at A’ Level

and the computer would then generate their career for the next fifty years. Great.

Every student who came out at the end of their “interview” was interrogated by their friends, who

were trying to guess what the computer had said. A rather fun game at the time. If you were

remotely good at English, you were destined to become a Journalist. If you were good at Maths or

Science, you would be a teacher or an astronaut. A fabulous array of career choice. So, because I

could spell, the stock broker dream evaporated out of the window. That was it, I would be a

Journalist. So, my first impressions of Career Adviser were that they were completely out-of-touch

people and a total waste of my precious sixth-form time.

When it came to university, at both an undergraduate and graduate level, the existence of Career

Advisers was negligible. In truth, I could not say whether I knew if there was one on campus (one

incidentally comprising of 18,000 students) nor indeed, where they were located. The philosophy of

the time was, “it’s (university) a life experience, you’re there, it’s a privilege, get on with it”. So that

is exactly what I did.

The question then is, where, if any did I get advice from? Thankfully, my parents stepped up to that

job. Having had many long chats with my father on long walks in the forest, every worry about the

future and every cross roads I was facing, he would offer his pearls of wisdom. This covered every

critical point, right up until I met my husband. It covered, what A’ level combination I should take,

which universities I should apply and then go to, which undergraduate degree I should choose (and

then change in year 2), what career I should go into after I graduated.

In summary, of the advice I had from my parents, there was one pearl which stuck and helped me to

decide at the time I needed it, where and what I should do. He said,

“There are three paths of career you can chose in life. You can either be: (1) an employee (2) self-

employed and be your own boss, or (3) you can be a professional, like an accountant or teacher.”

To date, I have done two out of the three. The interesting thing I found along the way, is that yes,

this is true; but I have had to explore so many different roles and jobs that come under those three

categories. Some of it has been great and some of it has been painful. The point is, life is and isn’t

that simple. Over the years, I have worked for the UK Government, worked in retail, trained in

Chartered Accountancy and have for the last thirteen years been a teacher of Economics and

Business and a Senior A’ Level Examiner. Interestingly, I never did become a stock broker and I still

would love a penthouse!

What I have learned about AA came from being a teacher of (primarily) 16-18 year olds. My job has

been very much Loco Parentis. First and foremost, I am their subject teacher. However, I have had to

pass on my knowledge in different, less conventional, ways. Students are sponges. They seek so

much information, not just about their chosen subjects; but about their social lives, private lives and

careers.

In being a teacher and form tutor, my advisory role has had to cover all of their issues. That, I have

relished. Making a difference to a student. Helping them to overcome their issues, find a path

through it all. Give them direction. I have always had in the back of my mind that I would not be the

Career Adviser to them like I had. I would listen, I would question and I would not get the answers

from a computer! Reading material, listening and being flexible, discussing issues at length, being

organised and organising them all helped. Moreover it became a standing joke at school, amongst

the other teaching staff, that our department was the career advice/social issue hub of the school!

However, I am proud of that and the many thank-you cards, well wishes and returning Alumni, who

then passed on their pearls of wisdom to new students, is testament to that. To be able to play that

part in someone’s life is so important and that is what I believe makes for a good AA.

Lessons 2and 3 Personal Learning Journal

What Take brief notes of what you did (summarized at the end of the day): what

happened in your work or personal life and your coursework (readings,

assignments, etc.) What personal or professional question(s) are you

pondering?

This week was still very much catch-up. However, I think my head is finally above the

water! It was a busy week juggling this with my personal life. I spent the first part of the

week wondering if I had the skills for academic advising (something I had never done

before), yet on reflection, it seems that with the forums, I was thinking and writing in a

similar manner.

Why

Make brief analytical notes regarding your activities. How useful were your

activities? What learning goals did they address? What was the most

important “takeaway” from this day/week and why? Knowing why you are

doing something allows you to move from passive to active learning.

Again, the activities have been spot-on. They have made me reflect, question my abilities

and then have a realization about the skills I do have. The thing that I have found the most

challenging, yet satisfying, is the paper proposal. It has allowed me to make the first step

into exploring a subject that I am interested in and something which I feel an affinity with

(given that I am a foreign student). I am enjoying the discussion forums as they allow me

to voice my opinion; but at the same time, get an insight into how other students are

viewing issues.

Reactions

Make brief notes or drawings to describe your thoughts and feelings about

your activities or a specific event. Your reactions will help you better

understand what activities and scholarly topics you enjoy.

Having to work collaboratively in building up a student profile was not an easy exercise!

However, it was very interesting and allowed the group to get creative. I liked that we went

for a student who was not the “typical” one (and it was great here to see some overlap with

the 565 course I am also taking). This really helps support my learning.

Learning

Take notes on what you think you learned from your activities. How do you

plan to apply what you are learning to some aspect of your life? You can

make this section as detailed as needed. This section will allow you to be

more aware of your learning.

The activities are definitely starting to “bite” in terms of what they seek to do. Move me

from passive to active learner. I want to know more, I am being more reflective and I am

overcoming hurdles I never thought I could before.

Goals for

Next Time

Make brief notes of what you will do next. What were the “lessons learned”

and enduring understandings from this activity. With regard to your learning,

what are you still wondering about? What goals will you establish for

yourself based on this experience?

I really want to do some more reading around the topic of Academic Advising as I really

am new to this and I think it is a huge area to explore.

I would like to be able to find an academic adviser to interview and think about the

questions I am going to ask.

Interview Subjects:

I intend to interview two academic advisers: Dr Nona Prestine and Dr Catherine Augustine.

I am interested to see what their “take” on the roles they play, the important aspects of academic

advising, together with their individual philosophies and how they came to be academic advisers.

Interview Protocol: Kate Woodman - Interview conducted at 1.00 pm Wednesday October 7th 2015

Lesson 4: Building Relationships: Interview Response to Jeff (student)

and Sam Academic Adviser. Kate Woodman.

Thinking back to the student profile, Jeff is a freshman who appears keen to learn; but does not have

much of an idea about university and subject choices. This part of his background makes him rather

vulnerable and in need of someone (Academic Adviser) who will listen to him and help him have

direction.

Listening to the interview with Sam, the Adviser, I felt that the apprehensiveness of Jeff, based upon

his background characteristics was immediately apparent. A polite young man, who perhaps puts on

a façade that everything is “okay” with regard to his studies, when really it is not. This type of

student is possibly very difficult to build a relationship with, as they are not particularly transparent

with their feelings.

It is for that reason, I believe that Sam did make some “headway” in building a rapport with Jeff. Sam

asked questions and tried to bring some degree of humour into his replies right from the start. For

example, when Sam asked Jeff about his Chemistry module and the fact that his mother was worried

it was so early in the morning, Sam asked if his Mom felt “better now”. I was not surprised that in

the transcript it stated that Jeff relaxed a bit as he laughed. Sam was trying to make a connection

with how Jeff was feeling about his “anxious” mother (his background that he was bringing to the

meeting). Furthermore, Sam also makes friendly references to football, when he asks why Jeff came

to Penn State and he asks Jeff about his favourite TV show on Forensics, when Jeff tries to explain

what and why he wants to do after university. Certainly, using Astin’s Involvement Theory,

backgrounds are important “Inputs” which academics need to be aware of and build upon as part of

a student’s learning journey at higher education level.

Then again, I did not feel (though it depends how much time Sam had scheduled with Jeff, as 5

minutes is not long at all) that Sam had completely succeeded in building rapport with Jeff. The

reason behind this is Sam asked questions in a friendly manner to make Jeff feel more at ease, such

as the football, TV shows etc.… but he did not really allow Jeff to talk about that any further, thereby

allowing a rapport to build (Jeff could have been a really big football fan or maybe not, it could have

just been his Dad). Furthermore, I felt there was a bit of negativity towards Jeff when he said he was

thinking about Forensics from watching CSI. Sam said it was “probably very different” in reality. This

could be interpreted by a student as “maybe I am not good enough to do it”.

In terms of my opinion changing, on reading the transcript, I would say it did not change

significantly. The only time it did change was where it indicated that the student “perks up”. I was

surprised that it was here as I did not hear that in his voice. The point at which I believed that

occurred was when Sam had suggested that Jeff look to his peers around him in the lecture hall to

get their details (i.e. a positive directional suggestion as to how to overcome his current worry of

missing lessons).

In terms of the prompting questions, I believe there are “sets” of them. The first is about where Jeff

is from, ending with the football. Sam then leads on to the second set by diverting to the weekdays.

Here, he asks about the Chemistry lab. Sam clearly had an initial vague question, “so how is that

working out?” Later, he then probes deeper by asking Jeff about the lectures, then about the

material and whether Chemistry is different from High school. The third set, then starts when Sam

asks Jeff about the classes and about whether he has “met anyone yet?” Later he prompts Jeff about

the lectures, as the classes appear a dead end. This, leads to Sam being able to make a suggestion

about liaising with peers in the lecture hall. The final set of questions relates to finding more about

Jeff. Sam asks if there are any questions for him and follows that up by asking “What is interesting to

you about Forensics”. The latter facilitates a better understanding about Jeff’s intentions after

school and why he wants to do that particular subject. It is something that Sam would later be able

to find out more about, so that he can bring it into conversation in their next meeting. Thinking

about the “sets” of prompting questions, it seems that each time, the question set gets narrower

and more specific.

With regard to the type of questions he asks, I think they are quite good questions, yet there are not

enough of them (again there might be a time constraint). As previously mentioned, I don’t think that

Sam has asked enough about Jeff (bearing in mind he has only met him once before). I would press

more on the issue of sport and ask Jeff about the football. For example, has he seen any games? Is

he going to see any (maybe with his Dad)? Does he like football or something else? Secondly, with

regards to the Chemistry class, I think the questions are good; but again not probing enough. I would

have explored whether Jeff had considered actually talking to his Chemistry professor, as the speed

of the class is certainly something he is worried about. Moreover, I would like to know more about

his grade in that subject. Has he had any, how is he doing? This is particularly important, as Jeff

intimates he wants to do Forensics and that Chemistry is an important module for that. Lastly, Jeff

mentions that one of his other classes, History, and suggests maybe he would take a minor in that.

However, he was not sure. Interestingly, Sam does not pursue this. I think this is something Sam

needs to address. Ask Jeff why he wants to do that? Is there anything else he likes and is thinking of

doing…?

Overall, I believe that Jeff felt a little happier after the meeting. He went away with a little more

direction. That is, Sam had given him direction in terms of trying to communicate with his peers in

the lecture hall in Chemistry. This would be something Sam could do in order to avoid missing out on

work. However, the level of empowerment Jeff may have felt, may have only been to this extent.

Sam did not give him the impression that Forensics would be a subject to study. Further, Sam did not

state that Jeff could find out more about this nor indeed what he should do to find out is this was

the course was for him. Moreover, if Sam had given Jeff a sense of empowerment, then perhaps he

would have looked at the combinations of subjects and grades Jeff was doing and getting and

whether these were the right “fit” for Forensics.

Lessons 4 and 5 Personal Learning Journal

What

Take brief notes of what you did (summarized at the end of the day): what

happened in your work or personal life and your coursework (readings,

assignments, etc.) What personal or professional question(s) are you

pondering?

I have been so busy with having my in-laws over from the UK this week. I am enjoying the

Gordon book. I am finding that it has many overlaps with teaching and that is reassuring.

After the role plays, I am still wondering whether I have the right skills for being an

adviser in terms of the questioning technique. I need to build on this and develop my

confidence in this area.

Why

Make brief analytical notes regarding your activities. How useful were your

activities? What learning goals did they address? What was the most

important “takeaway” from this day/week and why? Knowing why you are

doing something allows you to move from passive to active learning.

I enjoyed the advocacy task. This is something I know about, yet I did not know it as being

this (that is to say, to a certain extent as a teacher, I have practiced it) and it was interesting

how the different advisers and educational professionals viewed it and practiced it. I chose

to write about Kay Logan, as I felt there was more she spoke about. I liked the tasks on

how I would handle the different situations, where intrusive advising is needed and where

it isn’t. Further I learnt about how I would take different notes (formal and informal)

depending on what I needed viewing and what I didn’t

Reactions

Make brief notes or drawings to describe your thoughts and feelings about

your activities or a specific event. Your reactions will help you better

understand what activities and scholarly topics you enjoy.

Really liked the activities. I like to read about new topics and then how to apply them in a

given scenario.

Learning

Take notes on what you think you learned from your activities. How do you

plan to apply what you are learning to some aspect of your life? You can

make this section as detailed as needed. This section will allow you to be

more aware of your learning.

The main thing I take from this is how it is developing me as an academic advising

practitioner. I have been developing my questioning technique and now, I am moving on to

developing my note taking – something which I have to say I am not particularly good at!

Goals for

Next Time

Make brief notes of what you will do next. What were the “lessons learned”

and enduring understandings from this activity. With regard to your learning,

what are you still wondering about? What goals will you establish for

yourself based on this experience?

I would like to improve my role play communication skills and confidence in myself.

I can build rapport and I can engage well in conversation; but I would like to work on my

effective questioning technique – this is something I think is really important in advising,

Further to last week, I would like to develop my note taking abilities.

In the next week I would like to be able to conduct another interview with another

academic adviser – this time from the stand point of the graduate school, in order that I

can make comparisons.

Lesson 6 Personal Learning Journal

What

Take brief notes of what you did (summarized at the end of the day): what

happened in your work or personal life and your coursework (readings,

assignments, etc.) What personal or professional question(s) are you

pondering?

I managed to have my interview with my second adviser this week! My interviewee, Dr

Prestine, was also kind enough to afford me 1hr 30mins of really deep conversation. I

thoroughly enjoyed meeting her and hearing her insights into academic advising,

particularly given her long and distinguished career. Furthermore, some of the doubts I had

about going into this field from being a teacher, were quashed, given her background in

teaching and words of encouragement regarding this. There were many times where I got

to discuss and make links with teaching and heard her anecdotes from her background too!

Why

Make brief analytical notes regarding your activities. How useful were your

activities? What learning goals did they address? What was the most

important “takeaway” from this day/week and why? Knowing why you are

doing something allows you to move from passive to active learning.

The film was fantastic! Such a great exercise! I have always like this film, but this time, I

was able to really dissect the interview between Sean and Will in a way I had never

thought. It enabled me to bring in the things I had learnt from the lesson before and this

lesson in terms of effective note taking. Wow! Having no practice in this area, I felt this

gave the opportunity to practice these skills for the first time.

Reactions

Make brief notes or drawings to describe your thoughts and feelings about

your activities or a specific event. Your reactions will help you better

understand what activities and scholarly topics you enjoy.

Like I say above, I really enjoyed this! I found the exercise informative and I found I

wasn’t actually too bad (I think) at taking notes. Yet, as the lesson went on and I read more

about things to put in and things not to, I found my note taking refined a bit more. I

prioritized what was important and I also categorized that which needed to be written

against things which could be opinion and not necessarily constructive to other

professionals who may interview a student later on.

Learning

Take notes on what you think you learned from your activities. How do you

plan to apply what you are learning to some aspect of your life? You can

make this section as detailed as needed. This section will allow you to be

more aware of your learning.

My main take on this is that I am still very much refining my note taking technique! It

would enormously help me not only in interviews with professionals; but also (possibly

more importantly) with students. Being able to document evidence to better profile a

student and using this to support them intrusively and non-intrusively will be an important

skill in advising.

Goals for

Next Time

Make brief notes of what you will do next. What were the “lessons learned”

and enduring understandings from this activity. With regard to your learning,

what are you still wondering about? What goals will you establish for

yourself based on this experience?

I would like to improve my role play communication skills and confidence in myself.

I can build rapport and I can engage well in conversation; but I would like to work on my

effective questioning technique – this is something I think is really important in advising,

Further to last week, I would like to develop my note taking abilities.

Lesson 7 – Students in Crisis. Personal Learning Journal

(Kate Woodman)

1. Do you think Will is a student in crisis? If yes, what signs do you see that lead you to that

conclusion? If no, what signs would need to be present for you to reach that conclusion?

If I took the first clip at face value, I might get the impression that Will is not necessarily a student in

crisis. He may just not like Sean and therefore, he does not want to talk to him. There are no

immediate signs that he is distressed and he certainly does not communicate that has any issues.

In terms of the second clip, I also might surmise that Will is not necessarily a student in crisis. The

reasons being, he is able to tell a joke (albeit inappropriately), he is able to laugh with Sean and he

opens up about a girl he is dating. These are all signs of positive communication and relationship

building which do not indicate any signs of a student in crisis.

However, if I used my notes (as per lesson 6 on effective note taking) from the previous meetings, I

would have built up a cumulative background of my encounters with Will. This I believe, would paint

a very different picture of him. The mere fact that he felt the need to write on the walls of the

college to finish off complex equations, to my mind was a need to “reach out” to someone. He was

perhaps not content with his position as a Janitor. Furthermore, the fact that he has been previously

so aggressive and evasive in nature, would suggest that he has underlying issues.

With this in mind, if I delved deeper into this latest clip, I would see different signs that might not

have been obvious before. The fact that he did tell an inappropriate joke and continually feels the

need to swear, seems to me still an aggressive “front”.

Secondly, when Sean addresses the issue of relationships, Will again, is aggressive and evasive. He

stresses that he does not want to get to know the girl he is dating, as she might turn out to be

“boring”. This is a student who is displaying fear to an extent. Sean is aware of this and points this

issue out. To my mind, Will appears to be a vulnerable person, in fear of trusting people and

therefore to come across as being strong, he is aggressive and evasive. This is a student with

problems.

2. How do you think Sean handled the two meetings with Will? If Will were a student in your

office, what would you do similarly to Sean? What would you do differently?

This is a difficult question, as I am not a psychiatrist like Sean. So with limited knowledge and

understanding in this area, it may be that any “criticism” I have of Sean’s approach to Will may be

unfounded. I can only give my view from the experience I have gained in teaching and the

knowledge acquired so far on this course.

In the first and second clips, I think that to just sit there and not say anything was perhaps a little

cold and distant on Sean’s part. As a teacher, I have never sat in a room with a student and said

nothing at the outset. Even if there is a student displaying a similar countenance to Will, I would still

instigate a conversation. If I was having to reprimand a student, I would have begun the

conversation by asking them why they were held behind to talk to me. If there was a discussion on a

more pastoral level, I would still begin the conversation; but this time with a more positive question

such as, “how are you?” To just sit and say nothing, to my mind is not relationship or rapport

building.

Yet, as I say, Sean is a psychiatrist and this may be a “normal” course of action with a student such as

Will. For starters, Will is an adult and he is at university (not a student in K-12) and therefore his

meetings may need to be conducted in a different way. Furthermore, this is not the first meeting

Will has had with Sean. The meeting before at the pond, was ended with Sean telling Will that it was

up to him to open up. Sean clearly gave him that respect and choice. Therefore both meetings were

as a result of that. So it could be said that Sean was right to start the next meetings like that. If Will

was ready to talk, then Sean was there.

Furthermore, when Will did decide to “open up”, Sean was instantly there to follow up his

statements or questions with something positive. For example, when Will felt the need to open with

the joke, Sean instantly engaged conversation by asking him if he had ever flown on a plane. My

understanding of this is that Sean is trying to give Will space; but at the same time, he is trying to

create a “safe” environment where Will can start conversations and “open up” on what he may

perceive to be his own terms. That I think, is very clever and with a student like Will I would try to do

the same.

3. How did the two sessions make you feel? How might you prepare yourself for an uncomfortable

advising session?

It is true to say that anyone who knows me, observes that I do not like silent situations! I have to say

something! Therefore, certainly the first clip and the second clip to a certain extent (until the relief

of Will’s joke) made me feel uneasy.

However, I cannot deny that I have not been in the same situations before. When dealing with

students from both a subject teacher and pastoral tutor standpoint, I have been in a one-to-one

situation whereby there have been few words exchanged. The feelings of awkwardness never go

away, because to be a chatty person is just part of who I am. Yet, I would like to think that over time,

I have got more used to dealing with these situations of silence, negativity and crisis. I take a deep

breath, I always open the conversation with a question and I wait for the response. If I do not get

anywhere, particularly if it is a student I know has problems, then I have traditionally left them with

a statement such as, “you know my door is always open and you know where I am. You can see me

anytime and I am here for you”. Sometimes a student has come back and sometimes they haven’t. If

I know the background to a student, and they are one who has significant issues, I have always as a

matter of formality, communicated the meeting/encounter with someone in the school who is a

designated counsellor or child protection officer. I would therefore like to think, that I would handle

a similar meeting with a student in a similar manner to this.

4. Would you respond differently if Will presented a different crisis? What if he mentioned feeling

severe anxiety/stress? Depression or self-harm? Feeling like he no longer belonged at the

university? How might you address these crises differently?

Sadly, as a teacher of K-12 (primarily teaching students post 16) I have encountered and dealt with

all of the situations above and many times over. The simple answer to the question is yes, of course I

would respond differently to Will if he presented a different crisis, just as I have responded

differently to each of the students under my charge over the years. Every student is different and

every student needs to be treated as an individual case.

In terms of anxiety and stress, there are many different levels. I have been in situations of severe

anxiety, which have actually at the time, meant that I have had to take immediate action (sometimes

giving first aid). For example, there have been students literally dropping into my office, stating,

“Miss I need to speak”, only to drop down and start hyperventilating, or going into a full-blown

asthma attack. In these situations, I have had to deal with that student straight away to alleviate the

physical symptoms they are facing. Depending on the severity of their mental state or background, it

has either meant I have followed up by referring that student to the Ed-Psych (or an adult in that

capacity) or I have been able to talk through and reassure that student with an action plan.

In terms of depression and self-harm, again it depends on the severity. Over the years I have had to

deal with a range of situations ranging from a student having a “low” day (being on medication) and

just needing to have someone to talk with, to a student self-harming in front of me (the worst was

actually one who hyperventilated, whilst trying to scratch the skin or her arms – that of which had

many razor blade scars on them). In each case, again depending on the severity and need for

immediate first-aid based administrative action, I have either had a long chat with a follow up later

in the day (perhaps with an Ed-Psych) to calling a colleague for “back-up” to help that student.

In terms of belonging, I have had quite a few students approach me on this subject. The reason

being that in the sixth form (grade 11-12 US), my school “opens the doors” to the surrounding

schools. In these years many new students come to the school and many do not know anyone. It has

been my job, as a tutor, to meet regularly with such students and ask them how they are doing. I

have enquired as to friendship groups and activities they have been involved with. At each meeting I

have made suggestions about their trying to join groups in their interest area and developed action

plans based upon this. If there has been no improvement here and the student still has feelings of

isolation, I have suggested and organised for them to transfer tutor groups. I appreciate that at

university this may be difficult for an academic adviser, yet I would still follow a similar path. The

only difference being, that if that student was not getting any joy from trying to integrate with

groups or sporting activities, I would suggest/refer them to a counsellor and student affairs officer,

whilst maintaining my notes and meetings with the student to ensure I could monitor their progress.

5. For each of the two sessions, what would your notes look like?

For the first session, given that neither person exchanged any dialogue, my notes would be very

brief. Except to state what took place and what (if any) progression had been made since the last

meeting. I would not include that Will asked for a cigarette; but I would state that he was unwilling

at that stage to talk and that I had not said anything and my reasons for doing so.

At the second meeting, I would build on the fact that I took the same action, in that I wanted Will to

start the conversation or “open up”, by not saying anything until he was ready to speak. However,

this time, I would write down that he opened by telling a joke, that I asked questions about whether

he had flown a plane before and that I probed about his relationships. Furthermore, my notes would

also contain material that he was more willing to answer the questions and that he and I had much

more of a two-way dialogue going. In terms of my informal side-notes I might make a note of his

answers to my questions on his relationship and his reactions to my observations about how he

reacted to me saying he wasn’t perfect.

Lessons 8 and 9 - Personal Learning Journal Woodman

What

Take brief notes of what you did (summarized at the end of the day): what

happened in your work or personal life and your coursework (readings,

assignments, etc.) What personal or professional question(s) are you

pondering?

The last two weeks have been a cumulative lesson. We started the lesson with scaffolding

concerning our understanding of different cultures of students. This was interesting as

found a timely overlap with course 556, where we have been learning about different

student subpopulations and their needs. With regard to Academic Advising, the first week

was interestingly challenging from the point of view that it considered 5 different scenarios

and the potential cultural issues present and how we would prepare for them. We also

partook in the group discussion on this and reading the issues raised by the rest of the class,

gave for some interesting angles which I did not consider, as well as some interesting areas

for further debate.

Why

Make brief analytical notes regarding your activities. How useful were your

activities? What learning goals did they address? What was the most

important “takeaway” from this day/week and why? Knowing why you are

doing something allows you to move from passive to active learning.

I have loved the continuity and cumulative nature of these last two weeks. I like how we

initially started to explore cultures and then had the opportunity to use this in the profiles of

individual students and then explore the questions we would ask in the role plays. Building

on the note taking we learnt ion the previous lessons and getting chance to do the role plays

again, our confidence in questioning really improved.

Reactions

Make brief notes or drawings to describe your thoughts and feelings about

your activities or a specific event. Your reactions will help you better

understand what activities and scholarly topics you enjoy.

I found answering the question to the different case scenarios quite challenging due to the

fact that there were so many permutations firstly to the aspects of culture they may have

touched upon and also, the concerns and questions I would have as advisor. Reading the

discussion posts, the cases have certainly opened up an opportunity for healthy debate!

With regard to the role play, I am gradually starting to find my feet, as I felt that I had less

filler words than last time. However, I still feel I have a long way to go to be what I would

consider effective in my questioning. Personally, I think my lack of understanding and

experience of the US education system (being a foreigner) gives me a challenge. I need to

get to know the different resources better so that I can competently offer channels of help

for students I may interview.

Learning

Take notes on what you think you learned from your activities. How do you

plan to apply what you are learning to some aspect of your life? You can

make this section as detailed as needed. This section will allow you to be

more aware of your learning.

I am building my confidence of questioning the more that we conduct our role plays

(although I still have a way to go!). The biggest take that I have from this week is that it is

all very well understanding and applying theory in written scenarios; but to be an effective

advisor takes so much more. I have good communication and listening skills being a

teacher; but I learning to utilize them in a different manner. There is definitely an art to

being an advisor. Eventually, I would like to be in a situation whereby I can recognize

needs of different students and to be able to take effective notes in order to aid my ability

to deal with those needs. It has also made me want to apply for an internship in this field to

further develop my understanding and ability by greater practice.

Goals for

Next Time

Make brief notes of what you will do next. What were the “lessons learned”

and enduring understandings from this activity. With regard to your learning,

what are you still wondering about? What goals will you establish for

yourself based on this experience?

I would like to build up my understanding of the resources available to students, so

that I could better advise and refer students who may need it.

I would like to build up my confidence in effective questioning and note taking

I would like to make the first steps in applying for and arranging an internship in

academic advising

I would like to make the preliminary steps in writing up my essay on international

students

Lesson 11 Kate Woodman – Summary and Final Reflection

When I first started the course, I had very little understanding of US higher education in its entirety, let alone academic advising. As a British K-12 Economics teacher, I knew that I wanted to stay in education, as this is something that I love. However, I was not sure where exactly I could “fit”. I am so glad that I took this course as combined with the other two courses I am taking this semester (HI ED 490 and 556), I have realized my interest in this area through the parallels it has with teaching. I loved the interactions with students that I had as a teacher and the sense that I was able to help and guide young leaners. I learned that this is very much central to academic advisers. Furthermore, as I wish to step away from the classroom and pursue more of a pastoral role, this is something I can do in academic advising. I know that there will be challenges and I am not naïve to think that every session would be a “success”; but if I have the opportunity to engage and help students with the next stage of their educational journey (higher education), I would get an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and achievement. In terms of crafting my advising technique, it has been a very long time since I have taken part in a role play scenario – but I think this has been a great experience. I remember thinking at the start how nervous I was. This was strange to me, since my job was about standing in front of a group of 17-18 students, delivering them new subject material. Furthermore, I have been so used to having one-to-one conversations with this age group about a various range of issues. So I questioned why I should be feeling this way. I think the underlying answer was that I worried about how I would come across to my peers. I was concerned about whether I would ask the “right” questions and be effective in engaging the student in conversation. The first time I took part in the skill-building session and reflected on my part, I realized just how much I used filler words. However, I did feel that not being able to see the person I was talking to, had created this situation. From this I learned just how much I am a visual person. I need to be able to engage in face-to-face conversation. To observe emotions and expressions, helps me to gauge the type of questions which are appropriate at the time. The second exercise was demonstrative of this. I found that seeing the student really helped me to communicate more effectively. As I settled into the conversation, I took more time in questioning and gained more confidence as an adviser. Furthermore, it was interesting that the second skill-building session had come after the lessons on advocacy, vulnerable students and the importance of note taking. As a former teacher, I have had a lot of experience with the first two, yet I learnt a lot from note taking. The latter is something I had never done before; but very soon I realized its importance in effective academic advising. In the second session, the situation of our students had changed. I therefore used the information on the issues as a basis for my notes. This I found really

helped me to craft more directed questions, as well as avoiding the issue of filler words. Furthermore, by using the evaluation forms from the first session for everyone in our group, I found it helped me to focus on emulating the positive practices of my peers (for example, starting with open-ended questions and then narrowing down to specific target questions like Gabby and making reference to relevant support networks and departments like Kaysey). I really want to be an academic adviser. The overarching thing that I have learnt is like teaching, advising is an art that takes time to craft. By reading the material in the lessons, having interviews with two academic advisers (who were former K-12 teachers like myself) and reflecting the development of my own abilities over the semester, I have come to realize that I do in fact, have transferrable skills and characteristics. I am a good communicator, listener and organizer, as well as being very sociable and compassionate. I have learned that like teaching advisers help students with a range of backgrounds, circumstances and issues. Advocacy, understanding of relevant law and ethics, communication, utilization/connection with all facets of university and finally, effective note-taking are key to the adviser. I hope to be able to always consider these factors with each student that I see. In order to develop my skills as adviser, I hope to be able to secure an internship in academic advising, so that I can practice what I have learned. I recognize that it will take time; but I hope with every advising meeting that I have, I will continue to develop. I am also a firm believer in a balance of literature and practice. I have been reading the recommended course text, which has been invaluable in helping me to understand the basics of this new career field and I intend to always refer to this excellent book. However, I have come to realize that there is so much material out there, merely by researching the information I needed for my topic paper. I have found this material on the study of academic advising and just one student sub-population (international students) fascinating. I would like to find out more about other student populations, as by reading material from another course I am doing, there are so many. Indeed, university is a rich environment with so many individuals. To better understand their needs requires more reading. Yet, I also believe in doing. As a teacher, I found that there was only so much I could learn from a book. The most learning I did was in the classroom, where I interacted with my charges on a daily basis. I believe this to be true of learning in the advising sense too. Therefore, my aim is to secure an internship in academic advising, so that I can learn from the work environment and interaction with students themselves. I also wish to build up my professional network with established professionals I have met in my studies, as well as classmates in the field. I have already learned so much from them and I believe I still can learn from this valuable resource. In terms of how my portfolio and personal philosophy has developed, I believe the following to be true. I have always been a positive and sociable person. As a teacher, I have always tried to bring this into the classroom in the way that I deal with my students. When I started this course, with little understanding of academic advising, I guess my philosophy was based upon these two factors. Yet, as the course has evolved and I have reflected on the different lessons, I have been able to relate to my experiences in teaching in every case. I have therefore been less afraid to incorporate other factors which I have held close to my heart in teaching. In essence, the materials, reflections, assignments and skill-building sessions have helped me to draw out the elements of teaching which I felt so important. Thinking back to the thoughts of Rita Pierson, I found myself nodding in earnest at her beliefs of how we should treat students: being approachable as educators, giving them respect and advocacy. By using both the profiles provided to us and the ones which we created in our teams for the written assignments and the skill-building exercises, I realize that advisers interact so many different

students. As teachers, we embrace diversity, yet I have come to realize that academic advisers do this in a greater range. In teaching my students have always needed direction. From reviewing and discussing the evolving situations of the case students, I realize how important this is to students in higher education too. Finally, I have always sought the advice and services of my teaching and non-teaching colleagues, when I have not been able to help a student myself. By taking part in the skill building sessions and reflecting on the case scenarios, I believe that collaboration is also key to effective academic advising if a student is to be best supported through university. I have not listed all the aspects of my philosophy, except to say that these are the instances which have helped me to understand the parallels with the aims and objectives I held in teaching. I know now not to be afraid to include them in my aims as an aspiring adviser.

Student Group Discussions:

Group Discussion Forums:

Hi Felicite and Michael,

Sorry for the late start on this. I hope I am in the right place. Have you had any thoughts on our student

profile? Do you think it would be interesting if we chose a non-traditional student? Maybe one that started college, dropped out and entered the workforce, and then went back to college as an adult

student? That's just a thought, and I am fine with whatever we decide on. At any rate, we need to come up with the items below:

A description of how the student self-identifies

Major (either intended or declared)

Semester standing

Pathway taken to reach this point in the student's education

Individual goals (both academic and personal)

Personality traits

Hobbies, interests, and responsibilities beyond the classroom

Co-curricular activies

Let me know what you think,

Lana

Business major sounds good. How about this -- he's taking classes online but still working full time (in

retail?). He made the decision to go back to school because he realized that he couldn't get ahead without

formal qualifications and has ambitions to move to a supervisory/management position (hence his decision

to seek a business degree)? Many years ago, he started college after high school, planning to major in a

different field, but didn't do well and dropped out in the second semester of his freshman year. So, this is a

big leap for him, but he is a lot more mature now than he was at 18. How old should he be? Family/no

family? These are just my thoughts, feel free to give him a different history!

Hi Lana, Thanks for intiating. I think non traditional adult student would work. Let's set as a male, first

year, we need a major...business or edu? Felicite

That's a very good point. Perhaps he is supported by his spouse? Or maybe he could be returning from

active duty in the military and is using the GI Bill to fund his education? Either one works for me.

Hi Mike and Felicite! Mike, I like your additions and I have just a couple of questions. Just to recap - we have a male in his early 30s with a family: are we having him work full time and study full time (online?)

Or are you thinking that he is a full time student commuting to campus, supported by his spouse? I was

thinking -- If he is working full-time, one of his biggest concerns will be effective time management, juggling course work and his job, and staying on track with his assignments. With him being prone to

anxiety, this could be an issue as he progresses further in his studies, particularly when the courses are more demanding and the exams get harder.

Hi Lana and Felicite!

This is what I'm getting from both of your posts and adding some of my ideas - let me know what you think! I just wrote this stuff down so we have a "template" of sorts for this week, but feel free to change

whatever you want in the profile.

A description of how the student self-identifies

Non-traditional student, adult male, and suffers from test anxiety

Major (either intended or declared)

- Declared major is business administration

Semester standing

- Sophomore (has some college credits from when they dropped out)

Pathway taken to reach this point in the student's education

- Student dropped out of college 15 years ago, entered the workforce, and now has re-enrolled as an

undergraduate student

Individual goals (both academic and personal)

Academic: Achieve a 3.2 GPA during sophomore year; successfully pass financial and managerial

accounting; make connections with at least two professors; meet with advisor each term and stay on track for degree

Personal - Learn strategies for mitigating test anxiety; successfully acclimate to university setting; manage time for home and school; and enjoy the undergraduate experience.

Personality traits

- Persistent, humble, encouraging (positive)

- Impulsive, lazy, mercurial (negative)

Hobbies, interests, and responsibilities beyond the classroom

- Enjoys working around the house, going to concerts, coaching little league, and spending time with the

family

Co-curricular activies

- Involved in business organization for the major and is taking a college success skills class to make the

transition to return to school easier

What do you both think? Suggestions/changes?

-Mike

Hi Lana,

I am not sure whether I am/was supposed to be in your group. I am Kate Woodman and I only enrolled on the course last week! I have informed Dr Smith of this and he is fully aware. I am therefore in catch-up. So

I may have completely missed out on this task and I apologise if I have contributed nothing to it.

I am not even sure whether I am in this group! I just clicked on the link for the task and this is the only

group message which popped up. If it is not too late to help or contribute in any way, please let me know and I will be happy to try and add my thoughts.

Kate

Hi everyone,

I posted a response to Lana, but just to let you know I have just the course last week, so I am in catch-up.

I don't know if there is anything useful I can contribute to this assignment at this stage. However, I relly

like Michael's suggestions. The only this I could possibly add (as I am one myself, coming from the UK) is that this student is foreign? That just may add another dimension/consideration for an academic adviser.

It may though, mean a few adjustments to the profile. Let me know what you think...

Looking forward to working with you all!

Kate

Hi Kate!

I'll post another recap with Michael's list plus a few of the additions that resulted from the discussions that

followed. He could certainly be an international student, we would just have to change a few elements of his back story (military background, on the GI Bill) What does everyone think? I am fine either way. By the

way, where in UK are you from? I am half Scottish (mother from Aberdeen!)

HI all, It seems that our student profile is coming together. Do we want him on the GI Bill (after

completing active military duty) as Michael suggested, with a spouse who works full-time. Or, do you want him to be an international student as Kate suggested? We would just need to tweak his background a

little.I also don't know whether we are required to to submit our student profile or just discuss it here.

Lana

Hi all, I liked Michae'ls suggestion as well. I also think it would be great to accept Kate's suggesition to add

international/foreign factor to our student profile.

Welcome kate.

Felicite

HI, How would we want to do this - since as an international student on an F1 visa, his spouse would be

on an F2 visa, and F2 visa holders are not permitted to work in the US. He would also not be eligible for

the GI Bill. So, if we make him an international student, we would have to change his background a bit: he would need to be here on his own financial strength as demonstrated when he applied for the F1 visa to

study full time in the US. What do you think?

Hi, I am not familiar with international student but willing to learn. so I trust your judgement on this part.

Felicite

Hi folks!

I was thinking about the profile and what we had to do with our student for this week's discussion.

Thinking about the excellent suggestions already (as you know I came late to this, so happy to ignore my suggestion of foreign student!), can I make the first offering?

Developments since last meeting:

Bearing in mind he has test anxiety, this anxiety has in fact got worse and he has not had the time to

speak to a counsellor or talk to his course provider. He has had a test back and got 55% on a Managerial Accounting module. He is really worried what this might mean next semester.

Further, he is finding that the demands on his studies from his personal life (coaching little league and

family commitments) are becoming increasingly pressured (he is not able to balance it very well, thus adding to his anxiety).

Perhaps the issues to discuss would be: Averages of test scores this semester and general academic progress, whether he intends to see a counsellor or his course provider and action needed on that front,

what his plans are next semester, discussion of action plan for work-life balance?

That is my two cents. As always, let me know what you think.

Looking foward to hearing from you!

Kate.

Hi Kate, I think poor grades can trigger a lot of anxiety for students. Perhaps he recevied more than one low grade or ingnored our invitations to come seek advising. Is it too late in the semester to drop the

accounting course? Perhaps he did not keep up with tutoring. He will have to do some major work to bring up the grade. Getting him back into our office for cousneling could be a challenge with his work and family

schedule. But we need to have a discussion and devise a plan to help him persist through the semester. DId this grade cause other issues, state of depression, anxiety cause other medical issues? Should we

create a tougher scenario? Subtance abuse due to his overload of responsibilities or pehaps his wife took

ill? What does next semester look like for him? Should he consider a lighter course load?

Felicite

Hi Kate!

I think these ideas of how the student has developed since the last advising meeting are great. I think we

can also add your "foreign student" element to it (and drop the GI BILL component if the group is OK with that). I have tried to compile everything into the profile below. Everyone, please feel free to make

changes!

So this is what I have for our profile so far:

A description of how the student self-identifies

Non-traditional student, adult male, and suffers from test anxiety

Major (either intended or declared)

- Declared major is business administration

Semester standing

- Sophomore (has some college credits from when they dropped out)

Pathway taken to reach this point in the student's education

- Student dropped out of college 15 years ago, entered the workforce, and now has re-enrolled as an

undergraduate student

Individual goals (both academic and personal)

Academic: Achieve a 3.2 GPA during sophomore year; successfully pass financial and managerial

accounting; make connections with at least two professors; meet with advisor each term and stay on track for degree

Personal - Learn strategies for mitigating test anxiety; successfully acclimate to university setting; manage time for home and school; and enjoy the undergraduate experience.

Personality traits

- Persistent, humble, encouraging (positive)

- Impulsive, lazy, mercurial (negative)

Hobbies, interests, and responsibilities beyond the classroom

- Enjoys working around the house, going to concerts, coaching little league, and spending time with the

family

Co-curricular activies

- Involved in business organization for the major and is taking a college success skills class to make the

transition to return to school easier

Nuances to add to profile:

- Student is from outside of the United States and their first language is not English

__________________________________________________

Developments since last advising meeting:

Bearing in mind he has test anxiety, this anxiety has in fact got worse and he has not had the time to speak to a counsellor or talk to his course provider. He has had a test back and got 55% on a Managerial

Accounting module. He is really worried what this might mean next semester.

Further, he is finding that the demands on his studies from his personal life (coaching little league and

family commitments) are becoming increasingly pressured (he is not able to balance it very well, thus adding to his anxiety).

Moreover, he is having difficulty communicating in formal settings with professors and students as English is not his first language.

Issues to Discuss:

- Address test score trends this semester and general academic progress

- Does he intend to see a counselor or his course provider and is action needed on that front?

- What are his plans next semester?

- Discussion of action plan for work-life balance

- Communicate important university resources for students whose first language is not English (e.g. Center

for Intensive English Studies)

HI Mike, I just saw your reply. The language barrier of a foreign student can add to the complextiy of their issues. All sounds good.

Felicite

Another major issue that will add to his general anxiety is that if he does not stay in good academic standing, it will impact his F-1 visa status. International students on F-1 visas (and I think those on J-1s

also) in general have to maintain good academic progress in order to be able to stay in the country, in addition, they have to maintain full-time status, so he can't really drop a class if it means he falls below 12

credits. So our student has a lot going on that would really heighten his level of anxiety. In addition to

meeting a counselor, he needs to make an appointment with his international student advisor to discuss these issues.

I like the discussion that is happening here. You have identified critical issues and broadened the scope of

what may be impacting the student. Nice work.

Looks like it's coming together folks! Thanks, Michael for adding the issues to the profile and the discussion

questions - really great! I am happy for him to be foreign and I agree it certainly would add to the anxiety issues. Perhaps we could make it more of a "difficult" scenario by stating that he is worried about a couple

of assignments coming up (that he won't be able to complete them sufficiently to get the grades he is capable of?). That might be something we could devise an action plan for..

I like the idea of spicing things up - so to speak.

Nice work guys!

Kate

Sample Observation Sheet from Interview #1 (Please note that I cannot include

Interview #2 as it is in PDF).

HIED 807: OBSERVATION SHEET

Observer Name: Kate Woodman Adviser #1 (peer name): Kasey Beurey Adviser #2 (peer name): Gabrielle Kearns

Observation Question Adviser #1 Adviser #2

Example: What time did the advising session begin?

09.20.15 19.00 09.20.15 19.00

What non-verbals did you observe during the interactions? What verbal or behavior cues were you able to pick up on?

I had no video link therefore I could not pick up on any non-verbals

I had no video link therefore I could not pick up on any non-verbals

What were three strengths in your peers’ line of questioning?

1. Very positive 2. Welcoming tone to the student (personal) 3. Talked about schedules and timeframes

1. Very positive 2. Questioning led to more specific topics (pinpointed issues) 3. Good reference to resources (ie direction to student affairs, counsellor etc..)

How could your peer improve in the future? What strategies would you suggest he/she change or develop?

This was very difficult as there were really bad technical issues (ie I could not see either Kaysey or Gabby) and the sound was sporadic. I was having to read the responses and then answer. I liked Kaysey’s interaction and questioning technique. She was very positive and she was engaging in conversation. In terms of the subjects, maybe some more suggestion of minors my character might be interested in next semester? There was mention of the careers adviser, although other subjects might have been explored for the final semester? On the whole really great!

This was very difficult as there were really bad technical issues (ie I could not see either Kaysey or Gabby) and the sound was sporadic. I was having to read the responses and then answer Again, I really liked the questioning by Gabby and the particular “narrowing down” and direction of her technique. The only thing I would say is maybe a bit more rapport on the initial conversation about her volleyball? i.e. any game successes, against who etc… On the whole really great!

What is your overall assessment of your peer’s advising session? What do you think they learned, or still need to learn? Any additional comments?

I think we did really well, given that there were some major technical hurdles. It is incredibly off-putting not being able to interact with someone you cannot see and barely hear! For a first try we got through it and it was great to speak to both Kaysey and Gabby.

In the future, we need to make sure that we overcome such difficulties If we do, I think we can “iron out” some of the issues of not seeing more of people, have smoother interaction in the questions and answers.

Summary of the advising session. (Imagine you are the adviser and want to have notes to look back on in the future – what would they say?)

Kaysey was so positive and really open and friendly with the student, making them feel really relaxed in her company. She praised where needed and gave constructive advice for the future.

Gabby is very good at pinpointing a particular problem for a difficult student and was able to give advice when needed. The student felt supported and had a variety of options that they could follow up to move forward with their problems.

Summary of YOUR advising session (Imagine you are the adviser and want to have notes to look back on in the future – what would they say?) What did you do well? What do you think you need to improve upon?

I think I was open and friendly and built up a good rapport with the student. I definitely could improve my nervousness and the filler words (I “urm’d” a lot). Yet I think that if I was to do this again, hopefully I would be actually able to see and properly hear the students I am talking to! There is nothing so off-putting than not being able to see a person when you are talking to them (as well as the connection difficulties). I like to be able to have eye-to-eye contact and therefore felt out of my comfort zone. It was a really good learning process though and I had some great people to work with.

Topic Paper: Understanding and Supporting the Needs of Foreign Undergraduate Students – Kate Woodman

Foreign (or international) students can be defined as “those who have crossed a national or territorial

border for the purposes of education and are now enrolled outside their country of origin”. (UIS, as

cited in Chauhada & Chang, 2012).

Of the top four destinations for foreign students, the US is the largest, with 75% of prospective

students stating that it was the destination of choice (Chow, 2011). Indeed, foreign students are an

integral part of US Higher Education. In the 2013/14 academic year, there were 886,052 international

students studying in US colleges and universities, which is about 4% of the total US Higher Education

population of students (Open Doors 2014. Institute of International Education).

Asians make up the biggest percentage, standing at 43% of globally mobile students (Chow, 2011).

Within that, the Chinese make up half of this population (Kell & Vogl, 2012). However, there are

many other origins which these students come from. For example, Sub-Saharan Africa (particularly

Nigeria), Saudi Arabia, Europe (particularly Turkey), Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil and Columbia are all

major contributors.

These students are often high ranked academically in their own cultures. These students therefore

bring new divergent ways of thinking and catalyse the level of academic competition in the countries

which they study (Hsaio-Ping et al. 2015). For universities and all academic staff, this is an excellent

opportunity to embrace diversity and enhance their educational establishments. Indeed, according to

Chapdeleine & Alexitch (2004), hosting international students is beneficial for all parties involved, as

these students contribute to the enrichment of higher education, to the strengthening of relations with

various nations in world trade, and the promotion of global understanding, as well as the much needed

financial support of many universities, whose traditional student body is changing. This view is

enhanced by Chauhada & Chang (2012), who state that foreign student recruitment is becoming

integral to the financial health of many institutions of higher education in the US.

There are many reasons why foreign students choose to study abroad. Naturally, they are drawn to

established universities with good reputations, so that they can further their academic prowess.

According to Chow (2011), apart from the lure of a university’s prestige, the other main pull factors

for foreign students are: the special courses not offered in country of origin, preferred language

instruction, historic and political relationships, cost, internationally recognized degrees, opportunities

to work, ability to finish degree, marketing campaigns and (in some countries) financial support.

Many foreign students come with the hope that they will have positive experiences when they get to

their university of choice. However, when they arrive at their destination, they quite often find that the

reality is far from the dream. Misra (2003), noted that all college students go through the process of

adapting to new educational and social environments. However, adapting to these environments may

be more stressful for foreign students who have the added strain of different cultural values, language

barriers, academic preparation and study habits. Furthermore, these issues may well vary with each

student, depending on their origin. According to Hsaio-Ping et al. (2015), in terms of overcoming

these issues, it is important that universities not only to meet international students academically; but

socially and culturally as well.

During their studies of foreign students, Robertson et al. (2000), found that cost of tuition, colloquial

language and feelings of isolation ranked highest amongst the problems. This view is shared by Coate

& Rathnayake (2013), who found that the biggest complaint in their studies of foreign students was

the visa system. Indeed, visa issues accounted for 50% of student complaints (Chow, 2011).

Furthermore, complex visa and immigration issues mean that many students are no longer allowed

publicly funded education, instead they must pay the private fees.

Although it is not directly the job of the adviser to deal with visa and financial problems, they should

be aware that many international students could be facing these issues. The degree to which it affects

such students could be exacerbated by the fact that language barriers and lack of knowledge of the

complex systems and processes of the host nation is not understood. Furthermore, Misra et al. (2003)

note that financial issues are one of the primary stressors which affect foreign students and if not

recognized, it could become a health risk. Advisers need therefore, to communicate with such students

during sessions and make a note of whether these issues are affecting them. Tell-tale signs of stress

should also be on the adviser’s mind (although further training to recognize this may be needed). As a

solution, an adviser could suggest the appropriate channels and offices for the student and provide

them with the contact names and numbers if necessary, as well as directing them to the appropriate

websites. The key here is communication and monitoring through regular meetings with the student.

Language was also ranked as one of the highest hurdles which foreign students listed (Roberston et al.

2000). Although these students pass the necessary linguistic tests before they enter the country, they

find that colloquialism is a huge barrier. One of the common problems is with classes, where some

professors are not empathetic to these language proficiencies. For example the speed at which they

speak in seminars. Furthermore, some foreign students find they have difficulty in their ability to

complete course assignments (especially where there are classes with high volume and intensity of

written assignments). Here, they found that they were often referred to remedial classes instead.

Moreover, there are also technology hurdles such as mass emails, which are often written in the native

tongue with little regard to the diversity of language capabilities they may be sending to (Habib, et al.

2014). In their studies, (Hsaio-Ping et al. 2015), found that it was an experience particularly felt by

Asian and African students.

As a solution, students themselves, propose that images, sounds and film may be more of an

inclusionary method for international students (Habib et al. 2014). Advisers could consider this when

helping students to choose subjects. They may encourage the student to take courses where there may

be more use of this type of technology, particularly during the critical settling-in period at university.

As a side note, taken from my readings of Levine and Dean (2012), it seems that universities need to

improve their utilization of technology anyway, given the needs of the Millennial generation, born

early 1980’s to the early 2000’s. Moreover, talking with two academic advisers, they both stated that

there needs to be an integrated approach to technology throughout university. Surely, if there is more

use of technology, then this may cover the solution suggested by the foreign students on the matter.

Then again, if a student does not wish to take subjects which may use this material, an adviser could

encourage the student to contact their course instructors to consider using this means of

communication for their benefit. Furthermore, Robertson et al. (2000) mention the encouragement and

use of mentoring. An adviser could in this instance suggest to a student to connect with English-

speaking peers in their class, who may be able to guide and help them overcome any colloquialisms

and reiterate their understanding of a class, should an instructor be talking too fast.

Cultural differences is also a common problem felt by foreign students and this can cover a multitude

of issues. Students attending universities in a culture different from their own have to contend with

novel social, educational organisations, behaviours and expectations – as well as dealing with the

problems of adjustment common to students in general. Everyday occurrences such as grocery

shopping, bus timetables and setting up bank accounts can be very challenging (Hsaio-Ping et al.

2015). The collective impact of unfamiliar experiences has been termed ‘culture shock’ (Zhou et al.

2008). In turn, culture shock can create social problems such as feelings of isolation from domestic

student classmates, homesickness and a need for social activities.

According to Chapdeleine & Alexitch (2004), students experience difficulties because they are not

aware of the implicit social rules that regulate interaction in the host country. As a result they

experience social difficulty in situations that presented no problems in their countries of origin. For

example Coate & Rathnayake (2013), found that female students from certain cultures have

difficulties on their own without their husbands (due to stringent visa barriers). However, there is little

accommodation for this. Furthermore, they found that having to share with others causes anxiety for

these students due to unfamiliarity and cultural differences (e.g. being an Asian in Irish student rooms,

with a partying and drinking culture, or a reluctance to cook curries, just in case it offends).

Misra (2003) found that cultural differences and the difficulties experienced by foreign students as a

result of this, cause different levels of stress. Furthermore, the level of stress will vary according to

country of origin and gender, as well as the degree of social and cultural support from the host

institution. Moreover, the further away a student’s country of origin from the host, the bigger the

cultural difference and in many cases, stress. Indeed, it is Asian students who experience the greatest

differences in cultural expectations and stress. Sadly though, these vulnerable students will often not

share their problems, nor will they seek medical or psychological help for fear of stigma. As a result,

there is a greater proportion of illnesses arising from such stresses (Poyrazli et al. 2004).

Advisers must be aware of cultural differences which foreign students may face and be aware of the

fact that they may be “masking” the true extent of their stresses. Chapdeleine & Alexitch (2004), offer

the thought that advisers can play a proactive role in helping to avoid stresses and perhaps bridge any

cultural differences by considering the patterns of interaction between international students and hosts

when planning programs of study. They could also promote programs that provide opportunities for

interaction, as well as cross-cultural training programs for international students and for university

staff members (faculty) who work with these students. Furthermore, an adviser could ask these

students, whether the cultural societies to which they belong, have considered promoting themselves

on campus, thereby increasing their presence and reducing stigmas and stereotypes which might exist.

Finally, advisers need to encourage these students to seek help and provide them with the necessary

contact details for student services and or relevant medical services should they need it.

Overall, there are many issues which foreign students encounter, as this “sub-population” is so

diverse. To list them all would be longer than the required content, so only the main concerns of these

students are selected from an array of research in the field. However, what is clear is that advisers

play a pivotal role in helping foreign students to adjust to life in a foreign campus and indeed, to help

them succeed throughout their educational journey.

Advisers (and all educators) must see these (and all) students as individuals and address each in turn

with compassion and understanding. Indeed, Rinck (2006) suggests to, “think of advising as if it were

a tag-team activity. A cookie-cutter approach to advising students from increasingly diverse

backgrounds probably will not be sufficient.” Furthermore, Wood et al. (2008) endorse this notion by

stating that, “as academic advisers, we must develop a comfortable, student-centered approach to

advising that focuses on each student individually, their past experiences, their current life situations

and academic needs, and their goals relative to careers and employment.”

If academic advisers look out for and recognize some of the issues highlighted in this paper and

perhaps act on it in the way that both the students themselves and researchers in the field suggest, then

they can meet each student individually and help them to make the most out of their college

experience.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

References:

Coate, K. and Rathnayake, G. (2013). An Ethical Commitment: Responsibility, Care and

Cosmopolitanism in the Internationalized University (in Blythman, et al. (2013). International

Students Negotiating Higher Education: Critical Perpectives.) Routledge.

Chapdelaine, R. F. and Alexitch, L. R. (2004). Project Muse - Social Skills Difficulty: Model of

Culture Shock for International Graduate Students. Journal of College Student Development. Vol.

45(2) p. 167-184.

Chauhada, R. and Chang, L. (2012). Trends in International Student Mobility. World Education News

and Reviews. New York. World Education Services.

Chow, P. (2011) What International Students Think about US Higher Education: Attitudes and

Perceptions of Prospective Students in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Institute of

International Education.

Habib, L. et al. (2014). Experiences and Challenges of International Students in Technology-Rich

Learning Environments. Educational Technology & Society, Vol. 17(2), 196-206.

Hsaio-ping, W. et al. (2015). International Student’s Challenge and Adjustment to College.

Educational Research International. Hindwani Publishing International.

Kell, P. & Vogl, G. (2012) International Students in the Asia Pacific: Mobility, Risks and Global

Optimism. Springer.

Levine, A. and Dean, D. R. (2012). Generation on a Tightrope: A Portrait of Today’s College

Student. New York. Jossey-Bass.

Misra, R. et al. (2003). Relationships among Life Stress, Social Support, Academic Stressors, and

Reactions to Stressors of International Students in the United States. International Journal of Stress

Management. Vol. 10(2) p137-157.

Open Doors 2014. Institute of International Education.

Poyrazli, S. et al. (2004). Social Support and Demographic Correlates of Acculturative Stress in

International Students. Journal of College Counselling 7, 1. Proquest Social Sciences Premium

Collection p. 73.

Rinck, C. N. (2006). Student Engagement and Academic Advising. The Mentor. Pennsylvania State

University.

Robertson, M. et al (2000). International Students, Learning Environments and Perceptions: A Case

Study Using the Delphi Technique. Higher Education, Research and Development. Routledge.

Wood, J. et al. (2008) Engaging Students in the Academic Advising Process. The Mentor. The

Pennsylvania State University.

Zhou, Y. et al. (2008). Theoretical Models of Culture Shock and Adaptation in International Students

in Higher Education. Studies in Higher Education. Taylor & Francis.

Lesson 3: Topic Paper Proposal - Understanding and Supporting the Needs of Foreign

Undergraduate Students.

The US is the top destination for foreign students wishing to study abroad and the number is rising,

with a 15% increase in enrolment from 2011-12 to 2013/14 (Institute of International Education). The

largest percentage of students coming to higher education institutions (43%) appears to be for

undergraduate study, with Masters Degrees in second at 39.9% and Doctoral study at just 16.3% of

foreign students (N. G. Ruiz, The Geography of Foreign Students in US Higher Education: Origins

and Destinations).

I too, am a foreign student, originating from the UK and I currently reside in the US. This is my

chosen topic of study, as firstly, I feel an affinity with the issues which face many foreign students.

Secondly, I am coming from teaching at Secondary (High) school level and I have witnessed some of

my students leaving the UK to further their education in the US, complete with all their fears and

concerns as to the new world they are entering. I believe the increase in foreign students is an

important issue for Academic Advising and I would like to know more about it, as I hope to move

into this area from a teaching background.