APRIL 2018
UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC ADVISING REPORT
A LOOK INTO ACADEMIC ADVISING AT THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
2018 UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC ADVISING REPORT Academic advising is the bedrock of the undergraduate academic experience, as it guides students through their education and personal growth. However, for years students have expressed concerns about the quality and availability of academic advising at GW. The Student Association has been dedicated to collaborating with the university to improve academic advising. In the fall, we worked to create partnerships with advising offices and the Office of the Provost and hosted student roundtable discussions on advising. This spring, we released a comprehensive survey with the aim of documenting undergraduate student opinions on academic advising to develop data-based solutions. With over three hundred responses, your voices have confirmed that there are significant discrepancies in the quality of advising provided from school to school. The university has an obligation to ensure that all undergraduates have access to student-centered and personalized advising. To enhance the advising experience, we are working with advising offices to create a Undergraduate Student-Advisor Compact for academic advising, establishing transparent and fair expectations for advisors and students. Advising is a two-way relationship, and our compact will begin a dialogue between advisors and students for years to come.
Peak Sen Chua SA President
Sydney Nelson Executive Vice President
Karisa Anand VP for Academic Affairs
Nicole Cennamo Assistant VP for Academic Affairs
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS I. OVERVIEW About the Survey........................................................4 Advising Trends at a Glance......................................5
II. SURVEY RESULTS Columbian College of Arts & Sciences...................13 GW School of Business.............................................19 School of Engineering & Applied Sciences............25 Elliott School of International Affairs...................31 School of Media & Public Affairs............................38 Milken Institute School of Public Health..............44 Corcoran School of the Arts & Design....................49 School of Medicine & Health Sciences...................51 School of Nursing......................................................52 College of Professional Studies..............................53
III. CONCLUSION Conclusion.................................................................54 Methods.....................................................................55
ABOUT THE SURVEY The 2018 Undergraduate Academic Advising Report is based on the results of the Student Association Undergraduate Academic Advising survey. This survey was released on February 23rd, 2018 and was open for a period of 43 days. All students received the survey via the SA weekly email newsletter and it was posted publicly on the SA Facebook page. In total, 303 students responded to the survey. 120 of these respondents were freshmen, 44 were sophomores, 66 were juniors, and 81 were seniors. The first half of the survey asked students to state their class, major/minor, and school. For the second half, they were directed to a series of questions pertaining to their specific school. There are nine main undergraduate advising departments broken up by seven individual school units. All students were then asked about questions regarding four-year plan development, course selection, and relationships with advisors. There were also certain questions in which students could write in their own answer and express their thoughts in their own words.
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
4
ADVISING TRENDS AT A GLANCE
STUDENT-ADVISOR RELATIONSHIPS Amount of students who feel they know their advisors well*:
31.2%
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
69.2%
GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
71.9%
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
78.4%
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
7.1%
91.0%
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
6
OPEN OFFICE HOUR USAGE Amount of students who consistently use office hours*:
21.9%
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
53.9%
GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
46.9%
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
26.6%
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
14.3%
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
0.0%
MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
7
FOUR-YEAR PLAN DEVELOPMENT Amount of students who have completed a four-year plan:
33.1%
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
92.3%
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
25.0%
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
98.3%
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
42.9%
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
63.6%
MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
8
FACULTY ADVISOR USAGE Amount of students who consistently meet with a faculty advisor*:
24.5%
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
30.7%
GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
56.3%
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
28.4%
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
0.0%
36.4%
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
9
COURSE SELECTION Amount of students who ask advisors (left) vs. peers (right) for registration advice:
PEERS
ADVISORS
19.2%
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
58.9%
57.7%
GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
26.9%
53.1%
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
25.0%
45.0%
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
41.7%
14.3%
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
71.4%
27.3%
MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
72.3%
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
10
MOST COMMON ADVISING ISSUE Most common issue students experience with academic advising:
ADVISOR CANNOT ANSWER QUESTION
TROUBLE SCHEDULING MEETINGS
ADVISOR CANNOT ANSWER QUESTION
TROUBLE SCHEDULING MEETINGS
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
ADVISOR CANNOT ANSWER QUESTION
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
ADVISOR CANNOT ANSWER QUESTION
MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
11
SURVEY RESULTS Columbian College of Arts & Sciences......................................13 GW School of Business...................................................................19 School of Engineering & Applied Sciences...............................25 Elliott School of International Affairs.......................................31 School of Media & Public Affairs.................................................38 Milken Institute School of Public Health.................................44 Corcoran School of the Arts & Design.......................................49 School of Medicine & Health Sciences......................................51 School of Nursing.............................................................................52 College of Professional Studies...................................................53
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE RESULTS The Columbian College of Arts & Sciences uses a POD system of
151
academic advising. Students RESPONSPNDENTS
in this school are assigned to one of three PODs based on the first letter in their last name. Throughout their undergraduate
Seniors 23%
years, students have the Freshmen 41%
opportunity to meet with up to four different professional academic advisors from their designated POD, whether during
Juniors 19%
a scheduled meeting or during Sophomores 16%
weekly drop-in office hours. Some students also have access to a faculty advisor, depending on their major.
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
13
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
WHAT ARE THE MOST FREQUENT REASONS FOR WHY YOU SEEK ACADEMIC ADVISING? 60% 45% 30% 15%
Cl as sS ch ed ul in g Fo ur Ye ar Pl an Jo bs /In te rn sh ip s St ud y A br oa D d eg re e M ap pi ng D eg re e O pt io ns D eg re e Pr og re ss
0%
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 60% 45% 30% 15% 0%
1
Never meets with advisor
2
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5
Meets with advisor on regular basis
14
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
HOW OFTEN DO YOU UTILIZE THE OPEN OFFICE HOURS OF YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 60% 45% 30% 15% 0%
1
Never
2
3
4
5
On a regular basis
HOW OFTEN DO YOU MEET WITH YOUR FACULTY ADVISOR? 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
2
3
4
Never
HAVE YOU MET WITH YOUR POD ADVISOR OUTSIDE OF THE REGISTRATION PERIOD? GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
5 On a regular basis
No 32%
Yes 68%
15
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Yes 33%
HAVE YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN YET?
No 62% Other 5%
IF YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN, HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU FEEL THIS WAS FOR YOU? 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
Very Unhelpful
2
WHO DO YOU TYPICALLY ASK FOR ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO COURSE SELECTION?
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5
Very Helpful
Other 4% Websites 4% Professors 14%
Academic Advisor 19%
Peers 59%
16
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR MOST COMMON/FREQUENT ISSUE(S) WITH ADVISING?
34.5%
30%
NOT BEING ABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT 20%
50.7%
6.8% INABILITY TO FORM A RELATIONSHIP WITH ADVISOR
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
Is su es Th re e+
Is su es Tw o
Is su e O ne
ADVISOR PROVIDING INCORRECT INFORMATION
0%
Cu rr en tI ss ue
30.4%
10%
N o
ADVISOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTION
"Sometimes it feels like I know more than [my advisors] do about the topic I'm asking about. It must be frustrating for them to have to understand all the majors in CCAS." ―Junior, Class of 2019
17
COLUMBIAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
THOUGHTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE ADVISING? I think having a really informative (constantly updated) website that is easy to navigate is very important." ―FRESHMAN, CLASS OF 2O21
"Sort advisors by field rather than last name, particular for the fields that aren't humanities in CCAS. ―SOPHOMORE, CLASS OF 2020
We need more advisors. Students work better with advisers when they feel they have a personal relationship with them." ―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2018
"Having a single advisor for a student... would allow for more consistent information being given, and it would be easier to form a relationship. ―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2018
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
18
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS RESULTS The GW School of Business uses a team model of academic advising.
26
Students can choose any RESPONDENTS
professional advisor from the Undergraduate Advising Team to meet with, either during a scheduled appointment or during weekly drop-
Seniors 27%
in office hours. GWSB students also Freshmen 42%
have access to peer mentors throughout their freshman year, as all freshmen are required to take a two-semester course called First Year Development Program (FYDP)
Juniors 15%
that is taught by a GWSB academic Sophomores 15%
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
advisor and a group of upperclassmen students.
19
GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
WHAT ARE THE MOST FREQUENT REASONS FOR WHY YOU SEEK ACADEMIC ADVISING? 80% 60% 40% 20%
Cl as sS ch ed ul in g Fo ur Ye ar Pl an Jo bs /In te rn sh ip s St ud y A br oa d Re qu ire m en ts D eg re e O pt io ns D eg re e Pr og re ss
0%
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
Never meets with advisor
2
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5
Meets with advisor on regular basis
20
GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
HOW OFTEN DO YOU UTILIZE THE OPEN OFFICE HOURS OF YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 40 30 20 10 0
1
2
3
4
5
Never
On a rgular basis
HOW OFTEN DO YOU MEET WITH YOUR FACULTY ADVISOR? 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
2
Never
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5 On a regular basis
21
GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
No 8%
HAVE YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN YET? Yes 92%
IF YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN, HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU FEEL THIS WAS FOR YOU? 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
Not at all helpful
2
WHO DO YOU TYPICALLY ASK FOR ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO COURSE SELECTION?
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5
Very helpful
Other 4% Websites 4% Professors 11%
Peers 26%
Academic Advisor 56%
22
GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR MOST COMMON/FREQUENT ISSUE(S) WITH ADVISING?
65.4% NOT BEING ABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
50%
40%
30%
26.9% ADVISOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTION
20%
10%
15.4% FREQUENT TURNOVER OF ADVISORS
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
Is su es Th re e+
Is su es Tw o
Is su e O ne
Cu rr en tI ss ue
ADVISOR PROVIDING INCORRECT INFORMATION
0%
N o
11.5%
"I feel as if sometimes there are a lack of schedule openings, and I feel that we can do more to make sure that there is time for everyone to meet if need be." ―Freshman, Class of 2021
23
GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
THOUGHTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE ADVISING? Advising should be promoted more and there should be a necessary meeting every semester to make sure students are on track." ―FRESHMAN, CLASS OF 2O21
"More availability -- when registration isn't coming up, [students] should be able to get an appointment within 2 weeks. ―JUNIOR, CLASS OF 2019
The GWSB advising system is great. I have an excellent relationship with my advisor and feel she knows me very well... All schools should take after GWSB's model." ―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2018
"More consistency with which advisor you see. I was paired with a different adviser every time... It would have been nice for someone to be familiar with my academic history. -―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2018
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
24
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APLLIED SCIENCES RESULTS The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences uses assigned professional advisors based on academic majors. Each
32
student will have the same professional RESPONDENTS
advisor throughout their undergraduate years. Each advisor has drop-in hours every day, with a 15 minute cap per student. Students can also sign up online for a 30
Seniors 22%
minute session with their professional advisor, which usually it takes about a week Freshmen 38%
to schedule. During pre-course registration and the beginning and ends of the semester, the daily drop-in hours are doubled from two to four hours a day. Students are also assigned a high-level faculty during their sophomore, junior, and senior years. Each faculty advisor holds office hours at least
Juniors 28%
once per week. Every student is also Sophomores 13%
assigned one upperclassman peer mentor as a freshman — through SEASPAN — who can answer academic, personal, or student life questions.
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
25
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
WHAT ARE THE MOST FREQUENT REASONS FOR WHY YOU SEEK ACADEMIC ADVISING? 90% 60% 30%
Cl as sS ch ed ul in g Fo ur Ye ar Pl an Jo bs /In te rn sh ip s St ud y A br oa d Re qu ire m en ts D eg re e O pt io ns D eg re e Pr og re ss
0%
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
2
Never meets with advisor
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5 Meets with advisor on regular basis
26
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
HOW OFTEN DO YOU UTILIZE THE OPEN OFFICE HOURS OF YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
2
3
4
Never
5 On a regular basis
HOW OFTEN DO YOU MEET WITH YOUR FACULTY ADVISOR? 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
2
Never
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5 On a regular basis
27
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
Yes 25%
HAVE YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN YET?
No 53%
Other 22%
IF YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN, HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU FEEL THIS WAS FOR YOU? 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
Not at all helpful
2
3
4
5
Very helpful
Other 6%
WHO DO YOU TYPICALLY ASK FOR ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO COURSE SELECTION? GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
Professors 16%
Peers 25%
Academic Advisor 53%
28
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR MOST COMMON/FREQUENT ISSUE(S) WITH ADVISING?
12.5%
Th re e+
N o
6.25%
Is su es
0%
Cu rr en tI ss ue
ADVISOR PROVIDING INCORRECT INFORMATION
15%
Is su es
21.9%
30%
Tw o
ADVISOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTION
45%
Is su e
28.1%
60%
O ne
NOT BEING ABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
DIFFICULTY WITH COMMUNICATION
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
29
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
THOUGHTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE ADVISING? In SEAS, we have professional advisors, who integrate new students before we transition to faculty adviser... Professional advisers should be replaced by faculty advisers from the start." ―SOPHOMORE, CLASS OF 2O20
"Better correspondence between advisors and the computer administrators that update course registrations for students. ―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2018
Higher more advising staff -- at least enough so that the department doesn't have understaffing issues." ―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2018
"Streamline the advising process [and] make a single, consistent, and unified online guidance resource for students to refer to. ―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2018
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
30
ELLIOTT SCHOOL RESULTS The Elliott School of International Affairs assigns to students to an advisor on a basis of their first letter of
60
RESPONDENTS
their last name. Each advisor also offers weekly drop-in hours for time sensitive issues, as well as Express Advising for quick questions. Additionally, during high demand
Seniors 32%
Freshmen 37%
times, the Undergraduate Advising Office offers Quick Start Advising for the first two weeks of the semester and Registration Advising during course registration periods. ESIA also utilizes peer advisors to offer students supplemental guidance and insight.
Juniors 20%
Sophomores 12%
Once during freshmen year, a hold is placed on first-years' accounts pending a meeting with their advisor to discuss their four year plan.
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
31
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
WHAT ARE THE MOST FREQUENT REASONS FOR WHY YOU SEEK ACADEMIC ADVISING? 60% 45% 30% 15%
Cl as sS ch ed ul in g Fo ur Ye ar Pl an Jo bs /In te rn sh ip s St ud y A br oa D d eg re e M ap pi ng D eg re e O pt io ns D eg re e Pr og re ss
0%
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
Never meets with advisor
2
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5
Meets with advisor on regular basis
32
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
HOW OFTEN DO YOU UTILIZE THE OPEN OFFICE HOURS OF YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
2
3
4
Never
5 On a regular basis
HOW OFTEN DO YOU MEET WITH YOUR FACULTY ADVISOR? 60% 45% 30% 15% 0%
1
2
Never
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5 On a regular basis
33
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
HOW OFTEN DO YOU UTILIZE THE PEER ADVISING SYSTEM WITHIN YOUR SCHOOL? 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
1
2
3
4
Never
5 On a regular basis
IF YOU UTILIZE THE PEER ADVISING SYSTEM, HOW EFFECTIVE DO YOU FEEL IT IS? 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
2
Not at all helpful
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5 Very helpful
34
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
No 2%
HAVE YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN YET? Yes 98%
IF YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN, HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU FEEL THIS WAS FOR YOU? 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
Not at all helpful
2
WHO DO YOU TYPICALLY ASK FOR ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO COURSE SELECTION?
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
Other 5% Websites 5% Professors 5%
5
Very helpful
Peers 41%
Academic Advisor 44%
35
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR MOST COMMON/FREQUENT ISSUE(S) WITH ADVISING?
41.7% NOT BEING ABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
16.7%
60%
45%
30%
ADVISOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTION 15%
3.3% FREQUENT TURNOVER OF ADVISORS
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
Is su es Th re e+
Is su es Tw o
Is su e O ne
Cu rr en tI ss ue
ADVISOR PROVIDING INCORRECT INFORMATION
0%
N o
8.3%
"I love my advisor... but it's really difficult to get an appointment. For example, I went to make an appointment on February 2nd and couldn't get one until the 23rd." —Freshman, Class of 2021
36
ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
THOUGHTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE ADVISING? More advisors. I love my advisor, but it's really difficult to get an appointment... Also, the FourYear Plan is so helpful; it should be mandatory for every school." ―FRESHMAN, CLASS OF 2O21
"I think an update on the school website about degree requirements for IA majors, concentrations, and minors is a must. ―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2018
I would do something to require a greater level of engagement from the peer advisors. Get more of them so they can attend to the needs of the freshman and require a meeting." ―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2O18
"Linking [advisors] with the Career Services Center to communicate job opportunities possible with an IA degree would be helpful to guide class decisions. ―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2018
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
37
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS RESULTS The School of Media and Public Affairs matches students who are pursuing a Journalism and Mass Communications
14
RESPONDENTS
Major, or Political Communications Major, to a full-time faculty advisor. Faculty advisors are assigned to students by the SMPA Assistant Director, but students are welcome to
Seniors 29%
Freshmen 36%
submit a special request for a specific advisor. Students and faculty advisors meet by appointment, as much or as little as needed. SMPA students also utilize the CCAS POD advising system when they need more general guidance,
Juniors 29%
Sophomores 7%
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
rather than specific questions regarding their fields of study.
38
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WHAT ARE THE MOST FREQUENT REASONS FOR WHY YOU SEEK ACADEMIC ADVISING? 70% 56% 42% 28% 14%
Cl as sS ch ed ul in g Fo ur Ye ar Pl Jo an bs /In te rn sh ip s St ud y A br oa D d eg re e M ap pi ng D eg re e O pt io D ns eg re e Pr og re ss
0%
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
1
Never meets with advisor
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
2
3
4
5
Meets with advisor on regular basis
39
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
HOW OFTEN DO YOU UTILIZE THE OPEN OFFICE HOURS OF YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
Never
2
3
4
5
On a regular basis
HOW OFTEN DO YOU MEET WITH YOUR FACULTY ADVISOR? 60% 45% 30% 15% 0%
1
Never
2
HAVE YOU MET WITH YOUR POD ADVISOR OUTSIDE OF THE REGISTRATION PERIOD? GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5
On a regular basis
No 43% Yes 57%
40
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
HAVE YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN YET?
No 43%
Yes 43%
Other 14%
IF YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN, HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU FEEL THIS WAS FOR YOU? 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
Never
2
WHO DO YOU TYPICALLY ASK FOR ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO COURSE SELECTION?
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5
On a regular basis
Other 14% Academic Advisor 14%
Peers 71%
41
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR MOST COMMON/FREQUENT ISSUE(S) WITH ADVISING?
28.6% NOT BEING ABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
35.7% ADVISOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTION
50%
40%
30%
Is su es Th re e+
N o
14.3%
Is su es
0%
Tw o
ADVISOR PROVIDING INCORRECT INFORMATION
O ne
10%
Cu rr en tI ss ue
7.1%
Is su e
20%
NOT HAVING AN ASSIGNED ADVISOR
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
42
SCHOOL OF MEDIA & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
THOUGHTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE ADVISING?
Have individual advisors [and] have one adviser assigned to a certain number of students (by major or generally)." ―JUNIOR, CLASS OF 2O19
"I really, really want an assigned advisor. I feel that the POD system does not work for me or my peers. -―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2018
We need mandatory in-person meetings with faculty advisors freshman year. My faculty advisor was helpful when I reached out, but I rarely did because I was never introduced." ―SENIOR, CLASS OF 2O18
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
43
MILKEN INSTITUTE RESULTS The Milken Institute School of Public Health uses a combination of faculty and professional advising. Students
11
RESPONDENTS
who are admitted to the school as first-year students are automatically designated as exercise science
Freshmen 9%
majors and assigned to two temporary faculty advisors. Sophomores 18%
Seniors 45%
Exercise science and nutrition majors are later matched with a permanent faculty advisor based on interest areas, while public health majors are paired with a permanent professional advisor. Each
Juniors 27%
semester before the course registration period, a hold is placed on MISPH students’ accounts pending a meeting with their advisor.
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
44
MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
WHAT ARE THE MOST FREQUENT REASONS FOR WHY YOU SEEK ACADEMIC ADVISING? 80% 60% 40% 20%
Cl as sS ch ed ul in g Fo ur Ye ar Pl an Jo bs /In te rn sh ip s St ud y A br oa D d eg re e M ap pi ng D eg re e O pt io ns D eg re e Pr og re ss
0%
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
Never meets with advisor
2
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5
Meets with advisor on regular basis
45
MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
HOW OFTEN DO YOU UTILIZE THE OPEN OFFICE HOURS OF YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR? 90% 60% 30% 0%
1
2
3
4
Never
5 On a regular basis
HOW OFTEN DO YOU MEET WITH YOUR FACULTY ADVISOR? 70% 56% 42% 28% 14% 0%
1
2
Never
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5 On a regular basis
46
MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
No 36%
HAVE YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN YET?
Yes 64%
IF YOU COMPLETED A FOUR YEAR PLAN, HOW BENEFICIAL DO YOU FEEL THIS WAS FOR YOU? 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
1
Not at all helpful
2
WHO DO YOU TYPICALLY ASK FOR ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO COURSE SELECTION?
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
3
4
5
Very helpful
Academic Advisor 27%
Peers 73%
47
MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR MOST COMMON/FREQUENT ISSUE(S) WITH ADVISING?
27.3% NOT BEING ABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
60%
45%
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
Is su es
Is su e
Is su es Tw o
Th re e+
ADVISOR PROVIDING INCORRECT INFORMATION
0%
O ne
45.5%
15%
Cu rr en tI ss ue
ADVISOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTION
30%
N o
54.5%
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CORCORAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS & DESIGN
4
RESPONDENTS
Seniors 25%
Freshmen 50%
Sophomores 25%
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
The Corcoran School of the Arts and Design uses a system of advising called Legacy Advising. This system is a part of the CCAS advising department and is run by one academic advisor. This advisor is known as the Corcoran Legacy Advisor and serves as the primary point of contact for all students within the school. Students have the option to attend a scheduled meeting or stop by during office hours held in both the Flagg Building in the CCAS advising center. Corcoran students also have the option of meeting with a CCAS advisor from whichever POD corresponds with the first letter of their last name. Unfortunately, the SA did not receive a great enough quantity of responses to identify a clear trend regarding the Corcoran student experience with the Legacy Advising system. This section does not contain graphs illustrating the survey results.
49
CORCORAN SCHOOL OF ARTS & DESIGN
THOUGHTS ON ADVISING?
The Corcoran School of Art and Design relies on one academic advisor, Amanda Kleinman. Ms. Kleinman is a key player at the Corcoran School. She helps all the [Bachelor of Fine Arts] students navigate through the difficult and frustrating process surrounding class registration. Further, there appears to be a lack of communication between CCAS as well as other schools and the Corcoran in regards to advising, academic programs, and class cancellations. For example, the School of Business recently launched a Minor in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This is of great interest to many Corcoran students and its introduction should have been communicated to the Corcoran before registration for the upcoming Fall semester. Ms. Kleinman wants to see each Corcoran student succeed and go on to graduate within 4 years. Without Ms. Kleinman as the Corcoran advisor, students would not get the support that they need to graduate on time. Ms. Kleinman offers office hours in both the Flagg Building as well as hours on the main campus within CCAS advising. Further, she doesn’t hesitate to make appointments outside these hours. She is an invaluable resource to the Corcoran. In spite of many hurdles, Ms. Kleinman helps students design their schedules to study abroad, minor in CCAS as well as fulfill all of their BFA, Corcoran, CCAS, and GW credit requirements. Using creative and innovative solutions, she is able to customize each Corcoran student's schedule in an effort to have them graduate on time and go on to become successful artists. She offers one of the few positive encounters within the Corcoran which has been struggling with construction woes, poor class schedule planning, lack of communication between the student body with the Corcoran administration as well as lack of communication between the Corcoran School and the larger University."
―SOPHOMORE, CLASS OF 2O20
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
50
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE & HEALTH SCIENCES
4
RESPONDENTS
Online Student 25%
Seniors 25%
Juniors 50%
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
The School of Medicine and Health Sciences has various academic advising resources available to students. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs is the main advisor, but students also have access to faculty advisors who are available to meet during a scheduled appointment or during drop-in office hours. Additionally, SMHS uses a mandatory peer advising program. At the start of their freshman years, each SMHS student is assigned to an upperclassmen peer advisor. These peer advisors host a series of advising sessions throughout the year referred to as “Pearl Panels.” Unfortunately, the SA did not receive a great enough quantity of responses to identify a clear trend regarding the SMHS student experience with academic advising. This section does not contain graphs illustrating the survey results.
51
SCHOOL OF NURSING The School of Nursing offers little accessible information located online regarding their academic advising
1
RESPONDENT
system. It appears as if students in the School of Nursing have faculty advisors along with a growing professional advising program. According to a report entitled GW Nursing Strategic Plan 20182021, the School of Nursing is currently seeking to “create a plan to pair students with advisers by June 2018.” Unfortunately, the SA did not receive a great enough quantity of responses to identify a clear trend regarding the
Seniors 100%
School of Nursing student experience with academic advising. This section does not contain graphs illustrating the survey results.
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
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COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES The College of Professional Studies offers little accessible information located online regarding
1
RESPONDENT
their academic advising system. It appears as if students have access to a professional advisor, although the specifics of the program remain unclear. The SA did not receive a great enough quantity of responses to identify a clear trend regarding the College of Professional Studies student experience with academic advising. This section does not contain graphs illustrating the survey results.
Juniors 100%
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
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conclusion Four Year Plan Development This report identifies crucial trends in regards to the academic advising experience. Significant disparities exist between the nine advising systems and individual schools. Four primary areas demonstrate concerning patterns: the strength of the student-advisor relationship strength, the prevalence of four year plan development, inability to schedule a meeting with advisors, and advisors being unable to answer questions.
Student-Advisor Relationships The relationship between a student and their advisor characterizes an individual’s academic experience at GW. An advisor who is familiar with the student’s goals, interests, and academic history can help students to guide the course registration process, explore academic opportunities, and understand the requirements of their desired degree. This relationship is showcased in the impact of mandatory one-on-one advising. Students in schools such as MISPH and ESIA which require at least one mandatory, oneon-one advising meetings experience closer relationships with their advisors than students in schools such as CCAS and SMPA. 91.0% of MISPH students and 78.4% of ESIA students said they knew their advisor well, while only 31.2% of CCAS students and 7.1% of SMPA students knew their advisor well.
A four year plan is an essential tool in ensuring the successful fulfillment of degree requirements. Without planning, a student may be unable to complete the course requirements required to graduate. Whereas 98.3% of ESIA students and 92.3% of GWSB students said they had completed a four year plan, only 42.9% of SMPA students and 33.1% of CCAS students said they had completed a four year plan. These responses demonstrate the importance of requiring students to create a four year plan, as students will not create one without guidance from their advisors. Although SEAS has the smallest quantity of students who have completed a four year plan at 25.0%, this is because the majority of SEAS students’ schedules are predetermined based on the course sequence of their major.
Most Common Issue Several schools across the university share similar issues with advising. For GWSB and ESIA, the most common issue students incurred was scheduling difficulties, with 65.4% of GWSB respondents and 41.7% of ESIA respondents detailing an inability to schedule an advising appointment at least once. For MISPH, CCAS, SMPA, and SEAS students, on the other hand, the core of advising-related frustration resulted from their advisor being unable to answer their questions. According to the survey, 54.5% of MISPH students, 50.7% of CCAS students, 35.7% of SMPA students, 28.1% of SEAS students cited their advisor’s lack of knowledge as the primary advising issue they have faced.
METHODS All survey data was pulled from the Undergraduate Academic Advising Survey, issued to students in the spring of 2018 by the Student Association. Not all respondents answered all questions on the survey. In this report, Class of 2021 is designated as freshmen, Class of 2020 as sophomores, Class of 2019 as juniors, and Class of 2018 as seniors. Quotes included in the report were taken from the survey responses of individual GW students. They are reflective only of the students’ personal views and are not statements made on behalf of the Student Association. *These percentages signify students who selected answer choices 3 through 5 on a scale from 1 to 5
GW STUDENT ASSOCIATION
55
STUDENT ASSOCIATION AT THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SA.GWU.EDU
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