Advising Initiative

Implementation: Beginning this fall, a number of important advances in undergraduate advising are being implemented in the interests of providing consistently high quality advising all undergraduate students at Seattle University. To help advisors transition to these expectations for advising, web and print resources have been developed for their support. These include a new website, the Advising and Educational Planning Record, the Student Action/Referral Form and the Advising "Syllabus".

Initiative history:

2000 The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the accrediting body, recommends that Seattle University increase it efforts to achieve consistent advising support for students throughout the University. This recommendation reflected concerns expressed by students and advisors at Seattle University regarding uneven quality in advising.

2002-04 In response that recommendation, the Provost appoints an Advising Assessment Team to review strengths and weaknesses of the university advising system. To lay the foundation for broader program improvement, mission and goals statements for advising were drafted.

Spring 06 Associate Deans from each school are given oversight of the advising program for their school. This Advising Oversight Committee will make recommendations to the Deans’ Council regarding the direction of the undergraduate university advising system.

2006-07 A committee of representatives from each undergraduate school was charged with designing a plan for achieving those goals.

Spring 07 Advising Oversight Committee recommendations were approved by the Deans’ Council for implementation beginning this academic year.

Plan Components The plan sets expectations for advisors and advisees to ensure the following components for the advising process:

• A consistent and supportive relationship between an advisor and advisee
• Educational planning over a 2-4 year span that includes coursework and such associated activities as education abroad or research opportunities
• A focus in advising toward post graduate goals
• Advising meetings required quarterly throughout the freshman year, through the third quarter of enrollment for transfer students, and annually for all students
• A transparent university –wide system easily understood by students, faculty and staff throughout the university

What’s Ahead: Full implementation is expected to take place over a five year span as resources are increased. To assist advisors in meeting advising expectation, advising ratio targets have been set at 1 faculty advisor per 20 advisees and 1 professional advisor per 150 advisees. These targets are to be reached by increasing staff resources during the five year implementation process.

The NWCCU accepted the plan as an adequate response to their recommendation.

The Advising Oversight Committee
Charles Lawrence, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs
Carol Schneider, Director, Student Academic Services
Kathleen La Voy, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Mara Rempe, Associate Dean, College of Science and Engineering
Teresa Ling, Associate Dean, Albers School of Business and Economics
Sharon Parkman, Assistant Dean, College of Nursing
Jodi Kelly, Associate Dean, Matteo Ricci College

2006-2007 Advising Development Committee Members:
Andrew Anderson, Associate Registrar
Kathyrn Carson, Advising Services Coordinator, Student Academic Services
Rebecca Collias, Registrar
Michelle DuBois, Assistant Professor, Biology, S&E
Robert House, Director of Undergraduate Programs, Albers
Jodi Kelly, Associate Dean, MRC
Mary Kelly, Advising Coordinator, S&E
Suki Kwon, Director of Advising, A&S
Kathleen LaVoy, Associate Dean, A&S
Charles Lawrence, Associate Provost
Teresa Ling, Assistant Dean, Albers
Sharon Parkman, Assistant Professor, Nursing
Mara Rempe, Associate Dean, S&E
Carol Schneider, Director of Student Academic Services
Kim Thomas, Premajor Studies, Student Academic Services