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The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal Creating an Online Advising Manual for Reference, Training, and Professional Development Anita Carter, Wayne State University An online advising manual can be readily accessible, easily revised, and cost-effective when compared to print versions. There are no binders to stuff, no copies to make, and no revisions to pencil in while waiting for a new printing. Anyone who advises on campus can access it. Decide on a Format The first decision to be made is related to format. The format may be presented in categories, alphabetical order, or a combination of the two. Consider using alphabetical order to arrange topics related to prescriptive advising. Remember to include all of the possible terms that might describe the same thing in the appropriate alphabetical category. For example, “math qualifying examination” and “math placement exam” are two terms that may be used to describe the same exam, so you might place a description under both “Q” for “qualifying examination” and “P” for “placement exam.” Topics related to developmental advising might be better arranged in categories rather than in alphabetical order. For example, you might categorize topics for training together and those for professional development together with titles to differentiate the categories. For example, training topics might be categorized under the heading “Helping Skills and Advising Techniques,” while professional development topics might be categorized under the heading “Professional Development Links.” Adhere to Good Design Principles Design for the lowest common denominator in terms of modem speed, browser capability, and hardware specifications. Computer hardware and Internet browsers may vary a great deal across the campus. Use enough “white space” to be visually appealing, limit the use of icons and visuals to those that are required to convey the message, and make sure your pages can be read in a text-only format without losing the message. Choose your background colors very carefully, and check them on both color and monochromatic monitors for full effect. Also make sure there is adequate contrast between the background color and text. Make navigation intuitive by using menu bars, text, or icons. If you use icons for navigation, create alternate text to identify the meaning of the icons. Break pages into manageable “bites” by using internal links for navigation. Use a “<TARGET=new...>” HTML tag on linked pages for easy return to the table of contents. Create Buy-In – Encourage Participation in Creation and Revision One way to encourage participation is to poll advisers across campus regarding the topics to be included. Once topics have been requested and decided upon, request assistance with the actual writing. One way to do this is to “ask the experts” by asking advisers with particular expertise to write about their areas of expertise. Another is to view the creation of the manual as a training assignment for new staff and trainers, having new staff members locate and report the answers to common advising questions, with the trainers verifying the content. The manual may also become an ongoing office project in which topics are brought up and discussed at staff meetings, then added to the manual once the policy has been clarified. The more people involved in the creation of the advising manual, the greater the opportunity for a comprehensive resource that will be used by advisers in their various roles across campus. Review the Content A comprehensive online advising manual can include both prescriptive and developmental topics, as well as professional development topics and links. Prescriptive topics include the specifics of policies and procedures, such as declaring a major, restrictions on credits, and placement exams. Developmental topics would include items such as listening skills, conducting an advising interview, and effective techniques for asking questions. This section should include topics for rookies as well as experts. The professional development section should include links to on-campus advising networks, professional organizations, related Web pages, and listservs. Make it Accessible Creating a comprehensive advising manual is just the first step. The manual must be readily accessible to be useful. Make sure it is easily found by creating links to it within various Web pages at your institution. It makes sense for it to be accessible from your advising center home page, but that link may not be enough. Ask about adding links within the institution's home page or academic department Web pages. Models General College Advising Manual, University of Minnesota www.gen.umn.edu/students/advisingbook/ Wayne State University Advising Center Manual sdcl.wayne.edu/uac/advman.html Purdue University Academic Advisors Resource Guide www.purdue.edu/oop/advisors/ Additional Resources Carter, A. L. Design considerations for building a successful Web site. Advising Technology Education Center (ATECH). www.psu.edu/dus/ncta/atech001.htm December, J. Web development. www.december.com/web/develop/ Gillespie, J. Web page design for designers. www.wpdfd.com/ Ray, D. S. & E. J. (1998). HTML 4 for Dummies. Indianapolis, IN: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. Steele, G. Using graphics in designing an advising Web site. Advising Technology Education Center (ATECH). www.psu.edu/dus/ncta/atech002.htm Anita Carter is an academic adviser in the University Advising Center at Wayne State University. She can be reached at aa4208@wayne.edu or 313-577-3131. Published in The Mentor on December 17, 2001, by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |