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The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal Applying O'Banion's Model to Study Abroad Advising Lindsey A. Jendraszak, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
Although the two are in seemingly separate disciplines, academic advisers and study abroad advisers have the same goal: they want their students to develop not only academically but also holistically. According to Terry O'Banion (1972/94) in his well-known article, “An Academic Advising Model,” “The purpose of academic advising is to help the student choose a program of study which will serve him in the development of his total potential” (p. 10). According to the United States Senate, “Study abroad programs . . . empower students to better understand themselves and others through a comparison of cultural values and ways of life” (NAFSA: Association of International Educators). Both academic advisers and study abroad advisers desire for their students to develop holistically, and both can use some of the same techniques to help their students accomplish this goal. In the above-mentioned article, O'Banion (1972/94) lays out the foundation for developmental academic advising. He provides five steps (exploration of life goals, exploration of vocational goals, program choice, course choice, and scheduling classes) that advisers can follow during their meetings with students to help their students have successful and developmental experiences at college. O'Banion and several others have already explored how these five steps play out in an academic advising meeting, but I will be exploring how these steps can be used in the context of a study abroad meeting. Ideally, this article can give academic advisers some ideas on how to implement a model with which they are already familiar. Exploration of Life Goals The first step O'Banion defines is “exploration of life goals” (p. 10). The adviser needs to sit down with students and help them vocalize what they envision for themselves. When a study abroad adviser first meets with a student, the adviser needs to address the student's life goals by asking, “In what way do you see study abroad benefiting you further down the road? Why do you want to study abroad? What do you hope to gain from your experience?” The adviser needs to help the student vocalize the real reasons he or she wants to spend time out of the country. While many students begin to answer these complicated questions by saying studying abroad is something they have always wanted to do, upon further questioning the student will normally give more details as to why he or she wants to study abroad. With these questions, the adviser can begin to piece together background information on the student that will help the adviser advise the student in the most proficient way. The answers to these questions can also give the adviser pieces of functional knowledge, such as in which areas of the world the student desires to spend time. These questions can help students focus on and vocalize the reasons that they want to study abroad and how they see this experience benefiting them. Exploration of Vocational Goals The second step O'Banion suggests advisers take is to help the student explore his or her vocational goals. In this phase of the meeting, the study abroad adviser helps the student discover how studying abroad can aid him or her in preparing for and implementing a career. The adviser can begin by asking the student about his or her major. This in turn can lead to a discussion about the student's career aspirations and goals and how studying abroad can benefit the student in his or her quest for these goals. Sometimes it is quite easy for the student and adviser to understand how studying abroad can be beneficial in furthering the student's vocational aims. For example, a student pursuing a Spanish major with the desire of becoming a translator will not have a hard time imagining the benefits of spending a semester immersed in Spanish language and culture. This step can become more difficult, however, when advising students who are pursuing degrees in specialized majors such as biology, mathematics, or engineering. With these students, it can be beneficial for the adviser to point out the benefits of living abroad, exploring new cultures, and expanding one's worldview. It is also often heartening for students to discover that other students who have studied abroad are highly desired by employers because of the students' open-mindedness and willingness to change that the experience implies. By pointing out these benefits, students can often discover how studying abroad can be beneficial to their vocational goals. Program Choice In the next dimension of O'Banion's five steps (program choice), the adviser and the student address many questions that will ultimately lead to a program choice. For academic advisers, this step deals with assisting the student in picking a major area of academic concentration based on the student's life and vocational goals. For the study abroad adviser, helping the student pick a program entails searching for overseas programs that will enable the student to be sufficiently challenged and supported, kept on track for graduation, and satisfied, while at the same time not breaking the student's budget. After the student and the adviser have discussed how studying abroad can help the student work towards achieving his or her vocational goals, the adviser needs to start considering which types of programs would be most beneficial for the student to participate in in terms of gaining vocational skills. Would the student benefit from a program where he or she would be taking courses within his or her major? Is it possible to find such a program, and would the program be the right match for the student? Could the student benefit more from taking cultural courses and putting major work aside for a semester? What kind of program can provide the challenge and support the student needs? Today, the study abroad experience can be divided into basically three different types of programs. With the typical exchange program, students live abroad for either a semester or a year, and they enroll directly at a host university or college. They live either on campus with native students or off campus with host families. This type of program is often used by language students to gain fluency, as it offers the highest level of immersion for students. Island programs are another option for students wanting to study abroad. These students live with other Americans and are taught in the American style of learning. Immersion opportunities are more limited, as the students are not in direct contact with the natives either in school or in housing. The last type of study abroad program is field studies. These programs usually take place during the summer and winter breaks and typically last for a few weeks to a month. Students travel to other countries, are normally supervised by professors, and take one or two very specific courses based on their location. Students normally travel extensively during these programs, and opportunities for true immersion are very slim. When approaching the program choice step in O'Banion's model, study abroad advisers have the sometimes difficult job of trying to discern which type of program is best suited for the development of the student. Besides factoring in the different types of programs, the adviser must also keep in mind the types of courses offered through the program, the student's choice of location, and the student's budget. Just as academic advisers expose their students to a wide array of academic programs, it is often wise for study abroad advisers to review the different types of availible programs with the student. Many times, the student is already aware of the type of program he or she would feel most comfortable with, and this inner knowledge helps the student ultimately decide on a program. Course Choice With the program choice made, the student and adviser come to the fourth step in O'Banion's developmental advising model: course choice. If the student has decided to study abroad with a program sponsored by the student's home institution, this step is very similar to an academic adviser helping a student choose courses at their home institution. The adviser needs to help the student work out which courses will count towards his or her degree and which are the most appealing to the student. However, if the student is going on a program that is not being run through the home institution, this step can be a bit more difficult. The adviser and the student need to go through the list of courses offered by the program and then attempt to determine how those courses will transfer back when the student returns to his or her home institution. For an academic adviser, this step would be quite similar to working with a transfer student. Besides helping the student to determine which courses will help him or her to stay on track for graduation, the study abroad adviser also needs to encourage the student to take courses that will give that student the most fulfilling experience abroad. Sometimes, this may mean taking fewer courses than the student is used to so he or she has enough time to appreciate the surrounding culture. Scheduling Classes After the courses have been chosen, the student and adviser come to the final stage in O'Banion's model: scheduling courses. For study abroad advisers, this practical piece of prescriptive advising carries over to providing and helping the student apply for the program he or she has chosen. The application process can be long and lengthy, and students appreciate and trust advisers who can help them correctly navigate it. The adviser needs to make sure to provide clear and correct directions to the student, because if the adviser makes a mistake, the student may not trust him or her enough to come back for crucial pre-departure and re-entry meetings. After the adviser has assisted the student in navigating through the application process, O'Banion's model is complete. Summary At times, the work of study abroad advisers and academic advisers cross paths, and it is important for each to have an idea of the other's line of work. O'Banion's five-step model of developmental advising is one that can apply to both academic advising and study abroad advising. Hopefully, this article explained a little more the work of a study abroad adviser and presented academic advisers with another look at how O'Banion's model can be implemented in advising meetings. References O'Banion, T. (1994). An academic advising model. NACADA Journal, 14(2), 10–16. NAFSA: Association of International Educators. (n.d.). U.S. Senate resolution designates 2006 as year of study abroad. Retrieved November 2, 2006, from http://www.nafsa.org/public_policy.sec/study_abroad_2/u.s._senate_resolution About the Author Lindsey A. Jendraszak is coordinator of tutoring programs, University College, at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. She can be reached at lmahaus@indiana.edu or 317-274-4818. Published in The Mentor on February 21, 2007, 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 | |