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The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal Strengthening the Position of Online Academic Advisers Michelle T. Hill, Gibbs College Introduction Distance learning is an accepted method of education for a variety of students who wish to have the flexibility to work while attending school, need to deal with personal issues that do not afford them time in the classroom, and are unable to move to the physical location of a college or university (Drake, 2007). Many traditional universities and solely online institutions provide programs of convenience for students to achieve their academic goals. As the population of online students continues to increase, more support services are needed to ensure educational success (Drake). Sloan, Jefferson, Search, and Cox (2005) proclaimed that with any institution of higher learning, academic advisers are a critical part of a student's success, from matriculation through graduation, and carry a valuable position as academic guides. These authors asserted that the role of an academic adviser is to assist advisees with educational goals, prioritization and time management skills, and academic planning that will result in successful graduation. Academic advisers of online programs have more of a challenge with building relationships and fulfilling their responsibilities with online advisees due to the non-existent personal contact that is inherent in the structure of distance learning. One could question the strength of the relationship of an academic adviser with his or her distance-learning advisees if the communication is a virtual one via phone and e-mail with no in-person connection. Distance-Learning Programs and Online Academic Advisers The format for an online or distance-learning education model is designed for virtual, asynchronous communication with very little personal interaction (Wang & Newlin, 2001). Classes are taken via the Web, students work in teams online, and all administrative operations are conducted via the institution's Web site, through e-mail or mail, or over the phone. Academic advisers fall into the area of distance communication as they attempt to advise their students. Sloan, Jefferson, Search, and Cox (2005) suggested that academic advising may seem easier to accomplish in traditional settings due to the face-to-face contact an adviser has with his or her advisee because both are on campus and accessible to one another. Unfortunately, online students and their advisers may not have a solid connection due to the lack of physical presence that would promote relationship building (Wang & Newlin, 2001). Online advisers communicate through phone calls and e-mails in hopes of performing their duties. Currently, associations between distance advisers and their students begin with an initial phone call at the beginning of the student's program of study and then become quite intermittent thereafter. Many distance advisers wait for their advisees to reach out to them before consistent communication is established. When students are making more contact with online advisers, they are usually doing so due to problems or confusion with classes or program structures. Such situations can be avoided if advisers are more proactive in initiating more communication throughout their advisees' programs, where discussions can take place to examine problematic situations beforehand so corrective actions can be taken (EduTools, 2007). When issues do arise, the delay in resolving them can range from a few hours to several days, depending on the connectivity through phone calls, voice messages, and e-mails between the advisee and the adviser. Many of the classes provided by online institutions as well as traditional institutions offering distance programs have a sequence for students to follow, with classes being available continuously so that students can progress through their program with very few interruptions. One of a traditional academic adviser's responsibilities is to assist students in scheduling courses or offering advice on which classes to take (EduTools, 2007). The online models deter distance academic advisers from performing such duties due to the systematic structure of online programs, thus lessening contact with their advisees. Academic advisers also offer assistance to help alleviate problems with educational attainment and other conflicts (EduTools), but the connection one would get from a face-to-face relationship is not as strong in distance communication, which can prohibit students from gaining the necessary help they need in a timely fashion. When online students work or are engaged in other time-consuming activities, academic advisers have difficulty making a connection because these students are not always easily accessible by phone or computer. Simpson (2002) proclaimed that even though online academic advisers are facing such challenges, they still have the responsibility to guide their students through their educational endeavors to the success of graduation and satisfaction with their jobs. Fortunately, the relationship of an online academic adviser and advisee can exist, but the extent to which that relationship is of value to the student is sometimes questionable. Strategies to Strengthen Online Academic Advising Relationships Since online academic advisers have only e-mail and phone communication as their tools to help direct the education of their advisees, tactics have to be developed to enhance the adviser-advisee relationship to ensure that students are gaining proper guidance through their programs. Online advisers must use the practices of traditional academic advising and augment them with distance strategies that are effective in building stronger bonds with advisees (EduTools, 2007). The following are some strategies that online academic advisers can employ to build a better connection with advisees and to enhance their advisees' progress through their online degree programs.
As traditional advising strategies are improved with a distance-learning perspective, academic advisers and advisees can see strength in their relationships and a benefit to the student's educational experience. Wang and Newlin (2001) suggested that there has to be an establishment of more routine communication for effective relationship building and connectivity between online advisers and distance-learning advisees. These advisers will have to extend themselves more to establish stronger bonds with their students to ensure that advisees are gaining all the assistance that is required to make the correct educational choices and to make graduation easier to attain. Sayles and Shelton (2005) stated that the ultimate responsibility of an academic adviser is to provide academic guidance so that students gain the most from their education and ultimately graduate with an optimal educational record. There must be a toolkit for academic advisers to complete their duties, regardless of the challenges that exist. Distance learning advisers have much more of a challenging time making the connections with their students that will add value to their students' educational endeavors. However, relationship building is possible if online advisers are thinking about the best possible ways to make a consistent connection that makes a difference in the lives of their advisees (Rovai, 2002). Student satisfaction is the focal point of online, distant-learning programs, and academic advisers must strengthen their positions to ensure the success of this academic support service (Simpson, 2002). References Drake, J. L. (2007). Commission says “get serious” about education. Public Relations Tactics, 14(1), 11–126. EduTools. (2007). Academic advising. Retrieved March 15, 2007, from http://www.edutools.info/category_list.jsp?pj=7&c=18 Rovai, A. (2002). Building sense of community at a distance. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 3(1). Retrieved March 15, 2007, from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/79/153 Sayles, S., & Shelton, D. (2005). Student success strategies. ABNF Journal, 16(5), 98–101. Simpson, O. (2002). Supporting students in online, open and distance learning. (2nd ed.). United Kingdom: Routledge Publishing. Sloan, B., Jefferson, S., Search, S., & Cox, T. (2005). Tallahassee Community College's progressive advising system: An online academic planning and resource system for individualized student advising. Community College Journal of Research & Practice, 29(8), 659–660. Wang, A. Y., & Newlin, M. H. (2001). Online lectures: Benefits for the virtual classroom. T. H. E. Journal. Retrieved March 15, 2007, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/15513 Additional ResourceStodel, E. J., Thompson, T. L., & MacDonald, C. J. (2006). Learner's perspectives on what is missing from online learning: Interpretations through the community of inquiry framework. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 7(3). About the AuthorMichelle T. Hill is a business program instructor and academic adviser of Gibbs College. She is also an online doctoral learner with the University of Phoenix. Ms. Hill can be reached at mhill1@gibbsnorwalk.com or 203-663-6348. Published in The Mentor on April 25, 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 | |