Appreciative Advising in a Group Setting: Balancing Advisor Time and Student Development

1. Appreciative Advising in a Group Setting: Balancing Advisor Time and Student Development Erin Alanson & Jessica King University Honors Program

2. Our Session • UHP overview • Advising frameworks • Second year student needs • Group advising model • Impact & implementation

3. Key Questions • What are the needs of our students? • What are our goals for advising? • What can we accomplish individually and in groups? What are the trade-offs? • How can we help our students become members of an intellectual community?

4. University Honors is committed to helping students maximize their educational opportunities at UC while discovering and pursuing their passions in life and using their gifts and talents to make meaningful contributions to society. University Honors Program

5. Development & Framework Emphasis on experiential learning

6. Consultant Visit & Results • Comprehensive review of program and structure • October 2010, per then-Provost Ono • Expanded responsibilities & staff size • Continue use and integration/reflection via learning portfolios • Annual mandatory advising for all students

7. Touch Points with UHP Students • HNRS 1010: Gateway to University Honors • First year advising • 30 min. individual appointment • Year in review reflective essay • Submitted through a learning portfolio • Second and third year advising • Group advising sessions • Fourth year advising • TBD

8. Models of Reflection • What? • What happened? • So What? • What impact did the experience make? • Now What? • Where do you go and what do you do next? Gibb’s Model of Learning by Doing (1988) Kolb’s Model of Experiential Education (1984)

9. Appreciative Advising • Student-centered and relational framework for helping support pursuit of dreams, passions, and goals • Collaborative, six-phase process using positive, open-ended questions • Phases covered in 2Y advising: • Dream: Inquire about students’ hopes and dreams for the future • Design: Co-create a plan for making dreams a reality

10. Second Year Student Needs • According to Schaller (2005), 2Y students: • feel frustrated with relationships or academic experiences. • need to explore opportunities and begin taking responsibility for their actions. • Schaller suggests that students need to be taught to reflect on their curricular and co-curricular experiences

11. Addressing 2Y Student Needs Through reflection and guided conversations help students: • select meaningful experiences • identify salient pieces of their identity (interpersonal, intrapersonal & cognitive) • set personal and professional goals • refine and/or identify their passion

12. Overview of 2Y Group Advising Session Outline: • Welcome and check-in (10 minutes) • Introductions (10-15 minutes) • Building connections w/ others surrounding identity development (25 minutes) • Individual written reflection followed by pair & share (30 minutes) • Program updates and opportunities for exploration (30 minutes) • Questions/concerns (15 minutes)

13. How are our identities evolving? Best Learning Experience Most Challenging Experience Growth and Development Accomplishments Uncertainty

14. Sample Reflection Questions • What did you learn about yourself during your first year? Why is this information meaningful? • Describe a significant relationship and what you’ve learned as a result. • In the efforts you’ve made to achieve your goals, consider who has challenged and/or persuaded you to change your path. How did you respond?

15. Final Jeopardy! UHP Requirements UHP Updates Campus Opportunities Professional Development UHP Involvement $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $300 $300 $300 $300 $300 $400 $400 $400 $400 $400 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500

16. Overview of 2Y Group Advising Logistics • 2 hour sessions (1 hour 45 minutes of content followed by time for individual questions) • Up to 20 students per session • Location: Swift Hall • Students register via Starfish • Advisors follow up with individualized e-mail after the session and record notes

17. Student Satisfaction Results • Students appreciated the opportunity to reflect on their accomplishments, receive updates, and network with peers • Some students thought the session was too long and still wanted to meet individually with their advisor “[Second Year Group Advising] really forced me to slow down and think about the most important things I have learned in my first year of college, not only in the classroom, but also in life experiences.”

18. Significance & Impact “I think that the opportunities for reflection were extremely valuable. I don't always have a lot of time to sit and reflect about what has been the best experience or where I need to grow so doing the activity with the post-its and the reflective worksheet were both good ways to go through [and] reflect on where I am.” • Experiential education and integrative learning • Interviews (e.g., jobs, PLME, NCA) • Co-op, internship, and professional placements • Personal statements & grad school applications • Participating in an intellectual community

19. Implementation Challenges • Time-intensive follow up • Blocks of time conducive to student schedules • Relies on existing relationships • Fostering student buy-in • Staffing/advising transitions • Not exclusively about saving advisor time • More aptly focused on deepening student learning and development through peer collaboration

20. References • Bloom, J.L., Huston, B.L., & He, Y. (2008). The Appreciative Advising Revolution. Champaign, Stipes Publishing, LLC. • Sanchez, L. “Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd: Can Group Advising be Appreciate and Effective.” The Mentor, July 2008. • Schaller, M. “Wandering and Wondering: Traversing the Uneven Terrain of the Second College Year.” About Campus, 10(3), 17-24.

21. Contact Information http://www.uc.edu/honors honors@uc.edu 705 Swift Hall Erin Alanson Assistant Director Academic Advisor Erin.Alanson@uc.edu 556-6288 Jessica King Sr. Assistant Director & Academic Advisor Jessica.King@uc.edu 556-6274