Upload
leah
View
30
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
RAC
Citation preview
Katherine Murphy - Leah Pasquesi – Allison Schipma
Loyola University Chicago College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office
Evaluation Plan
�
.DWKHULQH�0XUSK\��/HDK�3DVTXHVL��$OOLVRQ�6FKLSPD
Table of Contents Evaluation Plan 3 Theoretical Framework 4 Contextual Relevance 5 Mission 5 History and Purpose 5 Staff Structure 7 Key Goals 8 Stakeholders 9 Program Resources 9 Logic Model Description 10 Assumptions 11 External Factors 12 Purpose of Evaluation 12 Evaluation Approach 13 Quantitative Approach 14 Research Design 14 Population 15 Survey Instrument 16 Pilot Test 18 Qualitative Approach 22 Focus Group Participants 23 Focus Group Procedure 23 Interview Participants 24 Interview Protocol 25 Focus Group Implementation 26 Interview Implementation 26 Analysis of Data 27 Coding Process 28 Reliability 29 Limitations 29 Final Report 30 Timeline 30 Budget 32 Next Steps 32 References 34 Appendix A- College of Arts and Sciences Organizational Chart 35 Appendix B- Advisor Case Load Assignments 36 Appendix C- Academic Advising Learning Outcomes and Responsibilities 37 Appendix D- Dean’s Office Mission 39 Appendix E- Logic Model 40 Appendix F- Survey Instrument 41 Appendix G- Survey Design Considerations 49 Appendix H- Focus Group Email Invitation 50 Appendix I- Focus Group Consent Form 51 Appendix J- Focus Group Protocol 52 Appendix K- Interview Consent Form 54 Appendix L- Interview Protocol 55 Appendix M- Timeline 58 Appendix N- Budget 59 Appendix O- Evaluation Poster Presentation 60
Evaluation Plan for the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office Academic Advising
Staff at Loyola University Chicago
The Academic Advising staff within the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean’s
Office at Loyola University Chicago (LUC) seeks to provide support to juniors, seniors and
transfer students in pursuit of their academic, social and personal goals. As a whole unit, the
CAS Dean’s Office seeks to encourage students to acquire, experience, and reflect on knowledge
in the Jesuit tradition of a transformative education. The CAS advising staff works to achieve
this through their commitment to a holistic advising philosophy. Through a variety of services
provided including one-on-one advising, drop in advising, email correspondence, and
workshops, the CAS advisors aim to teach self-awareness and responsibility to the students they
advise as students make the transition from college student to college graduate.
This evaluation project describes the context of the CAS advising office and its functions,
focusing specifically on one-on-one advising services. Additionally, it highlights the theoretical
framework for academic advising while also identifying stakeholders, resources, desired learning
outcomes, and the responsibilities of the CAS advisors, all of which provide necessary context to
inform the overall approach. This information is central to the development of the mixed method
evaluation plan that the CAS advising team plans to implement after this semester. The plan
discusses the rationale for this evaluation while also outlining the specific assessment procedures
and analysis plans. The evaluation approach has been developed in consideration of both the
students’ perspectives on their level of satisfaction of one-on-one advising services as well as the
perspective of the CAS advising team. The plan has been designed in an effort to remain both
clear and useful in anticipation of its implementation.
�
Theoretical Framework
The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education states that “The
mission of Academic Advising Programs (AAP) is to assist students as they define, plan, and
achieve their educational goals. The AAP must advocate for student success and persistence”
(2013, p. 5). The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA): The Global
Community for Academic Advising (2003) created a task force to help define the concept of
academic advising in an effort to guide professionals in the field. From this research, several
themes emerge as elements of academic advising including a dynamic relationship between
student and advisor, cultivation of goals and decision-making skills, and influence beyond the
student’s class schedule and four-year plan (NACADA, 2003).
Often, academic advisors are seen as those who schedule students into courses however,
advising takes a more developmental role in the student’s college career (NACADA, 2003). The
Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (2013) guidelines indicate that
AAPs should help students “cultivate meaning in their own lives” (p. 2). This goal should be
outlined in learning outcomes within each AAP.
LUC’s College of Arts and Sciences AAP outlines several learning outcomes that should
be met by students, including: personal growth, the ability to effectively identify resources,
integration of curriculum into academic career and personal goals, as well as an understanding of
the importance of outside of the classroom experiences. The outcomes follow the Council for the
Advancement of Standards in Higher Education guidelines in that they are wholly
developmental; they speak to students’ academic, career, personal, and social development
(Council for the Advancement of Standards, 2013). The CAS advising team collaborated to
�
outline these outcomes and circulated them as an internal document. This document has been
included in the Appendices under Appendix C.
According to the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education
guidelines (2013), AAPs should regularly provide evidence that learning outcomes are being
met, thus an evaluation is needed to assess both student and advisor perceptions of outcome
achievement. This evaluation will address the effectiveness of the College of Arts and Sciences
AAP, particularly as it relates to one-on-one advising. In the context of this evaluation,
effectiveness is measured by the achievement of learning outcomes.
Contextual Relevance
When forming the assessment plan and preparing for its implementation, it is necessary
to keep in mind the context of the office and the goals and expectations of staff. Through the
process of identifying key stakeholders, our work was consistently grounded in the mission of
the advising staff. The mission is articulated below as well as in Appendix C.
Mission
“The mission of Academic Advising in the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office is
to assist students in the developmental process of pursuing and achieving their academic, social,
and personal goals. As a holistic advising office at LUC, we strive to teach students self-
awareness and responsibility while transitioning from college student to college graduate.”
History and Purpose
While the focus of this evaluation will be on the CAS advising team, it is important to
situate the advising team within the larger structure of the Dean’s Office. The CAS academic
advising team operates within the CAS Dean’s Office. CAS as a whole is the oldest of LUC’s
10 colleges and schools, has been established for over 140 years and includes disciplines within
�
the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The mission of the Dean’s Office is
grounded in Jesuit tradition. The mission is articulated below and has also been provided in
Appendix D.
“Through the University's Core Curriculum and its many majors and minors, the College
of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the Jesuit tradition of a Transformative Education in
the disciplines encompassed by the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. We
encourage our students to acquire, experience, and reflect on knowledge, and then decide
what it means for them in terms of individual choice, action, commitment, and service to
others.”
The CAS advising team has always played a crucial role in the operations of the Dean’s
Office as advisors are those within the office that work most directly with students. While
advising support has always been a main function of the advising staff within the Dean’s Office,
the operations of this team have shifted at various points to accommodate students’ needs and to
provide more extensive support. For instance, in the past few years, the team has developed a
workshop series entitled “CAS Around Campus” which is designed to provide additional support
for students. Some of the workshop offered include: “Graduate School Preparation,” “Making
the Most of Your Engaged Learning Requirement,” and “Registration Nuts & Bolts,” a
workshop designed to provide students who have recently transferred to LUC with additional
support with registration beyond what was provided at orientation. Additionally, CAS advisors
began offering “CAS Around Campus” weekly drop-in advising hours to be more accessible and
to provide advising support at multiple locations around campus.
Before highlighting the current staff structure (Appendix A), it is helpful to understand
the general history of advising in CAS. Advising of junior and senior students, including those
�
who transferred to LUC as juniors and seniors, has typically occurred within the Dean’s Office;
however, for a period of approximately five years, some advising responsibilities shifted. In
2004, the Office of New Student Advising was created in an effort to provide advising to all first
year students across the university in the same space. In 2005, the Office of New Student
Advising expanded to 10 advisors, becoming the Office of University Advising. This office
began advising freshman, sophomore and junior students, including all first year, sophomore,
and junior CAS students. While no formal advising team existed within CAS, senior students
were advised by the senior class coordinator within the CAS Dean’s office. In 2009-2010 a two-
year model was adapted across all colleges which moved advising of all junior and senior
students back into the individual schools and colleges. Thus, CAS began advising their junior
and senior students within the Dean’s Office. First and second year students were to be advised
by a separate office, the Office of First and Second Year Advising. During this transition, there
were three CAS Assistant Deans and four advisors. Soon after, one of the Assistant Deans left
and a fifth advisor was added. This same structure still exists in the CAS office, though there is
now a graduate assistant who assists with advising. Additionally, as of Fall 2013, transfer
students who enter LUC with more than twenty credit hours are also advised by CAS,
specifically by the graduate assistant.
Staff Structure
There are approximately 3,500 students who are advised within CAS Dean’s Office. As
mentioned previously, the CAS academic advising staff is housed within the Dean’s Office. The
five full-time academic advisors report to Joyce Knight, Assistant Dean of Advising. Each of the
full-time advisors has a caseload of approximately 550 junior and senior students which includes
students who transfer to LUC as junior and seniors in CAS. Advisor caseload assignments are
�
determined by students’ last names. A breakdown of the advising structure is provided in
Appendix B. The Graduate Assistant, who works 20 hours in the office per week and manages a
caseload of approximately 90 students, reports to Lester Manzano, Assistant Dean of Student
Academic Affairs and the Water Tower Campus. Currently, Leah Pasquesi, one of the members
of the evaluation team, holds this position as Graduate Assistant. In addition to their roles as
Assistant Deans, Knight and Manzano manage a caseload of approximately 200 students. Both
of the Assistant Deans report to the CAS Dean; Father Thomas Regan currently serves as the
interim Dean. Though not directly members of the advising team, several other individuals are a
part of the Dean’s Office, including three Associate Deans, front desk staff comprised of student
workers and office assistants, as well as other individuals whose names and titles are listed on
the organizational chart provided in Appendix A.
Key Goals
The CAS advising team has created the following key learning outcomes (Appendix C)
designed to inform its advising model:
x Assist students with their personal growth in terms of developing communication,
decision-making, and problem solving skills;
x Assist students with effectively identifying resources;
x Assist students in understanding the relationship between their academic experiences and
their academic, career and personal goals;
x Assist students in understanding the importance of including experiences outside of the
classroom into their educational plans.
With these goals in mind, each advisor aims to approach their appointments with a
developmental approach as opposed to a prescriptive approach. This means that instead of
�
having a student bring the advisor a problem and have the advisor fix it in the meeting, the
advisor will work with the student to help the student understand the process and have a sense of
responsibility in developing their academic plan.
Stakeholders
Our most relevant stakeholders are the CAS Dean, Assistant Deans and the academic
advising team. We have identified these folks as being the most relevant stakeholders as they are
most invested in advising services within CAS. In meeting with the advising team on several
occasions, they appear to be very committed and invested in this proposed assessment. As a
member of this evaluation team as well as the advising team, Leah met with the advising staff to
evaluate and update Academic Advising Learning Outcomes and Responsibilities. The finalized
list of Academic Advising Learning Outcomes and Responsibilities has been provided in
Appendix C.
Program Resources
For the sake of this evaluation, we will focus on program resources that relate to one-on-
one advising appointments. One-on-one advising appointments are currently scheduled for one
half hour. Full-time advisors leave space in their calendars for six appointments per day,
allocating up to an additional 15 minutes for preparation for each session. Advisors must also
make time for necessary follow-up to appointments including potential emails and adding notes
on students’ academic records through Loyola’s Online Connection to University Service
(LOCUS), a system to access student account information. Front desk staff also play an
important role in the one-on-one advising process as they are responsible for scheduling
appointments and greeting students.
�
Logic Model Description
In order to ensure that the evaluation was founded in core concepts that speak to the
needs of the CAS Dean’s Office, we created a logic model (Appendix E) to help guide the
direction of the designed qualitative and quantitative research methods. When referencing the
model, it is necessary to connect every output, input, and goal back to the learning outcomes that
were identified by the staff within the CAS Dean’s Office. Though the CAS Dean’s Office
provides a variety of resources to students, our evaluation focuses on the specific goals
experiences of one-on-one advising appointments that are offered to junior, senior, and transfer
students within CAS. The model outlines the input basics of one-on-one advising appointments
in the first column by listing the three main components of the foundation for these
appointments; financial inputs, physical inputs, as well as inputs that take into consideration time
of each participant. Moving into the next column, the model speaks to the outputs that the inputs
have generated.
These outcomes are separated into two genres, activities and participation. Activities
considered within this model include the various advisor job functions such as one-on-one
advising appointments, graduation audits, workshop facilitation, informational orientation
sessions, and various staff development opportunities. The staff development opportunities
include weekly staff meetings as well as an advisor manual that guides their advising
practices. The participation section of the logic model names the various participants within the
evaluation. Participants of the evaluation for the CAS Dean’s Office include students who are
requesting the one-on-one advising appointments. The student population that the department
serves are those students whose credits identify them as junior, senior, or CAS students who
��
transfer to LUC with at least 20 credits. The participants also include office staff as well as
campus partners who may refer students to the department for an appointment.
The last piece of the logic model speaks to the short-term, medium-term, and long-term
goals of the evaluation. Each goals section is directly related to the specific learning outcomes
that were developed by the CAS Dean’s Office. The purpose of connecting these goals to the
learning outcomes specified by the department is to ensure that the advisors are meeting the
intended standards of the departments within their one-on-one appointments. The short- term
goals will address the immediate satisfaction of the students after their one-on-one advising
appointments. By focusing on the students’ satisfaction immediately after the one-on-one
advising appointments, the department is able to change any immediate needs or answer any
questions the students may have.
The medium-term and long-term goals focus on students’ long-term development of the
skills needed to identify campus resources and connect their current academic commitments to
their future goals and aspirations. The medium-term goals section will focus on how well
students feel prepared to identify their own, individual short and long-term goals, the students’
knowledge of policies and procedures, the students’ ability to articulate their major or intended
field as well as the students’ desire to participate in undergraduate research opportunities,
community service, or study abroad experiences. The long-term goals portion focuses on the
ways in which their current academic experiences connect with their experiences after
graduation.
Assumptions
Some critical pieces of information to attend to in the logic model’s creation are the
assumptions being made. The effectiveness of the evaluation is centered on whether or not the
��
students are actually going to utilize their advisors for the one-on-one advising appointments. If
students are not utilizing their advisors for that intended purpose then our data may be affected
negatively. In addition to the previously stated assumption, the model assumes that the students
are able to identify that their advisors can assist them with outlined learning outcomes of the
department. A large portion of the evaluation is based on the assumption that the advisors are
seen as key figures who can be trusted when discussing the students’ future academic goals,
career aspirations and personal needs.
External Factors
There are three main external factors that will affect the evaluation we have created: the
financial support of the university on behalf of the support for the advising staff; the relationship
between the advisor and the student; and the follow through of the student. In terms of the
university’s support financially for the advisors, the advisors may need to spend extra time in the
office completing the interviews. Additionally, when looking at the advisor-student relationship,
we will need to attend to the comfort level that the student has with their advisor to discuss
sensitive topics such as their current academic record, future goals or difficulties they are
facing. Finally, we will need to acknowledge the follow through of the student in regards to
scheduling their follow up appointments or even attending their initial appointment once it is set
up. We will also need to focus on the honesty and comfortability of the students within their
group dialogues about their one-on-one advising experiences.
Purpose of Evaluation
The CAS Assistant Deans have identified the need to evaluate academic advising services
as no formal evaluation of services has been previously done. In consultation with the CAS
advising team, it was established that there is a need to specifically evaluate the effectiveness of
��
one-on-one advising appointments as this is the primary service provided. Because advising
sessions have two key populations involved, the advisor and the student, we feel it is important
to approach this from both the students’ and advisors’ perspectives. Therefore, our research
question seeks to understand students’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of their advising
appointments in terms of how well sessions are meeting their needs. Additionally, we would like
to explore how one-on-one advising appointments meet the learning outcomes from the
perspective of the CAS advising staff.
Evaluation Approach
As previously stated, this evaluation plan is vital, as little to no assessment of advising
services has been done in this office up until this point. The evaluation will aid the advising
team in assessing their current model which may require some future adjustments that may lead
to further evaluations. We have the opportunity to approach the research from two ends of the
spectrum, both internally and externally. One of the members of this evaluation team, Leah, is a
Graduate Assistant in the office and thus is able to provide the team with a deep understanding of
the office and a thorough sense of how the advising team operates. Leah is also part of the
advising team as she advises a small caseload of CAS students. Another member of the
evaluation team, Ally Schipma, is a Graduate Intern, working in the office for 10 hours a week
specifically on assessment initiatives. Her role will help guide and facilitate our research from
both from an internal perspective and an external perspective as she is part of the office but does
not advise students. As part of her role, Ally researches existing data and benchmarks against
other institutions, which provide continuous insight for our plan. The third member of the
evaluation team, Katherine Murphy, does not work in the office and thus will be able to hold the
evaluation team accountable for the validity of the questions that are guiding our research. She
��
will also provide a fresh, external perspective on data obtained from the evaluation of current
practices in CAS.
Quantitative Approach
In order to measure the degree to which CAS learning outcomes are being met within the
context of one-on-one advising appointments, we will implement a post-appointment survey that
students will be asked to complete before leaving the CAS office. Since the CAS office
officially advises junior, senior, and transfer students, this survey will only be given to these
students. Additionally, this survey will be given only to students who make appointments, not
students who attend drop-in advising hours.
Research Design
We will be using a one-shot case study design in this evaluation. A one-shot case study
design is best for this evaluation because CAS has never engaged in formal evaluation and
therefore does not have any assessment data on record. This assessment will help to establish a
baseline of data and give the office a starting point for more evaluation in the future. A control
group is not available to study as all students receive advising through one-on-one advising, thus
making a comparison design ineffective (Creswell, 2009). Additionally, since we are examining
one specific “intervention,” a case study is most appropriate.
Because we are looking to survey those who come in for one-on-one advising support,
we will be doing convenience sampling. Convenience sampling is most appropriate as our data
will only reflect the sentiments and experiences of those who come in for one-on-one advising
support and thus, those who are accessible at the time of data collection. Though we are
interested in the general feedback and satisfaction level of CAS students who utilize one-on-one
advising, it is important to consider the varying needs of juniors, seniors and transfer
��
students. Therefore we will be stratifying our sample by class level in order to capture the
specific needs and experiences of different groups within our population. We recognize that this
sample may not be reflective of the overall population of students advised within CAS as it is
based on who is coming in to utilize advising services. As previously articulated, convenience
sampling is most effective in this sense as we are only interested at this time in the feedback of
students who utilize one-on-one advising services rather than attempting to capture a sample that
reflects the population in terms of seniors, juniors and transfer students. Additionally, we will
collect surveys throughout the spring semester to identify the varying appointment types and
content that may arise as a result of the timeline of an academic semester. For instance,
appointments that occur during the month February may be focused on summer course selection
whereas appointments in the month of March may be more focused on issues related to study
abroad course approvals.
Population
The population that we are intending to study consists of students who utilize CAS
academic advising. This population includes primarily junior and senior students, but may also
include non-degree seeking students as well as students who have transferred to Loyola with at
least 20 credits. It is important to note that we are specifically surveying students who utilize
one-on-one advising services, hence why our surveying will take place after a student comes in
for an appointment. After a student completes the survey, their name will be logged into a
database. By placing their name in a database, we will avoid surveying the same student twice,
but their name will not be connected in any way to the survey they complete, thereby
maintaining anonymity. We determined that it would be beneficial to survey students who have
been assigned to a CAS advisor for at least one semester, to ensure that they have properly
��
acclimated to a new advising office and have had the opportunity to meet with their academic
advisor.
Survey Instrument
The survey, which can be found in Appendix F, has a variety of questions that provide
the participants an opportunity to reflect on three main aspects of their academic advising
appointment including:
1. The process in which students set up advising appointments
2. The actual content of their one-on-one advising appointment
3. Timeframe to graduation and registration process, and
4. How the content of their discussion connects to their future needs and goals
This survey was built on the foundation of the learning outcomes set forth by the CAS Academic
Advising Office which are grounded in the advising mission and also connect to the mission of
the Dean’s Office.
The survey is broken down into four separate pages with each page covering a different
component of the students’ academic advising experience. We anticipate students needing seven
to ten minutes to complete the survey, but this will be verified in the pilot test, which will be
further discussed. We have formatted the survey with various types of questions including items
on a Likert- scale and multiple choice options. We chose to have varying Likert- scale options
so that we were able to stay specific and relevant to each question, while keeping the students
engaged throughout their time completing the survey.
The first section of the survey includes four questions that provide a framework of how
the student went about scheduling their appointment, their comfort level with reaching out
initially to the office, and the ease of finding an appointment that fit into their schedule. This
��
section is important because it provides the office data about the initial perception students have
regarding the accessibility of the office and the services that they offer. Building a positive
initial rapport is necessary in order for the office to maintain positive constructive contact with
the students at LUC.
The second section of the survey asks intentional questions about the students’
satisfaction with the content of their one-on-one advising appointment and how comfortable the
student felt moving forward with the knowledge they gained about campus resources and how to
connect with them. As an office, this information will be valuable in further developing advising
appointment content and providing advisors with helpful feedback on how to structure their one-
on-one advising appointments to best serve the students’ needs.
The third aspect of the survey focuses on the intended graduation date of the student and
the student’s familiarity with the registration process. The survey focuses on the intended
graduation date of the student so that whomever is evaluating the data collected will be able to
classify the responder of the survey as either a junior or senior without making the student self-
identify. Since there is a large transfer student population, we wanted to provide the opportunity
for students to not feel pressured to identify with one class, but keep in mind their graduation
goal. We also wanted to include questions that elicit information as to how comfortable students
feel with the registration process. Since this office provides students direct support with the
registration process, we wanted to include that feedback so the advisors would be able to gauge
how comfortable students are with the registration process. If results indicate that students are
not comfortable with the registration process, this will provide the advising team with useful
information and will prompt necessary considerations of how to provide more direct support
with this process. Additionally, the follow-up question asks students to further explain why they
��
did not feel comfortable with the process which may also provide further context and useful
information.
The final piece of the survey relates directly to the specified learning outcomes that the
CAS Academic Advising Office has developed as a team. These questions all explore students’
level of reflection on their values, interests, strengths, and potential challenges. When
understanding the approach to advising that the office takes, it is useful to acknowledge the
emphasis on developmental advising rather than prescriptive advising. Not only does this
advising philosophy inform the work that advisors do, but also provides the framework for the
development of learning outcomes the team created.
As stated by King (2005) developmental advising emphasizes the relationships between
students and their campus environment, focuses on the student as a whole person, and meets
students where they are at in terms of their own development. Developmental advising strives to
provide students with the support and opportunities for efficacy building in recognizing what
their academic requirements are and different ways in which the student can fulfill
them. Likewise, it means allowing the student to make any final decisions about their schedules
and take the initiative to seek out different avenues. The learning outcomes emphasize students’
reflection on the various ways in which their academics connect back to their values, interests,
strengths, and potential challenges throughout their time at LUC
Pilot Test
The survey will be pilot-tested with a group of students in order to ensure that questions
and directions are relevant and easily understood, the language of the survey is accessible, and
that the questions yield usable data. We will be inviting our student employees to take the pilot
test. We will ask them to provide us with their feedback upon completing the survey. Therefore,
��
this will be done in person when the students are in the office for their shifts. They will provide
us with the feedback directly in person on an individual basis. We will pilot test our survey
towards the end of the fall semester.
Administration
The survey will be computer-based and will be accessible via a Google Forms link that
will be provided to students at the conclusion of their appointments. In the CAS Dean’s Office,
there are two computers available in the mailroom of the office. The front desk staff will help
administer the surveys, and will set students up on one of the computers and will ensure that
students are able to access the survey properly. It is helpful to note that these computers are in a
separate space from the offices of advisors. Students will walk down the hallway in order to
complete their survey. We acknowledge that there still may be an issue of confidentiality with
our participants’ responses; however, we believe that having students take the surveys in a space
that is separate from where their advising appointments take place and also having front desk
staff administer the survey will help minimize any potential pressure the students may feel when
completing the survey.
The main contact for the survey in CAS will be one of our evaluation team members,
Leah Pasquesi. We recognize that having Leah, someone who advises a small caseload of
students, as the main contact may also present issues around honesty and comfort when it comes
to collecting and coding data; however, we believe that having her as a member of both the
advising team and this assessment team is helpful in ensuring that the goals of this plan are being
achieved and also that data are properly coded in a way that will be useful and practical for the
advising team. It is also important to note in regards to confidentiality that students will not be
asked to report their names nor will they be asked to report their advisor’s name on the survey.
��
When the student checks in for their appointment, the front desk staff will again inform
the student that they have the opportunity to take a survey at the end of their appointment. At the
conclusion of the appointment, the front desk staff will escort the student to the computer bank
and open the survey for the student. On the first page of the survey, the student will be able to
give consent to take the survey. Once the student completes the survey, they will be free to leave
the CAS office. If the student chooses not to complete the survey, they may simply walk away
from the computer bank.
We anticipate a high level of response as the surveys will be given directly following the
appointment. We would like to avoid sending surveys to students at a later date, or even later in
the day as this may lower our response rate. Additionally, if we were to send out surveys at a
later date or time, this may also affect our results as students may only feel inclined to fill out the
survey if they were not pleased with the service they were seeking.
We will encourage the CAS advising team to build an extra fifteen minutes into their
advising sessions to afford students with the time to complete the survey. Instead of scheduling
thirty minute appointments, the front desk staff will schedule students’ appointments for forty-
five minutes. Students will be made aware of this time block when they schedule their
appointments.
Statistical Analysis
To analyze the survey data, we will use SPSS, a statistical analysis software available for
free use to LUC students and staff. The demographic data will be used to perform frequency
tests to show the class standing (first year, sophomore, junior, senior) of students who received
one-on-one advising and completed the survey immediately afterward. Students will self-
identify class standing using categorical labels. While class standing is officially based on credit
��
hours, most students identify themselves as “junior,” or “senior,” based on their years of
attendance at an institution. Additionally, many students are often unaware of the exact number
of credit hours they have completed. This data will be presented in a simple pie chart which is
easy to read and interpret for practitioners using the data. As there is no control group,
comparisons will not be made between control and experimental groups, but will be made across
class standing.
The survey is largely composed of Likert-type scales that measure agreement to several
statements related to the achievement of learning outcomes (i.e. ability to reflect upon values,
ability to identify resources). In presenting data from the Likert scales, we will use standard
deviations to show the statistical mean of agreement as it pertains to the achievement of
designated CAS learning outcomes. We will also use cross-tabulation to show relationships
among nominal variables, such as class standing, and ordinal variables such as level of
achievement of developmental outcomes. Finally, we will use one-way ANOVA tests to
examine continuous variables across categorical variables (Schuh, 2006). For example, we may
examine level of satisfaction across student class standing. This data will be presented in a table
format and will be helpful in training the advising team to work with different student class
levels and student type (e.g. transfer student).
Limitations
While surveys can provided a great amount of quantitative data, they come with
limitations that we will have to consider in the implementation of this plan. First, there is a
limitation with our sampling process. Because only students who make appointments with the
office will be taking the survey, we are already limiting the amount of responses. Additionally,
students may feel pressured to take the survey because it will be administered directly after their
��
appointment. One way to combat this will be to reinforce the idea that students must provide
consent and ensure the student understands this.
Another limitation of the quantitative process is connected to data analysis. While we
have knowledge of statistical tests, it will be important to have data and conclusions checked for
accuracy and understanding. It might be helpful to reach out to colleagues on campus for
this. Additionally, conclusions from quantitative data might be better explained by qualitative
data. Thus, comparing conclusions between the two data sets will be helpful in ensuring that the
survey is yielding the same understanding as the focus group questions.
Qualitative Plan
In addition to a quantitative survey, we will employ a qualitative research method
involving both advisor and student populations. Combining these methods will help ensure
triangulation and will help us “develop accurate and reliable findings,” from the data (Martinson
& O’Brien in Wholey et al, 2010). While findings from the survey can provide an outlook on the
office’s effectiveness, they are not necessarily enough to paint a complete picture as to the state
of the CAS advising team.
The qualitative approach will assist us in exploring both aspects of our research question
as it aims to capture students’ experiences with one-on-one advising through several focus
groups, as well as the advisors’ perspectives of one-on-one appointments through semi-
structured interviews. The focus groups will provide us with insight into the unique experiences
and perspectives of students, providing us with a more comprehensive understanding of how
different students experience one-on-one advising. Additionally, our qualitative approach will
provide us with a better understanding of advisors’ perspectives on the effectiveness of their
advising appointments and their own ability to meet the learning outcomes identified by the
��
advising team. Through our focus groups and semi-structured interviews, we are able to gain
better insight into students’ experiences as qualitative methods look for a “range of ideas or
feelings people have” and help us to “understand differences in perspectives between groups or
categories of people” (Schuh et al., 2009, p. 129). As Schuh (2009) acknowledges, these
qualitative approaches provide us with the opportunities to ask for clarification, details and to
follow-up on topics covered in the survey.
Focus Group Participants
All students who take the survey will have the opportunity to express interest in
participating in a focus group (see Quantitative Procedures). Of the students who indicat interest
in participating in a focus group, we will use stratified purposeful sampling to create focus
groups around student type: junior, senior, and transfer (Schuh, 2009 p. 90). Stratified
purposeful sampling allows us to coordinate groups that represent different categories of
individuals (Schuh, 2009 p. 90). By doing so, we build credibility into our qualitative method
(Schuh, 2009 p. 90). Students will be invited to participate in the focus group via email
(Appendix H). To ensure that groups are adequately represented, we will continue to reach out to
populations until our goal number of participants is met.
Focus Group Procedures
When looking to create the structure of our focus group (See “Focus Group Protocol”
Appendix J), we are aiming to create a setting that promotes open dialogue. We will have
participants sign a consent form (Appendix I) so they are familiar with the expectations of the
group dialogue. We chose focus groups when deciding the best procedure for our students
because we wanted to create an environment in which students felt comfortable, familiar, and
��
supported by their peers. By being surrounded by fellow students, as opposed to a one-on-one
interview with a professional staff member, we are hoping that students will be encouraged to
participate in honest and organic dialogue. To fulfill the facilitator role, we will be having our
group member Katherine step in. Since Katherine is not affiliated with the College of Arts and
Sciences Dean’s Office in any way visually, we believe that students will feel more comfortable
in the aspect of privacy and confidentiality that we are promising.
We are anticipating the focus group dialogue taking 45 minutes to 60 minutes to
complete. We are looking to have three separate focus groups that hold students from each of the
three major student populations that the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office works
with. As previously stated, the office works with transfer, junior and senior students; so when
we are building our focus groups we will be mindful to keep students from each of those
populations together (as identified by the students). By grouping each student into their
respective groups we are hoping to again provide a sense of comfort that will allow for open and
honest dialogue through shared experiences. During our focus group dialogue we will be
covering two main aspects of the students’ one-on-one advising experience: the students overall
sentiments about advising appointments and their feedback about the content of advising
appointments.
Interview Participants
Since the CAS Academic Advisors are a very small community of five full-time advisors,
we will attempt to interview all academic advisors (a census) currently employed in the office
(Schuh, 2009 p. 56). Because we need to ask probing, open-ended questions, we decided it is
better to interview advisors individually in a semi-structured format (Wholey et al, 2007 p. 367).
��
Since advisors are employees of the office conducting the survey, they will be strongly
encouraged to participate in the interview, but will of course have the opportunity to decline
participation. While we recognize the ethical implications of strongly encouraging participation,
making efforts to improve the office is a condition of employment. Interview participants must
still give informed consent and will be given the option to “pass” on any question in the
interview (Appendix K).
Interview Protocol
For the interview protocol portion of our assessment, we will be using a semi-structured
interview process because they are most effective when using with probing, open-ended
questions (Shuh, 2009). We have chosen to do private individual interviews so that we are
respecting the confidentiality of the advisors and giving them the opportunity to be open and
candid with their thoughts and opinions. By providing a safe space for the advisors to speak
freely, we believe that we will receive organic and valid answers from each participant. We are
anticipating that each interview will take between 45 minutes to 60 minutes to complete in
full. We are hoping that the dialogue will be more discussion-based than interview
structured. The reason that we are striving for this dynamic is once again focused on creating a
comfortable and open space that promotes honest dialogue. To create a comfortable dialogue, we
will have the external evaluator, Katherine, conduct the interviews. Since Katherine is not
affiliated with CAS, she will be able to create a comfortable, unbiased space for advisors.
During our advisor interviews we will be focusing on four main pieces of one-on-one
advising appointments from the advisor’s role:
1. The role of the advisors within the appointment
��
2. The advising mission and how that relates to how they advise
3. The learning outcomes of advising appointments and how they are met, and
4. The relationship between the advisor and students
By covering these areas we are hoping to capture feedback from the advisors on all aspects of the
advisors’ experiences with one-on-one advising appointments.
Focus Group Implementation
All student participants will be asked to report to a room on campus that is not housed
within the CAS. Depending upon availability, this may be a classroom or a conference room.
Either the CAS intern or the external evaluator (Katherine) will moderate the focus group. The
evaluation team will also train CAS student workers as note takers. These students will also sign
a confidentiality agreement. Note takers will summarize their notes with the group after each
segment to ensure clarity and validity.
Focus groups will be held once per month (for a total of three months) to serve two
purposes: 1) to capture students who had a variety of academic advising appointments and 2) to
allow time for processing and coding data. Each session will last approximately one hour and
will consist of 10-12 participants. The sessions will be audio-recorded to preserve the rich
transcript data. However, all data will be coded and reported so that identifying information is
not revealed.
Interview Implementation
We will be implementing a semi-structured interview process for all academic advisors.
This format was chosen as the best option for qualitative data collection because we “need to
��
conduct a formative program evaluation and want one-on-one interviews with key program
managers, staff, and frontline service personnel” (Adams in Wholey et al, 2010 p.367). We feel
that advisors may not feel as comfortable being open and honest if they are in a focus group with
their co-workers.
Academic advisors will be asked to report to a conference room located outside the CAS.
We hope that physical separation from the office will encourage honesty and provide a
comfortable space for the staff. The external evaluator will conduct the interviews so that the
staff feels free to speak candidly and honestly about their experience in CAS. Interviews will
occur toward the middle of the semester, around week seven or eight, as it is a slower time for
advisors. The interviews will last 45 minutes to one hour. Interviews will be audio-recorded to
preserve the rich data, however all coded and reported data will not reveal any identifying
information. Throughout the interview, the interviewer will remind the advisor of this and
encourage honest answers. Additionally, the interviewer will summarize the main points of each
segment of answers to ensure clarity and validity. Since CAS is such a small office, we will
make sure to use these summary statements as opposed to verbatim statements to avoid
identification of sources.
Analysis of Data
Because we will be audio taping our interview and focus groups we will be transcribing
both of these. In preparation for the interview and focus groups, we will be utilizing our logic
model to develop coding schemas that will help us prepare for our analysis. We utilized our
logic model when developing coding schemas so there is consistency when comparing and
considering qualitative and quantitative data. We will use descriptive coding. As Rogers &
��
Goodrick in Wholey et al (2010) write, “Descriptive coding...involves tagging text to identify the
topic or issues contained in that text,” (p. 438). This is most appropriate as this approach will
assist us in managing the volume of data, making it easier to retrieve and aggregate data as it
relates to particular topics. Additionally, this will assist us in identifying sub-categories that
connect to the broader coding categories. Because we need to code both our focus groups and
interviews, we felt that descriptive coding would be a helpful approach in tagging several
sources. As Wholey, Hatry, and Newcomer (2010) identify, this will allow us to tag serially,
working through each transcript separately but with some consistency. The CAS intern and
external evaluator will work together to code the data. The CAS intern will be able to shed light
on the meaning of terminology and phrases used in the sessions, while the external evaluator will
be to maintain the integrity of the coding process as an outside source.
Coding Process
Because we have multiple sources of data, it is important to first organize and prepare our
data. Audio tapes from both the interview and focus group will need to be transcribed. As our
current budget stands, we will not be hiring outside help with transcribing nor do we currently
have access to a transcribing machine. To reference the budget, see Appendix N. If the budget
allows, we may end up using a transcribing machine and hire a professional. As such, it will be
helpful for us to transcribe the interview and focus groups ourselves so we can review data
throughout the process. We will make and keep a logbook as way to keep track of our analysis
as we go, which will also serve as an audit trail (Rogers & Goodrick in Wholey et al, 2010).
We will read through all information to get an overall sense of our data. In identifying
themes or categories, we will do focused coding as we review the data to see if topics can be
combined to create a new topic or to determine whether macro topics can be identified. We will
��
create categories or themes for topics in order to identify relationships between the data, topics,
and categories. With focused coding, we will be able to use themes in our data to draw
conclusions and make inferences about academic advising and its role in helping students meet
learning outcome goals. Once the codes are developed, we will create a coding rubric to aid in
the coding process and to ensure reliability.
Validity and Reliability
Our qualitative approach allows for triangulation of data and will assist us in overcoming
potential biases. Additionally, as there are three of us who will be analyzing this data, there will
be multiple investigators collecting data that can prevent potential bias from occurring. This
checking of coding will increase inter-rater reliability (Rogers & Goodrick in Wholey et al,
2010). We also feel it is important to do some member checking throughout the semi-structured
interview and focus group processes. Member checking will involve providing summary
statements to our participants to ensure we are accurately capturing their voices and ideas
(Rogers & Goodrick in Wholey et al, 2010).
Limitations
We acknowledge that in having some stake in the evaluation project that there is a
possibility for bias when writing questions, facilitating, and interpreting our results. We feel that
having three evaluators assisting with the process will be in our favor as we can hold each other
accountable. Similarly, we intend to actively hold one another accountable, check assumptions,
and maximize our interpretations of data as it relates to this assessment, particularly in Leah’s
case as she is a member of the advising team.
We also acknowledge that descriptive coding can take considerable time and hard work
in order to remain consistent and stay focused on our evaluation questions while also being
��
attentive to unexpected findings. Again, playing to our strength of having three evaluators will
be a helpful way to ensure that we are being collectively attentive to inter-rater reliability and
validity.
Final Report
Through our final report, we intend to incorporate interpretations and identified themes
that emerge during data analysis. The report will serve primarily as a place to share themes that
were revealed from the data while also making sure to capture the multiple perspectives that
emerge from students as well as advisors. When it is important to capture the voices or specific
language of participants, we will use direct quotations. In these instances, we will ensure that the
quotations are not identifying in any way. Paraphrasing quotations that might be identifying will
be a way to ensure confidentiality. We will be sure to vary the length of quotations in an effort
to both maximize space in our final report and also to be stylistically appealing. We also plan on
employing many of the writing strategies suggested by Creswell (2009) including intertwining
quotations with the author’s interpretations, and using first-person through the collective “we” to
capture the voices of the authors. We will also be intentional in acknowledging our positionality
and how our social identities and roles inform and sometimes influence our ability to serve as
evaluators. Finally, we will present text in tabular form, particularly through the usage of a table
to display the different codes used.
Timeline
To implement this evaluation project in an efficient manner, we have created a timeline
(see Appendix M) to track implementation segments. A full cycle of the evaluation will take one
full semester. In the future, however, the timeline may be shortened to do smaller evaluation
��
“check-ins” as needed. For the purposes of this project, the evaluation will take place in the
Spring 2015 semester.
Beginning in January 2015, information about the evaluation project will be disseminated
to the CAS Dean’s Office staff. Administrative roles will be assigned to full-time and student
staff members managing the front desk, while advisors will learn about their role in interviews
and encouraging students to participate. The students will begin taking the survey starting the
second week of classes (January 20). We are choosing to bypass the first week of classes as that
is a busy time in the office, and it would be challenging to manage the evaluation process while
also attending to the extremely high volume of students. While many students meet with
advisors during the first week, these appointments are less developmental and are intended to
troubleshoot registration and enrollment problems only.
As mentioned previously, students will be invited to take the survey when they sign up
for an advising appointment. After a three-week survey period, we will extend a focus group
invitation email to all students who participated in the survey process. We will hold the focus
group during the fourth week. This process will be repeated three times throughout the
semester. The student evaluation piece will be complete by May 1. Data from the survey and
focus groups will be coded and analyzed during the month of May by the CAS graduate assistant
and intern, Leah Pasquesi and Ally Schipma. During the summer the CAS Dean’s Office team
will have time to look over the report and create a plan for next steps.
We will hold interviews with advisors during the sixth and seventh week of the semester
(approximately February 16-27). Traditionally, these weeks are a slower period for
advisors. Since the interviews will be conducted during the business day, we want to be sure that
we are respectful of advisors’ schedules and caseload. Katherine will code and analyze the
��
interview data throughout the month of March and April, in order to supply it to the CAS Dean’s
Office before the end of the school year.
Budget
We have included a budget to provide the CAS advising time with an estimate for the
cost of implementing this plan. The budget (Appendix P) covers the projected costs for
implementation of this plan in the Spring 2015. Further plans for evaluation would need
additional budgetary considerations. The budget for the evaluation plan is rather small as the
plan was developed in a way to be cost effective. Where most money is intended to be spent is
for the focus group, in order to provide incentives for participation as they require students to
give up 45 minutes to an hour of their time. As such, pizza and soda will be provided. Since the
CAS advising team operates within LUC, the office has access to several resources that help to
significantly cut costs. Included in this are audio recording devices as well as spaces to conduct
interviews and focus groups that can be reserved through LUC. Additionally, SPSS (the
statistical analysis software) is available for free use by LUC students, faculty, and staff, and,
will be used to analyze the survey results.
Next Steps
This plan will be next be proposed to the CAS team in an upcoming staff meeting. While
an interest has been shown in an assessment for the office, the team will need to consider how it
wants to move forward with assessment implementation. While focus groups and advisor
interviews will yield helpful insights, they require time and manpower to be implemented. It
may first be more realistic to implement the survey immediately, while postponing focus groups
and interviews or re-formatting the process to better suit the needs of the office (if the proposed
timeline is not feasible).
��
Additionally, the CAS office may benefit from other types of assessment in the
future. While the goal of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of one-on-one advising
appointments, it is only targeted to those students who participate in one-on-one advising. For
example, it might be a good idea to design an evaluation assessing other types of advising (i.e.
drop-in, orientation) or students who do not engage with the office on a regular basis. Since the
office does not have any assessment data on file, there is a need to gather more information about
all advising interventions conducted in CAS.
��
References
Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2013). Academic advising
programs: CAS standards and guidelines. Retrieved from:
http://standards.cas.edu/getpdf.cfm?PDF=E864D2C4-D655-8F74-
2E647CDECD29B7D0
Creswell, J.W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches
(3rd Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
NACADA. (2003). Paper presented to the Task force on defining academic advising. Retrieved
from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources Web site:
http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View- Articles/Definitions-of-
academic-advising.aspx
King, M. C. (2005). Developmental academic advising. Retrieved from NACADA Clearinghouse
of Academic Advising Resources Web
Schuh, J.H. & Associates (2009). Assessment methods for student affairs. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass
Wholey, J.S., Hatry, H.P., & Newcomer, K.E. (Eds.) (2010). Handbook of practical program
evaluation (Third Edition). Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.
��
Thomas J. Regan, S.J.Thomas J. Regan, S.J.Thomas J. Regan, S.J.Thomas J. Regan, S.J. Interim Dean
Kathleen AndradeKathleen AndradeKathleen AndradeKathleen Andrade Manager of Operations
Arthur LurigioArthur LurigioArthur LurigioArthur Lurigio Senior Associate
Dean, Faculty A!airs
Elizabeth EllisElizabeth EllisElizabeth EllisElizabeth Ellis Business Manager
Adam PatricoskiAdam PatricoskiAdam PatricoskiAdam Patricoski Academic Advisor
Megan DalyMegan DalyMegan DalyMegan Daly O"ce Assistant
AsimAsimAsimAsim GangopadhyayaGangopadhyayaGangopadhyayaGangopadhyaya Associate Dean,
Resources & Planning
Jacqueline LongJacqueline LongJacqueline LongJacqueline Long Associate Dean, Academic A!airs
Eileen KearnsEileen KearnsEileen KearnsEileen Kearns Executive Assistant
to the Dean
Joyce KnightJoyce KnightJoyce KnightJoyce Knight Assistant Dean,
Advising
Rachel WikeRachel WikeRachel WikeRachel Wike Academic Advisor
TBATBATBATBA Academic Advisor
Blake ChamblissBlake ChamblissBlake ChamblissBlake Chambliss Academic Advisor
Marilyn MuiMarilyn MuiMarilyn MuiMarilyn Mui O"ce Assistant
Maria LettiereMaria LettiereMaria LettiereMaria Lettiere Assistant Director,
Communications, Academic A!airs, & Summer Sessions
Lauren SanchezLauren SanchezLauren SanchezLauren Sanchez Senior Academic
Advisor
Lester ManzanoLester ManzanoLester ManzanoLester Manzano Assistant Dean,
Student Academic A!airs
Marianne WolfeMarianne WolfeMarianne WolfeMarianne Wolfe Administrative Assistant, WTC
ConcettaConcettaConcettaConcetta D’AgostinoD’AgostinoD’AgostinoD’Agostino
O"ce Assistant
Laurie BucholzLaurie BucholzLaurie BucholzLaurie Bucholz O"ce Assistant
COLLEGE of ARTS & SCIENCESO"ce of the Dean
Leah PasquesiLeah PasquesiLeah PasquesiLeah Pasquesi Graduate Assistant,
Student Academic A!airs
Kurt PetersonKurt PetersonKurt PetersonKurt Peterson Development O"cer
8/13/2014
$SSHQGL[�$��&$6�2UJDQL]DWLRQDO�&KDUW� ��
Appendix B Advisor Caseload Assignments
College of Arts and Sciences
Primary Academic AdvisorsCAS Dean’s Office at LSC: 773.508.3510 (Sullivan Center 235) CAS Dean’s Office at WTC: 312.915.6520 (Lewis Towers 930)
Updated: November 17, 2014
First-Years/Sophomores A-Z First and Second Year Advising (FSYA) Sullivan
Center 260 (FSYA)
Transfers (20-44 hours) A-Z Leah Pasquesi, Graduate Assistant Sullivan
Center 235
LSC Juniors/Seniors (55+ hours) / LSC Transfers (45+ hours) A-C Rachel Wike, Academic Advisor Sullivan
Center 235 (CAS Dean’s Office)
D-H Blake Chambliss, Academic Advisor I-Mg Adam Patricoski, Academic Advisor Mh-Ron
Lauren Yurman, Academic Advisor
Roo-Wel
Lauren Sanchez, Senior Academic Advisor
Wem-Z
Joyce Knight, Assistant Dean
WTC* Juniors/Seniors (55+ hours) / WTC* Transfers (45+ hours) A-Z Lester Manzano, Assistant Dean
*WTC departments include: Criminal Justice & Criminology; Computer Science (fourmajors: Communication Networks & Security, Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering); and Economics.
Sullivan Center 235 (CAS Dean’s Office) or Lewis Towers 930 (CAS-WTC Dean’s Office)
St. Joseph College Seminary Juniors/Seniors/Transfers and Non-Degree-Seeking Students A-Z Joyce Knight, Assistant Dean Sullivan
Center 235 (CAS Dean’s Office)
��
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES • OFFICE OF THE DEAN • SULLIVAN CENTER, SUITE 235 • 1032 W. SHERIDAN ROAD • CHICAGO, IL 60660 • 773.508.3500 • LUC.edu/cas
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Academic Advising Learning Outcomes and Responsibilities
Our Mission The mission of Academic Advising in the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office is to assist students in the developmental process of pursuing and achieving their academic, social, and personal goals. As a holistic advising office at Loyola University Chicago, we strive to teach students self-awareness and responsibility while transitioning from college student to college graduate.
Ongoing interaction and communication among students, their college, their academic advisor and faculty advisor are essential for academic success and also aid in the development of the following learning outcomes.
College of Arts and Sciences Academic Advising Learning Outcomes for Students Personal Growth: Develop communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills x Reflect upon and articulate how the Jesuit education has shaped your life goalsx Reflect on your values, interests, strengths, and challengesx Define and clarify your short-term and long-term goalsx Articulate your goals during advising sessionsx Describe problems you face by reflecting on what caused them, what can be done to resolve
them, what you learned from them, and how to avoid them in the futurex Feel empowered to accomplish goals and take initiative in completing necessary tasks
Resource Identification: Learn to locate and effectively use University and College information and resources that help you achieve your goals x Seek to become acquainted with the academic structure of the University, the College of Arts and
Sciences, and academic programs and requirements x Become knowledgeable about College policies and procedures and utilize university
resources and services x Identify Web sites, campus offices, and faculty or staff you can consult with questions
Curriculum Integration: Understand the relationship between your academic experiences and your academic, career, and personal goals x Research, identify, and pursue integration of co-curricular learning and long-term goalsx Articulate how your major field of study helps you achieve your goalsx Schedule courses so you can graduate in a timely manner based on your educational planx Connect your educational plan to your career goalsx Identify personal strengths and areas for growth
Engaged Learning: Understand the importance of including experiences outside of the classroom in your educational plan x Utilize a faculty advisor in your major(s) to gain information and experiences beyond the
classroom (internships, job shadowing, research opportunities) x Participate in undergraduate research, off-campus volunteering, learning abroad, and/or
internship(s) x Reflect and discuss how participating in these activities helps you achieve your goals
$SSHQGL[�&��$FDGHPLF�$GYLVLQJ�/HDUQLQJ�2XWFRPHV��5HVSRQVLELOLWLHV��
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES • OFFICE OF THE DEAN • SULLIVAN CENTER, SUITE 235 • 1032 W. SHERIDAN ROAD • CHICAGO, IL 60660 • 773.508.3500 • LUC.edu/cas
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Academic Advisor and Advisee Responsibilities Academic Advisors and advisees both play important roles in the advising process.
Your Academic Advisor will... x Protect and maintain the integrity of the Loyola University Chicago degree by enforcing all
University, College, and department policies and requirementsx Treat you as an individual with your own experiences, values, and backgrounds. The College of
Arts and Sciences is a safe-space environment, and all students are welcome to speak to theiracademic advisor freely and with honesty.
x Understand and effectively communicate the curriculum, graduation requirements, andUniversity and College policies and procedures in order to provide helpful and appropriateadvisement
x Assist you with defining and making educational plans consistent with your goals, abilities, andinterests
x Be accessible and approachablex Respond to all e-mail and phone inquiries within 48 hours of receipt of a message, if practicalx Make appropriate referrals to campus resourcesx Offer recommendations and discuss strategies for academic, personal, and social
successx Encourage you to develop the skills that will foster personal responsibilityx Maintain confidentiality (will not discuss issues with parents, family members, and non-University
persons without your written consent)
As a student, you are expected to x Accept responsibility for your decisions and actions (or inactions) that affect your educational
progress and goalsx Display respect for your academic advisor and have a positive attitude toward the advising
processx Attend advising meetings as scheduled (If you are running late, going to be more than 15
minutes late, or if you cannot attend your appointment, please call the CAS Dean’s Officeat 773.508.3500, or 312.915.6520 for WTC-based appointments.)
x Be aware of important dates and deadlines (e.g., last day to withdraw a course) that areaccessible from the academic calendar www.luc.edu/academics/schedules on theLoyola Web site
x Check your Loyola e-mail account regularly (do not have it forwarded to another e-mail account),read messages from university offices, and respond appropriately
x Plan ahead and seek assistance from your academic advisor. You should make appointments inadvance as appointment availability is limited at busier times of the semester (e.g., first week ofclasses, registration).
x Come to advising appointments prepared to assume responsibility for degree planningx Ask questions if you do not understand an issue or have a specific concernx Keep a personal record of your progress toward meeting academic goals and requirementsx Learn the remaining requirements needed to graduate and finalize graduation plansx Learn the strategies necessary for transitioning from college student to college graduate
��
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES • OFFICE OF THE DEAN • SULLIVAN CENTER, SUITE 235 • 1032 W. SHERIDAN ROAD • CHICAGO, IL 60660 • 773.508.3500 • LUC.edu/cas
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
CAS Dean’s Office Mission Statement
Through the University's Core Curriculum and its many majors and minors, the College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the Jesuit tradition of a Transformative Education in the disciplines encompassed by the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. We encourage our students to acquire, experience, and reflect on knowledge, and then decide what it means for them in terms of individual choice, action, commitment, and service to others.
$SSHQGL[�'��'HDQV�2IILFH�0LVVLRQ��
��
12/3/2014 Post Advising Appointment Survey
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i2zUs2_1rKqSG3SPM927PfLP48M-KSpMrhvNW9j22Uo/printform 1/8
Post Advising Appointment Survey
We ask that you complete this short survey for us after your advising appointment. The purpose of this survey is to measure the effectiveness of your one-on-one advising experiences within College of Arts and Sciences. Your responses are critical in helping our department to provide meaningful and effective appointments. The responses you provide will remain anonymous. We ask that you reflect on your most recent one-on-one advising appointment and consider the following:
-Appointment setup experience-Your goals for your specific one-on-one advising appointment-Your ability to connect with helpful campus resources-The registration process-Your personal values, interests, strengths, & challenges
We thank you in advance for your careful reflection and consideration!
* Required
1. Please check all that apply.
I am a:Mark only one oval.
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Transfer
2. I intend to graduate... *
Mark only one oval.
Spring or Summer 2015
Fall 2015
Spring 2016 or later
3. Please select your major
Check all that apply.Check all that apply.
African Studies & the African Diaspora
Anthropology
Sociology & Anthropology
Bioinformatics
Biology
Biochemistry
$SSHQGL[�)��6XUYH\�,QVWUXPHQW��
12/3/2014 Post Advising Appointment Survey
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i2zUs2_1rKqSG3SPM927PfLP48M-KSpMrhvNW9j22Uo/printform 2/8
Classical Civilization
Greek
Latin
Communication Networks & Security
Computer Science
Information Technology
Mathematics & Computer Science
Physics & Computer Science
Software Engineering
Criminal Justice & Criminology
Economics
English
English, Creative Writing
Dance
Art History
Studio Art: Ceramics
Studio Art: Drawing & Painting
Studio Art: Photography
Visual Communication
Music
Music:Jazz Studies
Music: Sacred Music
Theatre
Forensic Science
History
Human Services
International Studies
Mathematics
Mathematics Education
Statistics
Theoretical Physics & Applied Mathematics
French
Italian
Spanish
Philosophy
Philosophy: Social Justice
Biophysics
��
12/3/2014 Post Advising Appointment Survey
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i2zUs2_1rKqSG3SPM927PfLP48M-KSpMrhvNW9j22Uo/printform 3/8
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Theology
Religious Studies
Women's Studies & Gender Studies
4. Do you have a pre-professional goal? *Mark only one oval.
Yes
No
5. What is your pre-professional goal?
Check all that apply.
Pre-health
Pre-law
Other:
Setting up a CAS AppointmentPlease answer the questions below regarding your most recent experience with setting up an academic advising appointment.
6. Did you call, email, or stop in to set up your advising appointment? *
Mark only one oval.
Call
Stop in
��
12/3/2014 Post Advising Appointment Survey
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i2zUs2_1rKqSG3SPM927PfLP48M-KSpMrhvNW9j22Uo/printform 4/8
7. What was your reason for scheduling an advising appointment? *
Check all that apply.
Scheduling classes
Registration
Transfer credit
Study abroad/course approvals
On-track to graduation check
Academic performance in one or more classes
Major/minor changes
Post-college plans
Graduation requirements check
Other:
8. How comfortable did you feel in reaching out to the College of Arts and Sciences to
schedule an appointment with your advisor? *
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Not At All Comfortable Very Comfortable
9. Please rate the ease of creating an appointment that fit into your schedule. *
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Difficult Easy
Articulate Your Goals and Navigate Your ResourcesPlease answer the questions below regarding your most recent academic advising appointment experience.
10. My advisor created the space for me to clearly articulate my goals. *
Indicate whether you came into your advising appointment with a specific goal or task andwhether or not, based off of that, you structured the meeting around that need.Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
My advisor set the agenda I set the agenda
��
12/3/2014 Post Advising Appointment Survey
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i2zUs2_1rKqSG3SPM927PfLP48M-KSpMrhvNW9j22Uo/printform 5/8
11. My advisor and I discussed my goals/needs for my advising appointment. *
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
12. My advisor and I were focused on my issue/concern during the appointment.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
13. My advisor provided useful information about campus resources related to my
goals/needs during our appointment. *
(websites, campus offices, faculty and staff around campus)Mark only one oval.
Yes
No
Not Applicable to my appointment needs
14. Based on this advising session, I can now identify a campus resource that might be
helpful to me in the future.
Mark only one oval.
Yes
No
Not Applicable to my appointment needs
15. Based on this advising session, I feel comfortable reaching out to connect with this
campus resource.
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Extremely Uncomfortable Extremely Comfortable
The Registration ProcessPlease answer the questions below regarding your intended graduation date and your familiarity with the registration process.
��
12/3/2014 Post Advising Appointment Survey
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i2zUs2_1rKqSG3SPM927PfLP48M-KSpMrhvNW9j22Uo/printform 6/8
16. I understand what I need to complete in order to graduate by my intended graduation
date. *
Mark only one oval.
Yes
No
I still feel slightly unsure about what is required of me
17. I understand the class registration process *Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Do not understand theprocess
Fully understand theprocess
18. I feel comfortable registering for classes on my own. *
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Extremely Uncomfortable Extremely Comfortable
Reflecting on your values, interests, strengths, and
challenges.Please answer the questions below regarding your most recent academic advising experience.
19. My advising session allowed me to reflect on my values.
Mark only one oval.
Yes, I was able to reflect on my values during my advising appointment.
No, I was not able to reflect on my values during my advising appointment.
Not applicable to my advising appointment.
20. I had opportunity to reflect on my interests during my advising appointment.
Mark only one oval.
Yes, I was able to reflect on my interests during my advising appointment.
No, I was not able to reflect on my interests during my advising appointment.
Not applicable to my advising appointment.
��
12/3/2014 Post Advising Appointment Survey
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i2zUs2_1rKqSG3SPM927PfLP48M-KSpMrhvNW9j22Uo/printform 7/8
21. My advisor created space for me to reflect on my strengths during my advising
appointment.
Mark only one oval.
Yes, I was able to reflect on my strengths during my advising appointment.
No, I was not able to reflect on my strengths during my advising appointment.
Not applicable to my advising appointment.
22. I was able to reflect on my potential challenges during my advising appointment.
Mark only one oval.
Yes, I was able to reflect on my potential challenges in my advising appointment.
No, I was not able to reflect on my potential challenges during my advisingappointment.
Not Applicable to my advising appointment.
After my advising appointment, I feel...
23. Encouraged to reflect on how my values relate to my goals in the future.
Mark only one oval.
Yes, I feel encouraged.
No, I do not feel encouraged.
I am unsure of my feelings.
24. Encouraged to reflect on how my interests relate to my goals in the future.
Mark only one oval.
Yes, I feel encouraged.
No, I do not feel encouraged.
I am unsure about my feelings.
25. Encouraged to reflect on how my strengths relate to my goals in the future.
Mark only one oval.
Yes, I feel encouraged.
No, I do not feel encouraged.
I am unsure about my feelings.
26. Encouraged to reflect on potential challenges that relate to my goals in the future.
Mark only one oval.
Yes, I feel encouraged.
No, I do not feel encouraged.
I am unsure about my feelings.
��
12/3/2014 Post Advising Appointment Survey
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1i2zUs2_1rKqSG3SPM927PfLP48M-KSpMrhvNW9j22Uo/printform 8/8
Powered by
Thank you!The College of Arts and Sciences Academic Advising Office would like to thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
��
Appendix G Survey Design Considerations
1. Were the directions clear? 2. Were any items difficult to read due to length of sentences, word choice, or terminology? 3. What did each question mean to you? 4. Do you feel the questions and organization of the survey flowed? 5. How long did it take you to complete the survey? 6. Did you have any trouble accessing the survey or navigating it once it was accessed? 7. Do you have any concern with the length of the survey? 8. Do you have any other concerns or general feedback? 9. Do you have any suggestions for making the overall survey experience or survey
questions easier to understand and to complete?
Adapted from Schuh, 2009
��
Appendix H Focus Group Email Invitation
Hello ______________, As a valued member of the College of Arts and Sciences student community, we invite you to participate in a focus group that will help us to evaluate and improve our advising program. The focus group will be held on DATE, at TIME in LOCATION. We would like your feedback and reflections on the following:
x Overall sentiment of one-on-one advising appointments x Content of one-on-one advising appointments
The focus group will be led by a facilitator who is not a member of the CAS advising staff. All content from the focus group meeting will be void of names or other identifying information. The information you provide will be used to understand the state of academic advising and make improvements to the office and advising practices as needed. If you would like to participate, please RSVP to COORDINATOR by DATE. If you are interested in participating, but cannot do so at the stated time and date above, please email COORDINATOR so that we can reach out to you in the future. If you have any questions about the focus group, please contact:
Joyce Knight, M.Div. Assistant Dean for Advising [email protected]
��
Appendix I Focus Group Consent Form
Project Title: CAS: Dean’s Office Academic Advising Evaluation Evaluator: Katherine Murphy Introduction: You are about to take part in a focus group to help the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office at Loyola University Chicago gain a better understanding of your experience with the one-on-one advising appointments that are offered. Please read through the following information carefully. If you have any questions regarding the information below, please ask the moderator prior to deciding whether to participate. Procedures: Once you agree to participate in the focus group, you will be asked a series of questions pertaining to your perspective on the one-on-one advising experience. There is no right or wrong answer and we ask that you respond honestly and openly. Please know that you are not required to respond to any of the questions and should only respond based on your comfort level. Confidentiality: By participating in the focus group, your name will be omitted from any responses you provide. Any information provided will be compiled in a report and basic themes will be shared with the CAS Dean’s Office.. We will use the information yielded from these focus groups to understand the state of academic advising and make improvements to the office and advising practices as needed. Voluntary Participation: Participation in this focus group is voluntary. At any point in the focus group, you are free to withdraw from participation. Please know that you are not required to stay for the entire time. Statement of Consent By signing below, you acknowledge that you have read the information above and agree to participate in the focus group. Additionally, you have had a chance to ask any questions you may have about the process. A copy of this document will be provided for your records.
_______________________________________ _________________ Participant's Signature Date
_______________________________________ _________________ Evaluator’s Signature Date
��
Appendix J Focus Group Protocol
Introduction Hello, my name is __________ and I will be facilitating this focus group today. I would like to start off by thanking you for taking the time to participate in this focus group. For the next hour or so we will be talking about your experiences with advising in the College of Arts and Sciences: Dean’s Office. Purpose of Focus Group You all are here because you are a student in the College of Arts and Sciences who has utilized one-on-one advising services. We have invited you to share details about your experience in your advising appointments. I will have questions to help guide our conversation, though we would like to keep this an informal discussion in an effort to best capture your experiences and perspectives. Please feel free to share with the group as much as you feel comfortable sharing. In our review of this discussion your comments will remain confidential and any identifying information will be obscured. Please keep any information discussed in this space confidential as well. We intend to use this information to improve upon College of Arts and Sciences advising services. Before we continue, does anyone have any questions? As you came in today you were given a consent form. I ask that you review the form. If you feel comfortable with the specifications please sign the form and return it me so we that we may begin. After you return your form, I would like to encourage you to help yourself to some pizza and we will begin shortly. Focus Group Discussion Participants Introductions:
1. Let’s start off by going around the room and introducing ourselves. Please include your first name only and major.
Segment 1: Overall Sentiments about Advising Thank you for your introductions. At this point, I would like to spend a bit of time learning more about your general experiences meeting with your assigned academic advisor for one-on-one advising appointments.
1. Can you share with us your general feelings about one-on-one advising appointments in the College of Arts and Sciences Probes: x What are your feelings about your advisor’s availability? x What are your experiences with scheduling appointments? How is this process? x How effective do you find your one-on-one advising appointments? x What, if anything, would you like to see improved or changed?
From what you have shared regarding your overall feelings about advising, _________________ (summarize content). Does this sound right? Is there anything you would like to add or change? Segment 2: Content of Advising
��
1. Please share with us some of the things you and your advisor talk about in your appointments. These can be academic, career, or personally related topics.
Probes x Specifically ask students about the following: registration, personal circumstances,
academic progress, career interests/goals, and identifying resources x How do you prepare for appointments? Do you lead the appointments or does your
advisor? 2. Is there something you wish you could talk to your advisor about that you either have not had the opportunity to or that you haven’t felt comfortable doing?
Probes x Describe what it is you’re uncomfortable with x Why do you think that is? Time? Subject matter? Relationship with your advisor? x What might make you feel more comfortable?
3. What do you take away from your advising meetings? Probes
x Do you walk away with resources? Why or why not, for each “do you” statement. x Do you feel that your meetings are productive? Why or why not? x Are you left with unanswered questions? How do you get answers to these questions? x Do you feel satisfied at the end of the appointment? Why or why not?
From what you have shared regarding your overall feelings about advising, _________________ (summarize content). Does this sound right? Is there anything you would like to add or change? Conclusion We have reached the end of my questions; however, I would like to provide you all with an opportunity to ask questions or share any additional comments. Does anyone have anything to share at the moment? I would like to thank you for your participation in today’s discussion. Your input and participation today is greatly appreciated. The information you offered with be taken into consideration in efforts to improve academic advising services in the CAS Dean’s Office. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
��
Appendix K Interview Consent Form
Project Title: CAS: Dean’s Office Academic Advising Evaluation Evaluator: Katherine Murphy Introduction: You are about to take part in an interview to help the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office at Loyola University Chicago gain a better understanding of your experience as an advisor. Please read through the following information carefully. If you have any questions regarding the information below, please ask the interviewer prior to deciding whether to participate. Procedures: Once you agree to participate in the interview, you will be asked a series of questions pertaining to your perspective on your role as an advisor. There is no right or wrong answer and we ask that you respond honestly and openly. Please know that you are not required to respond to any of the questions and should only respond based on your comfort level. At any time you may stop the interview. Confidentiality: By participating in the interview, your name will be omitted from any responses you provide. Any information provided will be compiled in a report and basic themes will be shared with the CAS Dean’s Office.. We will use the information yielded from these focus groups to understand the state of academic advising and make improvements to the office and advising practices as needed. We ask that you do not discuss this interview with staff members or students in order to maintain confidentiality. Voluntary Participation: Participation in this interview is voluntary. At any point in the interview, you are free to withdraw from participation. Please know that you are not required to stay for the entire time. Additionally, participation is not a condition of employment with the CAS Dean’s Office. Your participation status will not be revealed to administrators. Statement of Consent By signing below, you acknowledge that you have read the information above and agree to participate in the interview. Additionally, you have had a chance to ask any questions you may have about the process. A copy of this document will be provided for your records. _________________________________ _____________ Participant's Signature Date __________________________________ _____________ Evaluator’s Signature Date
��
Appendix L Interview Protocol
Interviewer will read the following: Thank you for participating in our evaluation process. Part of the evaluation process includes qualitative interviews which will allow us to capture rich, candid information that will help us to understand the state of academic advising and make improvements to the office and advising practices as needed. To better understand how advisors and students are reaching developmental outcomes within academic advising appointments. As an advisor, you play a crucial role in students’ development. You have a unique perspective on students that we would like you to share with us. If we can understand how you see and work with students in appointments, we can better understand the role of advisors in student development, pinpoint areas of strength and challenge, and adapt our program to meet student and advisor needs so that developmental outcomes can be more successfully met. This interview will be recorded but will not be released to anyone in the office. Additionally, any identifying information you release about yourself or any other staff members or students will not be included in the transcript. We also ask that you do not discuss the content of this interview with fellow staff members or students to ensure confidentiality. The interview will take approximately 45 minutes. Questions are divided into four categories: your role as an advisor, advising mission, developmental outcomes, and student-advisor relationship. Please take a moment to review the consent form. If you do not wish to move forward with the interview, please return the unsigned form to me. You will be free to leave. Participation is not a condition of employment. the CAS Dean will not be notified of your participation status. By signing the consent form, you agree to participate in the interview process. You may stop the interview at any time. If you do not wish to answer a question, you may simply say “pass,” however we recommend providing as much information as possible during our talk. Do you have any questions?
-------Allow time for response------ Let’s begin with the interview: Your Role as an Advisor
1. Please describe your professional experience and what led you to academic advising. a. Probes: What drew you to this office? What do you see as the unique needs of juniors, seniors, and/or transfer students?
2. What do you see as the chief responsibilities of an academic advisor? . `Probes: Do you have an advising philosophy?
��
From what you have shared your role as an advisor has been ________________ (Provide 2-3 key ideas from what has been shared. Confirm that this is accurate. If not, seek clarification). Advising Mission I have provided you with a copy of the one-page Mission Statement developed by the academic advising team.
1. Could you talk about your role in supporting the mission of Academic Advising in the CAS Dean’s Office?
a. Probes: Give an example. How have you seen the mission accomplished? What could advisors do better to accomplish the mission? What, if anything, is done in the office that might hinder the mission?
2. Describe your approach to “holistic advising” . Probes: How do you approach your appointments with advisees
3. In your opinion, to what extent does the mission accurately reflects the goals of this office?
. Probes: Are there pieces missing? Do you agree or disagree with the mission? Would you add anything to the mission? From what you have shared regarding your role in supporting the mission of the CAS Dean’s Office has been ________________ (Provide 2-3 key ideas from what has been shared. Confirm that this is accurate. If not, seek clarification). Developmental Outcomes I have provided you with a copy of the Academic Advising Learning Outcomes and Responsibilities that was the advising team has developed.
1. As far as you know, to what extent is there a collective understanding of the learning outcomes amongst the advising team?
a. Probes: Has this been discussed at length as a team and in what settings? 2. Could you describe your approach to meeting these learning outcomes during one-on-one
advising appointments? . Probes: Could you provide an example?
3. How do you know that learning outcomes are being met? . Probes: Are there things that you do to ensure that they are being met. If so, please describe in more detail.
From what you have shared regarding the developmental outcomes identified by the CAS advising team ________________ (Provide 2-3 key ideas from what has been shared. Confirm that this is accurate. If not, seek clarification). Student-Advisor Relationship
1. Describe your approach to advising appointments.
��
a. Probes: Are you more casual or more formal? Do you set an agenda? Do you encourage the student to set an agenda? How do you prepare?
2. Describe your communication style with students . Probes: What is your primary form of communication? Are students responsive? Who generally initiates contact? Do you feel that students reach out to resources they are provided? From what you have shared regarding your relationships with advisees, your general interactions with advisee’s ________________ (Provide 2-3 key ideas from what has been shared. Confirm that this is accurate. If not, seek clarification).
Conclusion Before we conclude this interview, we would like to see if you have any general feedback or insight you would like to share at this point. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations to improve one-on-one advising appointments? Is there anything else you would like to add before we end this interview? Thank you very much for taking the time to participate in this interview and for sharing your experiences. Your role in this evaluation is critical to our process and will help us in making the CAS Dean’s Office even more successful in the near future. Thank you.
��
Appendix M Timeline
��
Appendix N
Budget
��
Appendix O Evaluation Poster Presentation
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��