Evaluation of a Dual First-year Student Advising Program

Jess W. Everett; Maria Perez-Colon

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Conference: 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Seattle, Washington
Publication Date: June 14, 2015
Start Date: June 14, 2015
End Date: June 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-692-50180-1
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: First-year Programs Division Technical Session 12: Teaching and Advising Students in that Critical First Year
Tagged Division: First-Year Programs
Page Count: 13
Page Numbers: 26.693.1 - 26.693.13
DOI: 10.18260/p.24030
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/24030
Download Count: 506

Paper Authors

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Jess W. Everett Rowan University

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Jess W. Everett has worked in four distinct areas: waste management operations research, contaminated site assessment and remediation, education innovation, and sustainable engineering. He has employed a wide variety of techniques, including computer modeling, laboratory experiments, field testing, and surveys. His current research focuses on energy conservation, alternative energy generation, engineering learning communities, and hybrid courses (courses with classroom and on-line aspects).

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Maria Perez-Colon Rowan University

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Maria Perez-Colon is a program advisor in the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering at Rowan University, NJ. She received her M.A. degree in Higher Education Administration from Rowan University, and B.A. in English from Rutgers University. Her master thesis focused on the effects of Engineers Without Borders service projects on the global-mindedness of student participants.

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Abstract

Evaluation of a hybrid first year student advising programA College of Engineering at a mid-size public university in the mid-Atlantic region is changingits first year student advising system after a relatively rapid increase in its student population.The college admitted approximately 150 engineering first year students annually between 2000and 2010. Starting in 2011, larger first year classes were admitted, growing to approximately 380first year students in Fall 2014. Future classes are expected to remain in the 375 to 400 studentrange.Before Fall 2014, all first year students were advised entirely by faculty. A relatively highfaculty-to-student ratio and strong faculty commitment contributed to successful advising, asmeasured by high retention from the first to second year (93.4 %) and a high four and six-yeargraduation rate (55 and 73 %, respectively). As student numbers grew, so did concern about theability of the faculty system to provide sufficient advising. In Fall 2014 a hybrid system wasadopted in which one professional staff member is responsible for advice on course sequencing,college/university policies and procedures, scheduling and campus resources for all first yearstudents. Faculty members continue to provide information and guidance related to industry-driven competencies and career information. The hybrid system also includes more onlineresources, including student quizzes and an advising Wiki.To provide feedback that can be used to guide and improve the new advising system, twosurveys were directly incorporated into the ebook used in the introduction to engineering coursetaken by all first year students The PathFinder website has been used to provide the ebook andon-line quizzes and homework for all sections of the first year course since Fall 2012. In Fall2014, two quizzes were added related to advising. The first quiz, administered in October shortlybefore course registration, prompts students to consider and evaluate their need for and use ofuniversity resources, e.g., advising, career management assistance, tutoring, etc. The secondsurvey, administered at the end of the semester, asks students to reflect on how they useduniversity resources during their first semester.The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the new hybrid advising system. This will beaccomplished using: (1) the two online quizzes; (2) direct observations by the professionaladviser; (3) a focus group with select students at the end of the semester; (4) a survey of thefaculty advisors; and (5) analysis of student retention from Fall 2014 to Spring 2015.

Citation
Format

Everett, J. W., & Perez-Colon, M. (2015, June), Evaluation of a Dual First-year Student Advising Program Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.24030

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -             Evaluation of a hybrid first year student advising programA College of Engineering at a mid-size public university in the mid-Atlantic region is changingits first year student advising system after a relatively rapid increase in its student population.The college admitted approximately 150 engineering first year students annually between 2000and 2010. Starting in 2011, larger first year classes were admitted, growing to approximately 380first year students in Fall 2014. Future classes are expected to remain in the 375 to 400 studentrange.Before Fall 2014, all first year students were advised entirely by faculty. A relatively highfaculty-to-student ratio and strong faculty commitment contributed to successful advising, asmeasured by high retention from the first to second year (93.4 %) and a high four and six-yeargraduation rate (55 and 73 %, respectively). As student numbers grew, so did concern about theability of the faculty system to provide sufficient advising. In Fall 2014 a hybrid system wasadopted in which one professional staff member is responsible for advice on course sequencing,college/university policies and procedures, scheduling and campus resources for all first yearstudents. Faculty members continue to provide information and guidance related to industry-driven competencies and career information. The hybrid system also includes more onlineresources, including student quizzes and an advising Wiki.To provide feedback that can be used to guide and improve the new advising system, twosurveys were directly incorporated into the ebook used in the introduction to engineering coursetaken by all first year students The PathFinder website has been used to provide the ebook andon-line quizzes and homework for all sections of the first year course since Fall 2012. In Fall2014, two quizzes were added related to advising. The first quiz, administered in October shortlybefore course registration, prompts students to consider and evaluate their need for and use ofuniversity resources, e.g., advising, career management assistance, tutoring, etc. The secondsurvey, administered at the end of the semester, asks students to reflect on how they useduniversity resources during their first semester.The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the new hybrid advising system. This will beaccomplished using: (1) the two online quizzes; (2) direct observations by the professionaladviser; (3) a focus group with select students at the end of the semester; (4) a survey of thefaculty advisors; and (5) analysis of student retention from Fall 2014 to Spring 2015.
AU  - Jess W. Everett
AU  - Maria Perez-Colon
CY  - Seattle, Washington
DA  - 2015/06/14
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Evaluation of a Dual First-year Student Advising Program
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/24030
DO  - 10.18260/p.24030
ER  -