NACADA Call for Proposals

The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) is accepting presentation proposals for the annual conference in Nashville, TN October 4-7, 2012. Proposals will be accepted until February 22, 2012. For more information, please visit the NACADA website.

Networks That Work: Academic Advising Professionals Help Colleagues Choose K-State’s Online Advising Program

By Abigail Crouse acrouse@k-state.edu and Rosanna Vail  rvail@k-state.edu

For Timothy Bond, adviser at Metropolitan State College of Denver, deciding to follow his family tradition of earning an advanced education was easy. But deciding where and how to pursue the degree he needed while working full time took careful thought—and advice from his fellow academic advisers.

Bond has attended national academic advising conferences since the early 1990s, networking with professionals in his field who told him about Kansas State University’s online master’s degree program in academic advising.

“Enrolling in this online program versus a campus-based program helped me set the pace I needed by taking the number of courses that would allow me to study and continue working full time,” Bond said.

As he began the program, Bond says he had to learn to reorganize his time and couldn’t rely on the same patterns anymore. Instead, he accessed course material and books while commuting, during lunch breaks, and while at home or on the go.

“The first course I took was very challenging and required good time management from me, though it was a little scary since I had been out of school for twenty years,” Bond said. “But the structure the instructors provide is very helpful and helps keep you on track. I didn’t image it was possible to have so much discussion online until I started this master’s degree.”

Bond also found his online course instructors to be extremely engaged, helpful and quick to respond. The program allowed him to explore new ways of thinking and ways to handle advising situations that he could implement at work.

“I have found the academic advising courses to be so relevant to what I am doing in my job. I will be doing readings and discussions online and then go to a work meeting to find the subject keys right into what I had just studied,” Bond said.

One aspect of distance learning technology that has been especially helpful in Bond’s graduate studies is the ability to purchase books in both electronic and hard copy versions.

“Having access to the two different formats of the texts allows me to manage my time better,” he said. “I have discovered that I like learning online. It is all about commitment and time management for me to accomplish my goal of earning a master’s degree.”

Correction to Graduation Procedures

The Graduate School recently made a change in processing Approval to Schedule Final Exam forms of which I was unaware. All candidates for master’s and doctoral degrees must submit the “graduation application” via the student center in iSIS before the Final Exam form is processed. This will replace the “diploma information” online form previously required by the Graduate School. The graduation application will add students to the list of candidates for degree completion as well as update the degree/diploma name and mailing address. This is a graduation requirement.

In order to submit the “graduation application” you must log into iSIS and go to “Academics” in the “Student Center”. Open the “Other Academic” list box and click “Apply for Graduation” and then click go (>>) and complete the online application.  Step by step instructions on applying for graduation are available in iSIS Help at the following link:

http://www.k-state.edu/isishelp/docs/stuGraduationApply.html

The rest of the graduation procedures remain the same.

After filling out the online graduation application, the Approval to Schedule Final Exam form should be submitted to Pam McGlynn by January 25, 2012. On this form, complete the following three items at the top center of the page: Name; K-State eID; and Student Number (WID, 9-digit number beginning with an 8). After completing this information, the file is to be e-mailed to Pam and she will complete the rest of the form. She will obtain the required signatures and forward it to the Graduate School. This form is required for the portfolio that serves as the final exam for the degree.

The next graduation requirement is to submit your academic advising portfolio via drop box on K-State Online by March 15, 2012. A K-State Online course will be created for this purpose and students that notify Pam will be on the roster. The electronic portfolio is the culminating activity for the program and will be evaluated by your program committee. A Word file of the portfolio requirements is available on the blog. The portfolio is expected to be a high quality, graduate document developed during the program. Please contact your advisor or Dr. Ken Hughey (khughey@ksu.edu) should you have questions about the academic advising portfolio.

It is required that you be enrolled during the semester in which you complete degree requirements.

For graduation and commencement information from the Kansas State University Graduate School, go to the following url: http://www.k-state.edu/grad/students/gradandcomm.html.  Commencement is scheduled for Friday, May 11, 2012 at 1 pm.

Students Travel to Campus to Celebrate Graduation

Back Row – Dr. Christy Craft, Dana Johnson, Justin Rahn, Dr. Debbie Mercer, Dr. Ken Hughey, Dr. Aaron Carlstrom
Front Row – Nubia Judith Junco-Williams, Dr. Dorris Carroll, Joanna Muller, Kimberly Jones, Jamie Southam, Dr. Judy Hughey, Sean Kenney

In December, seven academic advising graduate students traveled to Manhattan, Kansas to participate in the on campus commencement ceremony. During the celebrations the students had the opportunity to meet some of their professors and fellow students face to face for the first time. The scheduled events included the ceremony at Bramlage Coliseum and a brunch sponsored by the College of Education at the Manhattan Country Club. Congratulations to all our program graduates!

Kimberly Jones and family with Dr. Charlie Nutt

Dana Johnson and family with Dr. Doris Carroll

Justin Rahn and family

Joanna Muller with Dr. Charlie Nutt and Dr. Doris Carroll

Sean Kenney and his mother

Procedures for Spring 2012 Graduation

If you are planning to complete the requirements for the Master’s in Academic Advising, please pay attention to the procedures below.

Please e-mail Pam McGlynn, our program assistant, to let her know you are planning to complete degree requirements at the end of the spring semester. She will use this list to distribute additional information to potential graduates.

First, the Approval to Schedule Final Exam form it to be submitted to Pam McGlynn by January 25, 2012. On this form, complete the following three items at the top center of the page: Name; K-State eID; and Student Number (WID, 9-digit number beginning with an 8). After completing this information, the file is to be e-mailed to Pam and she will complete the rest of the form. She will obtain the required signatures and forward it to the Graduate School. This form is required for the portfolio that serves as the final exam for the degree.

After the Approval to Schedule Final Exam form is processed by Graduate School staff, you will receive an e-mail with information about graduation, including information on the iSIS Graduation application which the Graduate School requires students to complete by March 1, 2012.

The second activity is to submit your academic advising portfolio via drop box on K-State Online by March 15, 2012. A K-State Online course will be created for this purpose and students that notify Pam will be on the roster. The electronic portfolio is the culminating activity for the program and will be evaluated by your program committee. A Word file of the portfolio requirements is attached to this e-mail. The portfolio is expected to be a high quality, graduate document developed during the program. Please contact your advisor or Dr. Ken Hughey (khughey@ksu.edu) should you have questions about the academic advising portfolio.

A program of study is to have been submitted and on file with the Graduate School. The program of study must be on file before the final exam form can be submitted to the Graduate School. If you have not completed this, please contact Pam as soon as possible. In addition, it is required that you be enrolled during the semester in which you complete degree requirements.

For graduation and commencement information from the Kansas State University Graduate School, go to the following url: http://www.k-state.edu/grad/students/gradandcomm.html.  Commencement is scheduled for Friday, May 11, 2012 at 1 pm.

Spring Term Starts January 17, 2012

The new term starts January 17, 2012.

Course Offerings for Spring 2012
EDCEP 761  Intercollegiate Athletics and the College Student Athlete
EDCEP 816 Research Methods
EDCEP 835 Foundations of Academic Advising
EDCEP 838 College Student and College Environment
EDCEP 851 Multicultural Aspects of Academic Advising
EDCEP 863 Trends in Career Development
EDSP 853    College Students with Special Needs
EDCEP 837 Administration of Academic Advising

Negotiating Civil Discourse in Academic Advising

This article originally appeared in Academic Advising Today (Vol. 34, No. 4) December 2011. Shannon Burton completed a Master’s in Academic Advising from Kansas State University in 2009.

Shannon Burton, Michigan State University

Higher education professionals have come to recognize that our students are an amalgamation of their family structures, race and ethnicity, gender, religions, and educational experiences. As students converge upon our campuses, they are challenged to confront their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in new ways through coursework, the people they meet, and the extra-curricular opportunities in which they engage. Advisors hope to create environments where students feel safe sharing their views on coursework and their activities, but we realize that the comments students make can be positive, negative, or sometimes even inappropriate.

How should advisors engage students in deeper discussions when we hear comments about an experience that borders on incivility? What can we do to help students begin to develop healthy means to discuss experiences?  Academic advisors can help students put their views and experiences into perspective when we teach students to maintain discussions that support, rather than undermine, societal good in the academic environment. While it may be difficult even for advisors to reflect upon controversial topics, there are strategies we can use to manage civil discourse. To facilitate appropriately, advisors must examine our perspectives on societal issues first.

Understanding Ourselves

1. Advisors should have an understanding of our views on issues so that biases can be checked.  The key is to engage students and allow them to reflect upon what they are saying versus imposing our beliefs upon students.
2. Advisors should be aware of the ways in which we may respond to comments we consider “uncivil” and determine how we may mitigate our initial reactions. Remember, students should continue to feel that advisors’ offices are safe and secure places to talk about themselves and issues that may affect their academic success. Reacting, however instinctively, in a negative way may have reverberating repercussions for continued relationships. Additionally, as professionals and as representatives of the institution, we are role models for appropriate behavior and how to express views within the institutional culture.
3. Advisors should be aware of our communication styles and how these styles affect our interactions with students.  We may need to offer other means for communication or ask for space to reflect so that appropriate responses may be given.
4. Advisors should encourage students to use the advising time to discuss ideas. We should let students know that regardless of their opinions, advisors will respect them and guide them towards academic success.

Once advisors set the above parameters, we can use the following strategies to help engage students.

Civil Discourse Strategies(Landis, 2008):

1. The Five Minute Rule (Landis, p. 109):

Ask students to consider opposing viewpoints for a few moments. Have them reflect on the following questions:

• What is interesting or helpful about this view?
• What are some intriguing features that others may not have noticed?
• What would be different if they believed this view, if they accepted it as true?

• In what sense and under what conditions might this idea be true?

Students should only think positively about the opposing viewpoint at this time. This strategy allows students to try on a less popular view and entertain it respectfully for a short time.

2. Reframe the Discussion (Landis, p. 154):

This strategy provides a means to uncover the hidden historical, social, and political aspects of a position.   Advisors should help students identify the experiences informing their perspective and help them reflect upon the following questions:

Option One:

• From what discourse or discourse community does this view originate?
• In what social or political structures is this view most at home?
• How does this discourse relate to different power structures in which believers might find themselves?
• What does holding and voicing this opinion do to shape individuals and their different roles or relationships?

Option Two:

• What kind of cultural work does this view promote?  Are proponents trying to get individuals to believe in something, act in specific ways, or change their minds about something?
• Who loses?  Who gains? Which groups benefit and who is penalized?
• What ideas gain traction because of this perspective, and which ideas are minimized?
• What perspectives are mobilized if this view becomes accepted, and which are constrained, limited or eliminated?

3. Shared Writing (Landis, p. 199):

Personal journals are effective and safe spaces for students to consider and develop their ideas about controversial topics before engaging in dialogue with others.  Encourage students who have difficulty expressing themselves to write in their journals every day.  Ask students if they are willing to share their journals so we can help them think through issues in constructive ways.

Conclusion

These are three ways to engage students in deeper discussions about their thoughts. These strategies offer examples of how advisors can help students reframe discussions in healthy ways and engage in dialogues on controversial topics both inside and outside the classroom. Other strategies exist for classrooms and group environments.

Whichever strategies are used, advisors should make certain that we have prepared carefully. We should know what we think and why we think that way. We should be prepared for our instinctive reactions and know how to control for them. As advisors we must have the courage to make mistakes. We must be humble enough to stand corrected and apologize when necessary. Engaging students in deeper conversations is not easy, but our efforts can move students forward to lifelong learning.

Shannon Lynn Burton
School of Criminal Justice
Michigan State University
sburton@msu.edu

References

Landis, K. (Ed.) (2008). Start talking: A handbook for engaging difficult dialogues in higher education.  Anchorage, AK: University Press.

Resources

Teaching Tolerance. Founded in 1991 by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance is dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation’s children.  www.tolerance.org

National Issues Forum. This non-partisan network of educational and community organizations promotes the debate of current issues.  www.nifi.org

Choices for the 21st Century. Choices is a project of the Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Institute for International Studies at Brown University that has created 15 units on contemporary and historical U.S. foreign policy issues.  www.choices.edu

Difficult Dialogues National Resource Center. This center is dedicated to promoting civic engagement, academic freedom and pluralism in higher education. www.difficultdialogues.org

For Further Reading

Andrews, R. (1994). Democracy and the teaching of argument. The English Journal, 83(6), 62-69.

Barber, B.R. (1989). Public talk and civic action: Education for participation in a strong democracy. Social Education, 53(6).355-370.

Evans, R. W. and Saxe, D.W. (Eds.). (1996). On teaching social issues. National Council for the Social Studies Bulletin 93. Washington, D.C.: National Council for the Social Studies.

Parker, W. C. (Ed.). (2002). Education for democracy, contexts, curricula, assessments. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

December Commencement Information

December Graduate School Commencement
Friday, Dec. 9, 2011, 1 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum.

Live Webcast of the Commencement Ceremonies can be found at: http://www.k‐state.edu/graduation/

Virtual Commencement
A virtual commencement ceremony Web site will be available by early December for distance education degree candidates unable to attend their K‐State commencement ceremony in person. The Web site, http://www.dce.k‐state.edu/students/commencement/, includes a listing of students earning degrees through distance education, a place for family and friends to post congratulatory messages to their graduate, a commencement address, music and other commencement‐related offerings.

Happy Thanksgiving – No Classes Nov. 21 – 25

There will be no classes during Thanksgiving week – November 21 – 25, 2011. Enjoy your holiday!

Spring Enrollment Continues

Enrollment is still open for Spring 2012 classes. All courses are still available. Some sections have filled, but due to demand, the program has opened new sections.

Course Offerings for Spring 2012
EDCEP 761  Intercollegiate Athletics and the College Student Athlete
EDCEP 816 Research Methods
EDCEP 835 Foundations of Academic Advising
EDCEP 838 College Student and College Environment
EDCEP 851 Multicultural Aspects of Academic Advising
EDCEP 863 Trends in Career Development
EDSP 853    College Students with Special Needs
EDCEP 837 Administration of Academic Advising

Students enroll through iSIS at https://isis.k-state.edu/psp/ISIS/?cmd=login.

Please remember to use the class number to enroll in iSIS. The Course Schedule will provide the class number. The Course Schedule is available at http://courses.k-state.edu/.

Academic Advising courses can be found by clicking on the term one is registering for, then the College of Education, and then Department of Special Education, Counseling, and Student Affairs. Courses are listed in numerical order and have the same numbers as stated above.