Dana McGuire’s Spring 2011 Advising Practicum in Pamplin Undergraduate Programs Supervisor Dr. Jennifer Clevenger, Director of Advising
Dana McGuire’s Spring 2011
Advising Practicum
in
Pamplin Undergraduate Programs
Supervisor
Dr. Jennifer Clevenger, Director of Advising
This was the plan…
• Objective 1: Create a report regarding recruitment, retention and persistence of Pamplin students from underrepresented populations.
• Objective 2: To gain an understanding of the roles and functions of the various positions within PamplinUndergraduate Programs and the issues that confront individual professional staff members.
• Objective 3: To gain hands-on experience in academic advising by working with freshman and sophomore students in the Pamplin College of Business
…and here’s what happened.
1. Report = data summary + literature review + recommendations
2. Met with members of the office from administrative staff to associate dean
3. Advised students
– Course request
– General advising
– Probation student
Going into the experience…
• Skills & experience:– Oregon State University Exploratory Studies Program
& Academic Success Center
• Prior knowledge:– Fall semester classes– Experience with other institution’s policies
• Disposition:– Doubted whether advising was a good fit for me– Never wanted to try things until I felt exceedingly
prepared– Drawn to work with students who are struggling
What I got out of the experience…
Knowledge
• Understanding of the Pamplin lower division curriculum and Virginia Tech Curriculum for Liberal Education
• Knowledge of best practices for supporting underrepresented student success
• Familiarity with the Appreciative Advising Model and the needs of student veterans
Skills
• Confidently prepared major check sheets and help students determine future courses
• Explained academic policies and procedures
• Utilized student development theory while advising students
• Improved technical writing/research skills
Disposition
• Confident that I would enjoy academic advising
• Better prepared to face new tasks with less fear and a more a positive attitude
• Confirmed desire to work with students who are struggling
What will I do differently?
• More manageable project
• Possibly develop a timeline for training with input from supervisor (training and project)
• Get to know broader office/department earlier
My (possible) future
Types of positions I will seek
• Academic advising and/or academic support
• Direct work with probationary students
• Ideal positions will have a teaching component
How this experience has helped me prepare
• Advising experience and knowledge
– Worked from students from many backgrounds with diverse issues
• Direct work with probationary student
• Gained knowledge of strategies to enhance retention and support success
Do I have a competitive edge?
• Yes!
• Advising experience at Virginia Tech
• Networking opportunities with other advisors on campus
• Advising philosophy
Acknowledgment
Thank you Jennifer for providing this opportunity and for your mentoring throughout the semester!