The research is clear: students’ advising experiences meaningfully affect both their time to degree and the degree to which they’re positioned to succeed.
This is why, at IU Bloomington and in alignment with the IUB 2030 strategic plan, we are amplifying our commitment to ensure that all students have equitable access to high-quality academic advising and academic support resources. In alignment with this objective, Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Vasti Torres and Executive Director of Academic Advising Dan Turner have initiated a comprehensive assessment of the state of advising on our campus and our aspirations for the future.
The goal: to have a new advising plan in place by summer 2024.
Currently, a campuswide team of approximately 175 academic advisors attentively supports our undergraduate students. In addition to developing trusting relationships and connecting students to campus, advisors help students clarify their academic and career goals, keep them on track to earn their degrees, and help them enroll in well-suited classes. Our advisors also proactively identify concerns and connect students to exciting experiential opportunities as they relate to students’ academic careers.
In short, the work of advisors is critical, but when we look at schools across campus, there are vastly different advising caseloads and variable student utilization. In addition, the volume and complexity of current advising software impede efficiency for students and advisors.
While the implementation of the new Stellic technology platform across IU will streamline and consolidate existing registration and advising technologies, we have plenty more opportunities to leverage advising for student success.
Moving forward, always rooted in rigorous research, a subgroup of advisors and faculty will be working through a series of steps to ensure the best possible advising experience for students. Their charge includes:
- Requiring academic advising each semester for all undergraduate students
- Continually assessing current institutional practices
- Providing university-wide support and structure for academic advising
- Ensuring equitable academic support and interventions across schools and programs
- Integrating academic and career advising
- Evaluating academic policies and procedures that may be barriers to student success, and
- Developing a campus communication plan to support a smooth rollout.
Ultimately, our goal is to increase retention and successful outcomes for all students, especially for those with disadvantaged academic preparation. I am grateful to our corps of talented advisors who support our students every day — and to everyone actively working to enhance advising in the future.
I look forward to seeing the many ways students benefit across their times at IUB and far beyond.
