Engage interact inform peer advisors as a key to successful academic advisement
1. Engage, Interact, Inform:
Peer Advisors as a Key to Successful
Academic Advisement
April J. Johnson - Academic Advisor/Peer Advisor Program Coordinator
Dr. Robert Kurland- Associate Dean
Office of Academic Services
Newark College of Arts and Sciences & University College-Newark
Garden State C - 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM
2. Learning Goals
• Learn innovative ways to assist students with their transition
into college.
• Identify ways to enhance the academic advisement
experience for both students and advisors that will result in
more effective and efficient advisement sessions.
• Discuss ways to provide leadership opportunities for Peer
Advisors.
3. Agenda
• Engage - Reflecting on your experiences
• Interact - Discussing your campus initiatives
and needs
• Inform - Providing new initiatives that have
supported the mission and goals of the
Office of Academic Services
4. Founded: 1908 - University of Newark
Joined Rutgers: 1946
Undergraduate Majors: 40+
Graduate Programs: 20+ (JD, MA, MBA, MFA, MPA, MS, Ph.D.)
Enrollment (Fall 2012)
Total: 12,011
Undergraduates: 7,666
Graduates: 4,345
Office of Academic Services
Serves the Newark College of Arts and Science and University College-Newark
Current Enrollment – (Spring 2013) : 3,481
8 Academic Advisors/Deans with caseloads of approximately 400 – 500 students
9,277 visits last year (not including new student sessions)
http://www.newark.rutgers.edu/history
5. Our Challenges
New Student Registration (Freshmen and Transfer)
• New students were not aware or familiar with the advisement
procedures and academic policies
• New students were unfamiliar with academic resources and
where to find information after leaving registration
Continuing Student Advisement
• During advisement periods for continuing students there were
long lines of students that on average had to wait 1-2 hours to
meet with an advisor.
• Advisement appointments were not as efficient because students
were often unprepared and not familiar with how to find classes.
6. Reflection Questions
• Think back to your experience as a college
student…What were some of the
academic/transitional challenges that you faced as
a student?
• What are some of the academic/transitional
challenges that you have seen on your
campus/office with students?
7. How We Addressed Our Challenges
New Student Registration (Freshmen and Transfer)
• Advisement structure that incorporates the academic
policies/resources for the university
• Peer Advisor Mentor Program
Continuing Student Advisement
• Peer Advisor Triage
• Workshops that focus on Academic Resources
8. New Student Registration
Incoming Students Fall 2012
First Year Students = 500
Transfer Students = 520
13. Peer Advisor Program
Newark College of Arts and Sciences
Peer Advisors (PA’s) work collaboratively with the Office of
Academic Services (OAS) to assist in the facilitation of
placement testing, new and continuing student registration,
peer advisement, and academic workshops.
PA’s also provide all new students with a warm and friendly welcome to
Rutgers-Newark by serving as role models and providing
resources to all incoming and continuing students.
14. Basic Responsibilities
• Build relationships with and serve as a resource and
mentor for new students and continuing students
• Assist with the proctoring of placement exams
• Check-in and greet all new students and parents for
placement testing and registration
• Assist incoming and continuing students with
scheduling classes by providing “peer advisement”
• Lead group discussions/programs articulating Rutgers-
Newark academic expectations and standards
• Plan and facilitate P.O.W.E.R. workshops for first year
students
15. What Is Peer Advisement?
To give assistance to students by providing information
about the academic resources, academic policies, and
services offered in the Office of Academic Services (OAS).
• Degree Navigator
• On-line Schedule of Classes
• Web-Registration
• OAS Website
• Rutgers Newark Website
16. Peer Advisor Triage
The purpose of Peer Advisor Triage is enhance the academic advisement
experience for both students and Academic Advisors. The triage process has
provided OAS with more effective and efficient advisement sessions.
Advisement/Registration & Add/Drop Period
Check -In - Peer Advisors greet each student and proceed to ask a series
of questions to ensure the student is in the appropriate office and knows
the advisement procedures
Triage - Peer Advisors provide “peer advisement” to ensure that each
student is knowledgeable and prepared to schedule classes
17. Peer Advisement Triage
• Peer Advisors and Academic Advisors each have a specific
responsibility in the office during advisement and
registration
• All students meet with an Academic Advisor before or after
meeting with Peer Advisors. Academic Advisors ensure that
students are taking the appropriate classes
• The Peer Advisors responsibility is to teach the students
about academic resources and help them feel comfortable
and confident about the academic resources offered at
Rutgers-Newark!
18. Advisement Process…
In a Nutshell
• Engage - Involve students in the process, ask
questions, and listen to individual needs of
students
• Interact - Provide Peer Advisement and
Mentorship
• Inform - Empower students with information
that will give them a solid foundation in their
first year and beyond
19. Improvements
New Student Registration
• Students were more informed and had a smoother transition
during their first year of college
• During the second semester students were more prepared for
registration and more students registered during the advisement
period.
Continuing Student Advisement
• Decreased wait time for students during advisement period
• Advisors were able to have more efficient advisement sessions
20. Discussion Questions
1. Do you currently have a Peer Advisor Program at your institution?
If so, what are the main responsibilities of the Peer Advisors?
2. What are the main areas that a Peer Advisor Program can be used
(or is currently being used) to enhance services/programs in your
office?
3. If you could make changes to the advisement process in your office
to enhance the experience for students and advisors what would
the changes be?
4. How can a Peer Advisor Program support the mission and goals in
the office?
23. Peer Advisor Training
• Restructured Training
• Training Manual
• Curriculum for Learning Goals
• Hands On Training Opportunities
• Assessment During Training
• Academic Advisor/Deans Involvement in Training
24. Future Goals/Initiatives
• Peer Advisor Program Class
• Peer Advisor Manual With Additional Resources
• Restructure First Year Advisement – More
Opportunities for One-on-One Peer Advisement
• Additional Assessment
• Additional Workshops
• Increased Outreach Efforts to Students on Campus
(Residence Hall Advisement, Mobile Advisement)
25. Questions
April J. Johnson, M.A.
Academic Advisor
Peer Advisor Program Coordinator
Office of Academic Services
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
aprcatch@rutgers.edu
Robert M. Kurland, Ph.D.
Associate Dean
Office of Academic Services
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
rkurland@rutgers.edu
Thank you for your time and participation!
