Committee on Academic Advising & Retention (CAAR)

Strategic Plan (Revised 3/26/2013)

Academic Advising Excellence through Enhanced Policies and Procedures

The quality of academic advising is a significant component of student success at Texas Tech University (TTU). This quality directly affects undergraduate student retention and success. TTU will develop and implement innovative academic advising policies and procedures to ensure the delivery of a high quality academic advising experience that is consistent for all undergraduate students, centered on student involvement and positive university outcomes, collaboration among academic advisors, students, and other members of the university community, and promotes shared responsibility for student success.
- Develop a broad superlative statement (vision) and statement of purpose (mission) for the TTU academic advising community.
- Develop a plan to fund additional academic advisor positions to create an advising culture that is in line with national student-to-advisor ratios.
- Academic advisors will write a personal mission statement that reflects their own understanding of and commitment to the overall Academic Advising Vision & Mission at TTU. Academic Units may wish to develop a collaborative process in conjunction with individual personal mission statements.
- Each academic advising practice will develop academic advising expectations/outcomes for academic advisor-student interactions.
- Each academic advising practice will develop three to four academic advising learning outcomes to be assessed each semester.
- All academic advisors will facilitate students’ understanding of their academic strengths and weaknesses.
- All academic advising units will assist students with the development of an academic action plan or “blueprint” for academic engagement and success–course selection, major selection, campus resource referral (academic tutoring, student health services, counseling center, mentorship, student involvement, financial aid, student disability), career goals (exploration, internships, assistantships, graduate school), study abroad, undergraduate research, and service learning.
- All academic advisors will develop professional relationships with their students that are engaging, respectful, polite, welcoming, congenial, knowledgeable, advocatory, and instructive.
- Develop Academic Advisor Procedures for assisting students who are seeking a secondary degree, with the realization that other types of students are in this category.
- Establish formal communication channels between the Transfer Evaluation Office (TEO), Red Raider Orientation (RRO) staff, Community College & Transfer Relations (CCTR) office, and students.
- Audit the current academic transfer courses and how specific courses are transferred to TTU in conjunction with the TEO.
- Create a process to assist students who are considering changing majors.
- University advising will develop and maintain a single point of information for academic advising resources (i.e., SharePoint) including an updated flowchart with advising reporting structures and advising locations.
- Academic advisors will advocate for consistent application of graduation and other academic policies concerning student academic success, matriculation, and retention.
- Move the advising support group, previously known as Rump, under the direction of the Committee on Academic Advising and Retention (CAAR).
- Consolidate general university academic advising services (i.e., Pegasus) under University Advising.
- Allow departmental advisors to access all undergraduate academic advising processes (i.e., degree plan declaration, degree audit, intent to graduate) to achieve better consistency and to facilitate faster information access and degree audit feedback for students.
- Provide the resources to all departmental academic advisors to access all academic advising functions necessary to counsel students, from degree declaration through graduation. These resources could include software, access permits, or contact with a particular staff position or administrator.
- Merge all pre-professional health career academic advising within one unit to make efficient use of resources and programming within the Division of Undergraduate Education & Student Affairs (i.e. University Advising).
- Evaluate the depiction of the various majors offered at the University both via print and online media. Creating a tool for students to evaluate career options based on academic course work.
To promote academic advising excellence at TTU, undergraduate academic advising will have a central role in RRO.
- All colleges and academic advising practices will deliver consistent pre-RRO messages to incoming students. CAAR will evaluate current pre-RRO communication strategies and recommend improvements.
- RRO college check-in and major change tables will be staffed by at least one of the following: Departmental representatives – academic advisor, student ambassador/assistance, graduate student assistant, recruiter, and associate/assistant dean or designee.
- All RRO personnel will wear standardized dress (i.e., academic advisor shirt/polo provided for every academic advisor).
- Replace college advising holds with time tickets for registration control by enlisting the assistance of Information Systems.
- TSI Compliance holds will be lifted by the Registrar's office and not replaced upon major change.
- Each academic advising unit and student resource center (RRO, Texas Success Initiative (TSI), Housing, Scholarships and Financial Aid (SFA), Student Business Services (SBS), etc.) will assign an academic advising Lync Liaison during peak academic advising times.

Academic Advising Excellence Through Transfer Relations

CAAR will enhance undergraduate transfer student academic advising, matriculation, and success through researching, defining, identifying and promoting transfer student best practices
- Promoting use of consistent terminology
- Expanding Community College & Transfer Relations (CCTR) collaborations, partnerships, and academic agreements across campus, the system, the region, the state, the nation, and internationally
- Increase numbers of transfer credits applicable to TTU degree programs via development of transfer plans for appropriate course sequencing, articulation agreements, improving course alignment among partner institutions, and promoting inter-institutional collaboration among disciplines of study, faculty, and students
- TTU will enhance academic advising of undergraduate transfer students through the following on campus resources: Tech Transfer Acceleration Program (TTAP), CCTR, Military and Veteran Programs (MVP), and Summer Gateway.
- Research, develop, and advocate for expanded depth and breadth of transfer student population research, data tracking and Cognos reports, for assessment reporting and improved program development.
- Devise campus-wide transfer student communications plan to educate, engage, and influence transfer students’ choice of transfer institution and academic programs.
- Host academic advising transfer conferences/seminars with community college partners.

Academic Advising Excellence Through Academic Advisor Professional Development

TTU will enhance academic advising professional development opportunities for the academic advising community to ensure a consistent academic advising experience among undergraduate students at TTU.
Develop a professional identity for Academic Advisors by creating a partnership with the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center (TLPDC).
- Mandatory trainings for new Academic Advisors and continuing education for current Academic Advisors.
- Add professional development sessions to the TLPDC online scheduler for registration management.
- Mentoring systems for academic advisors.
Create a campus resource fair for academic advisors to be held in conjunction with a larger early summer Professional Development event or conference.
CAAR will be recognized as the selection committee for the President’s Excellence in Academic Advising Awards.
Expand President’s Excellence in Academic Advising Awards to recognize up to two individual and two team awards.
Collaborate with TTU academic advising community to develop topics for professional development workshops such as: Understanding prerequisites, academic background, realistic academic loads, how to identify students’ personal strengths and weaknesses, understanding special student populations (veterans, first year, nontraditional, transfer), college/department/major updates, advising standards and practices, and technology: MyTech, Xtender, MapWorks, DegreeWorks, SharePoint, TimeTrade, etc.
Provide quarterly TTU academic advising community trainings/updates.
Provide academic advising job training for all newly hired academic advisors.
Establish travel stipends to fund academic advisors attendance to the National Academic Advising Association Conference.

Academic Advising Excellence Through Enhanced Technology

The quality of academic advising is a significant component of student success at TTU. This quality directly affects undergraduate student retention and success. TTU will enhance academic advising infrastructure, support, and technology across the academic advising community to ensure a consistent academic advising experience among undergraduate students at TTU.
Academic advisors will support the adoption of technology; specifically the use of degree audit software (i.e., DegreeWorks).
- Ensure that DegreeWorks includes requirements outside of courses (i.e. limiting transfer hours, upper division hours, and hours outside of student’s college).
Maintain a dynamic MyTech Portal to insure student information is disseminated.
Implement a student early alert system (i.e. MapWorks).
Integrate TimeTrade technology campus-wide to assist students with the academic advising process.
- In coordination with the Professional Development Subcommittee, establish a training schedule for academic departments and advisors on TimeTrade integrations.
Review the official reporting tool, COGNOS, to ensure compatible with the reporting needs of the Academic Advising community and establish criteria for new COGNOS that will meet current and future needs.
Hire a full time position to support the technology and advising initiatives of CAAR and TTU.
- Increase funding, specifically HEAF funds to support academic advising improvements.
- Develop a website dedicated to the academic advising community in addition to SharePoint.
- Expand college and academic advising SharePoint site to expand implementation and usage.
Ensure all advisors have access to sufficient hardware and software to accomplish advising and retention tasks.

Academic Advising Excellence Through Assessment of Academic Advising Assessment

The quality of academic advising is a significant component of student success at TTU. This quality directly affects undergraduate student retention and success. TTU will implement an academic advising quality assessment plan of established student academic advising learning outcomes and other indicators of academic advising success to ensure a consistent academic advising experience for undergraduates at TTU.
- CAAR will develop five university academic advising learning outcomes to assess each semester by each academic advising unit:
- All advising units will develop practice-specific academic advising learning outcomes.
- CAAR will review the currently enrolled survey/graduating senior survey/alumni survey section on advising – make recommendations for additional questions or revision to current questions that reflect the new outcomes.
- Each academic advising unit will conduct biannual assessment of both university and college/department student advising outcomes in TracDat, with the assistance of the Office of Planning and Assessment.
- The individual colleges and departments should review current surveys to ensure that they align with the five learning outcomes. CAAR can assist with the development of questions for colleges/departments to incorporate into their surveys.

Click here to view a complete copy of the Strategic Plan

Charge:

The quality of undergraduate academic advising and retention is a significant component of the success of students at Texas Tech University. The Undergraduate Advising and Retention Committee, hereafter referred to as “the committee”, shall serve in an advisory capacity to the provost regarding matters related to undergraduate academic advising, retention, and college transfer. The committee provides leadership in recommending policies, procedures and priorities concerning academic advising, student retention, and college transfer. The committee provides oversight of the University's undergraduate academic advising procedures. The committee has authority to support all academic units in improving the delivery of their academic advising systems in accordance with University policies. The mission of the committee is to support the academic success of Texas Tech University (TTU) undergraduate students through the promotion of effective academic advisement and retention. The committee strives to meet the following objectives through regular meetings:

Discuss and make policy recommendations
Share information and best practices
Assess academic advising effectiveness
Report regularly to the academic deans and departments
Promote professional development among the Texas Tech University advising community.

The committee is a Texas Tech University advisory committee convened by the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education and Student Affairs in response to the recommendations of the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President. All policy recommendations shall be brought to academic council for its consideration. The committee is comprised of undergraduate professionals from a broad spectrum of units. The committee’s tasks include, but are not limited to the following:

Proposing and vetting advising initiatives and policy changes
Developing reliable lines of communication for advisors with campus advising units, the university's administration, and other university and off-campus groups,
Advancing understanding of the purposes and functions of academic advising
Identifying and promoting professional development opportunities for advisors
Providing a forum for dialogue about undergraduate advising and retention and a venue for innovation and change
Conducting regular assessment of all undergraduate academic advising, persistence, and college transfer efforts, and
Ensuring that academic advisors are involved in university initiatives that impact their work.

Voting Membership:

Voting members will consist of appointed representatives from Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Athletics, Business Administration, Center for Campus Life, Community College and Transfer Relations, Division of Undergraduate Education and Student Affairs, Education, Engineering, Enrollment Management, Honors, Housing, Human Sciences, Information Technology, Institutional Diversity, Media and Communication, Registrar, Student Disability Services, Student Government Association, Student Housing, Support Operations for Academic Retention, University College, and Visual & Performing Arts.

Operating Procedures:

The committee shall develop its own operating procedures subject to the approval of the provost. Copies of all minutes and reports will be provided to the members of the committee and submitted to the provost. The committee will establish the following standing committees:

Technology and Resources
Advising Policy and Procedures
Advising Quality and Assessment
Professional Development, and
College Transfer

In addition to these committees, the development of an Advisors Roundtable will begin in the Fall 2012. The roundtable will serve as a way for advisory support office to reach the advising community as a whole. This will be led by the Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

Voting:

Each representative has one vote. Ex-officio representatives shall not vote, except that the chair of the committee shall vote to break any tie. Members' substitutes carry a full voting proxy.

Chairperson:

The committee is chaired by the Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

Membership:

Email: Committee on Academic Advising & Retention (CAAR)

Name	College/Division/Department	Term Begins	Term Ends
Alston, Alex	Student Government Association	2011	2013
Austin, Kathy	Information Technology	2011	2013
Barron, Joshua	University Advising	2011	2013
Biggs, Stephanie	College of Arts & Sciences	2011	2013
Brasher, Donna	College of Education	2011	2013
Brooks, Catherine	University Advising	2011	2013
Brown, Bobbie	Registrar	2011	2013
Burkhalter, Jim	Enrollment Management	2011	2013
Carnes, Adrienne	Rawls College of Business	2011	2013
Duran, Cathy	Assistant Vice Provost, Student Affairs	2011	2013
Foley, Sarah	Undergraduate Education, University Studies	2011	2013
Gellene, Greg	Pre-Professional Health Careers	2011	2013
Gibbs, Ryan	Assistant Vice Provost, Undergraduate Education	2011	2013
Green, D'aun	Student Housing	2011	2013
Grubb, Ryan	College of Education	2011	2013
Hellman, Pam	College of Arts & Sciences	2011	2013
Hienz, Laura	Library	2012	2014
Hughes, Patrick	Chair; Associate Vice Provost, Undergraduate Education	2011	2013
Johnson, Ramona	College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources	2011	2013
Justyna, Erin	Student Disability Services	2011	2013
Kiser, Michelle	Support Operations for Academic Retention	2011	2013
Lackey, Rodney	Athletic Department	2011	2013
Levario, Susie	College of Arts & Sciences	2011	2013
Lim, May	College of Human Sciences	2011	2013
Logan, Ethan	Undergraduate Admissions	2011	2013
Manning, Zach	Center for Campus Life	2011	2013
Martinez, Jobi	Office of Institutional Diversity	2011	2013
Miller, Tara	Center for Campus Life/Assessment	2011	2013
Morse, Audra	Whitacre College of Engineering	2011	2013
Morton, Craig	Office of Planning and Assessment	2011	2013
Nordstrom, Kathy	College of Visual & Performing Arts	2011	2013
Phelps, DaNay	Community College & Transfer Relations	2011	2013
Phillippe, Larry	Student Disability Services	2011	2013
Poffenbarger, Judy	College of Arts & Sciences	2011	2013
Price, Nicci	Registrar	2012	2014
Reynolds, Jeanine	Institutional Research	2011	2013
Schwintz, Jess	College of Architecture	2011	2013
Sonnentag, Colleen	Student Housing	2011	2013
Tapp, Suzanne	Teaching Learning & Technology Center	2011	2013
Veal, Janet	Honors College	2011	2013
Wernsman, Marijane	College of Mass Communications	2011	2013

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