Developmental students have special needs that challenge a faculty advising program. Faculty advisors should avail themselves of all sources of data, including students, instructors, and the university counseling center and/or student assessment center to provide necessary support for successful student assimilation. (MSE)

A plan implemented at the University of Denver brought department faculty in the arts and sciences together to develop career-oriented activities for students, including advising, departmental curricular offerings, interdisciplinary courses, curricular reform, and faculty/community/student exchanges. Program activities are discussed. (MSE)

A graduate-level course to introduce future faculty, staff, counselors, and administrators to the role of advising and the advisor in higher education is described. The course includes segments on organizational models and delivery systems, techniques and resources, special problems and populations, and career advising. Communication skills are…

Advisors must beware of communication barriers with the students they serve and should develop specific skills in writing, speaking, listening, and nonverbal behaviors. (MSE)

It is the responsibility of the educational institution to provide for the career-related as well as academic needs of its students. Two basic concerns of institutions wishing to implement a successful program of academic and career advising focus on 14 recommended steps and funding requirements. (JN)

Describes a study undertaken to identify the needs of educationally disadvantaged students and faculty to help create a positive atmosphere for change. Results indicated that a counseling program helps students gain greater understanding and focus on problems that may be causing a low academic average. (Author/JAC)

Describes a program for more effective academic advising called "Freshman Dialogue" where small groups of freshmen meet weekly with a trained faculty advisor for an intensive orientation to the university. Provides various rewards for both students and faculty. Results indicate the program was enthusiastically received and retention improved.…

Data collected during new-student orientation on nontraditional-age and traditional-age first-time students indicated more psychosocial similarities than differences between them. Results suggest that first-entry nontraditional students experience some of the same needs and concerns in higher education as do their younger peers. Referrals to…

Intrusive retention strategies were implemented in an attempt to better the chances for success of high-risk students at Henderson State University (Arkansas). The origin, development, and results of Students in Retention, a program for probationary and first-time suspended students, are described. (Author/MSE)

Discusses a study in which specific practices from current literature on adult higher education are applied to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to "map" usage of and receptivity to those practices and to assess adult student satisfaction. Illustrates an effective, data-rich method of assessing responsiveness to adult…

Describes materials for college level distance education students that use a student-centered approach to help individuals realistically assess their expectations. Highlights include costs; time needed; family considerations; educational and intellectual considerations; and examples of materials that are used at the Open University in Britain and…

A university academic advising coordinator responds to a study of readmission among academically dismissed students, suggesting that while objective measures of success are important, they should not be the sole basis for readmission. Student attitudes, quality of advisor-student interactions, and individual student circumstances are seen as…

The Delphi technique was used for improvement of the office administration program at Mount Saint Vincent University (Nova Scotia). The technique made it possible to obtain opinions from five diverse groups at relatively low cost and effort. The study determined that the program should focus more on office technology and information management…

A study of 112 tenure-track university faculty found that maturity of personal and professional goals and self-assurance about personal competence correlated positively with better teaching evaluations and more numerous and comfortable advising relationships. The latter was also related positively to realistic self-appraisal. (Author/MSE)

This discussion, intended for faculty new to academic advising, offers insights into common perceptions and problems encountered in advising female students pursuing majors in science and engineering. Faculty advisors can both help these students achieve their full potential and learn from them. (MSE)