September 2005

Advising By Classification

	Freshmen
Midterm Check up: Ask what they have been involved with outside of class. Being active in a student organization is excellent way to get involved. Ask how they feel they are performing in each class. Discuss midterm grade concerns. Make referrals to appropriate student support services (provide name, location and phone contact information). Academic Exploration: Share major checksheets and print off your major on the WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH A MAJOR IN on the Career Exploration web site. Discuss courses for next semester. Career Development: Encourage them to make appointment with Career Services to open their Career Connections Account.
	Sophomore
Midterm Check up: Ask about in and out of class activities. Discuss midterm grade concerns and refer to appropriate services Academic Goal Setting: Ask how they feel about the major. If they express concern, refer them to AACE for career exploration or discuss enrollment in EAC 100 Career Planning and Development Course for next semester. Discuss courses for next semester. Career Development: Update Career Connections information and look for internships.
	Juniors
Midterm Check up: Ask about in and out of class activities. Discuss midterm grade concerns and refer to appropriate services. Academic Goal Setting: Review the degree summary completed by a degree/transcript analyst in the Registrar’s Office. Discuss possibility of adding minor or other courses to complement field of study. Career Development: Encourage involvement in co-curricular activities or work experience related to major(s). Update Career Connections information and look at internships. Ask about interest in graduate study and make appropriate recommendations.
	Seniors
Midterm Check up: Ask about in and out of class activities. Discuss midterm grade concerns and refer to appropriate services. Academic Goal Setting: Review degree summary. File an Intent to Graduate through the Registrar’s Office. Career Development: Refer student to Career Services for job search assistance. Encourage networking opportunities in career field of interest. Follow up on desire to pursue a graduate degree.

Academic Advising Committee

The purpose of the Academic Advising Committee is to implement and continuously improve a university academic advising plan designed to help on- and off-campus students understand institutional policies and procedures, learn about curriculum and career choices, and provide counseling about a wide range of academic decisions. The committee is responsible for assessment of institutional advising, implementation of the Regents' academic advising baseline, selection of outstanding advisers for awards, and other activities and initiatives related to the University's academic advising function.

This year's committee will begin meeting in October. The current membership is listed below:

Career Exploration

Edmund Shearer Faculty Advising Award Winners

Congratulations go to Dr. Fred Britten, 2004-05 Edmund Shearer Faculty Advisor of the Year. The Edmund Shearer Faculty Advisor of the Year Award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated qualities associated with outstanding academic advising of on- and off-campus students. One advisor is recognized from each of the four colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business and Leadership, Education and Technology, and Health and Life Sciences). The Edmund Shearer Faculty Advisor of the Year recipient is selected from one of the four college winners. This year's winner is Dr. Fred Britten. To view past Faculty Advisor Award Recipients, please visit this web site: http://www.fhsu.edu/aace/awards.shtml.

2004-05 Edmund Shearer Faculty Advisor of the Year recipients by college
Dr. Brian Kinnaird	Ms. Jill Stafford	Dr. Robert Howell	Dr. Fred Britten
College of Arts and Sciences	College of Business and Leadership	College of Education and Technology	College of Health and Life Sciences

Equivalency Information for Transfer Students

	Degree Program Equivalencies In an effort to increase the access of prospective transfer students, a Degree Program Equivalencies has been established on-line at http://webcat.fhsu.edu/equiv/. This site provides FHSU degree program equivalencies for a variety of transfer institutions. General Education requirements as well as major requirements are outlined for students. Please be patient while waiting for program requirements to load as the site pulls a significant amount of information from our databases.
	Kansas Community College Equivalencies Course equivalencies for Kansas community colleges can be found on-line at http://www.fhsu.edu/registrar/Transferbase.shtml. This site provides an alpha listing by department of course equivalencies.

NSSE Information
submitted by Dr. Chris Crawford

For the past four years FHSU has actively participated in the National Survey of Student Engagement and Faculty Survey of Student Engagement process. FHSU considers its involvement in NSSE and FSSE to be central to our assessment, accreditation, and quality improvement process.

The National Survey of Student Engagement(NSSE) was designed to obtain, on an annual basis, information from scores of colleges and universities nationwide about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. The results provide an estimate of how freshmen and seniors spend their time and what they gain from attending college. Survey items on The National Survey of Student Engagement represent empirically confirmed "good practices" in undergraduate education; that is, they reflect behaviors by students and institutions that are associated with desired outcomes of college. Last year, over 500 colleges and universities completed NSSE, many peers of FHSU.

A trend analysis of results of the NSSE instrument has revealed a few interesting findings related to FHSU freshmen and senior students. Among the most notable findings:

• FHSU students rate below peers on most indicators in their knowledgeable and skill in the discipline.
• FHSU students score below peers in most areas associated with critical thinking (synthesizing information, analysis of basic elements, making judgments, thinking analytically, and solving complex/ quantitative real-world problems).
• FHSU students are on par in learning effectively on their own, applying theories or concepts, and close to peer level in understanding oneself.
• FHSU students use more computing technology in and outside of class than other NSSE peer students.
• FHSU students also report attending cultural and other campus events as often as NSSE peers report. FHSU students report generally less multicultural exposure than peers.
• FHSU students are still above peers in activities like community service, service to others, and other co-curricular events.
• FHSU students report more collaboration with other students and faculty than peers at NSSE institutions.
• FHSU students make fewer presentations and write fewer papers (both long and short papers).
• FHSU students perceive that they have better interpersonal relationships with other students than their peers.

FHSU continues to monitor the results closely. Planning ways of improving student learning is a job for all at FHSU, and advisement plays a critical role in helping students. Advisors have the unique ability to channel students into sections of classes that address specific areas of improvement for the student. Effective advisement can also help both freshmen and seniors reflect on areas of need, and advisors could also underscore the need for these students to complete assessments like NSSE. As always, if anyone has questions about NSSE, student assessment, or quality improvement, contact Chris Crawford at ccrawfor@fhsu.edu, or 628-4531.

TIGER Workshops for Faculty and Staff

The TIGER Workshops for Faculty and Staff are a free professional development opportunity organized through the Academic Advising and Career Exploration. Our goal is to assist in the development of effective academic advising based on our University-wide Academic Advising Mission and Goals. Fort Hays State University prides itself on providing effective advising that contributes to a learning environment that fosters each student’s opportunity to become an educated person.