In-Class Advising
In-class advising is a structured way to bring advising to students. This allows students who may not be aware of the value of advising to get connected to advisors and move away from self-advising. This is particularly important for working students, students who have family responsibilities, first generation college students and other under-served student populations all of whom may either have heavy out-of-school obligations that prevent them from taking advantage or being aware of the full menu of college resources, or who may have low self-efficacy and feel pressure to navigate college on their own. The goal is to normalize help-seeking and to make it easier for students to get connected so that once they form key relationships and bridges, they can continue building on these beyond class.
Learning Outcomes for In-Class Advising
The goals of in-class advising can vary depending on the specific class, student demographics and the needs of your students. Examples of possible goals include:
- Helping students know you and each other
- Getting to know the students in your class: gathering information about Basic Needs and Degree Pathway and Career Goals, as you begin to establish Rapport/Community.
- Helping students know their advising needs
- Providing information and resources to support Academic Preparedness and Success.
- Helping students know and actualize their degree and career goals
- Providing information and engagement around their Degree Pathway and Career Goals.
If you are not sure about what your learning outcomes should be, a great place to start is to survey students on where they are at and assess what they already know about the importance of advising and how to get advising. The survey will vary depending on what type of class you teach such as intro Gen Ed or Prof Tech. Below are some examples of questions you might ask students:
- what are your career goals?
- what are your degree goals?
- do you plan to transfer? (if relevant)
- do you know how to check if you have a faculty advisor in ctcLink? if you have a faculty advisor, have you met with them?
- do you have an academic plan? has a faculty advisor in your program of study gone over your plan with you?
- what are some concerns you have about finishing your degree? reaching graduation/completion/transfer?
- do you feel connected to campus? what are some activities or resources outside of class you wish you knew more about?
- what would you like to know more about when it comes to your program of study? (useful particularly if the course is one in which students are all of the same degree)
In-Class Advising Activities:
| Quick Touch (5-15 minutes) | Deeper Dive (~1hr in- or out- of class) |
|---|---|
| Ice breaker on degree and career goals. | Scavenger hunt for campus resources. |
| Ask students to meet with their faculty or pathway advisor and have them e-mail to confirm that you met with them, or have students share their advisor approved academic plan. | Invite guest speakers from other departments or centers on campus to lead an activity, e.g. dealing with math anxiety, transfer success. |
| Put students into groups based on similar major/pathway, with a rotating group leader, who also sends reminders about class deadlines like homework and college deadlines like class registration, financial aid. | Students can research a biography of a professional they admire in the field they are interested in as a way to learn about what career paths. Begin the assignment by first highlighting some example profiles of diverse professionals in your own discipline. |
| Explain to students the differences between the degree types at Highline. Here is a Canvas page that summarizes them. Give a tour of the pathways website. | Require one networking email where students connect with someone at Highline such as a faculty member in a degree field they are interested in - model what that looks like in your field. |
| Use a brief name your faculty advisor assignment or invite students to request a name using this form. Share with students some ways a faculty advisor can help and support them. | Invite student alumni from your program to host a transfer/industry panel and Q&A on their transfer/industry experiences, tips, and success strategies for students about to transfer/career. |
| Invite the Counseling Center to talk about their services, or invite the Tutoring Center in to show students how to access tutoring. Help destigmatize help-seeking and to combat common myths such as one has to pay for tutoring. Invite students to share out what they heard. | Students can conduct research on possible career interests and career fields, including skills and education required, typical salary, job outlook, and more using career resources from the Library. Follow-up with a Canvas discussion post where students share with each other. |
| Class or Canvas discussion on college success strategy, e.g. What are effective ways of reading a textbook? What makes for an effective study group? What are your top three personal strengths or a skill you already have and bring to the class? Time management tips/tools? | Ask students to write a reflection: What kind of job do you want to have when you leave this school? What kind of job do you want? What do you see yourself doing? Make sure that students are in the right program for the kind of career they want and the degree they will need. |
| Show students the correct math for their pathway. | Pick a ready-made assignment from the In-Class Advising Database! |
Where can I find more in-depth information?
Our Faculty Advising Canvas course has a module on “In-Class Advising – Advising is Teaching”. You will find information on the curriculum, outcomes and pedagogy of in-class advising as well as a diverse range of practical activities to try in class for gen ed, transfer and prof tech programs.