What is Authentic Assessment

Since student indecision as to major or career options is a primary factor in student persistence, advising programs should have strong links to the career services on campus as a part of any retention plan. Advising and career services should be, if possible, interrelated so that students see the connection between their academic planning and their career goals. Several institutions, for example Rowan University (http://www2.rowan.edu/), have combined advising and career services into one unit where career counselors and academic advisors are cross trained to work with students in both areas.

Academic Advisement and Career Connection

The fact is that there is little connection between academic majors and future career paths among non-technical majors.

Advising Definitions

Academic advising is a developmental process which assists students in the clarification of their life/career goals and in the development of educational plans for the realization of these goals. It is a decision-making process by which students realize their maximum educational potential through communication and information exchanges with an advisor; it is ongoing, multifaceted, and the responsibility of both student and advisor. The advisor serves as a facilitator of communication, a coordinator of learning experiences through course and career planning and academic progress review, and an agent of referral to other campus agencies as necessary.

Advising Undecided Students

Perhaps, the single area in which advisors have the most difficulty in working with exploring students is in the development of successful exploration strategies.

Advising Academically Underprepared Students

Academically underprepared students often have no idea how to go about earning a degree: they do not know what steps they must take or the particulars of what institutions expect of them. It is imperative that advisors outline both the institution's expectations of students and what students can expect from advisors throughout their academic careers. These expectations should be made available in a clear and concise bulleted listing that reads "The Advisor's Role and Responsibilities" as well as another bulleted listing of the "Student's Role and Responsibilities."

Colleges with Integrated Centers for Academic Advising and Career Development

NEXUS Concepts

What does Research Say About Career Planning?