Advising is a rather young profession that is continuously evolving. However, its roots are planted in the first institutions of higher education. From its beginning at Harvard to today, each phase of evolution in the role of an academic advisor is marked by historical and social changes in society.

The history of Academic advising is divided into three eras:

· First Era: 1636-1870. Before Academic Advising was Defined; All students took the same courses.

· Second Era: 1870-1970. Academic Advising as Defined and Unexamined; Elective courses required students to be informed about choices, rather impersonal, brief interactions, primarily prescriptive.

· Third Era: 1970-present. Academic Advising as a Defined and Examined Activity; Advising became an integration of prescriptive and developmental approaches and a national organization recognizing advising as a profession emerged.

Review the historical timeline to identify events that marked the end of one era and the beginning of the next.

Advising has theoretical underpinnings in a number of social science disciplines including:

· Psychosocial Identity Development

· Cognitive Development

· Personal Preference or Type

Beyond these theories, additional perspectives arise from:

· Multicultural Theory

· Sociological Theory

· Organizational Theory

As the diversity of students entering higher education increases, academic advisors should be aware of how theory can support effective strategies and programming to address student needs. Moreover, continued research in the field of advising should test, clarify, and amend an advisor’s reliance on any particular theoretical approach due to the complexity of today’s student.

In all professions, ethics can be understood as commonly held beliefs and values that are shared by members of the profession and enacted each day.

Your reading outlines several ethical principles to help conceptualize the ethical relationship between advisor and advisee.

As higher education enrolls an increasingly diverse student population, advisors need to be mindful of risk factors associated with student retention and success.

Dr. George Kuh explains that effective, intrusive academic advising has been documented as one of the promising “high impact activities” that can increase a student’s persistence toward degree completion.

Effective academic advising goes far beyond selection of courses and highlighting important dates and deadlines.

It is nothing short of the science and art present in excellent teaching.

The National Academic Advising Association identified academic advising as teaching. Therefore, just as effective teaching clearly states what a student will learn as a result of participating in a course, so should advising.

The development and adoption of an advising syllabus makes the relationship between advisor and advisee transparent, clearly communicates learning outcomes, and highlights the advising process as a part of the curriculum students are engaged in as they experience college.

The curriculum of academic advising addresses the “whole” student; by developing an educational plan that addresses academic preparedness, career planning, major selection, as well as the social, intellectual, and spiritual development of the student.

In order to discuss the impact of diverse student populations on advising, we have touched on the major eras of advising, theoretical foundations, ethical principles guiding advising, risk factors toward retention, and the concept of advising as teaching. Advising has moved from prescriptive course selection to a developmental approach where attention is given to the whole student. Theory in student development continues to grow as research reveals hidden understanding about how to engage, motivate, and support student success. As advisors, we are dedicated to acting in accordance with core values that reflect ethical principles of the profession. We accept that we are teaching a curriculum that teaches students to think critically, make sound decisions, and reflect upon their learning throughout their college experience.

What is student development theory? Why should we study it? What role does it play in student development? And how can it enhance practice?

In your own words, what is student development theory? Type your definition in the text box and click next when you’re finished.

Have you ever tried to make sense of life? Have you ever pieced together seemingly random events until they are no longer random? Well, this is how theory begins! According to Goes & Simon, “Theories explain a set of conceptual relationships.” Theories help us describe what we are observing, explain the causes of behavior, predict outcomes, and potentially control outcomes. In this instance, we are seeking to make sense of student development.

Reference: (Goes & Simon, 2012, p.1)

Rodgers defines student development as “the ways that a student grows, progresses, or increases his or her developmental capabilities as a result of enrollment in an institution of higher education.” Therefore, student development theories relate to how students grow and progress while in college.

Reference: (Rodgers as cited in Evans et al., 2010, p.6)

Knowing about student development theory can help advisors assess the needs of their students and determine the most appropriate course of action. This could be in the form of creating a policy, designing a program, or simply creating a welcoming advising space for students.

There are several types of theories, and they can interact in various ways. As was mentioned, student development theories address the development of the whole person. This illustration shows how theories and types of theories coexist. Let’s take a look at some of the theories and how they fit on the map.

Psychosocial theories look at the development of individuals over the course of their lives. These theories describe developmental stages that occur as people grow and move on. They can help advisors understand the issues that are facing their students at varying stages in their lives. In this course, we will look at psychosocial theories by Chickering, Erikson, Marcia, and Josselson.

Cognitive structural theories examine the intellectual development of college students. They look at patterns of thinking and how people make meaning of their experiences. This development occurs in sequential stages. Studying these theories can assist advisors in understanding the cognitive processes that are taking place when students make decisions. In this course, we will look at most of the cognitive theorists on the “Cognitive Line”.

Social identity theories look at how individuals understand their racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual identities. These identities are influenced by location and evolve over time. This course will explore multiple social identity theories.

Typology theories reflect individual differences. They can help identify learning styles, personality traits, interests, and environmental preferences. Typology theories can help with interpersonal interactions and conflict resolution. Two of the most prominently used typology theories are Holland’s Person-Environment Theory and Myers-Briggs Theory of Personality Type. Both of these theories are widely used in career counseling and can be useful when working as an academic advisor.

Have you seen this equation before? Kurt Lewin introduced this idea that behavior (B) is a function (f) of the interaction of person (P) and environment (E). Understanding this interaction is essential to understanding student behavior. Student development theory can help us understand the person, but we also need to look at the following environmental factors - challenge and support, involvement, marginality and mattering, and validation.

Reference: (Lewin as cited in Evans et al., 2010)

Integrated theories look at the interweaving of cognitive and psychosocial aspects of development through one’s lifespan. These theories tend to be more holistic. In this course, we will be looking at Kegan’s five orders, Baxter Magolda’s theory of self-authorship, Jones & Abes Multiple Dimensions of Identity, Kolb’s Theory of Experiential Learning, and Schlossberg’s transition theory.

Based on the brief overview you just received about the theories we’ll be covering, match each theory type with its correct definition. This isn’t graded, it’s only to reinforce the main points of each theory and to help you grasp their definitions.

So, how do we establish which theories are of value?

Walsh suggests five qualities of useful theories. The first quality is comprehensiveness; the theory should include a wide array of behaviors. The second quality is clarity and explicitness. It should be developed in a way that is precise and transparent. The third quality is consistency, both internal - where the ideas within the theory are logically connected - and external - where the theory is consistent with existing theories. The fourth quality is parsimony or simplicity. It should be easy to follow. The fifth and last quality is heurism, meaning that the theory should lead to research ideas.

Reference: (Walsh as cited in Evans et al., 2010)

Knefelkamp’s questions for evaluating theory are worth bearing in mind as we explore theories this semester.

1. On what population is the theory based?

2. How was the theory developed?

3. Is the theory descriptive?

4. Is the theory explanatory?

5. Is the theory prescriptive?

6. Is the theory heuristic?

7. Is the theory useful in practice?

Student development theories are mostly descriptive, and not typically explanatory or prescriptive.

Reference: (Knefelkamp as cited in Evans et al., 2010, p.24)

As mentioned, the element of research is critical to the utility of a theory. The research following the theory’s establishment can lead to the theory’s refinement. Additionally, it can test the theory’s ability to transfer to various populations. A good theory can be verified by research and generate new knowledge through research.

Understanding theories allows student affairs practitioners to understand their students using a variety of lenses. It helps advisors to make meaning of students and situations. The use of this knowledge and the application to practice can help advisors to be more effective and efficient.