SO YOU THOUGHT COLLEGE WOULD BE

EASY?

UNDERSTANDING THE FIRST YEAR STUDENT THROUGH STUDENT DEVELOPMENT THEORIES AND ADVISING

Maggie Bishop and Imani Cabell - University of North Georgia

WHO ARE WE? • Graduated from

University of Central Missouri

• Bachelor : Communication

• Master’s: Higher Education Administration

University of North Georgia Academic Coordinator

University of North Georgia Pre-Nursing Advisor

• Graduated from University of West Georgia

• Bachelor’s: Business Marketing and Business Management

• Master’s: Professional Counseling College Student Affairs

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT: • EXAMINE THE FIRST YEAR STUDENT

• DEFINE THREE DIFFERENT STUDENT DEVELOPMENT THEORIES

• SHARE HOW THESE THEORIES CAN BE APPLIED TO ADVISING FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

“ADVISORS HAVE LICENSE TO DRAW UPON A WIDE ARRAY OF THEORETICAL

PERSPECTIVES BECAUSE THEY HAVE COME TO ADVISING NOT FROM ONE FIELD, BUT

FROM MANY…” -GORDON, HABLEY, & GRITES (2008)

WHAT IS STUDENT DEVELOPMENT THEORY?

“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” (RODGERS 1990)

DEVELOPMENT: POSITIVE GROWTH

DEVELOPMENT THEORY SHOULD ANSWER 4 QUESTIONS1.WHAT INTERPERSONAL/INTRAPERSONAL CHANGES OCCUR WHILE THE STUDENT IS IN COLLEGE?

2.WHAT FACTORS LEAD TO THIS DEVELOPMENT?

3.WHAT ASPECTS OF THE COLLEGE ENVIRONMENT ENCOURAGE OR RETARD GROWTH?

4.WHAT DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES SHOULD WE STRIVE TO ACHIEVE IN COLLEGE?

HOW ADVISORS CAN USE THEORY • THEORETICAL BASE FOR KNOWLEDGE, EXPERTISE AND PRACTICE • GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF SEVERAL THEORIES CAN AID IN

UNDERSTANDING ADVISING APPROACHES• EX: DEVELOPMENTAL ADVISING APPROACH DEVELOPED

FROM CHICKERING’S IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT THEORY

• IDENTIFY STUDENTS NEEDS• DESIGN PROGRAMS• DEVELOP POLICIES• PROMOTE POSITIVE GROWTH IN STUDENTS

Description Explanation Predication Control

Student Behavior

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS • TIME FOR A POLL!

•WHAT STUDENTS FALL IN TO THIS CATEGORY?

•WHAT ARE SOME COMMON CHALLENGES THESE STUDENTS FACE?

POLL 1. HTTPS://

WWW.POLLEVERYWHERE.COM/FREE_TEXT_POLLS/F3XOPZVR7QYSJLS

2. HTTPS://WWW.POLLEVERYWHERE.COM/FREE_TEXT_POLLS/ADNDLZ69JJVDKFI

HOW STUDENTS FEEL…

ADVISING FIRST YEAR STUDENTS•CHALLENGING BUT REWARDING•MORE UNDERSTANDING•MORE SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS

CHICKERING’S VECTORS OF IDENTITY • PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

THEORY • BUILDING ON WORKS OF ERIK

ERIKSON • MORE SPIRAL OR FLUID THEORY • STUDENTS MOVE THROUGH

DIFFERENT VECTORS AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND PACES

1. DEVELOPING COMPETENCE

2. MANAGING EMOTIONS

3. MOVING THROUGH AUTONOMY THROUGH INTERDEPENDENCE

4. MANAGING MATURE INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

5. ESTABLISHING IDENTITY

6. DEVELOPING PURPOSE

7. DEVELOPING INTEGRITY

CHICKERING AND ADVISING AS ACADEMIC

ADVISORS WE CAN UTILIZE OUR

UNDERSTANDING OF CHICKERING’S

7 VECTORS TO……

•HELP OUR STUDENTS DEVELOP THEIR OWN SELF IDENTITY

•FEEL INDEPENDENT ON THEIR NEW FOUND COLLEGE JOURNEY

•BEGIN TO DEVELOP COMPETENCE

ASTIN’S THEORY OF INVOLVEMENT INVOLVEMENT : “AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ENERGY

THAT THE STUDENT DEVOTES TO THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE” (ASTIN 1984).

HOW STUDENTS CHANGE AND DEVELOP DUE TO BEING INVOLVED CO-CURRICULARLY • THREE ELEMENTS:

• INPUTS – PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE • ENVIRONMENT – EXPERIENCES STUDENTS WILL HAVE IN

COLLEGE•OUTCOMES – KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, BELIEFS, AFTER

GRADUATING COLLEGE

ASTIN AND ADVISING • KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING ALL

THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS

• HELPING STUDENTS STAY ENGAGED WITH THE CAMPUS CULTURE REGARDLESS ON THE SIZE OF THE INSTITUTION

• ASSIST STUDENTS WITH BEING PRESENT WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR EDUCATION, SO THEY DON’T SETTLE.

UNDERSTANDING ASTIN’S STUDENT

INVOLVEMENT THEORY CAN HELP US WHEN ADVISING

A STUDENT BY…

SCHLOSSBERG’S TRANSITION THEORY

MOVE IN – MOVE THROUGH – MOVE OUT FOCUSES ON A STUDENT’S TRANSITION EXPERIENCE AND HOW TRANSITION IS COPED WITH

• TYPES OF TRANSITIONS• ANTICIPATED EVENT: A FOR-SEEN EVENT • UNANTICIPATED: DID NOT SEE COMING• NON-EVENTS: ANTICIPATES AN EVENT BUT IT DOESN’T HAPPEN

CONTEXT – SETTING – IMPACT

SCHLOSSBERG AND ADVISING 4 S’S

• SITUATION: TRIGGER, TIMING, ROLE CHANGE, DURATION,

• SELF: BACKGROUND, STAGE OF LIFE, COMMITMENT OR VALUES

• SUPPORT: FAMILY, FRIENDS, COMMUNITIES

• STRATEGIES: WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

As students transition into

college it is important for them to view and utilize

their academic advisor as a support

resource.

THEORY IS FUN! •BUILD A CONNECTION BETWEEN ADVISING AND STUDENT

DEVELOPMENT THEORY

•HOW TO PERSONALIZE ADVISING STRATEGIES WITH FIRST

YEAR STUDENTS

•STUDENT DEVELOPMENT THEORY APPLIES TO ALL STUDENTS

QUESTIONS?

REFERENCES• HAGEN, P. L., & JORDAN, P. (2008). THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF ACADEMIC ADVISING.

IN V. N. GORDON, W. R. HABLEY, & T. J. GRITES (EDS.), ACADEMIC ADVISING: A COMPREHENSIVE HANDBOOK (2ND ED.), (PP. 17–35). SAN FRANCISCO, CA: JOSSEY-BASS.

• EVANS, NANCY J. STUDENT DEVELOPMENT IN COLLEGE: THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PRACTICE. JOSSEY-BASS, 2010.

• ASTIN, A. W. (1984). STUDENT INVOLVEMENT: A DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION. JOURNAL OF

• SCHLOSSBERG, N. K. (2011). THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE: THE TRANSITION MODEL AND ITS APPLICATIONS. JOURNAL OF EMPLOYMENT COUNSELING, 48(4), 159–162.

CONTACT US! MAGGIE BISHOP IMANI

CABELL MAGGIE.BISHOP@UNG.EDU

IMANI.CABELL@UNG.EDU