Introduction

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Criterion 1
Criterion 2
Criterion 3
Criterion 4
Criterion 5

“The organization creates effective learning environments.”

The Phoenix College Advisement and Transfer Center supports an effective learning environment in several ways. The PC advisement model has several components that are designed to facilitate effective learning by creating strong connections between advisors and faculty.

Advisor specialties/liaisons with academic department – All advisors are able to provide general advisement to students, but each advisor is assigned areas of specialization. This allows each advisor to increase his or her knowledge in the specialty areas. The advisors interact with the corresponding academic departments. They may serve on advisory committees, attend departmental meetings or events, observe classes or make presentations for classes. These activities allow advisors to become familiar with the requirements of the academic area so that they can better advise students about their classes and program.

On-going training – The Advisement Center holds weekly staff meetings throughout the academic year. Academic, student services, and university transfer representatives are invited to speak about their course offerings and programs. Some departments send one person, often the chair, to provide information about their programs and classes. In other cases, many faculty members come and each talk about their courses, teaching style, or classroom activities. Accasionally the advisors visit the department to tour facilities. Again, this connection to faculty, student services, and transfer institutions allows advisors to provide better direction to students.

Connections between advisement and academics – Advisors participate in a variety of campus activities. Advisement is represented on PC Curriculum Committee, Financial Aid Committee, Title V Project, faculty and staff hiring committees, Department Chair Meetings.

Assessing needs/improving practices – When students come in to Advisement to see an advisor, they are asked to provide information on their area of study. Patterns are reviewed and areas of specialty are assigned or reassigned based on students’ requests. The director assists at the front counter regularly to personally observe student requests. The transfer coordinator serves as a resource for information and to resolve transfer and curriculum issues for advisors and students. Advisors request additional information or staff meetings dedicated to a particular area as needed. Monthly departmental reports are prepared that include a summary of and include individual advisor reports on their activities. Annual reports are written that include individual and departmental goals. This year one of our goals is to form a staff meeting task force to consider ways to improve training and advisor development. Another goal is to begin to develop learning outcomes for student services so we can improve the delivery of services.