Building a Culture of Scholarship in Academic Advising

Academic advising administrators play a critical role in supporting the success of students on our campuses. One of the ways we can enhance the quality of advising is by encouraging advisors to engage in scholarship. When advisors engage in scholarly activities, they gain new knowledge and skills that can be applied to their advising practice. Additionally, scholarship contributes to the broader academic community and enhances the reputation of the institution.

Encouraging advisors to engage in scholarship is not always an easy task. Advisors have many demands on their time, and they may not have the necessary resources or support to engage in scholarly activities. However, the benefits of advisor scholarship contributions are significant, both for the advisor and the institution. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of advisor scholarship contributions, ways to encourage advisors to participate in scholarships, and methods to provide public recognition for advisor scholarship contributions and consider metrics for success.

Benefits for Advisors

First and foremost, contributing to scholarship is a way for advisors to stay up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in the field. As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, it is important for advisors to be informed about new trends, theories, and technologies that may impact their work. By engaging in scholarship, advisors can stay current and informed, and apply this knowledge to their daily interactions with students.

Additionally, engaging in scholarship can help advisors develop their own professional skills and expertise. Through research and writing, advisors deepen their understanding of advising theory and practice and become more effective in their roles. This can lead to improved outcomes for students, as advisors are better able to support them in achieving their academic and career goals.

Furthermore, contributing to the scholarship on advising can help advisors build their professional network and enhance their reputation within the field. By presenting at conferences, publishing articles, or participating in online communities, advisors can connect with colleagues from across the country and around the world, and collaborate on new ideas and initiatives. This can lead to new opportunities for professional development, job opportunities, and other benefits.

Finally, contributing to scholarship is a way for advisors to give back to the profession and make a positive impact on the field. By sharing their knowledge and expertise, advisors can help to advance the field of academic advising, and contribute to the development of new strategies and approaches that benefit students and advisors alike.

Benefits to the Institution

Engaging in scholarship can also bring significant benefits to academic institutions. First and foremost, it can enhance the institution's reputation as a leader in academic advising. When advisors engage in scholarship and produce high-quality research, they help to elevate the institution's profile and attract high-potential advisors in future searches.

Scholarship can also play a crucial role in attracting and retaining students. When advisors conduct research and publish findings on best practices in advising, they can help to demonstrate the value and effectiveness of academic advising. This can help to improve student retention and graduation rates, as students who receive high-quality advising are more likely to succeed academically and complete their degree programs.

Finally, engaging in scholarship can help to foster a culture of academic excellence within the institution. When advisors are encouraged and supported to engage in scholarship, they become more invested in their work and in the overall success of the institution. This can help to improve morale and create a sense of community among advisors and staff, which can ultimately benefit advisor retention and the student experience.

Encouraging Scholarship Contributions

Encouraging advisors to participate in scholarship can be a challenging task for academic advising administrators, but it is essential for the growth and development of the field. Here are some strategies that can be employed to encourage advisors to participate in scholarship:

• Provide Resources: Academic advising administrators can provide advisors with resources, such as time, funding, and access to research databases, to support their scholarly activities. This can help to alleviate the time and financial constraints that often hinder advisors from engaging in scholarship.

• Offer Professional Development Opportunities: Administrators can offer professional development opportunities, such as workshops and training sessions, to help advisors develop the skills necessary to engage in scholarship. These opportunities can also provide advisors with networking opportunities and exposure to new research in the field.

• Foster Collaboration: Administrators can foster collaboration among advisors by creating opportunities for advisors to work together on research projects and publications. Collaboration can help to bring diverse perspectives and expertise to the research and enhance the quality of the final product.

• Connect Scholarship to Practice: Administrators can help advisors see the connection between scholarship and their day-to-day work by encouraging them to conduct research on topics related to their advising practice. When advisors see the direct impact of their scholarship on their work, they may be more motivated to engage in scholarly activities.

• Create a Culture of Scholarship: Administrators can create a culture of scholarship within the institution by promoting and recognizing scholarly activities. This can be done by offering awards and recognition programs for advisors who engage in scholarship and by encouraging advisors to share their research and findings with colleagues and students.

  • Award Programs: Administrators can establish award programs to recognize advisors who have made significant contributions to the field of academic advising through their scholarship. Awards can be given for publications, conference presentations, research projects, and other scholarly activities.

  • Advisor Spotlights: Academic advising administrators can feature advisors in an advisor spotlight section on the institution's website or in the institution's newsletter. This feature can highlight advisors' research interests, recent publications, and conference presentations.

  • Social Media: Administrators can use social media platforms, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, to promote advisors' scholarly activities. By sharing advisors' publications, conference presentations, and other scholarly activities on social media, administrators can provide public recognition for their scholarly contributions.

  • Performance Reviews: Academic advising administrators can include mentions of advisors' scholarly contributions in their performance evaluations or annual reviews. These mentions can provide public recognition for advisors' scholarly contributions and serve as a motivator for future scholarly activities.

Assessing The Effort

Evaluating the success of encouraging advisors to engage in scholarship is a difficult, but essential step in determining the effectiveness of the strategies employed. Here are some ways in which advising administrators might evaluate their success in this endeavor:

• Scholarly Output: The most obvious indicator of success is the amount and quality of scholarly output produced by advisors. Administrators can track the number of research projects, publications, and conference presentations produced by advisors over time to measure the impact of their efforts.

• Participation Rates: Another measure of success is the participation rate of advisors in scholarly activities. Administrators can track the number of advisors who participate in professional development opportunities, apply for funding, and engage in collaborative research projects to determine if they are successful in encouraging advisors to participate in scholarship.

• Feedback from Advisors: Gathering feedback from advisors is a critical component of evaluating the success of the strategies employed. Administrators can conduct surveys or focus groups to gather feedback from advisors on the effectiveness of the resources and opportunities provided to support their scholarly activities.

• Impact on Students: The ultimate goal of encouraging advisors to engage in scholarship is to improve the quality of the advising experience for students. Administrators can evaluate the impact of advisors' scholarly activities on student outcomes, such as retention and graduation rates, to determine the effectiveness of their efforts.

Final Thoughts

Academic advising administrators play an important role in encouraging advisors to engage in scholarship. When advisors engage in scholarly activities, they gain new knowledge and skills that can be applied to their advising practice. Additionally, scholarship contributes to the broader academic community and enhances the reputation of the institution.

To encourage advisors to engage in scholarship, academic advising administrators can provide support in the form of funding, professional development opportunities, and protected time for scholarly activities. Providing public recognition for advisor scholarship contributions is also important in motivating advisors to engage in scholarly activities.

By supporting advisor scholarship contributions, academic advising administrators can enhance the quality of advising, contribute to the broader academic community, and enhance the reputation of the institution. I hope that this blog post has provided useful insights and ideas for encouraging advisors to engage in scholarship and promoting their scholarship contributions. I'd love to hear what's happening at your institutions.