EDL 595 & 695: Academic Advising in Higher Education

Summer I Session 2020 (3 cr.)

 

Instructor	Symphony Oxendine, Ph.D.
Office	EB 353; Virtual Meeting Room Link https://uncw.zoom.us/my/symphonyoxendine
Office Hours	Mondays & Tuesdays 2:00 – 3:00pm. Other times by appointment. You can schedule an appointment going to my booking page or by copying and pasting the following link https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/SymphonyOxendine@uncw4.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/
e-mail	oxendines@uncw.edu
Phone	910-962-3430 (office); 919-412-7991 (Cell Phone)

Land Acknowledgement 

Every community owes its existence and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life, and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Truth and acknowledgment are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference. We begin this effort to acknowledge what has been buried by honoring the truth.

We would like to acknowledge that the University of North Carolina Wilmington is located on the traditional territory of the Catawba People and has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst many Indigenous peoples for over 12,000 years.  We honor and respect the diverse Indigenous peoples connected to this territory that we now occupy, and what is now defined as the state of North Carolina, including the Coharie, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Saponi, Haliwa Saponi, Waccamaw Siouan, Sappony, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee. This land acknowledgment is to pay respect and honor the elders of the Indigenous People and Nations both past and present. Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here today (USDAC, n.d.). 

Intention

Instructor availability and office hours: It is my intent to provide you with the support you need to develop throughout your time in this course. To that end, I encourage you to talk with me if you have questions or concerns. The scheduled office hours are the best time to meet with me either in-person or virtually but I can make appointments at other times given notice.

There is no better way I could state this so I will quote:

“You all enter this classroom with different sets of skills. In virtue of this fact, I open my office to you as an extension of the classroom, including scheduled virtual meetings and individualized tutoring in the vast areas of academic writing and critical literacy skills. There is no shame or embarrassment in asking for help, although it is common to feel anxious in approaching one’s teacher. To enter my office and ask for help is an act of bravery. To enter and chat about nothing in particular often leads to new insight. Both are valuable. Both show that you trust me. I promise to respect you and earn that trust through compassionate listening and understanding. As a teacher, I know there is a power-relation between us. As best I can, I renounce this position. Think of me as human, imperfect and vulnerable just like you.” (http://hybridpedagogy.org/syllabus-manifesto-critical-approach-classroom-culture/)

Since email has now replaced almost all other forms of correspondence and communication, including telephone conversation and in-person meetings, email overload is particularly prevalent. I will respond to email/voicemails within 48 hours except on weekends and holidays. I do not typically check email or voicemail between the hours of 9 pm and 7 am on weekdays and minimally on the weekends so that I can devote time to family, rest, and spiritual practices. Messages received during these times will receive attention on the next business day. Otherwise, you can expect to receive a response to your message within 48 hours, often much sooner. I have provided my cell phone number for you to use in case of emergencies.

Course Information

Course Description: This course provides an overview of academic advising in higher education. Theories, models, and approaches of academic advising will be discussed as it relates to the overall goal of student success within higher education. Understanding the theories and practices associated with academic advising will provide students at all levels, either directly or indirectly involved in advising, the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the importance of academic advising and enhance their service to students and their institutions.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites: None

For Whom Planned: This course is an elective course in Higher Education for both Master’s and Ed.D. students.

 

Learning Outcomes

Together we will venture down the pathway of this course by co-creating knowledge together. While we are together in this course, we are a learning community that will be learning about the academic content but also ourselves and each other. It is my hope that the following learning outcomes will be shared by all of us and we can continue to have outcomes beyond what is written below.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Understand and apply theoretical foundations of academic advising.
2. Identify models and approaches of academic advising.
3. Describe the various ways of organizing and delivering academic advising services in higher education.
4. Understand how student backgrounds and diverse needs influence academic advising.
5. Apply different advising approaches to various contexts of academic advising.
6. Explain how academic advising relates to academic success and retention.

Required Texts

American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).

Articles and chapters posted on Canvas.

 

Relation of the Course to UNCW Learning Goals 

This course emphasizes the following UNCW Learning Goals:

• Critical Thinking: Students will integrate multiple methods and perspectives to critically examine complex problems.
• Inquiry: Students will engage in rigorous, open-minded, and imaginative inquiry.
• Information Literacy: Students will locate, evaluate, and effectively use information by applying a variety of academic and technological skills.
• Thoughtful Expression: Students will effectively express meaningful ideas in speaking and writing.
  
  

Relation of the Course to the Watson College Conceptual Framework

This course is designed to help students understand how the Master’s Degree in Higher Education or the Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education prepares effective higher education professionals through program coursework. The key concepts are: (a) Reflective practice; (b) Developing nurturing environments essential for growth, positive relationships and new ideas; (c) Developing high quality communication and reasoning abilities; (d) Commitment to ethical and professional standards; (e) Ability to meet needs of diverse learners; and (f) Advocacy for addressing social concerns.

Agreements

Accommodations: I will make every effort to provide reasonable learning assistance and support for students who need accommodations and have documentation on file with the Disability Resource Center (DRC). If you need specific learning accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 should contact me privately.  You are also asked to notify the Disability Resource Center (1st floor, DePaolo Hall/910-962-7555/TDD 800-735-2962) to submit documentation and coordinate further assistance.  The DRC will provide a letter to you detailing accommodations that may be needed. This letter should be provided to me, the instructor, as soon as you have received it from the DRC.  

Integrity: As we are all professionals within education we are expected to develop and maintain integrity through adhering to standards of the profession. Furthermore, all members of UNCW’s community are expected to follow the Academic Honor Code.  Academic integrity is expected at all times. Please read the UNCW Honor Code carefully as covered in the UNCW Student Handbook and available here: https://uncw.edu/odos/documents/Honor_Code_12-13.pdf    Plagiarism is a specific violation of the Honor Code. Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty in which you take someone else’s ideas and represent them as your own. Examples of plagiarism include writing about someone else’s work without giving the author credit by referencing them, giving a presentation using someone else’s ideas without giving the other person credit for those ideas, and taking facts from a textbook or other reference without citing the source. Self-plagiarism, where you intentionally or unintentionally represent previously submitted work as new material, is also prohibited. In some instances, you may use previously submitted work for an assignment, but only where it forms the basis for new work where you are making substantial modifications and additions – and only with the prior permission of the instructor. You will receive a score of zero points for any assignment that violates the standards of academic integrity (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) and may be subject to further disciplinary action as outlined in UNCWs Academic Integrity Policy.

Communication: I will communicate in a timely manner with everyone in this course. Your university email address is my primary means of contacting you outside of class. Emails from you are welcomed and encouraged for course communication. We will check email regularly and will respond appropriately. The same is expected of everyone in this course. If needed, please arrange to forward your university address to an email address you check frequently enough to meet this expectation. If you have not received a response within 48 hours of your email, please feel free to send a follow-up email

Knowledge Sharing Expectations

This is an online course and is delivered through Canvas, it is not correspondence or self-paced.  Students must participate (defined as logging in to the Canvas course site and interacting; posting questions, replies, assignments, etc.) in the online portion of class. All online classes include a significant online component that is integral to the overall graduate-level course. The UNCW office of Distance Learning states:

While online courses give students much flexibility in scheduling, they do not take less time than conventional classes. In fact, more responsibility and effort is shifted to the student in the learning process and more involvement and commitment is required. (UNCW Distance Education, n.d., Frequently Asked Questions section)

For more information on class attendance verification visit https://uncw.edu/reg/faculty-classAttendanceVerification.html

Engagement in Online Course: Students are expected to participate in all course activities.  Not contributing online for more than a week will adversely affect your grade. Students are expected to actively contribute to the online activities.  A significant portion of the student’s grade is based upon this. It is the responsibility of each student to understand fully the attendance and engagement policies and procedures for every course in which the student is enrolled.  The expectation of work for a 16-week course is typically three hours outside of class to each one hour in class per week, as this course is completely online and accelerated for the summer this means you will spend at least 15 hours doing course-work.

Technology Requirements: This course will utilize a variety of software and hardware components. It is required that your computer meets the minimum hardware and software specifications. All students (main-campus and distance education) must have a working web camera, headset with a built-in microphone, and high-speed internet access to participate in course activities. When possible, it is recommended you use a wired computer network instead of a wireless one. See https://uncw.edu/dl/resources.html for more details.

Required Technical Skills: In order to promote success in an online community, whether 100% online or hybrid, students must know how to use email and navigate the Internet. Students must also be familiar with their computer or device, its programs, `and operating system, be able to send messages to their instructor, upload attachments, post assignments, communicate with other students, and navigate the course site.  Students should retain and organize copies of all course work on a backup device or cloud storage program. 

Expectations of Online Behavior: UNCW requires a learning environment where everyone is respected and feel safe to take the risks necessary for learning. All online communication must be respectful and constructive. Students who violate these guidelines will be referred to the Office of the Dean of Students.  Students must review and adhere to UNCWs netiquette guidelines. If you are new to online spaces and learning environments the following website may be a good primer for you to read http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html.

Writing Assignments: All assignments unless otherwise notified must follow the formatting, referencing, and style found in the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association in addition to the following requirements:

1. All written assignments must be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and use 12 pt. Times New Roman font. For assignments in this course, you do not need an abstract but papers should have a title page and use section headings and subheadings in your work. Page numbers are only listed for in-text citations when direct quotations are being used.
2. Your references should be scholarly and you should carefully assess their worth. References cited in your assignments should be primarily based on books, peer-reviewed journal articles, and other scholarly work. There should be limited use of newspapers and magazine sources, it is appropriate to use these periodicals particularly to capture recent events. Furthermore, you should use original sources. Do not cite works that you have not read. Your reference list should only include references that you have used in the text of your paper. For additional information regarding the definition of academic/scholarly publications, see https://ncu.libguides.com/researchprocess/scholarlyjournals or https://libguides.utsa.edu/scholarly
3. If you need assistance in using APA style, please consult the APA Manual (a required text for this course) or ask me. If you utilize other resources for APA style (e.g. Purdue Owl, Endnote, Zotero, etc.) be aware that you will still be responsible for ensuring that your paper is correct.
4. All written work should be proofread carefully for typographical, grammatical, and APA-formatting related errors. Before submitting any written work, I would suggest you read your work out loud to yourself, and/or have a colleague proofread for you. You should also take advantage of the Watson College of Education's Grammarly free premium account for students and use it to check your work. Written work that demonstrates a lack of preparation and/or proofreading (e.g. spelling errors, grammatical errors, syntax, APA errors) may be deducted up to one letter grade.
5. It is my belief that developing writing skills comes through practice and "feedforward". I strive to provide constructive feedforward on written work that is not only explanatory but also practical. As you continue to practice your writing, I expect that you are incorporating the feedforward that is provided and that written work submitted demonstrates attention to incorporating feedforward and/or correcting errors. 
6. All written assignments must be submitted electronically via the Canvas course site. Assignments submitted by email will not be accepted.

Late Work: You are responsible for submitting assignments by the stated due dates. As graduate students, you are expected to plan ahead so that you can complete your work, even in the presence of obstacles. If you are unable to meet a course due date, please let me (Dr. Oxendine) know prior to the due date. Late submissions will be deducted 5% of the total points for the assignment per twenty-four hours and may not receive critical detailed feedforward. Once the possible point value drops below a grade of C, the assignment will not be accepted for credit.

Learning Community Expectations

This course consists of a learning community, not just a community of learners, that includes all students in the course as well as the course instructor(s). As members of this learning community, adherence to certain responsibilities along with the enjoyment of certain rights can help provide a productive learning experience for all of us. The following expectations are intended to support a positive learning environment while also communicating an appropriate sense of professional decorum. You will be expected to contribute actively and positively to the class activities (electronically or in-person). Actively engaging in discussion about ideas and concepts is one mean of learning new material and considering your position with regard to those ideas and concepts. Participation in the class is designed to help you develop your verbal, listening, and critical thinking skills by encouraging active involvement in the learning process.

Grading Scale and Points 

Grades will be determined and awarded according to the grading scale below with no rounding. Incompletes will be given only in extreme circumstances. Please contact me as soon as possible to initiate a discussion of any extenuating circumstances that will affect your completion of the course.

Grading Scale

 

A	95-100%
A-	90-94.9%
B+	86-89.9%
B	83-85.9%
B-	80-82.9%
C+	76-79.9%
C	73-75.9%
F	72.9% >

Assignments & Point Distribution 

 

Introduction Video	25 points
Reflective Practice Video Journals, Small Group Discussions, and Engagement 10 points per module for 1, 2, & 4	30 points total
Academic Advising Approaches IGNITE	75 points
Student Population Infographic & Reference Sheet	60 points
FERPA Training & Test (Extra Credit for Master's Students; Required for Doctoral Students)	10 Points
Academic Advising Syllabus	100 points
Cumulative Total	290 points