Timeline:

Planned project kickoff date: January 9, 2006
Target completion date: June 1, 2008
Actual completion date:

A. Give this Action Project a short title in 10 words or fewer:

 Improve Student Advising

B. Describe this Action Project's goal in 100 words or fewer:

This project will address the needs of SSU students, particularly “at-risk” students, through improved advising procedures, structures and training. The student advising action project will build on advising changes and improvements achieved during a Title III grant at Shawnee during the past three years.  The work with incoming and current students will expand into an advising system that serves all students and results in improved retention and persistence to graduation. One possible structural change, such as the creation of a University College, has been much discussed on campus.  This project will include planning for such a structural change.

C. Identify the single AQIP Category which the Action Project will most affect or impact:

Category 3:  Understanding Students’ and Other Shareholders’ Needs

D. Describe briefly your institution's reasons for taking on this Action Project now -- why the project and its goals are high among your current priorities:

Shawnee State University is an open admissions institution that serves an Appalachian region where many students are first-generation college attendees.  The recently concluded Title III project addressed the challenge of serving “at-risk” students.  Freshman to sophomore retention has improved (need number here), but still remains low when compared with other Ohio public institutions.  Improved advising of entering as well as advanced students is seen by faculty and staff as an important element in increasing retention and keeping students on track to graduation. 

Advising was in the top five opportunity areas that emerged from the Vital Focus Survey and eight action project ideas were put forth from Shawnee’s Conversation Day.  There is a recognition that there are different student audiences (initial advising, freshman advising, undecided student advising, semester-conversion advising, major advising, etc.) for advising and that coordination can improve among the different staff groups responsible for the different types of advising.

E. List the organizational areas - -institutional departments, programs, divisions, or units -- most affected by or involved in this Action Project:

Advising functions are currently housed under both the Vice-President for Academic Affairs (two colleges and academic departments) and the Vice-President for Student Affairs (Student Success Center, TRIO programs, and various student affairs offices).  Some student advising related to financial assistance, grants and scholarships is done by the Financial Aid Office under the Vice-President for Business Affairs.  Because advising impacts all employee groups at Shawnee, the various governance groups at the institution (University Faculty Senate, University Administrative Assembly, and University Staff Assembly) will be involved in the Action Project.  In addition, advising is addressed in the contract with the faculty bargaining unit, so the Shawnee Education Association will be involved in this project.

The groups most affected by this project will be the College of Arts and Sciences and its six departments; the College of Professional Studies and its three departments; and the Student Success Center. Other offices on campus such as Admissions and Financial Aid may be indirectly affected by the Advising Action Project.

F. Name and describe briefly the key organizational process(es) that you expect this Action Project to change or improve:

Advising is a key organizational process that will be changed and improved through this Action Project. Other processes such as registration, new student orientation, and mathematics and English placement may also be affected.

G. Explain the rationale for the length of time planned for this Action Project (from kickoff to target completion):

Shawnee State University is transitioning from a quarter calendar to a semester calendar.  The semester calendar will begin in the fall of 2007.  This project will be in place during the switch to semesters and beyond to assure the implementation of new procedures and structures and the collection and analysis of data regarding the impact of the project.

H. Describe how you plan to monitor how successfully your efforts on this Action Project are progressing:

An Action Project Team of 6-8 members will be formed to provide the detailed planning, implementation, and assessment of the Advising Action Project. The university’s Strategic Planning Committee will provide an oversight and coordination role with the Action Projects. Administrative responsibility for monitoring and assisting the Action Project progress will be with the Associate Provost/Director of Institutional Planning.

I. Describe the overall "outcome" measures or indicators that will tell you whether this Action Project has been a success or failure in achieving its goals:

• The overall goal of this project is increased student retention and improved persistence until graduation.  Both of these measures will be used to determine the success of this project. 
• Student satisfaction surveys (Noel-Levitz) and staff surveys (Vital Focus) have given data on perceptions about advising.  Future surveys of students and employees will be used to measure changes in satisfaction with advising.
• Other possible outcome measures that will be considered are indirect measures of advising success such as fewer course deficiencies or course waivers at graduation, loss of students because of the transition to semesters, increased visits by students to faculty during office hours, etc.

J. Other information (e.g., publicity, sponsor or champion, etc.):

An institutional concern and need identified during the Vital Focus and Conversation Day was improved communication on campus.  This project will consciously model good communications by regularly informing the campus community about progress through multiple communication approaches including, web postings, emails, newsletters, and reports to governance groups (faculty, administrators, staff and students). The project will also seek input from campus groups by a variety of means that may include surveys, focus groups, meetings with key individuals, open meetings, and requests for information.