Credit: DKS Editors

The Assessment Committee of Kent Academic Support and Advising Association distributed an advising survey to assess students understanding and satisfaction of advising.

Five components of the survey are the importance of advising, use of technology, degree requirements, resources and academic policies.

“We came up with these learning outcomes that we believe students should get from advising, so this is what we wanted to assess,” committee chair Lisa Froning said. “The survey is measuring their knowledge and perception of our student learning outcomes.”

Froning said 6,000 randomly selected students received the survey by e-mail in March 2007 and 1,045 responded to the survey.

“We wanted it to go out to every Kent State student, but we had to limit that because we work with RPIE: Research, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness,” she said. “They said the most we could give it out to was 6,000 students and they randomly picked the students.”

According to the summary report of the survey, 92 percent of students understand the importance of advising and 85 percent of students are satisfied with the advising they receive.

“What this means to us, is students really do utilize advising and think it’s important,” Froning said. “It is very uplifting to know that we are making a difference.”

The survey revealed the areas for improvements are inconsistency and availability of advising appointments.

“To help with the inconsistencies in advising, there is a push with the University for assigned advisers, so each academic unit in the advising office has to come up with their own plan with how they are going to assign advisers to students,” Froning said. “This will help because you will have that one person that already knows your situation.”

She said advising is evolving a relationship with students.

“I suppose most students think of advisers as people who tell them what classes to take. But I hope it’s so much more,” she said. “I hope students know advisers will listen to them, help them make decisions and have a contact person to turn to for anything.”

MORE ADVISING OPINONS • “I am very satisfied with advising because during the process in which I switched my major they were very helpful,” freshman entrepreneurship major Andrew Wimer said. “They helped me figure out what classes I needed to take.” • “My nursing advisers help me a lot. They are there whenever I need them,” freshman nursing major Krista Cleber said. “They also help us make our schedules instead of just telling us what we have to take before we graduate.” • “This one time I e-mailed them and I asked my adviser to help me pick out my classes this semester,” freshman exploratory major Mark Beckman said. “She never e-mailed me back, so their reliability isn’t the best.” • “I am satisfied when I am continuously involved with only one adviser versus multiple advisers,” sophomore business major Jillian Pusti said. “Because when I only go to one, they know my background and I don’t have to re-state my situation repeatedly.” • “I am not very satisfied with advising because every time I have gone they haven’t known what I should do and I have had to figure it out on my own,” sophomore fashion merchandising major Erin Cipollone said. “They don’t tell me what I need to do for my major.” • “I think they do a pretty decent job. They have not steered me wrong yet,” sophomore marketing major Ben Cunningham said. “They inform me what classes I need to take to pursue my major.” • “My advisers have always been very helpful,” senior marketing major Trey Kauffman said. “They led me the right direction in life.”

There is another advising survey being distributed this March. For those students who do receive the survey, this is the time to voice your opinion and take advantage of the survey, Froning said.

“This is your opportunity to get anything and everything off your chest as far as advising,” she said. “We do read every single comment.”

Froning’s advice for those students who don’t get to participate in the survey is to go to a director, a dean or the office of where the student’s advising is to address the problem.

Contact College of Education, Health and Human Services reporter Alyssa Conner at [email protected].