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11:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.
Presentations

Breakout Sessions Murray Student Center Rooms 3101-3105

The Advising Experience Through Innovative Technology
Samantha Clarke, Academic Advisor, Pace University, Dyson College of Arts & Sciences
Rich Miller, Associate Director of IT, Pace University, Dyson College of Arts & Sciences
It is the last day to add classes without permission. A student calls the advising office and no one is able to answer. The
student needs to meet with an advisor and the deadline to add a class is today. The student is unable to travel to campus
due to inclement weather. How do you use technology to provide a solution to the student? How do you standardize
practices to give students numerous avenues of accessibility?

Traditionally students are used to face-to-face meetings and phone calls. They are also accustomed to printing,
handwriting and hand delivering forms. Students expect, and deserve, immediate attention to their requests. In this modern
technology driven era, we now have ways in which we can address and resolve their issues in an even more timely and
effective manner.

E-Advising is a convenient way to hold one-on-one meetings from wherever the student is located by the use of web
conferencing. This can come in handy during inclement weather, for students who work full-time, or just have busy
schedules in general, and find it difficult to meet with an advisor in person. In all of these instances, students are getting
real-time assistance in a way that is convenient to them. For example, needing a form signed at the last minute.

In an effort to cut down on the amount of time it takes to process a form, and go green, we have adopted e-sign
technology. It allows us to save time, money and focus on our daily responsibilities, tasks and improvements to the office.

Many of the changes we discussed above were implemented through direct suggestions from students. We have online
advising surveys that are sent out to students following their appointment. This allows us to constantly monitor our
performance and instantly address changes as needed.

According to Carter (2007), “Academic advisors can enhance the communication process with students through the use
of electronic forms of communication.” With tools like E-Advising, E-signature solutions and student surveys we are
implementing best practices that will enhance the student’s experience and help to foster student/advisor relationships
through open communication and direct feedback.

Advising the Under-Prepared Urban Student

Dr. Maxine Bradshaw, Chair of Psychology and Counseling, Pillar College
Dr. Joanne Noel, AVP of Advising, Pillar College
Dr. Richard Riss Professor of History & Biblical Studies, Pillar College
Professor Michael Wattkis, Director of Academic Resource Center, Pillar College
Advising the Non-traditional student presents unique challenges. To be successful, institutions must engage in a culture of
advising that is multicultural, diverse, sensitive and innovative. Pillar College is the only accredited evangelical institution
in the State of New Jersey. This Christian faith-based institution, which is located in the heart of the city of Newark, has
sustained continuous growth over the last five years. Our student population is diverse in gender, age, theology, ethnicity,
nationality, and socio-economic status. With the participation of administrators, faculty, students, alumni and other
stakeholders we have developed an atmosphere of trust and compassion that mirrors our mission. We have also developed
and implemented systematic advising strategies to impact our urban, unprepared, and underprepared student population so
that they remain active participants and successful leaders throughout their education journey. Our panel will discuss how
we plan for advising, some of our best strategies, as well as lessons learned throughout the process of our journey. We are
continuously improving. Thus, we will also present some of the strategies that yielded minimal success and the lessons
learned within our context. In our presentation, we will attempt to shed some light on the Non-traditional student journey
and the imperative to develop and implement ongoing and systematic pedagogy towards positive advising outcomes.