Advising Competencies

Competencies Main Areas

Academic Advising Framework 

The Academic Advising Framework Competencies outline an advisor’s understanding of CSU culture and the context of academic advising within an asset and equity framework, student identities and development, and knowledge of curriculum and student support services. This framework promotes student learning, success, and graduation. 

Academic Advising Practice

The Academic Advising Practice Competencies outline the advising approach based on the CSU’s Academic Advising vision, the depth and content of student advising sessions, and advisor’s skills and fluency in demonstrating impactful work in academic guidance and student success.

Strategic Proactive Outreach, Intervention, Tracking and Assessment

The Strategic Proactive Outreach Intervention, Tracking, and Assessment Competencies outline the data-informed actions essential to ASC/Advisors informing student-advisor interactions, implementation of interventions, and use of assessment in advising.

Rationale

In establishing our professional advancement model, our goals are to:  

  • Recognize and promote academic guidance practices that improve the quality of undergraduate educational experiences and enhance student learning and success at CSU   
  • Acknowledge ASC/Advisors that have experience and are providing high quality academic guidance practices  
  • Implement this initiative within a framework of both merit and equity  

Advising Framework

Students

  • Characteristics, needs, and experiences of student populations, especially those that are first-generation,low-income, and racially minoritized.
  • Student development, and identity and intersectionality theories
  • Importance of creating and maintaining equitable and inclusive environments

Associated Training

CSU and Advising Context

  • CSU’s Principles of Community, land grant mission based on access and equity, and Student Success Initiatives 
  • CSU Advising Mission and Vision, NACADA’s Core Values, and an advising asset and equity framework promoting student success
  • Advising strategies, approaches, and best practices
  • Outcomes of academic advising

Associated Training

Academic and Student Service Information

  • Designated program and course requirements and field/industry/discipline related to degree programs
  • Campus and community resources that support student success and wellbeing
  • CSU policies and procedures implicating student success, persistence, and completion
  • Legal considerations of advising including privacy and confidentiality such as FERPA

Associated Training

Academic Advising Practice

Advising Approach

  • Empower all students to navigate their unique paths and foster learning, development, and academic success
  • Engage in intentional, holistic, and relationship-centered interactions
  • Facilitate student problem solving, decision-making, meaning-making, planning, and goal setting skills and practices
  • Incorporate multi-cultural awareness and inclusion into advising interactions honoring student’s intersecting identities and experiences at CSU
  • Utilize the integrated community of advisors including faculty and staff to enhance advising

Associated Training

Advising Content

  • Explain various approaches to managing and enhancing the college experience, specific to students’ interests, identities, needs, long-term goals, skills, and willingness to take risks- to ensure academic success  

  •  Promote strategies for academic success

  • Convey relevance of curriculum to student’s goals 

  • Integrate career exploration, professional development, and high-impact practices into student’s experience

  •  Help students see possible connections between seemingly disparate interests, suggest educational options and opportunities that the student might not have considered, and link present choices to future options or consequences 

  • Make referrals, based on individual student situation, identities, needs, and interests

  • Encourage students to connect with department/faculty

     


Associated Training

Advising Skills

  • Provide clear, accurate, timely explanations of degree requirements, policies, procedures
  • Manage time and calendar effectively to ensure accessibility to students
  • Use effective teaching or group facilitation strategies
  • Utilize campus-wide tools (e.g., advising notes to document outreach, Degree Progress Audit, Navigate)

Associated Training

Strategic Proactive Outreach, Intervention, Tracking and Assessment

Proactive Outreach and Intervention

  • Implement established campus outreach communication to students (e.g., early performance alerts, students in the probation process, non-registered students)
  • Prioritize outreach to students that will benefit the most

Associated Training

Tracking

  • Maintain accurate records through advising notes
  • Track students’ progress on standard measures such as persistence

Associated Training

Assessment

  • Interpret advising-related information, reports, and data provided by Institutional Research or Navigate
  • Review student feedback about the advising experience to enhance advising
  • Engage in on-going assessment and development of the advising practice focusing on first-generation, low-income, and racially minoritized student populations

Associated Training