Indiana University is using a new framework for academic advising and career development across all campuses starting this fall semester. It is intended to provide better experiences and outcomes for students, as well as greater support and role clarity for the professionals who help them.

A student receives help from an academic adviser. Photo by IU Indianapolis Division of Undergraduate EducationThe changes align with the IU 2030 strategic plan and its goals of providing access to robust and equitable academic advising and career development experiences, said Matthew Rust, associate vice president for student navigation and support in the Office of the Vice President for Student Success.

“At Indiana University, we want to see everyone set up for success, both students and the professionals in the academic advising and career development areas,” Rust said. “Clear expectations and outcomes along with consistent resources are crucial components for achieving that.”

Student feedback from recent focus groups and surveys indicated that their experiences varied from unit to unit and campus to campus, Rust said. Feedback from advising and career development professionals indicated that they didn’t always have the resources to be successful, and sometimes caseload levels were not equitable. Additionally, Indiana University did not have university-wide guidelines, core expectations or goals other than what was located in template job descriptions.

“There are still unique flavors and strengths on each campus,” Rust said, “but we wanted to make sure there were common core experiences that were high quality.”

A task force of 35 people from all campuses in advising and career services worked on the new framework in April and May. They met weekly, researched best practices, reviewed research literature, and crafted drafts of outcomes and role expectations. The final framework includes:

• Student learning outcomes : These are defined for both academic advising and career services, focusing on personal growth, goal setting and applying knowledge to world-of-work scenarios.

• Professional expectations: Clear expectations for academic advisors and career services professionals to ensure that students receive proactive, holistic support.

• Institutional responsibilities: Outlines the actions required by leaders at the unit, school, campus and university levels to support advisors and career services professionals in meeting the established expectations.

• Core approach: The framework includes training all academic advising and career services professionals in coaching techniques that promote holistic student support, and implementing proactive strategies that prioritize engagement with historically underserved and excluded students.

“In order for IU to best support our students, and to make strong progress on our IU 2030 goals, it was vital for our academic advising and career development communities to clarify expectations, create key student learning outcomes and identify specific responsibilities associated with their roles”, said Julie Payne-Kirchmeier, vice president for student success. “This foundational framework will help every IU student engage more deeply with their coursework and connect with a meaningful career. I am incredibly appreciative of the professionals who came together to create this important work.”

Training in the new framework includes a two-day in-person or online synchronous session focused on coaching techniques as well as Canvas-based onboarding modules that will be developed this academic year.

“Done well, academic advising and career services experiences can be transformational experiences instead of merely transactional exchanges of information,” Rust said. “I’m excited to continue partnering with our colleagues on each campus to ensure both students and staff can thrive in these meaningful interactions that center students’ experiences and dreams.”

Kirk Johannesen is a communications consultant in the Office of the Vice President for Communications and Marketing.