Academic Advising Projects
Context and Background
UCD students have access to a range of advice and support at programme/school level and centrally. Notwithstanding the range and breadth of available supports, there is a significant policy gap with reference to the formalised provision of academic advice to undergraduate and taught graduate students. In March 2021, UCD was awarded funding through the HEA and the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning to support an academic advising initiative with a number of work strands.
A total of €475,000 was made available to support academic advising pilot projects across UCD as one strand of the academic advising initiative. A call for applications was issued in May 2021, following a competitive process funding was allocated to 17 projects in August 2021. The projects concluded on 31st May 2022.
The focus of the funding was to develop and pilot different approaches to academic advising, reflecting distinct advising contexts, student cohorts and disciplinary needs, specifically to:
- Support the collaborative development and piloting of academic advising approaches that are responsive to students’ needs and aligned to strategic educational priorities.
- Facilitate research-informed and evidence-based decision-making about academic advising in UCD.
- Explore opportunities for leveraging technology to support personalised and flexible approaches to academic advising.
- Promote the value and importance of high-quality academic advising as a fundamental element of the UCD educational experience.
- Highlight and disseminate the learning from the pilot projects and to capture key findings across the spectrum of projects.
A student-centric approach with meaningful engagement of students in the design and or implementation was a key criterion for all projects.
Academic Advising Project Showcases
Academic Advising Projects Funded
Following a competitive process the following projects have been awarded funding to pilot different approaches to academic advising. Congratulations to the project teams.
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The Concept of Academic Advising
Drawing on a comprehensive set of definitions of academic advising from the literature, NACADA - The Global Community for Academic Advising developed a statement on the concept of academic advising. Academic advising is positioned as an integral part of the teaching and learning mission of higher education.
Through academic advising, students learn to become members of their higher education community, to think critically about their roles and responsibilities as students, and to prepare to be educated as citizens of a democratic society and a global community.
NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising. (2006)
The NACADA statement identifies three components of academic advising: curriculum (what advising deals with), pedagogy (how advising does what it does), and student learning outcomes (the results of academic advising).
- The curriculum of academic advising is defined broadly and ranges from the ideals of higher education to more practical matters such as selection of academic courses and goal setting.
- The pedagogy of academic advising incorporates the preparation, facilitation, documentation, and assessment of advising interactions. The relationship between the adviser and student is fundamental.
- The learning outcomes of academic advising articulate what students will demonstrate, know, value, and do as a result of participating in academic advising. Some examples cited by NACADA include:
- Craft a coherent educational plan based on assessment of abilities, aspirations, interests, and values
- Assume responsibility for meeting academic programme requirements
- Cultivate the intellectual habits that lead to a lifetime of learning.
For further information on 'Academic Advising' please visit NACADA Resources.
