The University Advising Center (UAC) in University College received this year’s Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising.
Joan Lorden, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, said advising means providing support and guidance to students so that they might reach their full, academic potential, and the University Advising Center goes beyond helping students fill out forms and check boxes. According to Lorden, “the University Advising Center promotes self-awareness and good decision-making for UNC Charlotte students.”
Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising is presented annually to an advising center, department, program or unit that demonstrates a sustained and collective responsibility among faculty and staff to assist students in achieving their educational goals.
The University Advising Center was created in 2007 with the formation of the University College. It serves students who have not yet declared a major or who have been denied admission to their major of choice. In a typical fall semester, UAC advisors welcome almost 800 new freshmen and 400 new transfer students. Overall, center serves 2,400-plus students in the UCOL major and 800 to 1,000 students from other majors making it the single largest major on campus. In spite of the numbers, the center’s advisors are committed to developing personal relationships with students to provide them the counsel, information and advice they need, said academic affairs officials.
The following examples highlight how UAC advisors take collective responsibility for and produce high-quality undergraduate academic advising and assist students to achieve their educational and lifelong learning goals.
The center serves students new to UNC Charlotte by introducing them to a wide range of first-year experiences. Staff restructured the advising protocol for Freshman Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) sessions to ensure that students know about and enroll in a first-year experience. These efforts have led to a 90 percent enrollment rate of new University College students in a first-year experience.
Additionally, all UAC advisors teach a section of a freshman or transfer seminar in the fall semester, and some advisors have taught sections of the liberal studies citizenship course with a service-learning component. These efforts increased student engagement on campus. Likewise, UAC staff members have been actively involved with the implementation of “Prospect for Success” curriculum in the University College. UAC advisors work closely with faculty teaching University College Prospect for Success courses to provide advising that is tailored to support its learning outcomes.
Additionally, Henrietta Thomas and University Advising Center staff members have demonstrated leadership in numerous advising-related efforts including the development of Niner Advisor. They are active on the Advising Redesign Team, the Academic Advising Development Program and the Student Success Working Group.
The Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising includes a $2,500 award and a plaque commemorating the center’s achievements in undergraduate advising.