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Logo  

Title

Rationalizing Academic Advising'- Removing Redundancies to foster Pedagogical Resilience

Theme

Educational Environments

Authors

Dr. Noreen Mirza- Head Faculty Development
Dr Eman Al Mussaed-Vice Dean of Educational Affairs

Institutions

College of Medicine

Princess Norah bint AbdulRahman University

Background

                                                                                              

“I feel like an alien on a foreign planet” (First year student)

“I cried all night, I don’t know how I’m going to tell my parents, I only got an average of 68%” (First year student)

 

Academic advising is a two-way process

Students & staff engage in a special relationship

 

 

Summary of Work

 

The Vision of  Academic Advising Unit

       at College of Medicine - PNU

 

 

 

The Five Year Strategic Plan 

The Strategic Five Year Academic Advising Unit Plan was developed and implementation begun

According to the Plan besides advising, the advisors play a role of  a mentor, councilor for the students. They have begun training in:

  1. Academic facilitation
  2. Mentoring 
  3. Communication Skills
  4. Prescriptive and Developmental Advising

 

TEAAM
Towards Excellence in Academic Advising and Mentoring’ Program for all Advisors . 

  •          Competency Certificate Awards for All Advisors
  •            Yahoo Groups for advisors to share and interact  

Fig -1  

 

Hierarchy of the Academic Advising Unit

 

Methodology 

- Focus group methodology was used

- Recorded data from the minutes of the students’ biweekly meetings about academic issues

- Recorded data from the Advisors bimonthly meetings focusing on student academic progress and behaviours

- A Performa was used for the feedback of the Academic Advisors about the working procedures.

Summary of Results

 

                                   Issues Raised by Students 

 

Issues raised by students

Percentage

Resolution

An overload of lectures of various subjects in the Foundation Block made it difficult for students to manage their learning.  

60%

In consultation with The Head of Basic Sciences it was decided:

  1. to move 12 -14, lectures in the further blocks  
  2. move micro & patho lectures earlier in the Foundation Block  to make the Block manageable for the freshmen students.

Faculty communication about certain topics/subtopics as ‘important’ confused the students for exam preparation.

70%

The faculty was given workshops on  presentations skills in the classroom.

Some topics were difficult to understand.

75%

A tutorial was added in the ongoing block. For the next year the topic will be dealt in two lectures and a different faculty member will conduct the lectures.

Better to have the midterm of a block less than six weeks

65%

It was clarified that according to the changed Exam  policy there will be no midterms for Blocks less than six weeks.

 

Some topics could be merged into one session e.g. smell and taste to give more time to other topics.

70%

The topics were merged consultation with the Head of Basic Sciences, so one session was free be allocated to another important topic.

Having multiple tutors through the day would improve concentration.

80%

The matter was discussed in the Basic Sciences (DBS) meeting and the concerned faculty agreed to revise her schedule for next year.

 

Conclusion

Take-home Messages

Acknowledgement

References

Background

The mission of Academic Advising Unit at the College of Medicine, is to provide

an integrated array of effective academic advising services

as well as

resources and planning tools for students.

Summary of Work
Summary of Results

Feedback to the Advisors 

8 items were designed according to likert scale to assess student's response to the academic advisor performance during the academic year. The questions were designed to measure the following points:

  1. Providing accurate and timely information regarding rules and regulation.
  2. Providing helps to students
  3. Responding to students e-mails.
  4. Communicating effectively and timely
  5. Availability at office hours.
  6. Encouragement and motivation
  7. Showing enthusiasm
  8. Felling comfortable talking with advisor

Data was analyed on SPSS20

Mean Score for the Advisors -Total 5

Conclusion
Take-home Messages
Acknowledgement
References
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