Advising Special Populations
Advising non-traditional Students
Advising Professional-Technical Students
Advising Student Athletes
Advising Students on Academic Probation/Suspension
Advising Students with low test scores
Advising Undecided Students
Advising non-traditional Students
Be understanding of the student’s fears about returning to college and support his/her decision to attend college.Realize that many nontraditional students feel inadequate and out of place in the college setting.
Be respectful of the student’s circumstances – working part or full time, daycare issues, etc.
Explain the importance of building a strong foundation of coursework and knowledge if the student tests below college level.
Help the student recognize his/her strengths through discussion of life skills.
Encourage the student to be realistic about his/her course load.
Take time to discuss support services on campus (Career Center, Counseling Services, Health Services, Student Support Services, Center for Educational Access, Center for New Directions).
Encourage involvement on campus to help the student feel connected.
Discuss types of courses in which students are most often successful; success in the first semester for nontraditional students is critical.
Recommend finding a mentor on campus.
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Advising Professional-Technical Students
Refer students applying to limited enrollment programs to professional-technical advisors Jennifer Henage (3468) or Don Bjorn (3371) whenever possible.
Never give information that you are not sure of. Confirm information with a professional-technical advisor, or the Admissions Office when necessary.
Find out what program the student is interested in and if there is any doubt, confirm that the Admissions Office has the correct program information code and status. This will insure that the student is placed on the correct list and fairly considered for their program of choice.
When discussing the professional-technical programs with students, be sure that they understand the nature of these programs -- i.e. limited enrollment, requirement of full-time commitment, possible additional costs for materials, combination of hands-on training and academic classes, etc.
The current NIC Professional-Technical Program sheets give accurate information regarding costs and course requirements. Please refer to these sheets whenever possible.
Some professional technical programs have an open-entry admission, but most are either limited enrollment or selective programs. Refer to the current NIC catalog program and course descriptions for more information.
Limited enrollment programs accept a limited number of students. Since many of these programs fill quickly, prospective students are encouraged to begin the application process as early as possible. Decisions on application files are made on an eligibility/space-available basis and only after the Admissions
Office has received a minimum of the following three items: 1)An Application for Admission to NIC and the specific program 2) The $25 admissions application fee 3) Results from the COMPASS or an equivalent test, or wavier of the test based on previous college coursework
Selective programs have additional admission and selection requirements (refer to the catalog for specific details).
In order to ensure a good "fit" for students who are seriously considering a professional-technical program, encourage them to meet with a professional-technical advisor and/or arrange a visit with instructors in the programs they are interested in. It is important for students to have realistic expectations and feel comfortable with their choice before entering these programs.
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Advising Student Athletes
Realize that many student-athletes may struggle with the academic rigor and heavy travel schedule required of them.
Be understanding and supportive of the student’s cultural differences and notoriety on campus.
Confirm practice times for class scheduling purposes. Discuss travel schedule with coaches for class scheduling purposes.
Encourage students to take at least 16 credits per semester to stay on track for transferring in two years or for creating a buffer for any mishaps in a particular course.
Explain the importance of building a strong foundation of coursework and knowledge if the student tests below college level (refer to advising students with low test scores).
Discuss types of courses where most students are successful – success in the first semester for student-athletes is critical.
Help the student recognize his/her strengths through discussion of life skills.
Discuss time management strategies and study skills with the student.
Take time to discuss support services on campus (College Skills Center, Career Center, Counseling Services, Health Services, Student Support Services, Center for Educational Access, Center for New Directions).
Encourage involvement on campus to help the student feel connected.
Instill in the student the ongoing process of planning for transfer by discussing strategies for identifying colleges and effective methods for narrowing their selection.
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Advising Students on Academic Probation/Suspension
See academic and registration information for academic probation, suspension, and disqualification policy.
Establish a non-judgmental and encouraging rapport with the student.
Encourage the student to explain his/her academic situation.
Ask questions that will allow you to get a picture of what the student is dealing with outside of the classroom that may be affecting his/her academics.
Help the student recognize how he/she came to this point.
Help ensure the student has a clear understanding of NIC’s probation policy.
Help the student determine specific and realistic goals and strategies for achieving those goals.
Recognize you biases based on myths. (Myth: Students on academic probation simply don’t apply themselves).
Be aware of and address students’ misconceptions. (Misconception: Simply wanting to do better is not enough or I just didn’t like my classes/instructors).
Encourage the student to practice effective time management and/or suggest the student enroll in College Transition and/or College Study Skills.
Review the student’s schedule for areas where the student might be unrealistic about the rigor of a course or the time demands of their schedule.
Refer the student as needed to other resources on campus such as the College Skills Center or Counseling Services.
Request follow-up appointments.
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Advising Students with low test scores
Assess the accuracy of scores by asking students about their academic background and their confidence in their own skills. Investigate retest options if the need is clearly indicated.
Convey to students that the scores are for placement purposes only and that they should avoid comparisons with other students, or viewing their abilities in a negative light. Demonstrate that taking skill-building courses is a common strategy for most students (there are 19 sections of Engl 099, 20 sections of Math 025, etc.).
Accurately place the student into an appropriate reading course (CSC 010 or CSC 013) and writing course (ENGL 045 or ENGL 099).
Place the student into an appropriate math course, based on placement scores and the student’s goals. Quickly initiating a math sequence can be critical to the continuation in many programs.
Encourage enrollment in other College Skills courses, such as CSC 100 or CSC 105, which will provide a foundation for college success. Try to avoid adding other core courses if test scores are low in reading.
Direct the student to appropriate campus resources (College Skills Center, Tutoring, Writing Center, Career Services, their assigned advisor, etc.) and encourage them to consistently connect with these resources throughout their enrollment at NIC.
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Remember that it's a process and encourage the student to continue moving through the process.
Encourage the student to pursue self-assessment and career information through the Career Center.
Recommend web sites to explore values, interests, strengths, and limitations.
Refer the student to academic departments on campus in order to gather information including career information.
Encourage the student to enroll in introduction courses in fields of study that he/she is considering.
Support the student in making good decisions.
Help the student determine external factors that might affect his/her decision.
Create an action plan.
Follow through at the next advising appointment
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