Advisor Spotlight: Andrew Wehle, College of Design, Construction & Planning

by Jill Lingard

For 11 years, Andrew Wehle has worked in UF’s College of Design, Construction & Planning as the Director for Student Affairs. Prior to this position, he worked as a Resident Assistant, as well as performing administrative roles within UF’s Division of Housing. Andrew earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts degree in anthropology from UF. He is currently working on a joint Master’s/PhD in building construction with an emphasis on construction safety. When asked to explain this shift in focus, Andrew says his anthropology background provided him with insight, as well as research methods, to better understand human behavior. Human behavior is an important risk factor in regard to safety in the construction industry.

Describe the population of students you currently work with.

Undergraduate students in four programs: architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, and sustainability & the built environment.

What’s a typical day at work like for you?

My time is split between advising and administrative roles. I work closely with policy, curriculum, and administrative issues in our college, as well as course scheduling and catalog development. Of course, I also advise students and work do lots of advisement-related functions like petitions, tracking, and Preview. So my days usually involve a frenetic pace of student affairs activities, as is typical in a Dean’s Office. I may have to attend an advisory committee meeting, then see students in individual advising appointments, then run off to another policy meeting, or conduct a Preview session. As long as I have adequate support, I enjoy the fast pace and wide variety of tasks associated with my position.

What do you like most about your job?

I really enjoy the vibrant university environment. I could never picture myself sitting in a corporate cubicle doing the same thing every day. I thrive on the diversity of activities found on a university campus, and I am fortunate that I get to engage with people who value learning as much as I do. I continue to take courses at UF; additionally, I love that the university has provided me with international travel experiences through study abroad.

What do you like least about your job?

An Associate Dean once told me “Nobody here understands what you do!” I think this comment reflects an important issue that many professionals in the advisement field face every day. Our work is so important to the educational mission of the institution, yet it is often unrecognized. Quality advisement fosters a smooth running academic program. Unfortunately, this also makes it easy for people to take our work for granted. As advisors, it is important to raise the visibility of the quality and value of our work and of the positive impact of our profession.

What’s the best thing a student ever told you?

It always feels great when I’ve been able to help a student who REALLY needed it. I don’t mean signing a drop form or reading a degree audit. I’m talking about someone who was on the edge of leaving UF and giving up on their education altogether. They needed deep intervention—often involving the Counseling Center or help with a petition—and I helped them get the resources they needed to succeed.

What advice would you give a brand new advisor at UF?

Embrace the idea that you can really connect with and impact students at a deep level. Don’t let your job be just about interpreting the catalog.

What advice do you give a brand new student at UF?

Take advantage of your time here to explore what UF has to offer. Realize that your initial decision regarding your major was most likely made from a high school student’s perspective. UF has so much more to offer you educationally. For undecided students, it is often helpful to work the problem backwards. Start with where you’d like to see yourself in 20-30 years and then think about how you can get there. For most areas, there is not usually a one-to-one relationship between your college major and your career ( . . . except in the college I advise for ). Many academic and experiential paths at UF can lead to the same career fields.

What’s your secret for balancing your work and home lives?

I set boundaries on when I reply to non-emergency email inquiries—not after 5PM or on weekends. I also live with and commute to UF everyday with my girlfriend, who has a similar position to mine but in a different college. So we’re able to use our daily commute time to vent about work and be done with it.

What are you reading for fun right now?
I’m in the middle of three very different books right now: For fun: The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro, for thinking: Fiasco by Thomas Ricks, and I am re-reading On the Road Again by Jack Kerouac. I am interested to see how Kerouac impacts me again 20 years later in life.

Do you have a favorite TV show?
Really mature shows, like Family Guy and The Simpsons : )

What might many of us in UF’s advising community be surprised to learn about you?

In my spare time, I really enjoy riding my Ninja motorcycle. Gainesville is a great place to live for that—both coasts are close and we’re surrounded by lots of scenic country roads.

Advisors Brave Cold Weather for UF Students

by Jeff Citty

The day before the spring term began, several volunteers from the UF advising community braved the cold January air to meet with students on the Reitz Union Colonnade for the second “Meet the UF Advisors” event. The UAC’s Campus Affairs Committee sponsored and organized this activity which was held in conjunction with the Dean of Students Weeks of Welcome (WOW) activities.

Because this was a WOW event, the campus affairs committee was able to apply for a mini-grant which allowed them to purchase a monogrammed table cloth with the UF Undergraduate Advising Council’s name. Erica Byrnes, UAC Chair, remarked “I’m really excited about the campus affairs committee acquiring the monogrammed table cloth for us. It’s a great, re-usable asset for the UAC, and it’s really going to help us get our name out there.” In fact, the table cloth did turn out to be a great conversation starter at the “Meet the Advisor” event, as several faculty stopped by to ask about the UAC’s role on campus.

Most importantly, our participation in this event helped provide a valuable service to UF students. Jaime Little, one of our volunteer advisors (see photo), said that “Meet the Advisors” was very worthwhile in that “it made us more easily accessible to students who wouldn’t otherwise have visited an advisor during this peak time.” As the chair of the UAC Campus Affairs Committee, I’d like to extend a personal thanks to Jaime, Regan Garner, and John Denny, who volunteered to serve our student population in this way. The campus affairs committee will continue to participate in this activity and is looking for suggestions on how we can enhance our participation. If you have any ideas, or would like to volunteer for this event, please e-mail me at jcitt@eng.ufl.edu .

“The UF Advisor” Survey Results

by Kari Ward

Last November, the communications committee surveyed UAC meeting attendees to get their opinion on the quality and readability of The UF Advisor. Twenty-four people responded to our questions. Here are some of the results:

• 78% of survey participants take the time to read at least half of each edition of The UF Advisor;

• 87% said that The UF Advisor helped them feel more connected to UF's advising community;

• 87% indicated that the e-newsletter is easy to access and navigate; and

• In terms of usefulness and content, The UF Advisor scored 3.8 out of 5 points.

The Advisor Spotlight, the workshop summaries, and Advisor Toolbox sections were ranked as being the most valuable. And while the “Ask an Advisor” section didn’t score high in terms of usefulness, many of the survey participants reported that they enjoyed this column. All of these columns are keepers, but what we will do, based on the feedback you gave us, is strive to include more timely, “hot topic” articles about issues that UF advisors deal with directly. In this edition, be sure to take a look at Robin Rossi’s article on high school AA’s. Thanks to everyone for completing our survey! We continue to welcome your ideas on how we can improve YOUR newsletter.

UF Advisor Hot Topic: High School AA’s

by Robin Rossie

For a few years now, UF has been experimenting with the high school/Associate of Arts (HS/AA) admissions process. The current practice is for this population to first be screened as freshman applicants. Those who are approved for freshman admission are classified as BD, are assigned the college and major listed on their application, and are expected to complete an undergraduate degree in 2-4 years. Those who are not approved for freshman admission are automatically (and without notification to the student) referred to a college for further consideration as transfer applicants. Those who are approved for transfer admission are classified as J, and are expected to complete an undergraduate degree in 2 years.

Do you consider this current practice to be a “best practice”? How can we improve the admissions process for this growing population of HS/AA applicants? What issues are we seeing in time-to-degree and in retention of these students who are admitted as BD or as J? What is your college’s policy on change-of-major for HS/AA J admits, and do you agree with that policy?

HS/AA applicants have taken full advantage of the accelerated mechanisms available to them, and rightfully so. The intent of accelerated mechanisms is to shorten time to degree. Why, then, with two years completed, are these students afforded an additional 4 years to complete bachelor degree requirements? There are many ways to approach this question. As a parent, you may want your child to take full advantage of all academic opportunities (while minimizing out-of-pocket expense). As a Florida resident feeling the pinch of State budget deficits, you may want to minimize State spending on these students. As an academic advisor, you’re inclined to base the decision on the individual student’s interests and goals . . . but, as an academic advisor in a unit governed by the RCM funding model, you also have to weigh your unit’s interests in minimizing excess credit hours for the student in your college, while maximizing enrollment in courses offered by your college.

As an institution, can we develop a common approach? What’s your unit’s approach? What do you think the advising community can do to be most equitable, effective, and efficient without seeming simply officious?

Let’s blog about it. Please post a comment below!

Professional Development Roundtable: “Reflections in Advising”

by Mae Kiggins

Reflection in Advising, a workshop hosted by the Professional Development Committee of the Undergraduate Advising Council and the School of Business, allowed advisors to develop and discuss their personal theories about successful advising and to also enjoy some holiday cheer. The discussion focused around the article “Reflections in Advising” from the December 2009 issue of NACADA’s Academic Advising Today.

The article encouraged advisors to continue their lifelong learning by one of the oldest and simplest methods: reflection. The authors recommend advisors develop a professional identity by reflecting on attributes they believe successful advisors share and the sources of those beliefs. These reflections are used to develop a “Personal Practical Theory” (PPT). The article suggests that after developing your own PPT about advising, it is important to discuss it with another advisor. This can encourage more reflection and also give advisors new ideas for their own advising practices. The article goes on to outline more ideas for incorporating PPT into everyday advising practices.

The Reflection in Advising workshop focused on the first two sections of the article by giving UF advisors the opportunity to reflect and record their ideas of what makes a successful advisor (thus creating their own PPT) and to discuss their ideas with the workshop participants. The opportunity to make connections with other advisors across campus by discussing our ideas about successful advising was encouraging. Thanks to Lindsey Dedow and the UAC Professional Development Committee, for providing UF advisors with this opportunity to interact and reflect with each other!

Hutson, B. L., Bloom, J. L., and He, Y. 2009. Reflection in Advising. Academic Advising Today 23(4).

Advisor Comment Screen Workshop

by Kari Ward

Last November, the UAC’s Professional Development Committee hosted an outstanding workshop on the correct use of the ISIS Admin Advisor Comment Screen. Deb Mayhew and Karen Bray, the advisors who organized the event, invited Wayne Griffin from the UF Counseling Center; Susan Blair, UF’s Chief Privacy Officer; and Everall Peele, Training and Education Coordinator for the UF Privacy Office to field advisors’ questions. There was quite a large turnout for this event and lots of engaging, informative conversation ensued. Below is a quick list of do’s and don’ts derived from that discussion. For a more in depth report on the event, see the Advisor Comment Screen Workshop notes.

When using the Advisor Comment Screen, advisors SHOULD . . .

• only make comments that are relative to the student’s education.

• have a legitimate educational interest to view a student’s record (i.e. don’t look up a student whose name appears in The Alligator because he was arrested).

• only use facts and direct, personal observation to describe their student interactions.

• always report when a student says he or she was sexually harassed, including who you referred the student to (and also notify your supervisor).

• always document troubled students.

• remember that student records, including advisor comments, can be subpoenaed.

When using the Advisor Comment Screen, advisors SHOULD NOT . . .

• go beyond the role of an advisor by using diagnostic language—advisors should only attempt to describe students’ behaviors (i.e. write “student seemed despondent/sad/unresponsive” NOT “student is depressed”).

• make comments that involve hearsay (i.e. say “student reported their professor told them . . . ,” NOT “student’s professor said . . .” ).

• write comments that they would have to defend.

• make disparaging or judgmental comments, like “student is clueless” or “student doesn’t have what it takes to succeed in our major”.

In addition, advisors were encouraged by the panelists to review UF Student Rights and FERPA guidelines.

Kep’s Corner

by Glenn Kepic
As another drop/add period at UF has recently ended, we have an opportunity to reflect on the many advising sessions we conducted. To make constructive use of their experiences, the UF Academic Advising Center has started a new tradition of “debriefing” after each of these extremely stressful and busy periods. Questions that we consider in our debriefing session include the following:

• What was your biggest challenge during this peak advising time?
• What did you learn during this period?
• What would you have done differently?
• What was the most rewarding experience you encountered during this time frame?
• What trends did you notice?
• What changes could be made on an individual/office/university level to better handle the advising process?

Please think about these questions and e-mail your thoughts to me at gkepic@advising.ufl.edu and I will include them in the next article!

The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) is working hard to provide professional development opportunities to advisors around the world. Here’s a list of upcoming events and deadlines:

• 2010 NACADA Leadership Election voting begins on February 5th (you must be current member to vote). For information on the final candidates and voting process, see http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Election/2010/2010CandidatesList.htm.

• This month, NACADA will offer a Retention Seminar (February 11-12), Administrators' Institute (February 14–16), and Assessment Institute (February 17-19) in Clearwater Beach. These are smaller than conferences and feature outstanding faculty.

• Call for Proposals for the 2010 NACADA National Conference, which will be held October 3–6 at Walt Disney World, are due on February 16th.

• The 2010 Region 4 Conference & 4th International Conference on Personal Tutoring and Academic Advising will be hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta on March 21–23. Register by February 21 and pay the early registration fee ($109). Grad students should apply for a scholarship to attend this conference by January 29.

Ask An Advisor

by Ella Tabares

Our “Ask an Advisor” column allows UF advisors to share their viewpoint and experiences. I recently asked some advisors to answer the following question: “What’s your New Year’s resolution?”


“To expand my garden and create a functional home office.” Regan Garner, Honors Program Office

“I will strive to become a better colleague, advisor, friend, significant other, etc. on a regular basis. It’s more like a “new day” resolution . . . every day. I may veer away from it, but [it will] help me stay focused on being the kind of person I want to be.” Dana Myers, Fine Arts

“My new year’s resolution is to get more organized at work and at home which I think will make me more productive and efficient. I didn’t get off to a great start in 2010, but I have plenty of days in the year left to work on my organizational skills!” Lou Powers, CLAS

"For years I have been collecting recipes, taking cooking classes, and creating menus for my family and friends. This year, I’m going to write the cookbook I’ve always wanted to write. Remember the 2008 Advisor Workshop where we were asked to list our dreams for the future? That was one of mine. This year I am making it happen!” Deb Mayhew, Engineering

Advisor Toolbox

Web site referral handout
The School of Business created a half-page handout for students that lists UF, college, and outside URLs that contain commonly requested information. When students come in to our office and ask for information on FACTS.org, correspondence study, majors or minors, the CRC, graduate programs, UF or internal forms, or even the pre-law or pre-health advising, we can supplement the verbal information we give them by checking off the appropriate URL and handing them this page. It can be a real time saver during peak advising, and it also encourages students to seek out information on their own. Perhaps you could create your own web site handout and tailor it for students in your department or college?

UF Career Resource Center Facebook Group
Become a fan of the CRC and get their weekly posts which feature helpful event reminders and interesting employment facts. Just go to the CRC’s homepage and click on “Join Our Facebook” link on the bottom right hand corner of the page.

UF’s Office of Institutional Planning and Research
Do you like facts and figures? Would you like to know more about our student body? If so, check out the Office of Institutional Planning and Research website. There, you can out find data on how many students are in a particular major or college; how UF students’ experience and view our school (SERU data); course enrollment; the UF organizational chart; transfer admissions; and UF student life, such as the average age of UF students, how many live on or off campus, and how many belong to a fraternity or sorority.

If you have a great advising tool that you’d like to share with other advisors, let us know by e-mailing Kari Ward.

Toby’s Tips

by Toby Shorey

Have a student name, but need a UFID? Go to the Student Tab in ISISAdmin, and click “Name Browse” under the Status/Student Status folder. Or just type SBRW into the Jump field.