Advising Meets Technology (Part I): Challenges and Benefits

by Jill Lingard

Dr. Bernard Mair

At the August 29^th UAC meeting, Dr. Bernard Mair, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies, issued a charge to the advisors in attendance.   In a climate of dwindling State appropriations, Mair challenged us to maximize efficiency with the resources we have.  He suggested that part of that process will involve identifying areas of advising that could move online without sacrificing the relationships we build with students.  Dr. Mair described three developments he hoped to see soon:  

• Utilization of an electronic student check-in system in advising offices
• A university-wide electronic advising appointment scheduling system
• Strategies from all UF colleges on how they will advise students remotely

Erica Byrnes

Some UF colleges currently use an electronic check-in system for the students who visit their advising offices.  In addition to freeing up some receptionist time, Erica Byrnes, Associate Director for Advising in WCBA’s School of Business, sees tremendous value in the reporting capabilities of these systems.  “We can analyze student traffic patterns—over a day, a week, or an entire semester.  We can also see the common themes that students come in to talk about at various times.   And the system gives us precise data on exactly how many students each advisor sees for any given time period.  All of this data informs how we provide adequate coverage in our advising center to ensure the needs of our students are met.”

As for moving the appointment scheduling process online, some colleges have researched external options like Starfish and Time Trade, but have run up against security issues these companies’ practice of storing student records off-site.   The College of Health & Human Performance has used its own ‘home grown’ online appointment scheduling system for several years.

Sarah Eberhart

“As advisors, we love our online calendar because it gives our students flexibility to schedule, reschedule, and cancel appointments without having to call, email, or come in to our office during our operating hours,” explains Sarah Eberhart, an advisor for HHP’s department of Tourism, Recreation & Sport Management.  “We open our calendars for the entire term, so a student can go in now to review our availability until finals week.  It's great for proactive students since they can schedule an appointment weeks in advance if they like.” 

In our November newsletter, we will discuss Dr. Mair’s third challenge by exploring some of the ways UF colleges and programs are integrating technology into the academic advising process.