Improved Student Experience with Advising at a Comprehensive University: NSSE Results and Planful Responses

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL), as a public comprehensive regional university of approximately 10,500 students, utilized National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data regarding advising to jumpstart several key advancements that have yielded positive improvements as indicated in the most recent NSSE assessment data. Despite strong rankings, retention and graduation rates, and a good faculty-student ratio, UWL consistently rated lower on student satisfaction with advising than peer institutions. For decades, UWL primarily utilized a faculty-centered model where professional advisors were mostly associated with helping undeclared students. The benefit of faculty advising is an important level of expertise regarding the discipline and requirements of the major. The drawback of faculty advising is considerable variation in student experience (across individual faculty, majors, and colleges) and less systematic advising on campus-wide aspects such as general education requirements. This article examines how UWL took a proactive and purposeful approach to the themes evident in the NSSE data on advising. Advising was a key element of their Higher Learning Commission Quality Initiative and a centerpiece of the goals for the Division of Academic Affairs. They focused on the experiences of first year and transfer student experiences and utilized themes from several sources to guide their changes. Although NSSE results were a key benchmark, they also accessed several smaller-scale assessments conducted by individual units including departments, colleges, or the Academic Advising Center.