Advising Centers

• Home page
• Advising step-by-step
• About advising
  • Self-advising
  • Philosophy
  • Policies
  • Staff qualifications
• Educational planning
  • Student Online Services tools
  • Transferring to a four-year school
  • Choosing a career
• Study skills & strategies
  • Academic planning courses
• Contact the advising center
  • Fort Steilacoom advising staff
  • Puyallup advising staff
• Advising resources
  • Access & Disability services
  • Women's & Family services
  • TRIO
  • Testing & Assessment

Advising philosophy

Pierce College defines advising as helping students clarify and achieve their educational goals. The College also believes that advising is an ongoing process, multifaceted, and the responsibility of both student and advisor. Advising includes the following components: (Based on Pierce College Advising and Registration Committee, 1991).

• Educating students in the culture of higher education;
• Exploring academic programs and careers;
• Clarifying goals;
• Fostering skills of independence (including personal responsibility, decision making, and planning for college;)
• Evaluating academic skills based on previous work experience, previous learning, and test scores;
• Referring students to appropriate College and community resources.
• Establishing connections between the student and Pierce College;
• Scheduling appropriate courses.

The College’s philosophy of advising stems from several basic beliefs about students and about the relationship between students and the College: (Based on Pierce College, 1991)

• Shared Responsibility is the cornerstone of academic advising. Students are capable of making healthy and sound decisions once they have accurate information to make such choices.
• The heart of a student-success oriented academic advising model is an ongoing relationship between the student and the advisor. Student retention rates and academic success increase with the degree to which students feel connected to an institution.
• Academic advising is basic to education and recognizes the function of advisors as educators. Pierce College recognizes the inextricable connection between advising and student learning. The re-organization of “Instruction and Student Services” into Learning and Student Success, headed by a vice-president, structurally demonstrates the College’s recognition of the role of advisors as educators and faculty as advisors.
• The role of academic advising is vital to the success of the college. The academic success of each student is fundamental to the mission of the college. Academic advising should serve the needs of all students and contribute to their educational and career success. “Advisors work to modify barriers to student progress. When the needs of students and the institution are in conflict, advisors seek a resolution that is in the best interest of both parties.” (Pierce College, 1991)

National Academic Advising Association’s (NACADA) Goals and Objectives of Academic Advising

Good advising is important to a student’s academic success. There is no question that good advising improves the college’s retention of students and the level of success and satisfaction that students’ experience while they are enrolled at Pierce College. Research indicates that the faculty advising model is the predominate form of advising in higher education and that it is critical to student success and institutional effectiveness (Habley, 2003.) Recognizing the importance of the advising relationship between students and advisors, Pierce College supports the National Academic Advising Association’s (NACADA) goals for academic advising:

• Development of suitable educational plans;
• Clarification of career and life goals;
• Selection of appropriate courses and other educational experiences;
• Interpretation of institutional requirements;
• Enhancement of student awareness about educational resources available (e.g., internships, study abroad, honors, and learning assistance programs);
• Evaluation of student progress toward established goals;
• Development of decision-making skills;
• Reinforcement of student self-direction;
• Referral to and use of institutional and community support service; and,
• Collection and distribution of data regarding student needs, preferences, and performance for use in making institutional decisions and policy.