Using Formative Evaluations to Improve Student Engagement in Academic Advising

With the lowest statewide graduation rates, administrators at one community college in rural Arkansas have been struggling to improve the college's degree attainment statistics. This small institution developed a strategic plan to improve graduation rates by improving student engagement through academic advising services. The Learner Support Division implemented steps towards aligning advising objectives to increase degree completion rates; however, there was no formal evaluation process to ensure services were successfully delivered as intended and perceived as supportive to students. A formative program evaluation was used to examine how students experienced advising services and the influence advising services had on student advocacy and retention. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected from program documentation, including 215 advising observations and 2 focus groups of 4 students to identify strengths and weaknesses in advising practices that demonstrated a commitment to encourage students to overcome barriers in degree attainment. Student and staff participants provided feedback on the effectiveness of specific advising functions that reinforced academic persistence. Making use of a triangulation approach to understand and interpret detailed accounts of advising activities and operations, findings were separated into the program action logic categories of inputs, outputs (activities), and outcomes (short and long term). In addition to producing program recommendations that corresponded directly with findings, the project promoted social change through advocating a shift in monitoring advising services and its influence on learner success. This project has fostered campus-wide support for using a qualitative matrix to examine other student support programs at the research site.