Illinois State University continues in the national effort to transform policies and practices to increase equitable student success.
Through work with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) powered by the Publics initiative, Illinois State has been given an opportunity to participate in a series of advising professional development modules focusing on equity in academic advising. This work is part of the Intermediaries for Scale (IFS), focusing student success and equity.
Applications for ad hoc committees will be accepted from both academic advisors as well as those whose work relates directly to academic advising. Those interested in this opportunity should apply by the close of business March 25. Applicants will be asked to submit a short statement (approx. 200 words) as to why they want to participate in this work and how they hope to share this knowledge with the advising community at Illinois State. Apply here.
While the ad hoc committees are limited in size, members of the broader advising community will be invited to attend the module presentations. Information will be available soon.
The professional development modules will be delivered by the Advising Success Network and in coordination with the Academic Advising Council. Three different ad hoc committees of the Academic Advising Council will be formed to deliver this professional development. Those committees will then work to incorporate the content into professional development for the entire advising community. Modules will be delivered from April-December 2022 and will focus on topics such as “Understanding Racial and Socioeconomic Equity in Academic Advising” and “Centering Equity in Policies and Processes in Academic Advising.”
“Academic advisors across campus will have the opportunity to participate in modules to improve our capacity for understanding issues of equity as they impact academic advising,” said Assistant Vice President for Student Success Amelia Noël-Elkins, who oversees the IFS for Illinois State.
As advisors are provided a new host of resources, University leaders will use this knowledge to continue the process of creating a definition of what student success means for Illinois State. “We need to create a shared definition of success, one that will translate across campus to shared ownership in student success,” said Noël-Elkins, adding one definition will be a building block for future work with organizations like the Higher Learning Commission.
