1. eet M e in
M llege
denti al Co
My Resi
Academic & Career Advisors in
Residence
and Academic Fellows
Presented by Melissa Hechtman
March 13, 2012
2. About U.M.
• A private research university with more than 15,000 students from around the world,
the University of Miami is a vibrant and diverse academic community focused on
teaching and learning, the discovery of new knowledge, and service to the South
Florida region and beyond.
• Leadership: President Donna E. Shalala
• The University is comprised of 12 schools and colleges serving undergraduate and
graduate students in more than 180 majors and programs.
• In 2011, U.S.News & World Report ranked UM No. 38 in its "Best Colleges" listings,
and it continued to be ranked as the top school in Florida; it also cited several of its
programs in “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” In the past 10 years, UM has moved
up 29 spots in the "Best Colleges" rankings.
• Established in 1925 during the region’s famous real estate boom, UM is a major
research university engaged in nearly $339 million in research and sponsored
program expenditures a year. While the majority of this work is housed at the Miller
School of Medicine, investigators conduct dozens of studies in other areas, including
marine science, engineering, education, and psychology.
3. Mission Statement
The University of Miami’s mission is to educate and nurture students, to create
knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to
excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to
develop future leaders of our nation and the world.
Core Values
We are absolutely committed to freedom of inquiry—the freedom to think, to
question, to criticize, and to dissent. We will pursue the value of excellence in our
research and educational missions with the single-mindedness that only great
commitments deserve. We will provide our students with the foundations for ethical
citizenship and service to others, a respect for differences among people, and a
commitment to high standards of thought and communication. We also will prepare
them for rewarding lifelong careers and will imbue in them a continued and
permanent desire for the study of knowledge and the search for truth.
4. Student Demographics at U.M.
• Undergraduate student enrollment is 15,432 (as of Fall 2011)
• 14,736 students are enrolled full-time
• 49% male, 51% female
Geographic Origins Racial/Ethnic Distribution
White, Non- 50%
Miami-Dade 24%
Hispanic
Broward 7% Hispanic 29%
Other Florida 12% Asian/Pacific 11%
Islander
Other U.S. & 45% Black, Non- 8%
Territories Hispanic
Identify with 2 or 2%
International 12%
more races
5. New Student Enrollment
• 2,172 new freshmen enrolled Fall 2011
• Over half of new freshmen graduated in the top 5% of their high
school class, almost three-quarters in the top 10%
• Mean SAT was 1319
• 51% Male, 49% Female
• 3% increase in students who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander
• 9% fewer students from Miami-Dade County
• 9% more students from Other U.S. & Territories
8. • We promote a diverse academic experience for all undergraduate
students at the University of Miami, with a focus on groups who
have been historically underrepresented in higher education.
• We strive to:
– Teach first year students how to navigate UM
– Cultivate a seamless transition of educational opportunities throughout their
undergraduate career
– Create programs that enhance students’ academic experiences between
university faculty and administration
– Foster relationships among groups that traditionally do not interact
• We enhance the First Year Experience through:
Academic & Career Advisors in Residence
Academic Fellows
9. Housing and Residential Life
Residential Colleges
•Based on the tradition of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the
residential colleges combine the personal attention, support, and
family-like atmosphere of a small college with the extensive resources
of a major research university.
•The University's residential colleges support and enhance student
learning through live-in faculty and student affairs staff as well as a
wide range of programs, seminars, concerts, lectures, field trips, and
sports and recreational activities throughout the school year.
•Most first year students live on campus in Stanford Residential
College & Hecht Residential College.
•SRC & HRC each house 900 first year students.
10. The Residential First Year
• Experience
FYE at the University of Miami is a campus-wide, collaborative effort to give
first-year students the resources and support they need to make a smooth
transition into the campus community.
• FYE programs and services help our new students learn to navigate
campus and available resources, and addresses the issues most common
to first-year students.
• Designated buildings house first-year students.
• First-year students live together in a purposive community specifically
dedicated to their academic success and successful transition to the
University of Miami.
• Student staff – Resident Assistants (RA) and Academic Fellows (AF) - live
on the floors and work with the students to create communities that assist
students with transitioning to the University, learning about campus and
academic resources, and maximizing their learning at the University of
Miami.
12. FYE Learning Outcomes are Based on Four Central Themes
Academic Success Community
•First-year students will be able to identify the •First-year students will be able to articulate what it
academic requirements and expectations of the means to be a member of a global community both
institution, the resources provided to support their within and outside the collegiate environment
academic success and career development, and through open dialogue, involvement opportunities,
opportunities available for interaction with faculty leadership development, and civic engagement
both within and outside of the classroom •First-year students will be able to increase their
awareness and appreciation of diversity in its
broadest sense, foster respect for others, promote
tolerance, and affirm differences among people both
within and beyond the institution
Transition Safety/Wellness
•First-year students will be able to integrate •First-year students will be able to demonstrate how
academically and socially by making the campus being proactive in their approach to making
connections that will increase their knowledge of informed life choices, taking responsibility for their
resources, services and programs actions, and utilizing appropriate resources helps
•First-year students will be able to explore who they them to maintain their personal health, wellness and
are and examine what they believe and value while safety
establishing and maintaining effective interpersonal
relationships
13. FYE: Academic Success
• Academic & Career Advisors in Residence
Melissa Hechtman V. Chunoo
Stanford ACAR Hecht ACAR
14. ACARs
•Triage academic concerns
•Assist with major and career selection
•Refer students to the appropriate academic support
services
•Work collaboratively with residential college faculty and
staff, academic units, and a variety of university services
•Assist students with the development of a curricular/career
plan that is consistent with their abilities and interests
through personality and aptitude testing, individual
outreach, and educational presentations
15. ACAR Responsibilities
• Provide supplemental academic and career advising to students in our
respective residential colleges (900 each)
– Emphasis on students who identify as “undecided” or “undeclared”
– Advising at U.M. is decentralized
• A&S – Center for Freshman Advising
• Faculty advisors & professional advisors
• Undeclared students are assigned to various administrators or ENG instructors
• Contribute to the overall direction of the residential college through
collaboration with Area Director, Assistant Area Director and Resident
Faculty Master (Senior Staff)
• Serve as the assigned academic advisor for 15 Foote Fellows per year
(roughly 30 students each year in practice)
• Serve as the scholarship advisor for 5-10 Hammond Scholars per year
(roughly 20-30 students each year in practice)
• Co-supervise a staff of 26 Academic Fellows
• Other duties as assigned
– Examples include: Piloting GradesFirst and MAPWorks software, SRC
Newsletter
16. Advising Tools &
• UM Bulletin Resources
• College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Advising Guide
• Departmental websites
• Degree Audit (ACE: Academic Credit Evaluation)
• Forms
– Four Year Plans
– Academic Success Plans
• Toppel Career Center
– Self-Directed Search
– TypeFocus Assessment
– What Can I Do With This Major?
– CANE Explorers (programming)
19. Academic Fellows
• Modeled after the “Freshman Fellows” at the University of
Rochester
• 2012-2013 will be the fifth year of the AF program
• Academic Fellows (AFs) are undergraduate student staff members
who live in the residential colleges.
• AFs serve as an academic transitional support system for students
as they face new challenges and concerns during their first year of
college.
• Over the course of an academic year, AFs work an average of
10-12 hours per week.
• These hours include programs, working on bulletin boards, office
hours, staff meetings and other duties as assigned.
• Compensation: AFs receive single room credit in designated first
year residential college community
20. Academic Fellows
• 26 Academic Fellows
• Ratio of AFs to freshmen: 1:80
• Currently, AFs live on every other floor of first year
housing communities
• Each AF serves two floors (one male, one female)
• The AF and RAs from the two floors create a “house”
22. AF Selection
• Application Requirements
– 3.0 GPA
– May not be on Strict or Final Disciplinary Probation
– Completed application
– Two recommendation forms
– Resume
• The AF position is not advertised, but typically 100 students apply
• Three steps in the process
– Application & related materials
– Individual Interview
– Group Interview
• Three workshops that address diversity, programming and communication
• Returning applicants complete a separate form
• Applicants may be offered a position in a residential college or a
position in the alternate pool
23. AF Selection
Applicant Pool
for the 2012-2013 academic year
101 candidates submitted applications
The mean GPA of the candidate pool was 3.659
62% of applicants were female
38% were male
87% of applicants were freshmen
13% were sophomores
37% of applicants preferenced SRC
34% preferenced HRC
10% preferenced MRC or PRC
19% had no preference
25. AF Training
Academic Policy/Procedure Administrative Duties
•Severe Weather •Bulletin Boards
•University Academic Policies •Door Decorations
•University of Miami Student Rights and •Customer Service and Office Etiquette
Responsibilities •Selection Process
•University of Miami Honor Code
Skills Programming
•Academic Planning •Program Model
•Active Listening •Budget
•Counseling Resources •Generating Ideas
•Confrontation •Promotion
•Conflict Mediation •Implementation
•Time and Energy Management •Evaluation
Resources Training with RAs
•Campus Tour •Diversity
•Offices and Departments •Team Building
•Meeting Staff/Faculty/Administrators •FYE
•University Initiatives
•Building Preparations
**Staff Development & Special Topics**
26. AF Programming
House Programming Building-Wide Programming
•Minimum of four •Two or three per semester
•Two in the first six weeks •AF Fashion Show
•One with another AF •SRC Spelling Bee
•One with an RA •Dinner with the Deans
•One with faculty •Evening with Educators
•At least six residents •Study Break
Passive Programming Other Programming
•Bulletin boards •ACAR Programs
•Valentines & Study Tips •OAE & HRL Initiatives
•Candy Bowl •Majors & Minors Fair
•A-Wall
**Programs must be approved in advance
27.
28. AF Program Evaluation
Program Data: Fall 2011
124 programs
Average: 28 residents per program
Total Cost: $2,765,51
Average Cost per Program: $22.30
Topics Included:
Campus Tours, Academic Planning
Healthy Habits, Pre-Health Planning
Study Tips, Resume Building…
Feedback from AF Selection
RA & AF EBI Survey 2012
Advising Appointments & MAP-Works
Contacts
29. Flow of the Year
August-September October
•AF Training •House Programming
•Opening of Residential Halls •Building-wide Programming
•Orientation & Registration •Academic Alerts
•FYE (6 weeks)
•Add/Drop
•MAP-Works Survey
November December
•Advising •Final Exams
•Registration Appointments •Planning for Spring AF Training
•House Programming •Letters of Recommendation
•Building-wide Programming •Budget Planning
•AF Applications Available
Ongoing Activities: Hammond Meetings, Foote Fellow Meetings, AF Individual Supervision
Meetings, AF Weekly Staff Meetings, Walk-in Advising
30. Flow of the Year
January February
•AF Training •AF & RA Selection
•Spring Orientation •Academic Alerts
•Add/Drop
March April
•House Programming •Advising
•Building-wide Programming •Registration Appointments
•Hammond Scholarship Weekend •Prestigious Awards & Fellowships
•Harambe Weekend Reception
May June-July
•Final Exams •Miami Model Summer Programs
•Honors Day Convocation •Planning AF Program Implementation
•Senior Mwambo •Planning for New Initiatives
•Commencement •Professional Development/Conferences
31. Goals
• Increase the number of ACARs & AFs
• Expand AF program to a “sophomore experience”
• Revise the AF selection process to be more efficient
• Engage faculty in AF residential college programming
• Develop better evaluation tools for the AF and ACAR programs
• Use MAP-Works data to inform programming efforts
• Implement GradesFirst
• Continually improve outreach to undecided/undeclared freshmen
• Pilot online UMX course in Fall 2012
