Excellence in Academic Advising

Excellence in Academic Advising

Excellence in Academic Advising (EAA) project is a joint initiative between the John Gardner Institute (JNGI) and the Global Community for Academic Advising (NACADA) to develop an institution-wide taskforce to “advance student learning, success, persistence, retention, and degree completion through a comprehensive, standards-based strategic planning process to promote excellence in academic advising.” 

In June 2019, USF was invited by JNGI to participate in a special cohort of entitled “Excellence in Academic Advising in Urban Ecosystems”.  We were honored to join this initiative, which combines the academic advising expertise of NACADA with the Gardner Institute's 18 years of experience in guiding institutions through evidence-based decision-making, planning, and implementation to effect positive change in the student experience. The Urban Ecosystems Cohort, made possible with support from the Kresge Foundation, extends the initial project work to specifically address educational inequities experienced by underserved communities like first generation college students and students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

This project uses a framework of aspirational standards known as the “The Nine Conditions of Excellence”. These standards acknowledge the role of undergraduate academic advising in fostering student learning, success, and completion. These Conditions of Excellence provide intentional benchmarks for colleges and universities to successfully navigate this process using intentional reflection and strategic assessment of academic advising at the institutional level. This moves beyond traditional measures of advisor evaluations or student satisfaction data.