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Chillicothe's Hilltopper Advising Center maintains focused mission, flexible approach
Flexibility and teamwork are hallmarks of the campus’ advising center approach as it continues to strive to best meet the needs of OU-C students. The center, located on the second floor of Bennett Hall, was launched just prior to fall quarter 2008 to centralize advising services and make them more convenient for students.
“We are always looking at where we best fit in the campus’ educational mission,” Academic Advisor Cristy Null said. “The advising center can impact a student’s overall college experience, and we want to make sure that we make a positive impact. Our focus is on helping students take the necessary steps to achieve success, and that often involves taking a look at what hurdles may be in the way and helping the student make certain adjustments.”
Besides Null, other academic advisors currently include Martha Tonedo, Donna Patterson and Susan Long.
The center’s mission is centered on student success.
It is suggested that students see their advisors early and often to ensure they are on the right track. However, many times the center’s advisors first contact with a student is having a particular difficulty. For example, all students whose cumulative GPAs drop below 2.0 and are on academic probation are required to meet with an academic advisor.
“These types of situations offer an opportunity to talk with the students, determine what is causing the difficulty and develop a strategy for success. This is not a punitive move, but an effort that is intended to help students have successful academic careers,” Null said.
“Often, there are some steps a student can take to improve his or her situation that are relatively easy to implement. Sometimes the students may be taking too many classes while trying to balance work and academics. Or, it may be that he or she is taking two courses that require extensive reading during the same quarter. We are looking to get students back on track and working toward completing their academic degrees.”
Hours of operation for the center, which has been renamed the Hilltopper Advising Center, are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 6:30 pm. Monday and Thursday to accommodate the schedules of students with evening classes.
The center has been busy this academic year, with nearly 2,200 visits from July through mid-January.
The advisors often are called up to help students identify and achieve their college goals.
“OU-C has bright students who are focused on success. As academic advisors, it is our job to help the students figure out how they can use the OU-C educational experience to find a career that matches their interests,” Null said. “After they graduate, we want our former students to be excited about their jobs and to look forward to going to work. We help the stop and think about why they are drawn to particular professions. One step is to help them take a realistic approach about the daily demands of their chosen field to see if it is a good fit for them.”
The Chillicothe Campus is a distinct learning community. OU-C students often have to go the extra mile, literally and figuratively, in their college journeys.
“An interesting aspect of working at OU-C is the blend of backgrounds that are brought by traditional and non-traditional students. That helps to make our campus unique,” Null said.
“Many of our students commute long distances and several are balancing family and job responsibilities. It can become difficult for them to manage a full academic load. Also, many are first-generation students and cannot rely on their parents to share experiences on how to succeed in college. That’s where we step in to offer the tips they need to succeed,” Null said.
Cooperation and collaboration are two keys to the advising center’s effectiveness.
“This is a team effort that involves individuals across campus, including my co-workers in Student Services and faculty members,” Null said.
To keep the lines of communication open, the center has begun a quarterly newsletter that is distributed to all enrolled students. Also, faculty members are invited to join the staff’s weekly advising meetings to share insights. “We look to expand our dialogue with faculty members so that they are aware of what services we have to offer and we better understand their programs.”
Related links:
www.ohio.edu/chillicothe
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