Abstract
Abstract
Despite the expansion of access to United States higher education in the past decade, the participation share of aged and isolated people and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds has altered little and remains unacceptably low.
Non-traditional students often have special requirements, concerns and constraints on their time that separate them from the traditional students. They often need help developing a sense of community as well as help with specific concerns such as housing, day care, career planning and social networking.
This paper emphasizes on possible models in needs of the traditional vs. non-traditional student advising trends in higher education.
Introduction
Non-traditional students are often those most in need of careful advising. Paradoxically, these are the students least likely to seek out their advisors or to follow through on the advice received. They can try the patience of the most experienced advisors. However, many advisors find that helping these students succeed can be the most rewarding advising experience.
The importance of intrusive advising non-traditional college and university students has been repeatedly emphasized in the professional literature. Intrusive advising strategies are typically used with at-risk students, and are special techniques based on prescriptive, developmental, and integrated advising models. Numerous benefits to using intrusive advising are noted, along with examples of strategies used with five at-risk groups. Recommendations for college and university advisors include the need for a comprehensive plan that addresses intrusive advising, adequate faculty and advisor training, web supports for targeted students, development of comprehensive databases for managing student data, and ongoing research to evaluate intervention effectiveness.
Characteristics of the Effective Advisor
1. Interested
2. Knowledgeable
3. Available
4. Concerned for individual student growth and development
5. Knows when to refer, and knows appropriate referral contacts
6. Uses all available information and makes certain of its accuracy
7. Listens actively....
