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Academic Advising, Supervision, and Mentoring

The Principal’s Task Force made the following central recommendations on advising and mentoring:

  • McGill should ensure that quality academic advising is available and accessible for all students, geared to the stage of the student’s academic career.
  • Members of the academic staff should be encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to assume mentoring roles vis-à-vis students, usually on the basis of shared academic interests.
  • The University is accountable for minimising unnecessary obstacles to students in academic and administrative matters, for making relevant information available in a timely fashion, and for providing the guidance students need through the academic cycle.

 Progress Highlights

As a result of the recommendations, several existing programs and services were enhanced, while new ones were initiated.

  • Service Point, the sweeping integrated services project that brought together administrative services previously available at six different counters in four University buildings in one convenient location, was launched in summer 2010. The merging of these administrative services eliminated much of the bureaucracy that students formerly encountered.
  • Several initiatives for both advisers and advisees resulted from the recommendations. An Advising website was created to help direct students requiring advising resources and information. The Leadership Development Program, a comprehensive professional development program developed by Human Resources, now features a learning track devised specifically for Academic Advisers. The first group of Advisers in the program will ‘graduate’ in fall 2011. Building on its introductory year, this program will continue in the foreseeable future.
  • Conceived by a group of dedicated, engaged students and other members of the McGill community, the Staff-Student Mentoring Program was designed to facilitate informal out-of-classroom conversations between staff and students with the ultimate goal of enriching the University experience for all. The Mentoring Program was launched in winter 2011 and has inspired other University mentoring programs currently in development.

These projects and others are detailed below.
 

1.   Provide quality academic advising and mentoring to all students.

Advisor Training Initiatives

A multi-faceted development program for advisors with an emphasis on 'training trainers.' The program will consist of a core course of study with a supplementary module centred on academic advising that focuses on student services, coaching, and student development theory. The training will meet the needs of all advisers - from front-line personnel who provide generic administrative academic advising to advisors working with student populations who have specific needs or who study in specific programs.
  • Timeline: Program slated to begin in November 2010
  • Unit: Human Resources, Academic Adviser Forum Steering Group
  • Actions taken:
    • Training modules in the process of being developed.

Advising Network

The Network of Academic Advisors in the Faculties of Arts and of Science was established to provide a forum for discussion of common concerns and to share best practices.

  • Timeline: Annual
  • Unit: Advising Network, Advisors in Arts and Science
  • Actions taken:
    • General meeting once a term for general advisors in Arts and Science. Organizing Committee meets once a month.

Academic Advising Website

The Advising website was created by assembling information regarding services offered by the various types of advisors, a directory of Student Affairs Offices, an online form where students could submit advising questions with a guaranteed reply in 48 business hours, and an expansive FAQ covering a broad range of common academic questions.

  • Timeline: Much of the work was completed in 2009.
  • Unit: Office of the Dean of Students; Public Affairs
  • Actions taken:
    • 2009-10: Faculty-specific web sites harmonized using standardized language to detail policies and procedures and to centralize advising information.
    • FAQs and other web site contents are regularly updated.

Pan-University Academic Advisers Forum

The Academic Advisers’ Forum is a pan-University network for advisors. Each faculty has a representative on the Academic Advisers’ Steering Group to liaison between faculties and within faculties. The steering group acts as a driving force for new initiatives and is a forum for the exchange of ideas and best practices.

  • Timeline: Launched Fall 2009; ongoing
  • Unit: Office of the Dean of Students
  • Actions taken:
    • Fall 2009: First meeting
    • Regular meetings established
    • Currently working on Leadership Development Program for academic advisers
    • Actively pursuing other training initiatives
    • Exploratory research on the potential implementation of an “Early Alert” program
  • Upcoming:
    • tba

Spotlight on Service

Spotlight on Service is a workshop for front-line personnel who staff front counters and call centres, and reply to e-mail from students. Held annually since 2004, the workshop focuses on student services and provides factual content on topics such as what central services are available on campus and how to refer students to the right place.

  • Timeline: Annual event
  • Unit: Enrolment Services, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Student Accounts, Student Services

Service Point

The Integrated Services Project “Service Point”, launched Summer 2010, brought together administrative services for students currently offered at six different service counters in four buildings in a collaborative initiative designed to improve the students’ experience. Enrolment Services, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Student Accounts, Student Affairs (of the Faculties of Arts and Science), and the Scholarships and Student Aid Office will create one team of cross-trained employees who will each have the capacity and knowledge to provide information and services on a broad range of matters that are important to students from a single service area. This cohesive suite of services will be provided in a to-be-renovated facility on the street level of the McLennan Library, positioning the service on McTavish Street, which is consistent with recommendations in the Master Plan to create a student-services corridor there.

  • Timeline: Complete
  • Unit: Enrolment Services, Student Services, Faculties, Student Accounts, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
  • Actions Taken:
    • Summer 2010 - Service Point launched Winter 2010

Standardization of policies and procedures

The Committee on Student Affairs Subcommittee on Student Affairs Policies is working to standardize policies and procedures across faculties, thereby reducing red tape. The subcommittee is mandated to: identify policies and procedures that differ across faculties and to assess rationale for and effects of those differences; initiate and monitor harmonization efforts regarding Faculty Student Affairs policies and procedures; coordinate communications to Faculty Student Affairs offices regarding subcommittee decisions; bring recommendations to CSA as required; evaluate achievement of common policies across faculties; and report to CSA at least once annually.

  • Timeline: Ongoing
  • Unit: Committee on Student Affairs; Subcommittee on Student Affairs Policies
  • Actions taken:
    • Winter 2009: Improved communication to students about intra- and inter-faculty transfers, which should help to reduce the number of transfer appeals. Faculties will post online the transfers that are “automatic”, those that are based purely on academic criteria, and those that are “competitive”, which depend on numbers and grades. Recent statistics of successful transfers will also be available online. For example, if the minimum transfer GPA is 3.3 but the cutoff due to number of transfer requests is actually 3.7, faculties will share these recent statistics on their web site.
    • Winter 2008: Improved communications to students about when exam grades can be expected. Students will now be able to see the grade submission deadlines that Faculties give to instructors, so students know when to start checking for their grades.
    • Winter 2008: Harmonized deferred examination schedules across most faculties make it easier for students, especially for those who take courses in more than one faculty, to plan their deferred exam time and to remember to attend the deferred exam(s).
  • Ongoing:
    • The Subcommittee meets regularly and will continue to provide updates.

Merger of Scholarships and Student Aid

The Scholarships and Student Aid offices were merged as part of the Integrated Services Project “Service Point”. (see above for details)

  • Timeline: Ongoing
  • Unit: Enrolment Services, Student Services, Faculties, Student Accounts, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
  • Actions taken:
    • Completed in Fall 2006

 

2. Adopt an advising mission statement.

Advising mission statement

The University strives to ensure that quality academic advising is available and accessible for all students, geared to the stage of each student’s academic career.

The University strives to ensure that quality academic advising is available and accessible for all students, geared to the stage of each student’s academic career. The Advising Mission Statement, which was approved by Senate on January 21, 2009, serves as a reference for planning and evaluating advising for staff development, for developing support services such as e-advising tools and for incorporating the pan-University advising website.

  • Timeline: Completed Winter 2009
  • Unit: Dean of Students
  • Actions Taken:
    • The statement, which was drafted by the CSA Subcommittee on Undergraduate Student Advising in May 2007, underwent several revisions after extensive consultation with various constituents of the University, including members of the Academic Advisors Network and the Subcommittee on Teaching and Learning. It was approved by the University Senate on January 21, 2009.
 

 

3. Ensure that every student has an Academic Advisor, which will entail that each department has access to one or more full- or part-time Academic Advisors.

Greater advisor availability

The number of academic advisors has increased and considerable progress has been made in the area of academic advising in Departments and Faculties.

  • Timeline: Ongoing
  • Units: Faculties, Dean of Students
  • Actions Taken:
    • Since 2008, allocations to faculties have increased by over $700,000. For example, the Faculty of Arts has committed resources to advisor training and professional development and has invested in departmental advising in a number of ways: course release for the Chief Advisor, hiring of graduate students to assist with advising, contributions towards the creation of professional advisor positions, development of career advising sessions, etc.
    • Since 2005, the number of academic advisors has increased by nearly 20%.

Ask an Advisor

The ‘Ask an Advisor’ pilot project, launched on the advising website, received questions from incoming McGill students, current students, recent graduates and prospective students. The web site is designed to provide answers directly, and—if needed—directs students to see an academic advisor in person. Advisors, in turn, will be more available, as a number of the questions students typically ask will have been answered via the web site.

  • Timeline: The “Ask an Advisor’ pilot project lasted from May 2009 to June 2010.
  • Units: Dean of Students, Faculties, Students
  • Actions Taken:
    • May 2009: The ‘Ask an Advisor’ pilot project was launched. Answers to more than 500 questions from incoming McGill students, current students, recent graduates and prospective students were provided. The questions have helped identify structural and procedural gaps or obstacles that can easily be rectified and have also helped determine student needs and expectations with respect to advising. The information was also used to update the online advising FAQs and will be instrumental in ongoing discussions regarding the improvement of advising.

 

4.  Encourage academic staff to contribute to the enhancement of the life and learning of students outside the classroom.

Informal interaction between students and staff

Faculties continue to develop out-of-classroom activities in which staff and students can participate and interact in an informal setting to explore topics not normally discussed in the classroom, ranging from careers to research opportunities.

  • Timeline: Ongoing
  • Units: Faculties, Dean of Students
  • Actions taken:
    • In the Faculty of Science Freshman Interest Groups (FIGS), students interact in an informal setting with professors, guest speakers and other students. They visit research labs and learn about research being done by professors, graduate students and undergraduate students. The FIGS setting allows students to explore topics not normally discussed in the regular classroom setting, ranging from careers in science to the structure of universities. Students can introduce discussion topics and better informed regarding programs and research opportunities.
    • In the Schulich School of Music, the Schulich Ambassadors are a group of students who are selected to represent the School at a variety of events. The Ambassadors also serve as contacts for prospective students, act as peer advisors to students in their programs, and assist with student orientation and audition week, among many other responsibilities. The program fosters community and in the process, ambassadors gain leadership experience and skills that take them beyond the practice room and concert hall.

 

5. Integrate Advisors into the academic functions of the department or faculty.

Synergy of advising and academics

The Subcommittee on Undergraduate Student Advising is examining this question.

  • Timeline: Ongoing
  • Units: Subcommittee

 

6.  Adopt institutional standards to set out the number of students per each full-time, dedicated Advisor.

Student-Advisor Ratio

The Subcommittee on Undergraduate Student Advising is currently examining this question.

  • Timeline: Ongoing
  • Units: Subcommittee

 

7.  Explore the University’s ability to provide services to candidates and students in French.

Dedicated coordinator for francophone students

There is a coordinator that provides on-going support for Francophone students studying in English for the first time.
http://www.mcgill.ca/newstudents/timetogetacquainted/francophonestudents/

  • Timeline: 2007-08
  • Units: First-year Office
  • Actions taken:
    • Full-time coordinator in place since 2007-08.

Bilingual service enhancements

Bilingual name badges and signage was distributed to front-line service areas to welcome francophone students to seek service in French.

  • Timeline: Completed in 2007
  • Units:
  • Actions taken:
    • Summer 2007: Distributed to service areas staff

 

8. Develop protocols and access to records of advice given to students by Academic Advisors.

E-Advising

The e-Advising project encompasses IT projects that will strengthen academic advising and mentoring at the University. Projects include myFuture Career and Internship Service Project and the e-Calendar. www.mcgill.ca/pmo/projects/eadvising

  • Timeline: myFuture project complete; E-Calendar project – Law E Calendar complete, full undergraduate calendar to be completed Winter 2010
  • Units: Dean of Students, Enrolment Services, Student Services, Chief Information Officer
  • Actions taken:
    • 2009: The myFuture Career and Internship Services Project, completed in 2009, resulted in a shared, central, online career services system for career and internship offices at McGill, while allowing each office to maintain its own distinctive brand and work processes.
    • 2009-2010 Faculty of Law E-Calendar completed

Advising and mentoring web sites

The pan-University academic advising web site serves as a clearinghouse for information about advising and for advisors. The site includes an Advisor Directory, Frequently Asked Questions and a number of valuable resources for advisors. A Staff-Student Mentorship program that will connect student mentees with faculty and other University staff, is currently in development.

  • Timeline: Ongoing
  • Units: Dean of Students, Students, Human Resources, Faculties, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Students, Content and Collaboration Solutions, Communication Services (Public Affairs Office).
  • Actions Taken:
    • Winter 2009: Researching best practices and models to be adopted and adapted, and made available to advisors and advisees/mentors and mentees.

 

9.  Review effectiveness of standards and mechanisms of accountability for supervisors and graduate students.

Training and development of advanced skills

The Comprehensive Professional Development Skills Program, consisting of training and development of advanced skills, includes workshops, online courses and other training modules specifically tailored to the current and future professional needs of graduate and postdoctoral students.

The program, co-administered through both the Graduate and Postdoctoral Office Studies and Teaching and Learning Services, serves as a powerful recruitment and retention tool, enhancing McGill’s rating for “graduate experience” among Canada’s G13 universities. For further details, please visit the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies page

  • Timeline: Ongoing
  • Units: Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Teaching and Learning Services
  • Actions taken:
    • March 2008: “Learning to Teach: A Professional Development Workshop for Graduate Students at McGill”
    • April 2008: Seminar: Best Practices for Graduate Supervision
    • September 2008: Supervising Graduate Student Writing: A workshop to guide faculty in the supervision of thesis writing
    • Academic Careers Week 2008
    • November 2008: Learning to Teach Workshop
    • An inventory of all relevant workshops currently offered by McGill units has been compiled to ascertain what training gaps need to be filled.
    • SkillSets, Unlock Your Potential

Supervisory database

The database provides supervisors with quantifiable student data (for example, time to completion; information regarding withdrawal etc) by department and program, and links supervisors and supervisees. This data will aid in locating supervisory problems and help units and individuals overcome them.

  • Timeline: To be determined
  • Units: Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office, Planning and Institutional Analysis, Deans of Faculties
  • Actions Taken:
    • The database has been created and the information has been validated.
  • Upcoming:
    • After being reviewed, the information will be circulated to the Deans and Associate Deans (Research and Graduate Studies) of all faculties for use as an enrolment management tool.

Orientation for new graduate students

The Orientation allows graduate students to learn about the services available to them and helps ensure that graduate students are fully informed of expectations, which will aid them in fulfilling their roles with respect to supervision and advising. Learn more about the Graduate Student Orientation here

  • Timeline: Ongoing
  • Units: Post-Graduate Students' Society, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office, First-Year Office
  • Actions taken:
    • Services and useful links for new graduate students in a comprehensive list .

Supervisory contract template

The supervisory contract template acts as an initial agreement between the supervisor and supervisee, explaining the terms of the relationship including the schedule of evaluation, submission and return of work as well as outlining expectations in terms of meetings and deadlines.

  • Timeline: to be determined
  • Units: Post-Graduate Students’ Society, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office
  • Upcoming:
    • Under development

 

10.  Allocate resources to quality advising.

Greater advisor availability

The number of academic advisors has increased and considerable progress has been made in the area of academic advising in Departments and Faculties.

  • Timeline: Ongoing
  • Units: Faculties, Dean of Students
  • Actions Taken:
    • Since 2008, allocations to faculties have increased by over $700,000. For example, the Faculty of Arts has committed resources to advisor training and professional development and has invested in departmental advising in a number of ways: course release for the Chief Advisor, hiring of graduate students to assist with advising, contributions towards the creation of professional advisor positions, development of career advising sessions, etc.
    • Since 2005, the number of academic advisors has increased by nearly 20%.

Advising website

The pan-University academic advising website, a resource for both students (advisees) and advisors, on which can be found a number of valuable resources, such as a University Advisor Directory and Advising FAQs. The web site’s contents, including the FAQs, are regularly updated.

  • Timeline: Complete
  • Units: Dean of Students, Students, Human Resources, Faculties, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Students, Content and Collaboration Solutions, Communication Services (Public Affairs Office).
  • Actions Taken:
    • Winter 2009: Website created

Ask an Advisor

The ‘Ask an Advisor’ pilot project, launched on the advising website, received questions from incoming McGill students, current students, recent graduates and prospective students. The web site is designed to provide answers directly, and—if needed—directs students to see an academic advisor in person. Advisors, in turn, will be more available, as a number of the questions students typically ask will have been answered via the web site.

  • Timeline: The “Ask an Advisor’ pilot project lasted from May 2009 to June 2010.
  • Units: Dean of Students, Faculties, Students
  • Actions Taken:
    • May 2009: The ‘Ask an Advisor’ pilot project was launched. Answers to more than 500 questions from incoming McGill students, current students, recent graduates and prospective students were provided. The questions have helped identify structural and procedural gaps or obstacles that can easily be rectified and have also helped determine student needs and expectations with respect to advising. The information was also used to update the online advising FAQs and will be instrumental in ongoing discussions regarding the improvement of advising.

Service Excellence

Optimizing the delivery of front-line services to students by providing support and development to managers and front-line staff.

  • Timeline: The “Ask an Advisor’ pilot project lasted from May 2009 to June 2010.
  • Units: Dean of Students, Faculties, Students
  • Actions taken:
    • April – November 2009 Approximately 400 managers and frontline staff have participated in Service Excellence workshops. Frontline Staff Workshops (10 sessions, 191 participants); Managers Workshops (7 sessions; 108 participants); Leadership Development Program Workshops (2 sessions, 26 participants); Graduate Program Coordinators Session (B.E.S.T. Series) ( 1 sessions; 38 participants); HR Advisor Development Program (25 participants).
    • 2008: Service Excellence credo and aspirational statement created.
    • Fall 2007-08, focus groups of students, and frontline administrative and support staff from all levels, defined Service Excellence for the context of services to students at McGill, and began work on the training and development program needed to achieve this goal.
  • Upcoming
    • Human Resources Staff Development to roll out workshops to the campus community aimed at both managers and front-line staff beginning in Winter 2009.

Training modules for professional advisers

A survey of Academic Advisers, prepared by Organizational and Staff Development (Human Resources) in collaboration with a group of advisors and the Dean of Students, was conducted in June 2009. The goal was to identify issues that should be addressed in a staff development program for Academic Advisers.

The modules will be part of a comprehensive program that will consist of a core course of study with a supplementary module centred on academic advising that focuses on student services, coaching, and student development theory. The training will meet the needs of all advisers - from front-line personnel who provide generic administrative academic advising to advisers working with student populations who have specific needs or who study in specific programs.

  • Timeline: Survey completed in 2009; Program slated to begin in November 2010
  • Units: Dean of Students, HR, Advisers, Faculties, Students
  • Actions Taken:
    • 2009: Survey of Academic Advisers completed.
    • Training modules in the process of being developed.

Adviser Recognition Program

Initial discussions are underway regarding an adviser recognition program. The immediate goal is to draft a consultation document that outlines various forms of recognition and the relative costs and benefits of each.

  • Timeline: Fall 2009 – Winter 2010; ongoing
  • Units: Dean of Students, Faculties, Subcommittee on Undergraduate Student Advising, Academic Advisers’ Forum Steering Group

 

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