Abstract:

Student advising is a critical portion of student services at tertiary level education. The University Community will agree that academic advising is crucial to student success, their educational experience and retention. Considering recent data on pass/failure rates, decrease in enrolment, and internal programme review reports; several problems and potential solutions were identified how the UWI Open Campus, Academic Programming and Delivery Unit (APAD) does not have a coordinated plan for strengthening academic advisement.

Furthermore, the University Community recognizes the importance of experiential learning, career and professional development through settings as internships, undergraduate research, community service and service learning. Given the remit of the UWI Open Campus, specialized advising services are necessary in additional to academic advising to provide student guidance and academic support.

“From an institutional perspective, academic advising programs and services are second only to the instructional mission in most colleges and universities in their pervasive reach to all students throughout their time at the institution” (Creamer, and Creamer and Brown, 2003). This research will describe the present system of academic advising; discuss the findings based on survey data and reports. This research concludes with the presentation of a vision for what academic advising should be and present a realistic action plan for strengthening advising for course coordinators, staff and students.

Keywords:

Academic advising, distance learning, student guidance, counseling.