Kansas State University

Standing Committee on Academic Advising being established

Submitted by Lynn Carlin

K-State 2025 calls for excellent, customized academic advising and services available to all undergraduate students to support their success and degree completion.

Through a joint recommendation by Pat Bosco, student life vice president and dean of students, and Steve Dandaneau, vice provost for undergraduate studies, President Kirk Schulz and Provost April Mason are establishing a new universitywide standing committee on advising, which will meet for the first time later this semester. First proposed in the 2013 "K-State 2025 Undergraduate Studies/Student Life Theme II Implementation Plan," the University Advising Committee will be charged to facilitate, coordinate and develop advising practices universitywide that are appropriate to the diverse needs of our students.    

The charge will encompass, but not be limited to, promotion of innovative and advising assessment practices; promotion of professional development opportunities; ongoing collaboration with the National Academic Advising Association; coordination of academic, career and student affairs advising in an emergent, universitywide advising community; improvement of student data systems for the benefit of the advising community; and facilitation of advisor-student dialogue. A standing subcommittee on pre-health advising will focus on the often complex and interdisciplinary needs of Kansas State University's approximately 2,000 pre-health undergraduate students. 

Members of the new committee will include:

• Vice provost for undergraduate studies, co-chair
• Assistant vice president, education and personal development, co-chair
• K-State/National Academic Advising Association's Administrators Institute leadership team: Alison Wheatley, David Griffin, Kent Kerby, Christine Wilson and Bente Janda
• Executive director, National Academic Advising Association
• College/unit representatives — two from each college who serve undergraduate students, appointed by deans and including at least one faculty member representative for each college
• Division of Continuing Education representative — appointed by dean of the division 
• Pre-health professions advising representative — appointed by the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
• Open option advising representative — appointed by the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
• Advisor’s forum representative — appointed by Advisor's Forum
• International student advising representative — appointed by the associate provost of international programs
• Multicultural student advising representative — appointed by the associate provost of the office of diversity
• Director of nationally competitive scholarships
• Coordinator of pre-law advising
• Director of career and employment services
• Director of education and personal development
• Director of the University Honors Program
• Chair of the University Advising Subcommittee on Pre-Health Advising
• At large student representatives  — up to two as appointed by the Student Government Association
• At large faculty representatives — up to two as appointed by the faculty senate

The committee will be fully organized in the next few weeks.

For more information on the committee and for answers to questions, please contact Steve Dandaneau at dandaneau@k-state.edu.