Few students using alternative advising program in dorms

By Liz O'Brien

Garrison Dyer sits in the Graham assistant resident director office, patiently awaiting ALPHA residents in need of academic advice. But most of the time, the student residents pass him by.

Dyer, a Residential Learning Community drop-in adviser, spends about six hours a week in the Graham residence hall, but has only seen eight students in the last three months. The Drahmann Center's RLC Drop-In Academic Advising program, which places university certified advisers within each residence hall, is providing students with academic advising in their own living spaces and offering features that traditional advising cannot provide -- including convenience, extra time and approachability.

"We're really enabling a bond for someone who wouldn't typically feel comfortable approaching a support structure," said Monica Parikh, director of learning resources and adviser in the Casa Italiana residence hall. "The time allows for things like, 'So how do your parents feel about you changing your major?' " said Parikh. "You can sort through more issues."

The program places one of three academic advisers in each residence hall for a two- or four-hour time block two days a week. Students are not required to make an appointment, and advising sessions have no time constraints.

While RLC drop-in advising does not take the place of mandatory advising, students can opt to replace mandatory advising with their faculty adviser with drop-in advising in the Drahmann Center.

Since late January, 105 students have visited advisers in their residence halls. The objective of drop-in advising is "to try to reach those students who, for whatever reason, never reach out and take advantage of whatever resources are available," said Nedra Shunk, the dean of academic support services.

Since its initiation in January, administrators say the program has reached students where they live, but student turnout has been lower than expected. Program administrators stress its unique outreach aspect. "We're just careful to keep our goals distinct from Drahmann's goals, so it doesn't seem like we're just duplicating services. I think that the outreach component is what definitely differentiates us," said Parikh.

In an effort to reach as many students as possible, drop-in advisers hold later hours than faculty advisers. The majority of the drop-in residence hall hours are between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., although some start as early as 10 a.m. Some faculty have criticized the program, saying that there are already more advisers on campus than students utilize. However, some students have found it surprisingly helpful.

"I didn't really plan on going," said freshman Matt Yoon, an ALPHA resident, "but I saw (Dyer's) door open and went in on the spur of the moment. It was actually really helpful -- it gave me a good overview of what I need to be doing as far as courses."

Drop-in advising will undergo an evaluation at the end of this quarter. The results of the evaluation will not affect the funding, but changes will be made according to the strengths and weaknesses of the program, Parikh said.

To increase awareness of the program, RLC drop-in advising will be introduced to incoming freshmen at summer orientation.

"I don't think a lot of students take advantage of it because they don't know it's there," said Yoon. "But if they did, it could really work to their advantage."

Contact Liz O'Brien at (408) 554-4546 or eobrien@scu.edu.