DAI, Inc., Student Development, Assessment Tools, College Affairs, Career Planning, Advising, Counseling  

STUDENT SERVICE APPLICATIONS

 

There are a dozen student service applications described in the Advisor's Guide which are presented in five categories with many "how to" tips.

Orientation Programs. Summer or fall pre-school or on-campus orientation sessions help students in connecting academic and developmental issues. Sections on the Sequence of the Dimensions, and Tips for Large Group Applications, are especially helpful for those who administer the DAI.

Student Development Classes. The so-called University 100 mini-course is a 1-2 unit course that provides perhaps the best opportunity to relate personal needs of students with the educational values of the college. Leadership courses and student activities provide other major options.

Residence Life. Residence life also involves freshmen and new students, but the ad hoc nature of residential activities makes educational programming more difficult though still very important. Resident directors and assistants are key to this effort. A sample, DAI Living Group Program, is outlined in the Advisor's Guide.

Greek Affairs. Greek living situations are an excellent way to address both personal and community development topics depending on the charter and values of the sorority or fraternity.

Commuter Students. Commuter students offer a unique challenge to the student development educator because these students are really a non-group typically. Creative approaches are needed just to get them together for connecting them with campus life.

Faculty Advising. The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) provided a grant for the development of the DAI because of their philosophical commitment to providing students with more than registration advising at the beginning or end of each term. Use of the DAI in developmental advising has been addressed in several Publications. The original article on the DAI was published in the NACADA Journal (1991); and, a more recent article in the NASPA Journal (1998) addresses the issue of developmental advising.

Professional Advising. This term is reserved for former faculty, part-time faculty, or others who work in an advising center. They are usually available on a daily basis especially for underclassmen or undeclared majors. They may be in the most influential position to direct students toward campus resources related to student development and the mission of the college. A forthcoming handbook on academic advising by NACADA is scheduled for distribution by Jossey-Bass in October, 2000 (Publications). This book will also be useful to faculty advisers who are interested in the developmental aspect of their advising role.

Peer Advising. Upper class or other students who have been trained in both academic and developmental advising can often be more accessible--residence halls etc.--and approachable to their peers. They offer excellent potential for front-line advising efforts. An outline of an upper division, 3-credit, Peer Advisor Training Course at Washington State University is shown in the Advisor's Guide.

General Students. Increasing student success with high-risk or other special admits is a primary goal of most learning centers. A 5-step sequence for using the DAI, along with other strategies, is shown in the Advisor's Guide.

Special Populations. Learning centers often target the needs of special groups of students such as internationals, students of color, women, and re-entry students. A holistic approach to developmental issues with these students can be a turning point in supporting academic success.

General Education. General education might be called the "sleeper curriculum." It often puts students to sleep, but has the potential to light their fire if faculty accept the integration of classroom-to-campus life concept. Connecting knowledge from general education courses with student development tasks remains one of greatest challenges for higher education in the 21st century.

Major Fields and Occupations. Many students choose a major and then wonder how to connect it to one of many occupations available. Faculty in some institutions are becoming increasingly involved in internship development and pre-placement activities of their majors. This commitment to students has lead to a proposal for a 1-credit or non-credit majors seminar when students are first accepted into their department. Faculty advisors, with assistance from counselors in the Career Planning and Placement Office, lead out in topics such as connecting majors with occupations (a pre-placement focus), and information on skills and cultures valued in particular occupations.