NASPA Chooses Four State Systems for Research on Sustainability in Higher Education Advising

NASPA's Commitment to Sustainable Advising Practices

The Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, known as NASPA, is embarking on an insightful journey to enhance advising in the higher education sector. As part of its ongoing commitment, NASPA has recently announced the selection of four state higher education systems that will participate in a crucial research study entitled Sustainability at Scale: A System-Level Approach to Understanding Advising Redesign. This study aims to explore how large-scale advising reforms and guided pathways can be effectively sustained and institutionalized to foster student success over time.

Dr. Amelia Parnell, the President and CEO of NASPA, emphasizes the dedication that higher education systems have shown towards revising advising practices. She notes, "Higher education systems have made substantial investments in redesigning their advising systems and pathways. Through our collaborative efforts within the Advising Success Network, we have recognized that while implementation is a significant aspect of this redesign, there is still much more to be done to achieve meaningful scale."

The selected systems include the Texas A&M University System, the Universities of Wisconsin, the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and the Louisiana Board of Regents. Together, these institutions will work closely with NASPA's Advising Success Network over the next year to provide detailed documentation of their long-term advising efforts and outcomes. This documentation will involve interviews, collaborative meetings, and various forms of interaction that will foster a rich understanding of what makes successful long-term changes possible.

The Sustainability at Scale study is not only funded by the ECMC Foundation but also aims to uncover vital insights about how state systems have managed to maintain and adapt their holistic advising redesign efforts beyond the preliminary phases of funding and implementation. As institutions strive to enhance their advising reform initiatives, this research will yield actionable insights and resources that will benefit the higher education sector as a whole.

The research will specifically investigate how these systems have allocated resources, supported their advising workforce, and aligned their policies and governance structures to not only sustain but also to expand student success initiatives effectively across their campuses. The potential impact of this work is significant, as it aims to create practitioner-centered case studies and resources that will ultimately enrich the entire fraternity of NASPA and the broader educational community.

In summary, the recent decision by NASPA to engage in this comprehensive study underscores the urgent need for effective advising practices in higher education. It aims to provide a roadmap for lasting improvement, ensuring that advising systems evolve to meet the changing needs of students, equipping them for success in their academic and professional journeys. As NASPA moves forward with this initiative, it reaffirms its position as a leader in advocating for sustained progress in the student affairs profession.

Through these efforts, NASPA not only aims to uplift individual institutions but also seeks to influence systemic change across the entire higher education landscape, encouraging a culture of continuous improvement in advising practices aimed at enhancing student outcomes.

This initiative stands as a testament to NASPA's unwavering dedication to fostering collaboration and innovation within higher education, aligned with its ultimate goal of supporting student success nationwide.