New Report Highlights Diverse Approaches to Advising for Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Marybeth Gasman | marybeth.gasman@gse.rutgers.edu | 848-932-0848
New Brunswick, N.J., August 27, 2024 – The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) is proud to announce the release of its latest report, “Construir el Camino: How Hispanic-Serving Institutions Design and Deliver Academic Advising.” The report examines diverse models and approaches to advising at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). By embracing these strategies, HSIs can ensure students receive the support they need while offering key insights to enhance student support at other institutions.
The report emphasizes the purpose of academic advising, the significance of different models and approaches to advising, and offers tips for delivering effective advising. According to the author, Gabriel O. Bermea, Visiting Scholar at CMSI, “The findings of this report highlight the pivotal role that HSIs play in advancing student success through intentional and culturally relevant advising. By strategically leveraging advising as a key strategy and practice, HSIs excel in creating a strong sense of belonging and family, tailoring their advising strategies and approaches to meet the unique needs of their diverse student populations.”
Bermea added, “These efforts not only support academic achievement but also foster holistic growth, making HSIs a model for how institutions can organize to effectively serve and advise their students.”
“This report is important for emphasizing different approaches to advising,” said Marybeth Gasman, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University. “The diverse needs of students at HSIs can be met through the strategies laid out in the report, and anyone that provides academic advising at any institution can benefit from reading this report.”
According to the report, academic advising at HSIs requires a comprehensive approach, acknowledging the need to not only guide students in course selection but also to promote retention, holistic development, and a sense of belonging. This can be achieved through a combination of models and approaches, to best serve intended populations of students. The report also touches on using social media as a tool for communication in today’s advising landscape. It represents the involvement and adaptability of academic advising as a whole.
Finally, the report provides tips and recommendations for institutions and advisors to ensure success in their advising efforts. These tips include being open to the use of social media and other tools, being mindful that not all advisees require academic advising and that advising is more than course enrollment, and keeping the key idea of advising, student growth, support, and development, at the center of all advising approaches.
