Provostial Review of Academic Advising Supports

As part of the University’s ongoing efforts to ensure students, faculty and staff have access to the supports and resources to support the success and wellbeing of our students, increased focus and investments are being made in advising supports and technologies. The 2024 Provostial Review of Academic Advising Supports, commissioned by Vice-Provost Susan McCahan, provides an overview of the current state of academic advising services for undergraduate students offered by first-entry divisions within the University of Toronto (U of T), highlighting strengths, areas for improvement, and recommendations for enhancement.

“Without the care, dedication, and advocacy of their Academic Advisor, many U of T students would not be able to successfully complete their degree. Indeed, an academic advisor can play an essential part of one’s academic journey.” 
– Member of U of T Academic Advising Community

Review Framework

The review was tasked with assessing two key aspects of institutional engagement in academic advising:

  • The current responsibilities across Vice-Presidential and, within the Division of the Vice-President & Provost, Vice-Provostial portfolios for student academic advising services, policies and technologies.
  • The relationship and intersection of institutional and divisional academic advising services, policies and technologies.

To inform this analysis, the review drew on consultations with academic and administrative staff from the University’s shared service units, as well as advising staff from academic divisions offering first-entry undergraduate programs. In addition, data from the 2021 Student Experience at a Research University (SERU) survey and the 2023 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) were analyzed to provide broader context and student perspective.

Leading the review was Micah Stickel, Professor, Teaching Stream, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and Cori Hanson, Associate Faculty Registrar & Director, Student Affairs, Faculty of Arts & Science.

Recommendations

The recommendations from the review are focused on increasing the alignment of academic advising services and duties to increase access and enhance awareness of what academic advising is, while situating it as an integral support for student success. A collective and unified understanding of academic advising by all members of the U of T community is important in order to leverage the talented and dedicated advisors most effectively to best support undergraduate students.

  • Reimagining and establishing a new vision for how academic advising fits into the overall academic journey at U of T.
  • Supporting professional development and overall wellness of advising staff. See also the Academic Advising Training Program.
  • Integrating enhancing, and implementing technological tools to streamline and align advising services and workflows. See also the Student Advising Service (SAS).
Access the full report here