Advising Adults: Telling or Coaching?

Whether we teach or advise students-and some would say advisors are teaching-we have a responsibility to enhance students' collegiate learning experiences by understanding who they are and what needs they have. The adult learner is not an exception to this assumption. While much variation exists in defining and categorizing the adult learner, what we do know for sure is that adult learners are a unique and diverse group of individuals. Today's diverse group of adult learners comes to higher education from many walks of life. Some are displaced workers, transitioning from the industrial to the information age. They may be facing career changes at a time in their lives when they thought they would be planning for retirement. Adult learners include women who delayed their educational pursuits until after raising their children or providing for aging parents. Some adult learners have retired from one career and have embarked on another, thus requiring retraining or education. And, minority students and others who could not afford education in earlier years are seeking to enhance their skills and abilities. While there may be those who consider adult students to be less effective or successful than traditional aged students, Richardson and King (1998) refer to an Australian study that indicates that adult students "perform better overall than normal age students, that they have a positive influence on the course, and that their tutorial contribution is considerably better than that of normal age students" (p. 69). They dispute the negative myths about adult students and surmise that biological and maturational factors are less important than life experiences. Adult learners have much to offer to the educational arena, including their experiential learning and other ways of knowing. Instructors and advisors have a responsibility to offer these students a positive, successful educational experience. Human relationships are a key factor in experiencing a great college education (Light, 2001). Light encourages a partnership between the advisor and student that goes beyond basic course scheduling to a plan that fosters personal growth and development. Thus, higher education is experiencing a shift from prescriptive (course scheduling) advising to developmental academic advising, taking a holistic approach to student advising (Strommer, 1995). Poison (1994) defines developmental advising as an "institutional lifeline" (p. 21). It is through this institutional lifeline that students can have successful collegiate experiences as well as plan and prepare for fulfilling and rewarding careers, regardless of their age or numerous reasons for returning to higher education. Polson (1994) posits, "Adults perhaps more than any other student population need someone within the institution who cares" (p. 22). So how do we as educators and academic advisors build relationships with adult students that facilitate a successful collegiate experience? Do we offer them run-of-the-mill prescriptive academic advising or do we take a more personal approach, offering them a developmental academic advising experience? Do we understand the difference between prescriptive and developmental academic advising? And, do administrators recognize the value of this advising approach and provide the academic and student support services to support it? Advising Concepts Prescriptive academic advising merely addresses course selection and academic regulations. It is a one-way street--the advisor holds the control and the power. Prescriptive advising is an event that limits the student to the advisor's choices. Developmental advising is a process. The advisor empowers the student to explore all options and participate fully in the decision-making process. Prescriptive advising directs and dictates, thus empowering the advisor. Developmental advising facilitates and guides, thus strengthening the advisor/advisee relationship and empowering the student for personal, academic, and career success. …