Bridging the Advising Gap: How Stellic Addresses Top 4 Challenges in Higher Ed

High-impact, effective advising is crucial to fulfilling the promise of a college degree. It’s why academic advising and student success initiatives consistently appear in strategic plans, calling for robust and holistic support measures across the university.

Tyton Partners’ 2024 “Driving Toward a Degree” report sheds light on the persistent challenges faced by both students and support staff in the evolving support landscape. While the report heavily focuses on generative AI as a potential solution, we believe that immediate, practical strategies can address these challenges more effectively. Universities are striving to create more connected advising systems to meet expectations for holistic support, ensuring students feel supported throughout their journey.

In today’s rapidly evolving higher education landscape, the advising gap has become a critical challenge for universities and colleges. This gap refers to the disconnect between the academic advising services that institutions provide and the actual needs of their students. Academic advising is a cornerstone of student services, playing a pivotal role in shaping student success, understanding personal goals, and preparing them for their chosen career field. Yet, many universities struggle to deliver the level of support students require to thrive academically and professionally.

When the advising gap goes unaddressed, students may find it difficult to navigate complex degree requirements, access campus resources, or make informed decisions about their education and future careers. This can lead to lower retention rates, delayed graduation, and diminished readiness for the workforce. To ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed, universities must prioritize academic advising as a central component of their services strategy. By investing in robust advising frameworks and empowering students with the right support, institutions can help them achieve their academic and career goals, ultimately driving success across the entire campus community.

Empowering students through connected advising is essential for fostering a positive experience and driving long-term success. When students have access to knowledgeable advisors, clear information, and a central location for campus resources, they are better equipped to make informed decisions about their major and career plans. Effective advising helps students understand their responsibilities, set goals, and develop the skills needed to succeed both in college and in their future career field.

A strong advising framework encourages students to take an active role in their learning journey. By providing tools that allow them to schedule appointments, connect with advisors, and access important information, universities create an environment where students feel supported. This sense of connection not only helps students stay on track for graduation but also enables them to build meaningful relationships with faculty, staff, and peers. Ultimately, empowering students through comprehensive advising services leads to higher retention rates, greater satisfaction, and better outcomes in the transition to their chosen careers.

#1. Academic Advisors Face Overwhelming Caseloads and Burnout

For five consecutive years, high advisor caseloads have stood out as the number one barrier to improving academic advising, with 43% of advisors labeling this as the top issue. Additionally, advisor burnout and turnover have emerged as significant challenges, ranking as the second most prominent barrier.

How Stellic helps:

• Automating Transactional Tasks: Stellic empowers students with intuitive tools for course selection, degree planning, and audits. By automating these transactional tasks, advisors can focus on more meaningful interactions without getting bogged down by administrative overload.
• Preventing Burnout: By reducing the manual workload, Stellic helps mitigate advisor burnout, allowing advisors to manage caseloads more effectively and reducing turnover rates.‍
• Facilitating Collaboration: Stellic’s platform enables departments to collaborate seamlessly, allowing advisors, financial aid, residential life, and tutoring to work together. This collaboration supports building strong relationships among advisors and other departments, reducing isolation and fostering a supportive community. ‍

#2. Lack of Contingency Plans for Going Off-Track

The report highlights that one of the least supported areas is contingency planning when students veer off track. When a requirement is failed, institutions often lack a clear plan for the next steps.

How Stellic helps:

• Early Alerts and Notifications: Stellic provides advisors with real-time data on performance, including alerts when students haven’t registered for required courses or are receiving low grades.
• Dynamic Degree Planning: The platform allows for easy adjustments to a student’s degree plan, helping advisors and students determine the best course of action when plans change. It also enables both parties to figure out alternative pathways to graduation and explore new opportunities that align with the student’s goals.
• Proactive Interventions: At institutions like BYU-Hawaii, advisors use Stellic to identify and reach out to students who are at risk of delaying their graduation, enabling timely interventions. ‍

#3. Disconnect Between Student and Advisor Priorities

Advisors often prioritize traditional topics like course registration and degree progress, while students are more interested in discussing personal goals, financial issues, personal stress, and application of prior-earned credits.

How Stellic helps:

• Empowering Autonomy: By providing tools that allow students to independently handle transactional topics, Stellic frees up advising time for more meaningful conversations. Students are encouraged to ask questions and engage in meaningful talk with their advisors, fostering active participation and deeper engagement.
• Focusing on Holistic Support: Advisors can use the time saved to engage in discussions about financial concerns, career aspirations, and personal challenges, aligning more closely with student needs. This approach emphasizes understanding each individual's needs and goals, and highlights the importance of building rapport and connecting with the person.
• Enhanced Data Access: Stellic gives advisors a comprehensive view of each student, making it easier to personalize support and refer them to additional resources when necessary. Advisors can better engage with all participants in the advising process by leveraging this data to facilitate individualized and effective interactions.

#4. Navigating Too Many Disparate Systems

Half of the advisors reported an increase in the number of systems required to conduct effective advising sessions—averaging a minimum of three separate systems today. This fragmentation hampers efficiency and can contribute to advisor frustration.

How Stellic helps:

• Unified Platform: Stellic is a powerful tool that integrates all critical components of degree progress and connected advising into one user-friendly platform, eliminating the need to juggle multiple systems. The platform helps build a strong network of support by connecting students, advisors, and various campus offices, ensuring everyone is aligned and engaged.
• Streamlined Workflows: By consolidating tools and data, Stellic simplifies the advising process, making it easier for advisors to access the information they need quickly.‍
• Improved Data Quality and Integration: Stellic enables different offices to work together more efficiently by ensuring high-quality, interoperable data, serving as a solid foundation for institutions to leverage future technologies, including AI.

Bridging the advising gap is essential for creating a campus environment where every student can thrive. By prioritizing academic advising and investing in innovative solutions, universities can ensure that students receive the support they need to achieve their personal and academic goals. Effective advising not only helps students navigate the complexities of higher ed but also prepares them for success in their chosen career field.

While generative AI holds promise for the future, institutions need immediate, practical solutions to address the pressing challenges in academic advising. Stellic offers a comprehensive platform that tackles these issues head-on—reducing advisor caseloads, preventing burnout, facilitating contingency planning, aligning advisor-student conversations, and unifying disparate systems.

As institutions continue to evolve, it is crucial to build strong connections between students, advisors, and admins. By fostering collaboration, streamlining processes, and empowering students to take charge of their educational journey, universities can create a lasting impact on success rates and career readiness. The future of higher ed depends on our ability to bridge the advising gap and provide everyone with the tools, support, and guidance they need to reach their full potential.