Abstract
Academic advising is a key role for faculty in the educational process of health professionals; however, the best practice of effective academic advising for occupational and physical therapy students has not been identified in the current literature. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to assess and improve the faculty/student advisor/advisee process within occupational and physical therapy programs within a school of allied health professions in the United States in 2015. A quality improvement initiative utilizing quantitative and qualitative information was gathered via survey focused on the assessment and improvement of an advisor/advisee process. The overall initiative utilized an adaptive iterative design incorporating the plan-do-study-act model which included a three-step process over a one year time frame utilizing 2 cohorts, the first with 80 students and the second with 88 students. Baseline data were gathered prior to initiating the new process. A pilot was conducted and assessed during the first semester of the occupational and physical therapy programs. Final information was gathered after one full academic year with final comparisons made to baseline. Defining an effective advisory program with an established framework led to improved awareness and participation by students and faculty. Early initiation of the process combined with increased frequency of interaction led to improved student satisfaction. Based on student perceptions, programmatic policies were initiated to promote advisory meetings early and often to establish a positive relationship. The policies focus on academic advising as one of proactivity in which the advisor serves as a portal which the student may access leading to a more successful academic experience.
Highlights
Academic advising is a key role for faculty in the educational process of health professionals; the best practice of effective academic advising for occupational and physical therapy students has not been identified in the current literature
Defining an effective advisory program with an established framework for interaction led to improved awareness and participation by students and faculty
Initiation of the academic advisory process combined with increased frequency of interaction with focus on the personal and professional growth in addition to academic performance led to improved student satisfaction
Summary
Academic advising is a key role for faculty in the educational process of health professionals; the best practice of effective academic advising for occupational and physical therapy students has not been identified in the current literature. The role of academic advising in health professional education differs from that in general undergraduate education in that the advisory process extends beyond course planning for individual degrees, and provides ongoing support for academic success [3,5]. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to assess and improve the faculty/student advisor/advisee process within entry-level occupational and physical therapy academic programs within a school of allied health professions, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the United States in 2015. 80 PT and OT students surveyed at the completion of the first academic year regarding advisory process prior to change
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