Katie Runkel, Director of Advising for the Performance and Visual Arts Department, sheds light on what she does to aid her department in keeping high retention rates and connection with students. Since she has been an advisor for almost seven years at UNC and was formerly in business operations for retention, she has three tips for success other advisors can follow to help advising run smoother and students have a more positive experience.
Action Items:
- Write down your interests and experiences that can help you connect with students in your programs, majors, and caseload.
- Plan campaigns with three check-ins during the semester: start, mid-term, and registration.
- Brainstorm events you can host this semester to connect and serve students outside of the advising office
Any students or advisors can connect with Katie Runkel or find more information about the Performing and Visual Arts Dept via her office link. Reach out to connect and brainstorm with your colleague.
Katie's Top Three for Retention and Connection-based Advising
Her first tip is that you evaluate what specific advice you can bring to the table and then pair with a student that this information would be most beneficial for. There are almost 900 students in this department that Katie and her colleagues are responsible for, but she focuses on the students earning a degree in music performance, jazz and music business because she has a Masters in vocal performance and feels she can mesh easier with musicians. The PVA department is pretty mapped out by interest already so other departments might try implementing a survey where students and advisors both outline their interests, that way it’s easier to tell who would align with who. With these symbiotic advising pairings, it helps students feel more connected to the campus and retention rates grow.
Katie’s next tip is to stay connected with students throughout the semester, not just for an advising meeting. Staying in touch keeps her aware of when her students are struggling in class or if they have financial hardships, and when she knows about the issues, she can help find solutions for the students. She also makes herself very accessible to her students by creating a link where people can schedule a zoom or in-person meeting. Producing a positive relationship with advisees can help them feel connected to their education and valued at the institution. If students do not feel supported throughout the whole semester, especially when they are struggling, they will start to feel a disconnect in education leading to dropping enrollment and retention rates.
The last tip that Katie implements in her department is to plan de-stressing events for students to participate in. This past semester she hosted a Donuts and Dog Day where over 500 students came to visit her dog Xander in her office.
Katie credits these three tips and recommends other advisers follow suit to build a better educational experience for advisers and students.
About the Author: Marissa is a Journalism major with an emphasis in Strategic Communication. She plans to graduate in Fall 2022.
