Nov. 15, 2024
Ferris State receives state ‘Quick Start Grant’ to study academic advising needs, remove barriers to student success
Ferris State University wants to hear from students about their academic advising needs and what barriers to success they are facing, a project backed by a $75,000 “Quick Start” award from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential.
Ferris State was one of 10 Michigan colleges and universities that received the grant, which is intended to support research and strategic planning that focuses on removing institutional barriers to success.
“We want to give students who have chosen Ferris State everything necessary in terms of assistance to help them complete a degree,” said Michael Zaborowski, Ferris State’s director of academic advising. “Ideally, having a primary-role advisor and an instructional faculty-level counterpart to contribute ‘the right support at the right time’ would be a key component for student retention.”
Students this month received the latest facet of the comprehensive review of academic advising needs.
“Students at any of our campuses or studying with Ferris State online are asked for input. A parallel inquiry is now in the hands of all our advisors,” Zaborowski said. “We very much want to move to a data-driven mode of academic advising that makes the process consistent and valuable for each student.”
MiLEAP and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration offer this element of the College Success Grant program to help reach a “Sixty by ‘30” goal, where 60 percent of Michigan’s working-age adults hold a college degree or skill certificate by 2030. The current figure is 51.1 percent.
Zaborowski said the MiLEAP support is an essential first step in optimizing academic advising for Ferris State students.
“I have never had such a chance to make a difference in our students’ experience with academic advisors on campus,” Zaborowski said. “It is our goal to continue to assess, standardize and enhance the process and are thankful the State of Michigan has developed an umbrella of grant resources to help that happen.”
Zaborowski also said that Ferris State hosted representatives of the National Academic Advising Association on campus in early September to speak with advisors, deans, program chairs and members of the faculty.
“Our consultants asked them to review the strengths of current advising efforts and suggest possible opportunities for growth,” he said.