Running Head: MENTOR ADVISING CENTER APP PROPOSAL
Mentor Advising Center App Proposal
Ryan Glidden
ETEC 676D Advanced Topics in Instructional Technology
California State University, San Bernardino
Dr. Eun-Ok Baek
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MENTOR ADVISING CENTER APP PROPOSAL
Mentor Advising Center App Proposal
Background of the Problem
In an article titled Academic Advising as Teaching, Edward Hines notes the educational
institutions are not only worried about their enrollment numbers (active students taking classes),
but also with retention. That is to say that universities are also wanting to ensure that, “students,
after arriving, can remain [on campus] until graduation” (Hines 1981). According to Hines,
“Many would believe that high attrition rates point to poor advising, inadequate counseling,
inaccurate advertising, and ineffective education” (Hines 1981).
Author Jerry Wilder wrote in his article Academic and Career Advising: Institutional
Commitment and Program Recommendations that,
When colleges and universities aggressively recruit students to their campuses for the
purpose of preparing them to compete successfully for jobs after graduation, they assume,
in my opinion, a moral obligation to assist their students in various ways as they progress
toward successful completion of their educational objectives and career plans. (Wilder
1982, p. 107)
Problem Statement
Students at CSU San Bernardino are not graduating at as high a rate as we would like.
Approximately 8-11% of students at CSUSB graduate within 4 years while approximately 3348% of students at CSUSB graduate within 6 years (see Figure 3). These are poor performing
rates in comparison to other universities in California, especially when compared to the UC
system. CSUSB is in the 26th percentile for four year graduation rates and 47th percentile for six
year graduation rates. In an online comparison of other universities, the microsite College
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100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Soka University of…
UC Berkeley
UC Los Angeles
UC Santa Barbara
UC Irvine
University of…
UC San Diego
UC Davis
UC Santa Cruz
UC Riverside
Sonoma State…
San Diego State…
CSU Channel Islands
CSU Stanislaus
CSU Chico
CSU Bakersfield
CSU Fresno
CSU Fullerton
CSU East Bay
CSU Northridge
San Francisco…
CSU Monterey Bay
CSU San Marcos
CSU San Bernardino
CSU Long Beach
CSU Sacramento
Humboldt State…
CSU Los Angeles
San Jose State…
CSU Dominguez Hills
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
UC at Berkeley
UC at Los Angeles
Soka University of…
UC at San Diego
UC at Irvine
UC at Davis
UC at Santa Barbara
UC at Santa Cruz
UC at Riverside
San Diego State…
University of…
CSU Chico
CSU Channel Islands
Sonoma State…
CSU Long Beach
CSU Fullerton
CSU Fresno
CSU Stanislaus
San Francisco…
San Jose State…
CSU Northridge
CSU East Bay
CSU San Marcos
CSU San Bernardino
CSU Bakersfield
CSU Sacramento
CSU Monterey Bay
CSU Los Angeles
Humboldt State…
CSU Dominguez Hills
MENTOR ADVISING CENTER APP PROPOSAL
4 Year Graduation Rates
6 Year Graduation Rates
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Completion attempts to compile data to answer the question, “which colleges do the best job of
graduating their students” (Selingo 2015). Some of his findings are in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Graduation and Retention Rates from other universities within California
4 Year Graduation Percentage
4 Year Graduation Percentile
6 Year Graduation Percentage
6 Year Graduation Percentile
MENTOR ADVISING CENTER APP PROPOSAL
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2nd Year Retention Percent
Retention Percentile
UC Los Angeles
UC Berkeley
Soka University of…
UC San Diego
UC Irvine
UC Davis
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz
CSU Long Beach
UC Riverside
CSU Fresno
University of…
CSU Stanislaus
CSU San Bernardino
San Diego State…
San Jose State…
CSU Chico
CSU Fullerton
CSU Los Angeles
CSU San Marcos
CSU Sacramento
Sonoma State…
San Francisco…
CSU Channel Islands
CSU Northridge
CSU Monterey Bay
CSU East Bay
Humboldt State…
CSU Dominguez Hills
CSU Bakersfield
Rentention Rates
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From the data collected by College Completion, we can clearly see that for whatever
reason, students who attend CSUSB are not graduating at a rate as high as other major public or
private universities. In an effort to understand why that is, Wilder explained that, “[Students]
want to secure more up-to-date information about what career opportunities exist in various
fields and how one enters these fields, what curriculum should be followed, and what degree
requirements have to be completed to obtain a degree in a particular area” (Wilder 1982, p. 108).
Rationale for the Need for the App
As part of an advising center at CSUSB, our goal is to increase these graduation rates,
retention rates, and improve overall GPA through academic advising. This can be mediated by
making advising information clear and easy to understand. The design and development of an
informational advising app could give students more information about classes they should be
taking, when they should be taking them, and important information about policies and
procedures that affect students.
MENTOR ADVISING CENTER APP PROPOSAL
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Figure 2: Provided by CSUSB Institutional Research Dashboard. January 27, 2015.
Graduation Rates
Percentage of First Time Freshmen
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
4yr Graduation Rate
7%
7%
11%
6%
10%
15%
10%
12%
11%
9%
14%
17%
14%
6yr Graduation Rate
41%
38%
43%
33%
43%
44%
43%
43%
43%
40%
48%
42%
15%
Total Graduation Rate 57%
53%
54%
47%
52%
53%
50%
52%
50%
46%
48%
42%
15%
It is important that students have access to pertinent information related to their degree.
We do that by:
1. Providing direct one-on-one peer advising
2. Providing the most up-to-date policies and resources on our webpage
3. Sending out quarterly advising reminders to students in our disciplines
This proposal would expand our on-campus visibility and work in tandem with
preexisting resources to offer another means of acquiring/accessing crucial information in
another format / delivery method. By giving an increasing mobile population access to critical
information, we hope to make ourselves accessible on the go and aid in our mission of
“enhancing student development by encouraging growth in the areas of leadership,
communication, self-direction, and problem solving skills.”
MENTOR ADVISING CENTER APP PROPOSAL
Available Resources; And Goals/Objective Statement.
The app will have to be kept at a strictly informative level but will expand to be able to
request an advising appointment or call using built-in app-to-call functionality. The app will
cover as much in-depth information as possible, with screens for “When to see your advisor”,
“Policies”, “Procedures”, “Majors”, and other like-headers. Topics will include information on
Grade Forgiveness, Change of Grade, Appealing a Grade, repeating courses, and other helpful
resources as a way to make using the app beneficial to the advisee. This information alone will
not be enough to get repeat uses of the app, so integrating it with as many resources as possible
will be key. Functionality such as “click-to-call” or manual request an advising appointment
features will enable users to get more out of the app, and therefore more likely to use the app in
the future, which in turn promotes both peer advising and more informed self-advising. The goal
is to enable more student advisees to take more responsibility for their education by making the
policies as accessible and transparent as possible.
No other advanced media is currently planned for this app. A logo or image may be used.
The primary focus will be on the content, with some pictures added if appropriate to the role of
academic advising and in-keeping with the integrity of the university. Evaluation e-forms will
also be included as a way for advisees to evaluate our advising center.
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MENTOR ADVISING CENTER APP PROPOSAL
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Figure 3: Content Structure
Main Page
When to see
your advisor
Criminal
Justice
Economics
Advising
History
Required BA
Classes
Applied
Economics
Track A Teaching
Required
Crime Analysis
Classes
Required BA
Classes
Track B
Mathematical
Economics
Track C Public and
Oral Comm
Resources
Political
Science
Required BA
Classes
Social Sciences
Sociology
Policies
Contact Us
Procedures
Contact Info
Primary fields
Required BA
Classes
Repeat Policy
Adding a Class
Click to call
Secondary
fields
Social Service
Track
Grade
Forgiveness
Course
Overloads
Request
Appointment
e-form
Change of
Grade
Dropping a
Class
Evaluate an
advising
session
Grade
Grievance
Leave of
Absence
Political
Economy
Audience
The intended audience for this Advising App is undergraduates majoring (or interested
in) Criminal Justice, Economics, History, Political Science, Social Sciences, and Sociology.
Cultural differences exist among students which may lead to differences in graduation rates.
While cultural factors exist in the intended audience, none should have an effect on the
accessibility or ability to use the app, other than language if English is not primarily spoken or
affordability if the student doesn’t have the financial background to afford a smart phone.
Entry behaviors
All undergraduates will be able to use the app with no restrictions on their entry behaviors.
Prior knowledge
MENTOR ADVISING CENTER APP PROPOSAL
Students who know how to open and navigate an app on an android device will possess the prior
knowledge required to navigate this advising app. The most extensive features involve using
back buttons, “click-to-call” and filling out information in an e-form style.
Education
Students who possess either a basic understanding of how to use an app or who have graduated
high school will have the equivalent background expected that the app will require.
Ability levels
Students must be able to read and understand the written components in order for the
communication of policies and procedures to be effectively understood. Students who do not
have access to an android device would not be able to utilize this informational app. While meant
to be an informative tool, the app is limited in functionality and would not be able to connect to
more meaningful resources such as PeopleSoft or student email. Further projects could capitalize
on this app and incorporate those integrated features, but that would be an extensive component
unable to be completed for this proposal.
Limitations
The primary limitations would include app effectiveness at aiding in student advising, and a
student’s ability to have access to the app via android device.
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MENTOR ADVISING CENTER APP PROPOSAL
References
Hines, E. (1981). Academic Advising as Teaching. Improving College and University Teaching,
29(4), 174-175.
Selingo, J. (n.d.). California Public Colleges. Retrieved January 29, 2015, from
http://collegecompletion.chronicle.com/state/#state=ca&or=public_four
Wilder, J. (1982). Academic and Career Advising: Institutional Commitment and Program
Recommendations. Peabody Journal of Education, 59(2), 107-111.
First-time Freshmen Graduation Rates. California State University San Bernardino. Retrieved
January 29, 2015, from http://ir.csusb.edu/
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