2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Over the past two years, the XYZ Department at the University of XYZ has embarked on a department-wide transformation of advising and retention practices to support undergraduate student success. The department has three undergraduate majors across two different colleges. The motivation for the transformation included rapidly changing advising systems and processes at the institutional level, institutional goals for retention and graduation rates, faculty, and staff desire to enhance student belonginess in the department, and increased faculty-staff partnership. The theoretical framework used for the transformation was the ecological validation model designed to foster student success by focusing on the strengths, needs, and experiences of students. The model is based on seven behavioral norms and is based on a longitudinal study of a scholars program at the University of XYZ A department faculty member was part of a multi-year institutional professional learning community (PLC) that explored scale-up and scale-out of this model. Based on their experience from the PLC, this model was used in the development of the department’s overall student services ethos and in the specific implementation of two initiatives: 1) hybrid advising/mentoring model, and 2) peer-mentoring program. This practice paper provides an overview of the ecological validation model and presents our approach to implement these initiatives. We also reflect on challenges and future opportunities including long-term sustainability and assessment opportunities.