black & blue volume one; issue two

Feature Story 13

Dialectic requires equality between individuals forward, it is imperative that advising theory allow
and is a method of investigation where both advisors to describe their role at the university in
advisor and student perception are subjects of their own terms. Let’s look at the idea of theory
transformation and reinforcement. Sometimes more broadly.
referred to as Socratic dialogue, or Platonic The presence of theory can be found in every
investigation, the ancient practice of dialectic profession. This is because theory functions as a
seeks to provide opportunities for improved way in which individuals perceive and
student self-awareness. Advisors guide students understand both artificial and natural
through continuous sessions of self-reflection to environments existing in the physical and
strengthen their critical-thinking skills. Advising metaphysical world. Once introduced, the
is like dialectics when advisors support student worldviews supposed by theory are pliable to
discovery but insist on the use of information and experimentation and a series of measurable
rational progression of thought.28 applications of theory. In the event that research
Self-examination leads to greater problem solving leads to a confirmation of theoretical claims,
and critical-thinking, and it makes advisors look practitioners of strengthened theory can advance
and act like philosophers. claims resolving some of the ambiguity which
Not all advising simile is flattering. The had motivated an improved knowledge of either
comparisons of academic advising to the the artificial or natural environment.30 New fields
pragmatic need for customer service within the of professional inquiry are imposing landscapes
context of student affair services, and parallel understood by the absence of reliable precedent
structures found between advising curriculum or predictable outcomes. Theory building is an
and the organization of course syllabi reduces attempt to solve for that unpredictability through
the potential for the profession to achieve idealist temporary intellectual scaffolding and durable
comparisons between advising and the purpose frameworks of thought. Whereas theories
of a liberal education. The practice of comparative reverberate within a paradigm, a paradigm
analysis and evaluation has led to the conclusion represents a portion of potential reality. The
that advising should not be reduced to simile. visual which works best here is Russian nesting
Interestingly, the tradition of identifying dolls. A large landscape, opens to reveal one or
advising theory and practices using like-terms has more applicable paradigms, which in-turn can be
not yielded a tangible theory of advising. Without opened to reveal theories and methods of
the language skills and knowledge base necessary application.
for innovation, advisors are left with a hollow call
to arms. Theories designed to be comprehensive 28 Marlene S. Kuhtmann, “Socratic Self-examination and Its
of what advising is, or should be, are misguided. Application to Academic Advising,” NACADA Journal 25, no. 2
Full disclosure: the argument for an undefined (Fall 2005): 37.
and open advising profession is not 29 Jayne K. Drake, Peggy Jordan and Marsha A. Miller, Academic
groundbreaking. The argument that Advising Approaches: Strategies That Teach Students to Make
professional advising cannot be encapsulated the Most of College (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2013), 4-7;
by a single, enforceable definition is as old as Virginia N. Gordon, Thomas J. Grites, Wesley R. Habley and
the profession itself.29 No one advisor, or group Associates Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook
of advisors, or organization of advisors for that (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008), 32.
matter, can accurately describe a profession which 30 Hagen, ““Academic Advising as Dialectic,” 3.
is defined by daily practice and debate. Moving

black & blue · Spring 2017 · Vol.1 Issue.11
© 2016 Utah State University

14 Feature Story

An appreciation and understanding of theory is different process than the advancement of either
vital. Once made accessible, participation in the vertical or lateral theory building. In the context
proposition, development, revision, and of advising, a transition from the current student
experimentation of theory opens possibilities for developmental advising paradigm and uprooting
greater understanding of the profession through of humanities and social science worldviews to
active questioning.31 Theory is the primordial soup a third era in the perception of decision making
of professional learning and the basis for would have the potential for radical disciplinary
pursuing truth. Theory is the DNA used to make a growth. The anticipated arrival of the era of big
body of research. Theory matters because it data, and the growing acceptance of quantifiable
interprets the outcomes of the cause and the cause research and predictive-analytics by American
itself. Theories can also be used to discuss University leadership, is a viable conduit for
different perspectives within a singular field of seismic paradigm activity. Full disclosure: as we
inquiry. For example, advising theory can be have seen from other advising theorists, raising
used to understand the students seeking advice, attention toward an “imminent” revolutionary
the actionable decisions made by advisors and/ change in advising theory and practice is
or students, the external organization of advising certainly not groundbreaking. Amateur
resources and offices, and to understand how fortune-telling in advising is as old as the
advisors perceive their profession and their profession itself. It is a tradition of which I am
personal development as a result of advising now a proud contributor.
others. Advising theory and academic advising
In regards to the advising profession, the professionals do not stand apart from the greater
shrouded landscape was charted using university campuses to which they contribute.
longstanding theories in the humanities and “As in our past, the future of academic advising is
social science traditions. The reverberations of inextricably intertwined with the fate of higher
advising theory, “fuzzy boundaries between and education.”34 Recently, federal and state
among theories and models of advising, advising legislatures have concluded that greater
approaches, methods, and styles”32 inspired accountability is needed from institutions of
rigorous exploration of the student developmental higher education. Incoming students and
paradigm. An important clarification; activity employers have echoed the desire for more
within an existing paradigm does not always pragmatic explanation as to the necessity and
represent a diversity of perspective. The variation usage of what is learned while at college. A
of expression amongst advising theories is not as consequence of this shift in expectations has been
diverse as exclaimed by advising scholars. a corresponding shift from learning processes to
Although there has been an increase in the predictive learning outcomes which can be
activity of experimentation, most of these efforts quantifiably proven once completed.
have been couched under the banner of the
student developmental advising paradigm. As 31 Pat Folsom, Jennifer E. Joslin and Franklin Yoder, The New
previously stated, “the question before us is Advisor Guidebook: Mastering the Art of Academic Advising
whether to continue to use the developmental (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2015), 79.
model as our standard for advising or to construct 32 Ibid., 67.
a new or additional paradigm.”33 Dramatic change 33 Diane W. Strommer, “Constructing a New Paradigm for
in theory occurs when the governing paradigm Academic Advising,” NACADA Journal 14, no. 2 (Fall 1994): 92.
transitions from one era to the next. This is a 34 Virignia Gordon, “New Horizons: Learning From The Past and
Preparing For The Future,” NACADA Journal 18, no. 2 (Fall 1998):
7.

black & blue · Spring 2017 · Vol.1 Issue.11
© 2016 Utah State University

Feature Story 15

This rising tide in practical application of students view the existence of decisions, and the
knowledge will carry academic advising to strange actions which ultimately result in deciding
waters.35 Because this change effects the way between two or more alternative actions. This
advisors conceptualize choice and the process of third string is referred to has Quantitative
decision-making, it can be understood as a new Advising Paradigm, or QAP for short. As
paradigm and not vertical or lateral advancement understood from the perspective of Quantitative
of existing paradigm knowledge. Advising Paradigm, decisions can be investigated
How are we doing so far? Let’s take a moment to using scientific methods of observation and
remember our discussion of the difference examination. Individuals form testable
between prescriptive and developmental hypotheses for possible outcomes which may
advising as the difference in the way each seeks occur after a decision is made. The
to understand choice and navigates the action of decision-making process is utilized as an
decision-making. We visualized theories as opportunity to gain lasting personal insight which
colored beads held on a string which represented is only tangentially related to the
the philosophy of decision-making. The decision under investigation. This understanding
prescriptive advising paradigm represents one of decision-making reasons that, regardless of
string, and is responsible for theories which whether a decision is physical or metaphysical,
explore the positive and negative attributes of and regardless of whether a decision is of
understanding decision-making as a sequence of consequence or may later be proven
consequential events which mark physical inconsequential, the existence of choice provides
turning points in the life of the individual. The an opportunity for knowledgeable
student developmental advising paradigm self-actualization. This third advising paradigm is
represents a second, separate string, and is unique because it assigns greater value to the act
responsible for theories which explore the of decision-making. Advisors and students
positive and negative attributes of understanding working under the Quantitative Advising
decision-making as a continuous presence in the Paradigm articulate a reason for the existence of
life of the individual, whose consequence is vague choice and conduct a non-emotional, intellectual
until long after an action was taken, or evaluation of the self as an agent capable of
possibly never completely revealed. The making actionable decisions.
difference between paradigms is the difference So, what is the Quantitative Advising Paradigm
between a physical and metaphysical (QAP)? Quantitative Advising Paradigm is an
philosophical understanding of free choice. All anticipated era of advising thought which will
conversation about current advising theories, advance the role of advisors beyond individual
practice, and outcomes are colored beads residing advising sessions and program awareness.
on one of these two strings. New theory Utilizing readily accessible collections of raw data,
symbolizes an increase in vertical and, or, lateral QAP advisors perform empirical research studies
reflection the bead casts when held for which resemble those found in other scientific
introspection. fields of discovery. Disciplines such as: biology,
The growing popularity of predictive analytics chemistry, geology, statistics, and mathematics.
and ideas represented in the era of big data
represent a potential third string, because it will 35 Ibid., 9.
represent an alternative for how advisors and

black & blue · Spring 2017 · Vol.1 Issue.11
© 2016 Utah State University



































Feature Story 33

decision-making and the acknowledgement of values. Instead, chaotic systems (such as humans)
choice. A common critique of big data and are better represented by statistics and
quantitative reasoning is that it dehumanizes the mathematics used for studying dynamic systems.71
individual in favor of broad stereotypes and These dynamic systems are structured from the
understanding of the collective. This criticism is approach of understanding the individual prior to
not an applicable concern when depicting big analyzing aggregated collections of data. Rather
data within the advising profession. The liberal than aggregate the data for the purposes of
arts professions have little to no history using performing analysis, dynamic systems are
empirical research methodologies; what have measured by first analyzing each individual or
been termed the “hard sciences” have mostly variable representing a single data point, then
gravitated toward the use of quantitative logic, aggregating for the purpose of finding similar
while the “soft sciences” have demonstrated an patterns within a group which appeared while
aptitude and preference for qualitative research. studying the individual.72 A dynamics systems
This preference has been largely the result of approach to advising research could be a hybrid
disciplinary tradition and does not indicate that of the best of both research traditions, and has a
those in the humanities and social sciences are high probability of success given the personal and
unsuitable for quantifiable study. The liberal arts professional backgrounds of academic advising
have always been closely connected to the professionals.
pursuit of recognizing and providing for the needs
of humanity. This makes professionals in these Already it is evident that one of the greatest
fields prime candidates for infusing traditional obstacles precluding the use of big data by novice
“hard sciences” with a greater sense of humanity researchers is the steep learning curve
and cultural consciousness. So rather than being experienced when learning the language of
exempt from the era of big data, liberal arts statistics and mathematics tradition. The era of
professionals might be the best candidates to big data in academic advising might be
improve predictive analytics and probability.70 characterized as a period of unfamiliarity and
Previous advising theory and practices strongly experimentation. Trial and error seems to at least
indicate that the advising profession should be predict that a few future errors will be committed.
placed alongside the fields of education, Terms such as: “regression analysis,” “descriptive
humanities, and social sciences within what are statistics,” “normal distribution,” “central limit
referred to as the liberal arts professions. One of theorem,” and “standard error,” probably read and
the greatest reasons for optimism when predicting elicit an emotional reaction similar to listening to
big data advising practices, is that big data will a foreign language.73 That academic advisors do
make possible, for the first time, an individual-first not currently possess the ability to maximize the
approach to quantitative research study. full potential of the big data era does not prohibit
Originally, the value of statistics and
mathematical averages was that it allowed a 70 Nassim N. Taleb, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly
researcher the ability to aggregate a great deal of Improbable (New York: Random House, 2007), 128.
information concerning a great many people, 71 Todd Ross, The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World
objects, or happenings to deduce That Values Sameness (New York: HarperCollins Publishers,
widely-applicable truth. However, systems which 2016), 69-72.
are identified as exhibiting the conditions of chaos 72 Ibid.
theory, are not accurately measurable using static 73 The terms emphasized are introduced, defined, and explained
in the book, Charles Wheelan, Naked Statistics: Stripping the
Dread from The Data (New York: W. W. Norton & Company,
2013).

black & blue · Spring 2017 · Vol.1 Issue.11
© 2016 Utah State University

34 Feature Story

- the profession from participating in the process decision-making. In this way, the era of big data
of learning how to think like researchers. What has the potential to strengthen the understanding
matters most is that academic advisors express an that advisors have of the philosophical heart of
excitement and willingness to learn. Enthusiasm the advising profession. Access and the ability to
will be the difference between thinking about the interpret statistical inference will strengthen the
big data in terms of utopian fiction and assessment and evaluation of current advising
experiencing the advantages of the big data era in student programs. For those programs not yet
practice. enacted, “choice architects” working within
The initial ambiguity and potential for dramatic advising will experience an improvement in their
change promised by the development of ability to create programs which actively improve
quantifiable research efforts among advisors in the professional and personal lives of their
the big data era has inspired mixed reactions of students. Contrary to popular stereotype, not only
joy and anxiety. Whether the subject of big data are liberal arts professionals encouraged to
in advising is approached from the perspective of participate in big data research endeavors,
real-world experiences or literary fiction, advisors professionals in the “soft sciences” may be best
should create narratives concerning what they feel suited to improve the use of predictive analytics
would represent both the best and worst effects of by adhering to an individual-first approach to
big data on their personal advising statistics and mathematics practices. The arrival
practices. While the creation of any intellectual of big data within the field of academic advising
environment is often helpful, the application of foreshadows a future in which advisors will have
the framework used by authors of utopian fiction greater access to an unprecedented amount of
is of special merit. Just as authors use utopian new information. Viewing this event as a utopian
fiction to bring about actualized progress, fiction, the hope is that accessibility to
academic advisors can depict a more perfect information will result in the acquisition of
advising profession, which could then be improved knowledge and the recognition of truth.
pursued in earnest. As we have experienced, when From what we have discussed, I think it’s
a framework effectively transforms the reasonable to conclude that these utopian goals
conversation about empirical data into a set of are achievable in reality. *Ticker tape parade
idealist objectives, it is evident that a future of commences with crowds cheering*
academic advising involving big data is worthy An argument for tombstones
of our pursuit. We may be lost and confused, but You don’t remember how you wandered into the
everything hints of roses. field which now envelopes you in total darkness.
There are numerous reasons why advisors should Walking in silence, you repeatedly stumble on
view the big data era as a mechanism for what feels like smooth boulders protruding in
achieving utopian ideals. The big data era, like patterns from the ground beneath you. As you
advising, is relatively new and has been initially try to calm your racing heart, you suddenly feel
understood by means of broad interpretation. your hand brush against a slippery surface. The
Aside from the physical amount of new platform is about the same height as your waist,
information which will be made accessible to but before you can investigate what appear to be
interested advisors, big data provides advisors an etchings, you feel the crawling of tiny legs up your
opportunity to develop innovative ways of forearm. Panicked, you take a step back and fall
thinking about prediction, probability, and into a recently dug hole. What once seemed only

black & blue · Spring 2017 · Vol.1 Issue.11
© 2016 Utah State University





































Feature Story 53
What follows, is an example of an advising
platform that seeks to benefit fromdata-driven
decision making and predictive analytics while
safeguarding against potential harms. The
included materials and frameworks are not
intended as a substitute for open dialogue;
instead, they were generated to demonstrate how
the artistic expression and diversity found in
academic advising can be supported using data
analytics and routine reporting.

If you follow the stray cat into the Sawmill,
return to page 51.

If reading anything with the word “manifesto” in the
title risks the ire of your conservative grandparents,
avoid family drama by skipping to the conclusion on
page 58.
If you are attempting to read the entire feature story
in one sitting, please remember to stay hydrated and
stretch your legs.
If you are interested in reviewing the materials and
frameworks which could assist in the creation of an
advising platform, turn to the next page.

black & blue · Spring 2017 · Vol.1 Issue.11
© 2016 Utah State University

54 Feature Story

The Academic Advising Manifesto

Preamble A specter is haunting the profession of academic advising – the Quantitative Advising

Paradigm. This new perspective has been eagerly accepted by some in the profession,
but is largely unrecognized by academic advising scholars and practitioners. The
Quantitative Advising Paradigm is an application of the larger Big Data Era. Made
possible by innovations in technology during the Information Age, the use of big data
represents an increase in the use of data-driven decision making and predictive
analytics in a wide array of professional fields. The event of a third tradition in
academic advising promises to affect the core philosophical discussion at the heart of
advising; the nature of decision-making and the meaning of the existence of
independent choice. In order to promote acceptable use of big data systems of
easurement and practices in the advising profession, academic advisors have convened
for the purpose of debating the ethics and usage of data in advising. The following
provisions are the result reoccurring assemblies of interested advisors representing the
ambitions and anxieties of the complete body.
Platform
• Principle I: The use of quantifiable metrics, predictive analytics, and data-driven decision making will
be used to evaluate the strength of advising theory, practices, and department coordinated student
programs. Advising professionals will refuse opportunities to evaluate either individual academic
advisors or student performance. When data is used to measure the worth of an individual; data is no
longer capable of virtue or the discovery of new knowledge.

• Principle II: Before data is collected for analysis and evaluation, all parties under proposed observation
must be notified for the purpose of discussing intended use and the objectives motivating the decision
to collect data. This disclosure includes advising leadership, practicing academic advisors, and
students implicated in the research efforts. It is reasonable to explain why research efforts are desirable
before acting on that agenda.

• Principle III: The academic advising profession is committed to the creation of dynamic systems of
quantitative research which adheres to an “individual-first” approach. When conducting research
advisors will analyze individual data before aggregating to discover reoccurring patterns and large scale
congruencies or contrasts.

• Principle IV: Before academic advisors are expected to commit to regular reporting practices, they
should be allowed the necessary time to acquire the prerequisite statistics, mathematical, and political
surveying knowledge. Trainings should be organized and made available to academic advising
professionals. Learning a radically new perspective will require collaboration, revisions,
and error; advisors should be encouraged to explore and try new approaches.

• Principle V: Innovation and criticism will receive equal praise and encouragement. The continuation
of civil professional discourse made accessible to all interested advisors will slow the rate of
transformation and create an environment of thoughtful, meaningful, reflective progress

.

black & blue · Spring 2017 · Vol.1 Issue.11
© 2016 Utah State University