General Studies Recognized Nationally for Advising Excellence

Two staff members of the Liberal Arts General Studies and Advising Center have been recognized by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) through the 2009 National Awards Program for Academic Advising.

Associate director Thomas Whitacre was selected as an Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit recipient in the Academic Advising—Administrator category, and academic advisor Anna Chow was chosen to receive an Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit in the Academic Advising—Primary Role category.

Chow was also named to NACADA's 2009–2011 Class of Emerging Leaders.

Since 1983, NACADA, whose membership consists of more than 10,000 faculty and professional advisors, administrators, and counselors, has been honoring individuals and institutions making significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising.

In 2002, under the guidance of then-director Erich Lear (professor, music), the general studies program adopted a developmental advising model where students and advisors share the responsibility for academic planning.

"Years ago, our program made a conscious decision to make students responsible for their own education," said Whitacre. "The very nature of the multidisciplinary B.A. in humanities and B.A. in social sciences requires students to create a unique selection of classes to fulfill their personal, educational, professional, and career goals."

Since then the program has implemented a model assessment program, gained membership to NACADA, and witnessed a near tripling of enrollment.

More than 600 students, from all WSU campuses including the Distance Degree Program, are certified as majors, and approximately 200 graduate with B.A. degrees each year, making general studies one of the largest units at the University.

General studies offers students the opportunity to link several liberal arts disciplines to satisfy unique interests while earning a degree that is focused in either the humanities or the social sciences.

For the program's three full-time advisors, developing close relationships with students is central to their mission as educators, and career planning and goal setting are fundamental to their efforts.

"When I meet with a student, I focus on past, present, and future accomplishments and the foundations that students have as they join our program," said Whitacre. "We discuss high school experiences and college course work as well as hobbies, interests, and previous jobs . . . We explore perceived strengths, weaknesses, hopes, dreams, problems, and challenges."

WSU general studies graduates work in education, government, service, health care, and business and have established successful professional careers as real estate developers, business executives, politicians, pilots, military officers, college administrators, public relations directors, librarians, and physicians.

Supporting students in their quest for an enriched quality of life, Whitacre said, "From the moment a student expresses interest in our degree program, every advising session has been planned to assist students to identify, develop, and fulfill educational and career goals."

Regents Scholar Hannah Carlson Page graduated this May with a B.A. in social sciences and a minor in psychology. She carried the College of Liberal Arts' banner at the spring commencement ceremony. Page is interested in a career in human resources or public relations and is also considering a degree in nursing.