The literature on academic advising informs us that academic advisors oftentimes presuppose that students experience some type of a sequential, self-exploratory process to come up with their aspired academic plans. Yet the truth of the matter is that usually few students go through this self-exploratory process without goal-oriented guidance. Therefore, putting a premium on course selection may deviate both of the advisor and the advisee from co-developing and establishing a desired sequential decision-making process. Research also informs us that effective, descriptive academic advising has a positive impact on students’ learning outcomes.

PMU Academic Advising and Instructional Models

The advising model that the PMU promotes and advocates is in harmony with O’Banion’s descriptive, developmental model. PMU supports a student-centered, active and constructivist approach to teaching/learning in the classroom. This philosophy is in harmony with the descriptive approach to academic advising which views the student as an active participant in the student’s program of study.

The instructional model that the PMU advocates endorses Inquiry-Based Learning2, at the center of which is the educational philosophy of learning by doing. It also speaks of collaborative, project-based learning where instructors and advisors play the role of facilitators who coach and scaffold the learning/advising experience. Students’ degree plans will be born out of scaffolded and dialogic human interactions.