ERIC EJ1135342: Appreciative Advising to Promote Degree Completion by Appalachian Women

2016·0.07 MB·English

by  ERIC

Appreciative Advising to Promote Degree Completion by Appalachian
Women
Brad Pulcini, Ohio University
Women from the Appalachian region complete higher) degree compared to 21.7% of the Appala-
undergraduatedegreesatalowerratethanother chianpopulationinthesamedemographic(Pollard&
students across the United States. The low Jacobsen, 2015, p. 22). In 400 of the 420
postsecondary completion rate correlates to the Appalachian counties, the degree attainment rate is
high levels of poverty within this region. In lowerthanthenationalaverage(Pollard&Jacobsen,
addition to identifying the economic and educa- 2015). The median family income for Appalachian
tional gaps between the Appalachian region and residents of $55,205 (in 2013 U.S. dollars) is lower
others in the general U.S. population, advisors than the U.S. median family income of $64,719
must examine the roles, values, and characteris- (Pollard&Jacobsen,2015,p.37).Between2009and
tics of Appalachian women to increase their 2013, the poverty rate (17.0%) in the Appalachian
college persistence. The cultivation of hope and region compared to that of the U.S. median rate
the implementation of appreciative advising may (15.4%) (Pollard & Jacobsen, 2015, p. 39).
increase postsecondary degree completion and Education of women offers one of the most
thus help Appalachian women break the cycle of cost-effective ways of increasing economic devel-
poverty. opment andwhere practiced istied to more robust
labor markets, improved social health and well-
[doi: 10.12930/NACADA-15-016]
being, higher earnings, and improved economic
productivity (Tembon & Fort, 2008). Therefore,
KEYWORDS:Appalachianwomen,appreciative
institutions serving Appalachia should commit to
advising, hope, persistence, underrepresented
increasing the number of women with bachelor’s
students
degreesasonemeanstobreakthecycleofpoverty
intheregion,andatthesecollegesanduniversities,
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)
academicadvisorsassistwomenonthiseducation-
(n.d.)definestheAppalachianregionasa205,000
al journey. Academic advisors conversant with
square-mile tract that follows the Appalachian
studentdevelopmenttheoriesunderstandandguide
mountains from northern Mississippi to southern
different student populations by leveraging their
NewYork.TheregionincludesallofWestVirginia
own knowledge of the higher education landscape
and parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mary-
topilottravelersunfamiliarwiththepostsecondary
land,Mississippi,NewYork,NorthCarolina,Ohio,
terrain. In this article, I explore ways advisors can
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and
collaborate with women students from Appalachia
Virginia. It encompasses 420 counties, extends
to help them reach their educational destinations,
more than 1,000 miles, and includes major cities,
which in the case of college students, translate to
small metropolitan areas, and rural areas (ARC,
graduation.
n.d.). The population of the Appalachian region is
less diverse than the general population of the Understanding Appalachia:
United States. Of the 25 million residents of Family, Equality, and Perseverance
Appalachia, 83.2% identify as White, 9.2% as Many students from Appalachia start their
Black, and 4.3% as Hispanic or Latino (Pollard & postsecondary educational journey carrying a
Jacobsen, 2015, p. 13). strong sense of family as their priority and toting
The well-being of the Appalachian people falls a clear understanding of their place within the
below the national average on a number of key family unit (Bradbury & Mather, 2009). For
indicators, including household income levels, pov- Appalachian women, the development of positive
erty rates, employment and earning levels, and self-esteem relates to their status in the family.
educationalattainment(ARC,2010).Thepercentage Appalachian women participating in a qualitative
ofAppalachianresidentswithapostsecondarydegree study evaluated their family roles, their ability to
islowerthanthenationalaverage.Asof2013,inthe persevere, and the celebration of small accom-
United States, 28.8% of the general population over plishments to maintain positive feelings about
the age of 25 years had earned a bachelor’s (or themselves (Fiene, 1991).
NACADA Journal Volume 36(2) 2016 47
Brad Pulcini
Fiene (1991) found that Appalachian women’s Cultivating Hope to Increase Persistence
positive self-feelings are sustained from the belief When students begin to understand that focus-
in supporting their children, and their relationship ing on desired outcomes can provide powerful
withtheirchildrencreatestheepicenterofrelations results, their attention shifts toward the favored
infamiliesoflowstatus.Inthiscase,thetermlow goal (Cockell & McArthur-Blair, 2012). As they
status reflects an individual’s economic position redirect their focus, students may experience the
and ascribed social position relative to others in meta-outcomeofhopeandadoptapositiveviewof
their social world. In these situations, the mother their circumstances (Cockell & McArthur-Blair,
provides for her children and works to give them 2012). According to a longitudinal study conduct-
opportunities for a better life than the one she has ed by Snyder et al. (2002), students with high
lived.ForAppalachianwomen,thiscommitmentto scores on a hope scale tended to stay in college
their children can pose a challenge to degree despite factors that could negatively affect degree
completion when mothers leave their own class- completion. In an earlier study led by Snyder,
roomstofocusontheeducationoftheirchildren.It peoplereportinghighlevelsofhopecreatedroutes
alsoaffectsthenextgeneration ofwomen.On one totheirgoalsandincreasedtheir mentalagency to
hand, this strong commitment and bond between navigate these pathways (Snyder et al., 1991).
Appalachian mothers and daughters may increase These findings provide support for increasing the
the daughter’s interdependence on the family, hopefulness of Appalachian women to help them
limiting her development of autonomy and inde- sidestep roadblocks to degree completion.
pendence. On the other hand, in families that Academic advisors can create a sense of hope
espouse education as valued and as a means to through well-chosen language. Using terms con-
provide support and care for the family unit, this sistent with a presumption that a student will
type of commitment may positively affect degree complete a course or a semester of study sets the
completion. expectation of persistence for the student. Aca-
Regardless of their birth status, Appalachian demic advisors should also use positive phrases
women view themselves as equals to other when discussing advising policies and plans,
individuals in their society. Fiene (1990) observed focusing on the achievement of goals and the
thatalthoughsocialdistinctionshavecharacterized consistent message of expected graduation. To
the rural communities of Appalachia for genera- effectively infuse hope into practice, academic
tions, an egalitarian ethic operates in local social advisors must avoid viewing Appalachian women,
customs. Due to the sense of fairness embraced or any population, through a lens that focuses on
within this society, women in Fiene’s (1990) study deficits. Furthermore, they must continuously
believed that they should be accorded all of the employ positive and hopeful talk to forecast a
services available to others of higher social or student’sacademicsuccess(Wells,Gilbert,Mahle-
economic status. This feeling manifests when Grisez, Newman, & Rowell, 2014). This strategy
expectations for equality fail to materialize. Fiene may help a student carve different pathways to
(1990) found through interviews that Appalachian success, especially when roadblocks related to
women become silent and withdraw from a living in Appalachian society block the current
situation in whichthey perceiveunequal treatment route to graduation.
or feel disrespected. As advocates, advisors can project positive
Fiene’s (1991) research revealed Appalachian influence throughout the institution to promote
women’s ability to persevere and demonstrated themessageofsuccess.Forexample,bypartaking
their appreciation for independent mindedness. in institutional planning, they can create avenues
Therefore, academic advisors might draw upon builtonhopeandsuccessforAppalachian women
these general characteristics when helping these to earn their degrees. Communications, policies,
women clear potential barriers to success. Specif- and syllabi used at the institutions should show a
ically, according to Fiene (1991), women from commitment to traveling with all students along
Appalachia may continue to work toward a goal theireducationaljourneys(Wellsetal.,2014),and
despite lack of assurance they can succeed, and those inclusive of Appalachian women may make
they form positive appraisals of self when they them‘‘feeltheyhaveapathtocompletingtheclass
believe to have responsibility and instrumentality should they temporarily get off course’’ (Wells et
in shaping at least part of their destiny. Further- al., 2014, p. 63). These thoroughfares can be
more, Fiene found that Appalachian women take constructed through the advisor–advisee co-crea-
pride in and celebrate their accomplishments. tion of an educational plan that utilizes the six
48 NACADA Journal Volume 36(2) 2016
Advising Appalachian Women
stagesofappreciativeadvising(Bloom,Hutson,& bond to their family and community (Carter,
He, 2008). 1997).
According to prior research, Appalachians
Walking Together on the Path to Success: maintain person-centered attitudes and value
Appreciative Advising relationships, seeing these characteristics as
The appreciative advising model lays the centraltotheirownidentities(Fiene,1991).Built
framework for optimized advisor interactions with on story sharing and reconstructing attitudes
students (Bloom et al., 2008). Through the six (Bloometal.,2008),appreciativeadvisingproves
phases of an appreciative approach, academic a particularly useful strategy for building trust.
advisorsusepositive,attentive,andactivelistening Using the appreciative approach, advisors share
and questioning strategies to selectaspectsoftheirpersonalstories—including
their experiences, successes, and challenges—to
(cid:2) build rapport and trust with students help establish rapport (Bloom et al., 2008).
(disarm), Advisors relate authentic and asset-based narra-
(cid:2) uncover strengths based on past accom- tives relating to family and community, which
plishments (discover), Appalachian woman highly value. By sharing
(cid:2) encourage students to share their dreams with Appalachian women, academic advisors
and be inspired by them (dream), demonstrate their caring as helpers during the
(cid:2) co-author educational plans to make each educational adventure.
student’s dreams a reality (design),
(cid:2) support students throughout their educa- Discover
tional journeys (deliver), and After disclosing appropriately, advisors
(cid:2) challenge students to do and become prompt students to tell their stories and teach
them to recognize their own narratives as bases
better (don’t settle) (p. 11).
for advancing their academic careers. Theyfocus
By applying this model to advising, practitioners on positive experiences, assets, and successes as
focus on utilizing students’ strengths and unique related by the student (Bloom et al., 2008) to
characteristics to accomplish agreed-upon educa- promote continued success, and they look for
tional goals. Specifically, advisor–advising teams opportunities to reference students’ experiences
leverage the six phases to capitalize on the whenco-creatingtheeducationalplanwiththem.
recognized strength, resilience, and pride associat- Forexample,theadvisormaylearnthatastudent
ed with Appalachian women. has been saving money earned over years of
providing childcare to buy a car. The advisor can
Disarm then encouragethestudentthat through herwork
Establishing initial rapport and trust promotes ethic and grit she can achieve big goals and
the equality particularly esteemed by woman of advance academically in college.
To encourage open dialogue between both
Appalachia (Fiene, 1990, 1991). The disarm
parties, academic advisors use open-ended ques-
phase consists of the ‘‘initial creation of a safe,
tions to prompt students to share. Bloom et al.
welcoming environment for students’’ (Bloom et
(2008, pp. 44-45) suggested questions that
al., 2008, p. 35). When creating a welcoming
encourage students to evaluate ways past suc-
space, advisors of Appalachian women should
cesses established pathways to future success;
remember their equalitarian view of social and
advisors may find the following from the list
economic statuses, and create seating that does
particularlyhelpfulinlearningaboutAppalachian
not seem hierarchical, but welcomes casual
women:
conversation. These spaces should include arti-
facts from the academic advisor’s personal life (cid:2) How have you positively affected the life
that encourage conversation and that might of another family member or someone in
prompttheacademic advisorandstudenttodraw the community?
connectionswithandseesimilaritiesbetweenone (cid:2) Who are your role models? Why?
another (Bloom et al., 2008). In particular, (cid:2) What challenging situation have you
artifacts showing the advisor’s connection to the overcome in a way that surprised you?
local community may promote a sense of How did you change that difficult situa-
camaraderie,asAppalachianwomenfeelastrong tion into a positive one?
NACADA Journal Volume 36(2) 2016 49
Brad Pulcini
(cid:2) Why have you decided to attend college? advising process and progressing on their
Who most influenced this decision? educational path.
By co-creating the educational plan with an
Using the guiding questions, such as those from
advisor, a woman from Appalachia may view
Bloometal.(2008),asastartingpoint,academic
herself as an equal partner. To maintain this trust
advisorsdelveintotheuniqueexperienceofeach
and inspire further independence, the academic
Appalachian woman to offer guidance based her
advisor must avoid appearing authoritative when
hopes and dreams.
discussing the educational plan. In fact, role
models who engage in students’ learning experi-
Dream
ences—who share the journey with them—
The dream stage differs from the first two
bequeath benefits not offered by those who
stages of appreciative advising as the practition-
primarilydirectstudentstowardsuccess(Belenky,
ercoaxesstudentstosharetheirbiggest,wildest,
Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986). After
if-everything-were-perfect dreams. Academic
acquiring clear understanding of the student’s
advisors may need to aid Appalachian women
vision for the future, the advisor using an
in cultivating a positive vision of the future,
appreciative approach collaborates with her to
which is the first step toward setting and
co-create a plan for accomplishing the outlined
reaching their goals (Bloom et al., 2008).
goals (Bloom et al., 2008).
Dreams infused with hope can motivate the
When co-authoring the educational plan, the
student to define the personal meaning of
advisor–advisee team creates strategies and
success (Bloom et al., 2008).
resourcesthatthestudentcanidentifyandutilize
To meet goals articulated in the discover
for achieving desired outcomes; however, when
phase, students identify a major or career they
advising Appalachian women, practitioners
expect to enjoy and in which they will use their
might focus on the journey, rather than the
strengths to succeed (Bloom et al., 2008).
destination. By encouraging Appalachian wom-
Advisors need to recognize that the dreams of
en to complete educational plans through
an Appalachian college woman may be pro-
incremental, small steps on the path to success,
foundly shaped by her view of family and
advisors teach that each accomplishment fur-
community and that the student’s strong com-
thers them toward their final destination: grad-
mitment to family and community may hinder
uation. With this realization, women may feel
herabilitytoviewherselfoutsideofthiscontext
(Carter, 1997). Their connections to people and empoweredtotakelargerrisksthatleadtolarger
places may mean that Appalachian women do rewards (Egan, 1993).
not pursue careers that could lead them away
from the region, and academic advisors need to Deliver
abidethesepreferencesandintroducestudentsto After setting identifiable goals with the
majors and careers that correspond to their encouragement of the academic advisor, Appala-
personal and lifestyle goals. An Appalachian chian women prepare to execute the plan co-
woman who perceives that her major or career created during the design phase. The advisor
choice might drag her away from family and keeps advisees energized and focused to achieve
community may develop anxiety and guilt that the goals they have articulated (Bloom et al.,
could affect her persistence and success in 2008). Appalachian women face some of the
college. same challenges as other minority groups from
similar socioeconomic backgrounds, such as
Design financial stressors, family commitments, child-
According to the traditional family norms of careneeds, abuse,unemployment,lack ofhealth-
Appalachia, women typically do not make care, and the like, which can negatively affect
decisionsinmale-dominatedhouseholds(Helton degree completion and other forms of success
&Keller,2010).Therefore,Appalachianwomen (Johnson&Rochkind,2009).Academicadvisors
encouraged to make their own choices about need familiarity with these challenges to help
educational plans with guidance from the Appalachian women use the force of their
academic advisor may feel empowered in a strengths and unique characteristics to push
new way. Assuming ownership and control over through these potential barricades to their educa-
their education keeps students vested in the tional goals.
50 NACADA Journal Volume 36(2) 2016
Advising Appalachian Women
Don’t Settle contributedtoseveraltheoreticalorientationsused
Although academic advisors want Appala- to design the program.
chianwomentobethedriveroftheirownvehicle In another initiative, Grogan (2011) introduced
tosuccess,eachwillneedtorelyontheirownpit an appreciative tutoring cycle in which tutors
crew—which includes the academic advisor—to recognize and focus on the strengths of their
prepare, guide, and motivate throughout therace. students. The tutors who utilize the appreciative
Academic advisors need to maintain availability tutoring cycle provide strategies for academic
and facilitate meaningful discussions throughout success that maximize the potential of struggling
the semesters. Frequent meetings foster relation- students (Grogan, 2011).
shipgrowthsothatafirmadvisingpartnership is Bloom, Flynn, and Edington (2015) recently
established over the duration of enrollment. applied the six stages of appreciative advising to
Althoughthedon’tsettlephaseofappreciative the college admissions cycle. Appreciative admis-
advising features calls for continuously elevated sions may help Appalachian students who need
heights of accomplishment, academic advisors assistance navigating the registration and enroll-
must resist the urge to raise the bar too quickly. ment process as indicated by low bachelor degree
Like other advisees, if Appalachian women view
attainment (21.7%) in the Appalachian region
the educational goals as unattainable, they may
(Pollard & Jacobsen, 2015). The combination of
fall awayfrom their educational path. Aswith all
the appreciative admissions and advising models
advisees, academic advisors should collaborate
creates a strategy for new students that facilitates
with Appalachian women togauge their progress
the development of co-created educational plans
and focus on their past accomplishments to raise
beginning at a preenrollment stage. Furthermore,
expectations that align with their current hopes
thisstrategyplacesAppalachianwomen’sstrengths
and dreams. The ability to tackle difficult
andhopesintheforefrontsotheyarecontinuously
conversations, especially during setbacks, de-
developed through degree completion.
pends on the rapport established during the
disarmanddevelopedthroughthedeliverphases. Summary
Evenasthesmallgoalscometofruition,theteam
Utilizing appreciative advising with Appala-
meets on a regular basis to fine-tune plans and
chian women may increase degree attainment
celebrate success.
rates. A complete education gives women more
economic bargaining power in their households
Appreciative Advising in Higher Education
and firmer command of their destinies while
An appreciative approach to advising students
diminishing the chances of being victims of
has produced positive results in many areas of
domestic abuse and increasing the odds of
higher education. For example, at the University
breaking the cycle of poverty (Tembon & Fort,
of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG),
2008). Specifically, educated women tend to
studentsonacademicprobationreceiveassistance
exercisegreatercontroloverhouseholdresources
through a motivational and empowerment model
than less educatedcounterparts andthus allocate
incorporated into appreciative advising (Kamph-
them to education, food, and children’s health-
off, Hutson, Amundsen, & Atwood, 2007).
care, improving the lives of the next generation
Through the UNCG Strategies for Academic
in the region (Tembon & Fort, 2008). Future
Success program, advisors utilize positive affir-
research that examines the well-being, health,
mations rooted in appreciative advising with an
andsocioeconomicstatusofAppalachianwomen
emphasis on goal setting as described in the
dreamphase.Theprogramsupportsretentionand who complete a degree after receiving apprecia-
student success while improving the overall tive advising would make valuable contributions
academic experience (Kamphoff et al., 2007). on the impact of the strategy, especially for
When the model was first implemented, the underrepresented populations at U.S. institu-
percentage of UNCG students eligible to return tions.
to the institution after being placed on academic
References
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NACADA Journal Volume 36(2) 2016 51
Brad Pulcini
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Brad Pulcini is the Assistant Dean of Student
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Engagement and Director of the First Year
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1080/01488370903578124 tions support minoritized populations in
52 NACADA Journal Volume 36(2) 2016
Advising Appalachian Women
navigatingtheircollegeeducationthroughtheuse topicsinhighereducation,andhehasco-authored
of the anti-deficit lens of positive psychology and conference papers on the community college
appreciative inquiry. Additionally, he is keenly libraries’ role in student retention. He can be
interested in retention and first-year experience reached at [email protected].
NACADA Journal Volume 36(2) 2016 53