Pathway Advising

Pathway Advising builds relationships and trust with students to educate and empower them as they explore, define, and pursue their goals.  Academic advisors are committed to helping students navigate the educational system by clarifying college culture and related processes, assisting in the identification of their career path, and discussing the appropriate academic curriculum for each student’s expressed academic/career goals.  Students are admitted under a career pathway or major that they select and are matched with the appropriate Pathway Advisor.  New, degree-seeking students are required to meet with an academic advisor prior to registering for their first semester and are encouraged to meet with an advisor every semester to help them stay on track to graduate and to maximize their experience. 

Advising is done using a case management model.  Case management is a collaborative process involving assessment, planning, facilitation, and advocacy for options and services designed to meet individual student needs. Communication and leveraging available resources are key to promoting student success through case management. The goal is to create quality, cost-effective student learning outcomes that include:

• the ability to create and maintain healthy interactions with others
• implementing self-directed strategies to ensure their own well-being
• increased understanding of social responsibilities in a diverse world
• increased self-awareness
• utilization of resources to navigate institutional systems
• employment of critical thinking skills to identify and address challenges related to attaining their academic goals

Advising appointments are conducted in a structured format and build on one another to achieve learning outcomes.  During the first advising appointment, the academic advisor will work with each student to explain various educational pathways, confirm academic and career goals, identify classes that will meet those goals, assist with the online registration process, and inform students of important campus and community resources helpful for their success.  In subsequent appointments, the academic advisor will assist with setting goals, developing an educational plan outlining courses all the way to graduation, and learning graduation requirements as well as other policies and procedures at Aims Community College.  Additionally, Pathway Advisors monitor and discuss academic progress and obstacles a student may be facing as well as resources and skill development to help them get back on track when applicable. Academic advisors also assist with connecting students to faculty mentors as well as academic, career, financial, social, and wellness resources.

Pathway Advisors help students create individualized academic maps based upon academic requirements for their designated pathway to “Find Their Finish Line”.  Adding just one more class each semester can help students finish sooner and students that plan to complete faster are much more likely to graduate. Each Pathway Advisor will work to assist students in developing a realistic plan for accomplishing their educational and career goals.