The Trickle-Down Effect of Institutional Vision: Vision Statements and Academic Advising

Abstract

A description of the kinds of educated humans to be cultivated at a particular institution can be found in the college or university vision statement. The extent that vision is reflected in the governing models of advising operations, known by personnel, and transformed into day-to-day activities was assessed through a NACADA membership survey. Findings suggest a significant disconnect between the lofty educational aspirations and priorities stated in vision statements and the pragmatics of academic advising operations. The trickle-down effect of institutional vision through advising units is further impeded by a lack of access to and familiarity with vision statements, particularly at large, public institutions. Increased advising-supervisor access to upper administration and more carefully crafted vision statements can make visions actionable. Relative Emphasis: theory, practice, research

Charting the Verbiage of Institutional Vision: Implications for Academic Advising

“…Unfortunately, the literature has suggested that expressions of institutional vision tend to be both physically inaccessible to students on most campuses and perceived by many academic advising supervisors to be incompatible with the school's educational aspirations and priorities (Abelman et al, 2007). Advisor supervisors found that visionary conceptions of educational outcomes, student connectedness and engagement, and the manner by which the institution monitors and facilitates academic excellence are detached from the reality of advising operations.…”

“…A nation-wide survey of advising supervisors at NACADA-member colleges and universities (Abelman, Atkin, Dalessandro, Snyder-Suhy, & Janstova, 2007) showed that most respondents are familiar with their institution's vision statement and believe that it should serve to guide the development of general advising models, specific operating policies and procedures, and advisor training. However, many supervisors perceive a significant disconnect between the educational aspirations and priorities stated in the vision statements and the pragmatics of academic advising activities.…”

“…Much of this confusion stems from a lack of clarity in the definitions of terms associated with this process." Indeed, Abelman et al (2007) reported that whether and how institutional vision is embraced by advising supervisors is largely dependent on the language of the vision statement and the images they generate about the academic community. According to the Abelman et al study, vision statements are more likely to be employed and transformed into action if they are readily accessible, carefully crafted, and perceived to be well-conceived documents.…”

“…The features that define an institution include the size of its student enrollment (Kuhtmann, 2004), its academic mission (e.g., highest degree granted) (Ayers, 2002;Baldwin, 2005), and its mode of operation (e.g., public or private) (Bryson, 2004). Indeed, according to Abelman et al (2007), institutional factors appear to affect the perception of vision: Academic advising supervisors at large, public schools rated access to and approval of the overall quality of vision statements significantly lower than did their counterparts at small, private insti-tion's vision statement and any related or ancillary information (e.g., institutional goals, objectives, purpose, mission, philosophy). If, after the initial search, no vision statement was found, we conducted an additional search for "mission statement."…”

An Assessment of the Institutional Vision of Catholic Colleges and Universities

“…To this end, the following research questions are posed: The literature on the diffusion of innovations suggests that the nature of the institution's social system-in particular, the size and complexity of its infrastructure-infl uences what is perceived to be innovative (see Rogers, 2004;Wejnert, 2002) and, thus, whether or not that innovation will be accepted, adopted, and relayed to others. Similarly, it has been suggested that an academic community's awareness of and access to any formal declarations by its leadership may be a function of the nature of the institution (Abelman, Atkin, Dalessandro, Snyder-Suhy & Janstova, 2007;Rozycki, 2004;Velcoff & Ferrari, 2006). This includes the size of its student enrollment (see Kuhtmann, 2004), its academic mission (e.g., highest degree granted; see Ayers, 2002;Baldwin, 2005) and its mode of operation (e.g., public or private; see Boerema, 2006;Bryson, 2004).…”