Rewards for Academic Advising: An Evaluation

Abstract

hen who were intuwcd in ciustcrinp. (We called them hard-core clwcren.) h ~ d m ~ ~ who chose to take the cwrscs were generally more serious and betla ~ivated but not necessarily brighter. (GryU rarely took clustered courses.) Finally. we e teachers money for dass lunches, trips to the thaer, parties. paml dinuslons-Jtevcr they felt would foster academic cxcdlem and a senre of community among the Jents. Fhe cxpuimuu worked. The clustering of courses was so nrcowsful that under the ns of the new cuniculum of Fardham CoHege, which took effect fa8 of 1980, an ,hmcn now take two clusters, one in the fall and one in the spring. Although the Grylls r he world-among the faculty and students (both, by nature, very softaue clusterers) o must teach and take duslered copses, the system mntinucs to be successful in fosta-a sense of cornmuoily In tho dassroom. Ir I look back over what I have written here, I realiie I have Jaid a great deal about rdham College, end I hope that my experience there. particularly with the Valua Pro. l r n , might be of some hdp to others who must fwd ways to build community or com-mities in their own institutions and in the process create M environment that will sup-1-1 the t f f m to advise students weU. If the experience of Fordham proves not to be spful, then I ask that when faced with cynicism, indiffmnee, pessiunisrn. selfishness. or igue in your own institution. you not despair, but rather. Like the palma, shrug your ~ufdcrs, remember Oryll, and continue the quest. It's the only way to live.