I. Introduction
- Most members of the first class of VinUniversity students will enter VinUniversity right after finishing high school. This might be an overwhelming experience for many students, who have to learn to navigate a new eco-system; face an environment of social and cultural diversity; and take responsibility for their own learning journey. Thus, they are likely to experience the physical, social, and emotional challenges associated with this new chapter in their lives, including feeling disconnected, struggling to develop healthy habits, or having difficulty managing relationships. In addition, the students will also have the task to transform themselves from a dependent to independent learner, from studying in a carefully monitored environment to students learning to manage their own time and make decisions in a more adult and responsible manner.
- Although having rarely been adopted by Vietnamese universities, faculty advising programs are very popular among foreign institutions, according to which students are paired with a faculty member, who can advise them on their transformation thanks to his/her own academic and life experiences. The mentoring relationship can support young people to survive in discovering that other students are as or more capable than they are, managing heavy reading burdens, dealing with class anxiety, or not finding someone who they can talk, to name a few. Those conversations may not help to solve problems immediately but they encourage students to reconnect with their own resilience, self-confidence, explore their self-character.
II. Program Objectives
- As a component of the OASIS course, the goal of the First Year Faculty Advising program is to provide students with an opportunity to receive advices from a VinUniversity faculty member so that they can have a smooth and effective transition from a high schooler into a member of the undergraduate corps.
- Based on their own academic and life experience, the Advisor can provide students with general advice on various aspects of the academic and campus life of students. With an understanding of various resources on campus, the Advisor can also direct students to seek appropriate persons for specific advices or take advantage of resources made available for them by VinUniversity. The advice should focus on helping students to develop attributes like being proud of themselves, having self-confidence, being able to manage their own life on- and off-campus, improving their active learning attitude, and being able to design and plan ahead. Since University is a startup university, the Advisor shall also manage the students’ expectations via his/her advice.
- For specific questions related to academic issues or student affairs, the First Year Advisor can refer the students to a FAQ package prepared by Registrar, Student Affairs and related units and colleges, especially the academic program directors. The Vice-Provost Office can also provide training for Advisors, especially for those without prior experience in advising students, on various advising techniques or solutions for specific advising scenarios.
III. Area of Application
Faculty members of the College and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of VinUniversity; Vice-Provost Office, Registrar, and Student Affairs.
IV. Program Design
1. Pairing Mechanism
- All full-time faculty members (including staff members with concurrent faculty appointment) can serve as First Year Faculty Advisor.
- As a component of the mandatory course OASIS, every student will be requested to participate in this First Year Faculty Advising Program at no additional cost to their tuition.
- The pairing mechanism of Advisor-Advisee will be determined on a university-wide basis, meaning each Advisor, no matter which unit they are from, shall be assigned with an equal number of advisees. The assignment shall also promote the diversity of advisees in terms of where they come from, and what program they attend to.
- Since the First Year Faculty Advising Program is an integral part of the First Year Experience Program, the Student Affairs Management unit shall assist VinUniversity and the Colleges and Faculty with the pairing of Advisors and Advisees.
2. Training and Information
- Necessary trainings for Advisors on advising policies, scenarios, and tips will be provided by the Vice-Provost Office.
- The FAQ package on academic issues and student affairs shall be prepared by Registrar, Student Affairs, and related units and academic programs to assist the advising process.
3. Pattern of Delivery
- Every Faculty Advisor is recommended to spend at least one hour per semester for their advisees. The first meeting between Faculty Advisors and their respective advisee groups is organized during the Orientation Week.
- After the first week, Advisors and Advisees can arrange their individual or group meetings at their convenience. The form of the meetings can be either formal or informal, and throughout the semester, students can also make appointment with their advisors whenever they need help. Advisees are encouraged to proactively engage with their Faculty Advisors.
- In special cases, a student can request to change his/her Advisor by making the request via email to Student Affair Management for consideration and arrangement.
4. Program Evaluation
- The Student Information System (SIS) is to support tracking the meeting/appointment. The Faculty Advisor are asked to key the information about the meeting/appointment with students on SIS.
- The information from SIS, together with the survey feedback which is developed by The Vice-Provost Office in collaboration with Student Affair Management for both advisor and advisee can be used to evaluate the program after the first year. This is the important data for the VinUniversity to decide whether and how to continue the Faculty Advising Program for students in their second year and beyond.