Innovative Student Advising
Glenn Kepic wins national advising award
This article was originally printed in the June 2000 issue of CLASnotes.
CLAS
academic advisor Glenn Kepic was named the 2000 Outstanding Advisor of the
Year by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) in groundbreaking
fashion. "Glenn did what no one else has ever done," says Associate Dean for
Student Affairs and Director of the University Advising Center Albert Matheny. "In
order to be nominated for the award, he first had to win the 1999 CLAS Advisor
of the Year and UF Advisor of the Year. Both of these award committees were
made up entirely of faculty members, and they had never given the award to
a professional advisor before."
But Kepic's advising career has been full of firsts and innovations. A frequent speaker at NACADA's national conventions who will be honored at their next meeting in October, he is well-known at UF and within NACADA for his committed and creative work. One of his recent initiatives, the Advising Center's Learning Services Center (LSC), reflects his energy and vision. "The LSC grew out of our work with readmission students. These students were returning to UF after having academic difficulties, but there were no specific services designed to help them get back on the right track," Kepic explains. He designed a program of counseling and instructional services—including workstations with video and CD-ROM instruction on such topics as procrastination, note-taking, and test preparation skills—that all readmitted CLAS students now take part in.
The LSC also serves as a mini-career center. "Without duplicating what the Career Resource Center does, we specifically try to address concerns and interests about liberal arts majors," Kepic says. The career opportunities data has wide appeal, and not only to current CLAS students. "Parents, prospective students, and even community college counselors who have questions about where a CLAS major might lead find this information reassuring," he says.
Among the resources available is the "Gator's Guide to Exploring Majors and Careers in CLAS," yet another resource that Kepic was instrumental in developing. The guide gives thorough information on each major in the college, describes the different models within each major, and also offers general information about university policies.
Matheny says he is particularly impressed that Kepic not only initiated and designed the learning center, but he also pursued funding for it. "Glenn goes the extra mile for the students," says Matheny. "He really lives the job. In addition to the LSC, he has helped develop our Web pages and e-mail advising services, he is our sole liaison with the 1600-student Department of Psychology, and he works on university-wide committees for student issues. Glenn was born to do this work."
Before
coming to UF five years ago, Kepic worked as a student-athlete
counselor at his alma-mater, George Mason University. "I was on the
wrestling team in college, and that experience led me into
counseling. And to be honest, the student-athlete and the typical
student face many of the same issues," says Kepic, who thinks that
his biggest challenge in working one-on-one with students is getting
them to come to terms with issues of personal responsibility. "I look
for ways to get students to see for themselves that action or
inaction on their part is often what causes academic problems." Kepic
will lead a pre-conference workshop on this issue entitled "Can I
Petition That?" at NACADA's upcoming national meeting.
"We cover a lot of ground in academic advising, and we are very lucky to have great support from Dr. Matheny and Dean Harrison. They have both been very enthusiastic supporters of our expanding services. And I feel fortunate to work with the other professional advisors and staff at the advising center, they are terrific," Kepic says.
Responsible for advising 12,000 students, the ten full-time CLAS advisors are currently immersed in PREVIEW, the freshman orientation program. This year UF expects a record 6,600 new students to enter during the Summer B and Fall terms. Matheny estimates that the Advising Center's Web site receives 15,000 hits per month and that counselors see roughly 36,000 walk-in visitors each year. "I'm so proud of our advisors. Just seeing students every day would be enough for most operations like this, but our center takes pride in doing more."
Credits
Writer
John Elderkin
