An overwhelming ratio

Numbers don’t lie. And perhaps numbers are the best way of investigating the limitations of our advising system.

At UNC, our student to adviser ratio hovers around 600:1. This number doesn’t include those students who have been admitted into professional schools, like the schools of business or public health.

That number may seem bad by itself, but put it in perspective, and it becomes even worse.

The National Academic Advising Association recommends a ratio between 100-300 students for every 1 adviser.

What’s more, a study conducted by the association in 2004 discovered that the average student to adviser ratio for a four year public university was 285:1.

Simply put, our student-to-adviser ratio is exorbitantly high.

Of course, the University’s dealing with significant economic troubles and budget cuts. But according to Lee May, director of Academic Advising, adviser positions have been protected and even slightly increased in the wake of such cuts.

Administrators should be lauded for protecting advising during these tough economic times, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the numbers are still staggering.

In this series, we have attempted to provide suggestions for and point to areas that need improvement. We’ve also tried to talk about ways to reform the advising system that do not require further financial support.

We understand the crunch on the University right now. But can we really expect our advising system to excel if one adviser must tend to the needs of 600 or more students?

This imbalance is detrimental to both the student body and the advising department.

UNC is a campus that prides itself on excellence. But to perform at an excellent level, students need excellent guidance. To have excellent guidance, the adviser to student ratio must be significantly reduced.

Of course, this would most likely mean hiring new advisers. During this difficult time, that’s obviously a tall order for the University. But it’s something worth looking into if we want our advising department to serve students in the best way possible.

After all, to demand anything less than excellence discounts what it means to step onto this campus and leave four years later, a Tar Heel for life.