Report on Advising Systems and Wrap-Around Services

In the 2023 Legislative Session, the Legislature charged the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) with surveying Maryland's colleges and universities on practices related to academic advising and student services. A survey was created and prepared by MHEC staff. The survey was sent to 52 institutions of higher education across the state. Of the institutions contacted, 38 responded to the survey. Survey responses reveal that most institutions currently use an intrusive/proactive advising model. Most institutions employ student-centered practices like holistic advising, proactively communicating with students, and other practices focused on relationship-building and addressing students' diverse needs. The majority of institutions surveyed reported that they implement the same elements of intrusive advising to all undergraduate students, but many also target special populations of students, most notably those who are academically at-risk and freshman/first-year students. In addition, the survey asked a series of questions about wrap-around services, which refers to holistic support that addresses a student's full range of needs to ensure academic success. Lastly, when asked to provide counts of student parents on their campuses, the vast majority of institutions reported they have no information on the parental status of their students. The report concludes with information and recommendations on steps institutions and the state could take on the areas of academic advising, wrap around services and student parents.