Leticia Wilson, Director Advising Initiatives 

Leticia Wilson currently serves as the Director of Advising Initiatives. In this capacity, she analyzes the advising process and procedures and developing action plans, develops and implements professional development opportunities for dedicated advisors and faculty advisors, and partners with other departments and areas to advocate for student needs related to enrollment management and degree progression.

Ms. Wilson received her Master’s in Educational Leadership from Antioch McGregor (now Antioch Midwest) University (Yellow Springs, Ohio) and her Bachelors in Biology from Wilberforce University (Wilberforce, Ohio). Currently, she is a doctoral candidate student at Kansas State University in Leadership in Academic Advising – College of Education, Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs.

She serves on numerous DMC committees, including the SACSCOC Steering Committee, the DMC Guided Pathways Committee, Developmental Education Council, Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Implementation, Power User Civitas Administration Team, Colleague Upgrade Integration Team and Project SENDA & DMC3.

Prior to her tenure at Del Mar College, Ms. Wilson served in various Student Affairs positions at Xenia Community Schools (Xenia, OH), Wilberforce University (Wilberforce, OH), Wittenberg University (Springfield, OH), and Chancellor University & Jack Welch Institute (Cleveland, OH).

Ms. Wilson has 20+ years of experience and leadership, consisting of student involvement on and off the field—ranging from track and field coach, head resident director for the Trio Program, Upward Bound, escalation specialist, a specialist in retention programming, academic adviser, and professional development facilitator within the for‐profit 4-year university and non‐profit 2-year community college settings.

When she is not assisting students, staff, and faculty, she enjoys being in the community, advocating for social justice, cultural humility, equity, empowering women, eliminating racism, and inclusion. She previously served in leadership roles within Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Junior League of Corpus Christi, YWCA Corpus Christi, and the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education Corpus Christi, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and Texas Academic Advising Network (TEXAAN). She currently serves as a global speaker and consultant for The Global Community for Academic Advising (NACADA), TEDx Cole Park Speaker, Instructor and Facilitator for the Office of Appreciative Education (Florida Atlantic University) , Complete College America Content Expert and Consultant and recently joined the Del Mar College Corporate Services Team as an instructor.

Beyond her career, her hobbies reflect my zest for life. She enjoys traveling, having lived or visited 15 countries and traveled to 30 states, cooking, cardio workouts like Zumba and Hip-Hop Toning, participating in 5K races, roller skating, and indulging in the performing arts—especially Alvin Ailey Ballet and Broadway musicals like "The Wiz," "Rent," and "Hamilton." She cherishes quality time, decisiveness, compassion, and humility as personal values.

Considering herself a global citizen, she resonates with the LL Cool J phrase "internationally known and locally accepted," based in Corpus Christi, Texas. Family and chosen friends hold significant importance in my life. Some of her favorite TV shows include "A Different World," "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," "Lupin," and "BBC - Father Brown."

She is a self‐proclaimed natural hair enthusiast, thank goodness for the Crown Act!

Her office is located in the Coles Building, Rm. 142, on the Heritage Campus. She can be reached at (361) 698-2129 or lwilson21@delmar.edu.

Level 1: Foundations of Academic Advising
Upon completing Level 1 of the Online Advising Certification course, students will be able to:

• Describe the Evolution of Academic Advising
  • Explain the history and development of academic advising.
  • Analyze the current state of advising practices.
  • Predict future trends in the field of academic advising.
  • Align advising practices with NACADA core values.
• Evaluate Advising Approaches to Enhance Student Persistence
  • Identify and differentiate various advising models and approaches.
  • Assess the effectiveness of different strategies in promoting student retention and persistence.
• Apply Developmental Education Principles
  • Demonstrate understanding that “a student is a student is a student” within developmental education contexts.
  • Implement multiple measure assessments for student evaluation.
  • Determine appropriate developmental education placements based on assessment data.
  • Analyze and resolve student case scenarios using developmental education frameworks.
• Interpret and Apply Academic Policies and Regulations
  • Explain key academic policies, including FERPA, graduation requirements, six-drop limits, the 3-Peat Rule, petitions to record credit, and academic fresh start options.
  • Apply these policies effectively in advising scenarios to support student academic progress.
• Assess Financial Aid Requirements and Implications
  • Identify federal student aid eligibility criteria.
  • Evaluate the impact of academic performance on financial aid status.
  • Guide students in maintaining satisfactory academic progress for financial aid continuation.
• Utilize Technology Tools in Academic Advising
  • Navigate and utilize Civitas Inspire for advisor functions.
  • Employ Ellucian Datatel Colleague and EMSI Career Coach to support advising activities.
  • Integrate technology tools to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of online advising.

Level 2: Advanced Strategies in Academic Advising
Upon completing Level 2 of the Online Advising Certification course, students will be able to:

• Analyze Service Models in Educational Institutions
  • Define and interpret the concept of service within academic advising.
  • Examine the unique roles and responsibilities of advisors in Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).
• Demonstrate Competence and Humility
  • Apply principles of cultural competence and cultural humility in advising practices.
  • Effectively serve the Latinx community within the third space framework.
  • Reframe and enhance the narrative surrounding HSIs to better support diverse student populations.
• Evaluate and Resolve Complex Student Cases
  • Analyze diverse student scenarios, including those involving major changes, pathway discovery, first-generation status, and transfer processes.
  • Develop comprehensive advising strategies to address and support students in varied academic situations.
• Integrate Student Support Services into Advising
  • Identify and utilize a range of student support services, including student leadership programs, campus life initiatives, Valdars Market, the Center for Access and Advocacy, veterans services, and faculty advising.
  • Collaborate with these services to provide holistic support to students.
• Implement High-Impact Online Advising Practices
  • Apply high-impact practices specific to online advising environments.
  • Conduct mock advising sessions to refine advising skills.
  • Authenticate student identities securely and efficiently.
  • Maintain accurate and compliant advising notes following established guidelines.
• Facilitate the Student Transfer Process
  • Explain the transfer process, including the creation and utilization of articulation agreements and transfer guides.
  • Navigate the reverse transfer process to ensure seamless credit transfers and academic continuity for students.

• Advising Professional Development SharePoint On-Demand Resources (DMC Login Required) 
• Cultural Humility and Social Justice Del Mar College Library Guide 
• Critical Conversations on academic advising/Lunch & Learn
• Registration Refreshers
• One on One Consultations (By Appointment)

DMC Advising Model

NACADA Pillars of Academic Advising 

Organizational Models for Advising (ksu.edu)

Organizational structure is the framework for delivering advising services to students. As such, it is one of the important building blocks for an effective advising program, regardless of whether the program is defined at the department, college, campus, or institutional level.

Preamble 

Academic advising is integral to fulfilling the teaching and learning mission of higher education. Through academic advising, students learn to become members of their higher education community, to think critically about their roles and responsibilities as students, and to prepare to be educated citizens of a democratic society and a global community. Academic advising engages students beyond their own world views while acknowledging their individual characteristics, values, and motivations as they enter, move through, and exit the institution. Regardless of the diversity of our institutions, our students, our advisors, and our organizational structures, academic advising has three components: curriculum (what advising deals with), pedagogy (how advising does what it does), and student learning outcomes (the result of academic advising).

The Curriculum of Academic Advising 

Academic advising draws primarily from theories in the social sciences, humanities, and education. The curriculum of academic advising ranges from the ideals of higher education to the pragmatics of enrollment. This curriculum includes, but is not limited to, the institution’s mission, culture and expectations; the meaning, value, and interrelationship of the institution’s curriculum and co-curriculum; modes of thinking, learning, and decision-making; the selection of academic programs and courses; the development of life and career goals; campus/community resources, policies, and procedures; and the transferability of skills and knowledge.

The Pedagogy of Academic Advising  

Academic advising, as a teaching and learning process, requires a pedagogy that incorporates the preparation, facilitation, documentation, and assessment of advising interactions. Although the specific methods, strategies, and techniques may vary, the relationship between advisors and students is fundamental and is characterized by mutual respect, trust, and ethical behavior.

Student Learning Outcomes of Academic Advising 

The student learning outcomes of academic advising are guided by an institution’s mission, goals, curriculum and co-curriculum. These outcomes, defined in an advising curriculum, articulate what students will demonstrate, know, value, and do as a result of participating in academic advising. Each institution must develop its own set of student learning outcomes and the methods to assess them. The following is a representative sample. Students will:

• Craft a coherent educational plan based on assessment of abilities, aspirations, interests, and values
• Use complex information from various sources to set goals, reach decisions, and achieve those goals
• Assume responsibility for meeting academic program requirements
• Articulate the meaning of higher education and the intent of the institution’s curriculum
• Cultivate the intellectual habits that lead to a lifetime of learning
• Behave as citizens who engage in the wider world around them

Summary

Academic advising, based in the teaching and learning mission of higher education, is a series of intentional interactions with a curriculum, a pedagogy, and a set of student learning outcomes. Academic advising synthesizes and contextualizes students’ educational experiences within the frameworks of their aspirations, abilities and lives to extend learning beyond campus boundaries and timeframes. 

Reference- NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising. (2006). NACADA concept of academic advising. Retrieved from https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Pillars/Concept.aspx

Reference: NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising. (2017). NACADA Academic advising core competencies model. Retrieved from https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Pillars/CoreCompetencies.aspx

Planning Your Schedule

Online Student Readiness Tutorials - Source: California Community College