Today for “Staff Spotlight” we’re sitting down with Dr. Laurie Kattuah-Snyder, Associate Dean of Advising and Partnerships, to learn a little bit about her role and how she connects with students.
Schoolcraft College: Hello, Dr. Kattuah-Snyder. The college experience can be overwhelming to students, so advisors are extremely important to help them navigate what sometimes can be a confusing road. Please tell us a little about your department, what you do and how you help.
Dr. Kattuah-Snyder: Schoolcraft College has nine full-time academic advisors who meet with new and current students to help them navigate their academic, transfer and career needs. Schoolcraft also has two assistant directors (in the International Student Center and the Veterans Resource Center) who provide academic advising to specific populations and oversee all federally mandated documentation and reports.
Academic advisors use the proactive advising model to assess academic readiness, create goals, determine a career path and establish an education plan. Beginning college can be overwhelming for new students, the academic advisors build relationships with their students so the student is more apt to follow recommendations made by the academic advisor. With this relationship, the student sees the academic advisor as their primary point of contact and the advisor conducts outreach to their students twice per year. Schoolcraft is very lucky to have such a dedicated and talented team of academic advisors to support students.
The feeling of being overwhelmed is heightened if the student is first generation to college, is a nontraditional-aged student, a student who works full-time or has multiple jobs, and students who are coming from a low socioeconomic background, among other factors. Thankfully, Schoolcraft offers resources to students to help support them on their academic and career journey.
SC: Please tell us a little about your education, your career at Schoolcraft College and how you came to be Associate Dean of Advising and Partnerships.
Dr. Kattuah-Snyder: Hmmm, how much time do you have? I’ve spent over 25 years in student advocacy in a variety of settings. I worked at a private college overseeing advising and transfer, I served as an education and career consultant at Ameritech (now AT&T), and oversaw education and training needs at Ford Motor Company.
After having my children, I wanted to return to higher education, albeit in a part-time manner. It was then I was hired to be a part-time academic advisor at Schoolcraft (almost 14 years ago) and moved on to become the transfer coordinator, interim associate dean of counseling, assistant director of advising, and then to my current position of Associate Dean of Advising and Partnerships.
In my current role, I oversee the advising office, the International Student Center, the Veterans Resource Center, Schoolcraft-to-U™, and SC Edge (early college). I also teach CAB 102 which is a mandatory freshman seminar course that introduces students to resources, improving skill sets, and career exploration. (CAB stands for College and Beyond.)
I earned an undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University, a master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and a doctorate in education from Ferris State University. I am also a first-generation college student and the daughter of immigrant parents.
SC: A key reason why many students choose Schoolcraft College is to help get them started on a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university. How do you help them achieve that goal?
Dr. Kattuah-Snyder: Simply put – Schoolcraft is the best in the state for transfer. Very few community colleges put as much effort into ensuring credit mobility to four-year colleges as we do. Carol Dwyer is our Transfer Coordinator/Academic Advisor, and she is not only actively involved on a state level with transfer and credit mobility, she has developed and maintained relationships with our four-year college partners that provide added value to all of our students.
SC: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we all need to observe social distancing guidelines. How is your team maintaining that personal touch with students despite these challenges?
Dr. Kattuah-Snyder: Since my team began working from home, academic advisors and the staff from the International Student Center and the Veterans Resource Center meet with students by phone. At first, I thought this method would not support the proactive advising model, but we’ve learned a couple of surprising (and positive) things:
- The appointment “show” rate increased by 62% (this means almost all of the student’s “show up” for their appointment).
- We have significantly increased digital communications from students – using the Advisor on Duty email address and direct emails to advisors, students are connecting with our department now more than before.
As one student put it, “I love that I can roll out of bed and meet with my advisor!”
SC: If students have questions or need further information, what resources are available?
Dr. Kattuah-Snyder: Students can call one of the phone numbers listed below to get help or make appointments:
SC: Thank you, Dr. Kattuah-Snyder!