Stop the Overload: How Pre-Advising Enhances Onboarding Engagement and Student Success

🎓 Lessons from Jennifer Proulx and Dr. Dennis Wiese on Transforming Academic Advising into a Strategic Engagement Tool

🖊️ Author: David Morales, CEO & Founding Developer, Visualzen

📍 Featuring Insights From:

• Jennifer Proulx – Events and Communications Coordinator, University of North Dakota
• Dr. Dennis Wiese – Assistant Vice Chancellor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

🎓 Introduction: Stop the Firehose Effect

For years, orientation professionals have wrestled with the “firehose effect”—a flood of information compressed into a single day, overwhelming students and their families.

But what if academic advising could start before students ever set foot on campus? What if it could become a structured, data-informed process that builds trust, reduces anxiety, and creates meaningful connections between students, advisors, and the campus community?

In my conversation with Jennifer Proulx from the University of North Dakota and Dr. Dennis Wiese, we explored how pre-advising transforms the onboarding experience, creating an environment where students arrive on campus prepared, confident, and connected.

Let’s dive into the actionable insights.

🎯 Insight 1: Pre-Advising Reduces Anxiety and Builds Confidence

“When students arrive on campus already registered for classes and equipped with academic guidance, they’re able to focus on building connections and settling in, instead of feeling overwhelmed by logistics.” — Jennifer Proulx

Traditional advising often starts too late—during the chaotic days of orientation. Pre-advising shifts this timeline, allowing students to:

✅ Register for classes earlier through virtual advising sessions.

✅ Reduce stress and uncertainty about their academic path.

✅ Arrive with a plan, ready to focus on building relationships and exploring campus life.

🛠️ One Thing You Can Do Today:

• Start collecting pre-advising information early in the student lifecycle (e.g., accepted student phase).
• Use technology platforms to streamline the advising process and reduce administrative friction.

🎯 Insight 2: Communication Between Advisors and Students Must Be Proactive

“Our advisors use text messages to connect with students bi-weekly. It’s direct, personal, and meets students where they are.” — Jennifer Proulx

Students today expect communication to be timely, relevant, and personalized. UND’s advisors have transformed communication by:

✅ Using text messaging as a primary channel for reminders and check-ins.

✅ Proactively reaching out with clear next steps for registration, housing, and academic prep.

✅ Maintaining consistent engagement through every step of the onboarding process.

🛠️ One Thing You Can Do Today:

• Equip your advising team with direct communication tools (e.g., SMS platforms).
• Develop a check-in cadence for advisors to reach out consistently leading up to orientation.

🎯 Insight 3: Data Is the Bridge Between Advisors and Students

“By collecting pre-advising data early, advisors have a holistic picture of each student before they even meet them.” — Jennifer Proulx

Data isn’t just administrative—it’s relational. Pre-advising allows campuses to:

✅ Understand students’ academic history (e.g., AP credits, dual enrollment).

✅ Tailor advising sessions based on student preferences and academic goals.

✅ Eliminate unnecessary hurdles before students arrive on campus.

🛠️ One Thing You Can Do Today:

• Develop a pre-advising intake form to gather key academic and personal data early.
• Train advisors to review and interpret student data before their first advising interaction.

🎯 Insight 4: Pre-Advising Enhances Campus Collaboration

“When advising becomes part of the onboarding strategy, it’s not just about academic plans—it’s about building a support network across campus.” — Dr. Dennis Wiese

Advising shouldn’t operate in isolation. Pre-advising creates opportunities for:

✅ Collaboration between academic advising, orientation teams, and student affairs.

✅ Sharing data across departments to improve communication and reduce silos.

✅ Building an ecosystem of support for each incoming student.

🛠️ One Thing You Can Do Today:

• Host a cross-department workshop on integrating advising into the onboarding timeline.
• Share advising insights with housing, career services, and student success teams.

🚀 One Action You Can Take Today

If you’re an Orientation Professional, here’s something you can start doing today:

Develop a Pre-Advising Communication Plan:

• Start outreach as early as January for fall admits.
• Use multiple communication channels (email, text, phone).
• Create personalized touchpoints that keep students engaged and informed.

✅ When students arrive on campus with their academic plans already in place, they can focus on building connections, exploring resources, and thriving.

📢 Conclusion: Pre-Advising Isn’t Just About Classes—It’s About Connection

The University of North Dakota’s approach to pre-advising highlights a critical truth: Academic advising isn’t just administrative—it’s relational.

✅ Reduce anxiety by starting early.

✅ Build trust through consistent communication.

✅ Use data strategically to tailor the student experience.

Pre-advising isn’t just a task—it’s an opportunity to build relationships, create clarity, and set students up for long-term success.

Let’s stop the overload and start building better onboarding pathways—one student at a time.

🎥 Want to Learn More?

Watch the full interview with Jennifer Proulx and Dr. Dennis Wiese in OrientationMatters Season 2, Episode 9: “Stop the Overload… Pre-Advising for Onboarding Engagement.

👉 Explore how VZO supports onboarding success: www.govzo.com/case-studies

Let’s turn simple details into powerful outcomes—together.

💬 Have Questions or Want to Learn More?

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