Training vs. Professional Development

How does the Blue Raider Academic Advising Network & Advisor Mastery Program differentiate between training and professional development?

AMP Sponsored Academic Advisor Training: Needed to meet functions of position and perform efficiently. 

• Focus: Designed to meet the immediate needs of academic advisors within an institution, focusing on specific tasks, policies, skill building, and procedures relevant to their daily responsibilities. 
• Scope: It often includes technical skills (e.g., using student information systems, understanding registration processes), compliance updates, and institutional protocols. 
• Objective: The primary goal is to ensure advisors are proficient in day-to-day operations and understand the essential functions of their role. Ensures consistency and adherence to institutions’ specific standards and practices.  
• Example: A workshop on how to use a new student information system or training on updated enrollment procedures. Initial Onboarding, Excel, Canva, Navigate, AI, etc.  

AMP Sponsored Academic Advisor Professional Development: Fosters effective service delivery to students through professional growth. These offerings will be specified on the AMP Events Calendar. 

• Focus: This goes beyond task-specific training or skill building to support the ongoing growth of advisors. It’s designed to enhance broader skills like leadership, communication, advising strategies, and understanding of student development theories and learning to apply these intentionally in advising practice. 
• Scope: This is more holistic, and may include workshops on learning to apply best practices in advising, student engagement techniques, discussions on emerging trends in higher education, etc. 
• Objective: Promote continuous learning, improve job satisfaction, and help advisors contribute more effectively to the institution’s mission and better serve students.  
• Duration: Professional development is ongoing and not limited to a particular stage in one’s career with the intent to improving care of students and increasing advisor career longevity. It can range from a few hours to extended programs spanning months or even years.  
• Example: A professional development day focused on applying Chickering’s vectors to advising practices and utilizing theory to improve support for specific student populations, like first-generation or military students.  

Key Differences: 

• Purpose: In-house training ensures that advisors can perform their current duties efficiently, while in-house professional development aims to foster long-term growth and intentional practice. 
• Depth: Training provides foundational or refresher skills that are more job-specific and immediate, while professional development builds on existing skills to foster expertise and innovation. 
• Timeframe: Training is typically short-term and job-specific; professional development is continuous and evolves with the advisor’s career.