Texas State University is committed to building a robust and holistic academic advising ecosystem that supports students from the moment they are accepted through post-completion success.
In 2022, NACADA consultants submitted a report on advising at TXST. Their recommendations emphasized the need for greater consistency, stronger advisor support, and a more student-centered approach. In 2024, the Academic Advising Task Force (AATF), charged by Provost Aswath and led by Senior Vice Provost Vedaraman Sriraman, reviewed this report and developed five goals to strengthen advising across the university. These recommendations have since been approved by the Provost.
A central element of this vision is a collaborative partnership between Academic Advising and Transitions (AAT), the Colleges, and Divisional partners — combining centralized support and resources with college-level expertise to ensure every Bobcat has access to advising that is both coordinated and responsive.
The current advising changes build on the work of two major reports. Together, these reports provide a roadmap for creating an advising ecosystem that is student-centered, holistic, and prepared to serve TXST’s growing and changing student population.
Commissioned by Academic Affairs leadership, this report recommended strengthening TXST advising through clear leadership, caseload management, and expanded advisor career ladders.
Charged by Provost Aswath, the AATF set five goals with strategies to restructure advising. Approved in summer 2025, these recommendations guide the phased implementation now underway.
In moving toward a more cohesive and student-centered advising experience, the need to establish a centralized academic advising structure—one that ensures consistency, promotes collaboration, and strengthens the support provided to all students. This realignment is not a retreat from what has worked—it is a bold step forward, grounded in the recognition that a shared vision, supported by intentional design, is essential to serve students more optimally and effectively across the institution.
This goal recognizes that advising is not only about course selection and graduation requirements. It is also about helping students uncover their values, clarify their goals, and build the confidence to pursue meaningful futures. By adopting this framework, Texas State positions academic advisors as educators, coaches, and connectors—integral to shaping students’ college journeys and their lives beyond.
This goal recognizes AI not as a replacement for the essential human connection in advising, but as a strategic partner that enhances the profession. By automating repetitive and administrative tasks, surfacing timely data insights, and empowering students to access the right information at the right time, these technologies enable advisors to focus on meaningful, holistic engagement with their students.
Goal Four seeks to free advisors to focus on meaningful, student-centered engagement by reducing administrative burdens, optimizing workflows, and realigning responsibilities. In doing so, the university acknowledges that if advising is to be treated as a profession, advisors must be empowered to fully inhabit that role—with clarity, capacity, and institutional support.
Goal Five calls for the formal institutionalization of support systems, career pathways, recognition opportunities, and leadership structures that affirm academic advising as a respected and vital profession. This goal offers a vision for cultivating a sustainable advising community—one where advisors are empowered to grow, lead, and thrive. Advisors are the human connection between institutional resources and student aspirations. Their work is not only logistical—it is deeply relational, intellectual, and impactful.
Explore our phased plan to strengthen advising at TXST. See key milestones and progress on implementation now underway.
This transition strengthens academic success by creating a more coordinated advising system that ensures consistency, provides advisors with resources and training, and streamlines processes.
The long-term vision is to create a robust and holistic academic advising ecosystem that serves as a seamless support structure for every Bobcat—from the moment of acceptance through post-completion success. Advising will no longer be viewed as a single transaction or isolated meeting, but as an ongoing, developmental partnership between students and the university.
This vision emphasizes that advising at TXST will be:
Ultimately, this advising ecosystem will act as a connective thread in the student experience, guiding Bobcats through each stage of their journey:
By designing an advising model that is holistic, proactive, and future-oriented, TXST is positioning academic advising as a signature strength of the university—a defining feature of what it means to be a Bobcat.
Colleges remain critical partners. Through MOUs, we will clarify shared expectations, communication, and collaboration to ensure advising reflects both institutional priorities and college-specific needs.
Yes. Job descriptions for advisors and Directors of Advising will be updated to reflect evolving responsibilities and to recognize the importance of advising in academic success.
AAT will coordinate training opportunities, beginning with a professional development series in Fall 2025. Training in holistic and proactive advising will begin in Spring 2026.
We will optimize current tools and explore new platforms, such as Smart Plan and Award, to improve efficiency and enhance the advising experience.
For questions regarding the upcoming organizational changes, please contact Dr. Gabriel Bermea, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Advising and Transitions, at umv24@txstate.edu.