In the latest edition of The Mentor, Venable, Howard, Rudy, and Scheckel introduce what the authors call “panopticon advising,” and this new term introduces several important and thought-provoking questions about this phenomenon.
At the center of panopticon advising is the use of data surveillance. The authors explore how institutions increasingly rely on data analytics to track students’ academic behaviors and support retention goals. While intended to improve student outcomes, these practices may risk reducing students to data points and shifting advising from a personal, supportive process to one where students’ actions are monitored and, possibly, controlled.
The authors state that “Panopticon advising, we argue, turns advisers into retention machines, dutiful institutional agents that are expected to meet persistence and graduation quotas above all else.”
The article highlights how colleges and universities may collect and leverage vast amounts of student data to predict academic success and preemptively address potential dropout risks. While increasing retention and graduation rates is well-intentioned, there may be unintended implications. For example, what if such practices mean advisors must prioritize tracking students with their time, taking away from time spent fostering genuine connections? As stated, “Advising practices should empower students, not surveil them.”
In this worthwhile article, the authors use theory and philosophy to examine important questions about this trend or new norm. The authors introduce several vital questions for the field and its practitioners to reflect on. To explore more about this evolving landscape and reflect on how academic advising might navigate these ethical challenges, read the full article here.
