It’s almost impossible to have a conversation with a Guttman alum of any class — from the first graduating Grizzlies in 2014 to the present — in which they don’t bring up the name of their Student Success Advisor (SSA) in the first five minutes. Nine out of ten times, they’ll mention how important their Bridge Program was, and then they’ll ask about their advisor.
And it’s no wonder. At the heart of each graduate’s Guttman experience is their relationship with a member of the Advising and Transfer Support team whose sole job is to help them identify, shape and attain their educational and personal goals.
“What sets our team apart,” says Director of Advising & Transfer Support Victoria Romero, “is their strong and varied professional and educational backgrounds. All our advisors have two or more years of professional full-time work experience, and all have master’s degrees with educational and/or professional experience spanning higher education, social work, counseling, youth development, community engagement and more, which puts their culturally responsive, student-centered approach front-and-center.”
Guttman advisors serve as educators, mentors and success coaches who intentionally incorporate reflection and assessment in their holistic, inquiry-driven approach with students. “Our work is grounded in transparency, trust, and student voice, with a focus on data-informed reflection and collaborative planning,” Romero adds.
From their first day in the Bridge Program, each student is matched with a dedicated Student Success Advisor (SSA). Throughout their first year, students meet with their SSA weekly in an advising seminar called First Year Seminar 101: Learning about Being a Successful Student (LaBSS). Using a proactive advising approach, each session focuses on transition and self-discovery in which advisors ask students open-ended questions, shine a light on their strengths and anticipate their needs. Support provided to students is more than simply helping them pick classes, but rather fostering self-reflection, enhancing their sense of agency and holding them accountable to success they’ve defined on their own terms.
With an eye on a meaningful college experience that keeps students on track to graduation and minimizes costs, the aim of the College’s empowering Advising and Transfer Support model is that students demonstrate knowledge of degree program requirements and grow in their ability to select courses each semester in alignment with their educational plan. “We use advising technologies and programming to help students track their progress, make informed choices, and stay connected to the college community,” explains Romero.
Evolving with the student’s experience, advising shifts after the first year to coaching-based guidance focused on academic progress, transfer and career preparation. As students enter their program of study (major), and they continue to identify and articulate their personal strengths, advisors recommend appropriate resources and partner with students to develop goal-oriented action plans that promote success as students transition to a four-year institution or the workforce. The advisors also host activities and workshops related to programs of study as well as networking events.
At this point, students who intend to continue to a baccalaureate degree have access to a transfer specialist and a transfer peer leader who help elevate transfer support. Under Associate Director Diana Zechowski’s leadership, they offer additional guidance with transfer-focused events and programming, cultivate relationships with senior college partners and offer training to faculty, staff and students on tools such as CUNY T-REX (Transfer Explorer). With the deep bench of experience of the 13-person advising team, students get support navigating the multi-step transfer process and translating their academic and personal experiences into employer-friendly workplace competencies.
Guttman only recently began accepting students transferring into the College. Zechowski notes, “As a team, I believe our role is twofold: to warmly welcome students transferring in — ensuring they feel a true sense of belonging from day one — and to fully prepare those transferring out, equipping them with the confidence, community, and tools they need to thrive at their next institution. Our commitment is to support their journey at every step, because their success beyond Guttman is part of our mission, too.”
“My team and I try to create space for students to reflect, plan, and take ownership of their academic and professional goals, providing support every step of the way that enhances their skills and confidence,” states Romero. “Success, to us, is that every student, no matter what their path, will become active and effective agents of their own learning and decision-making.”
Student Success Advisors- First Year Students
Uriah Brown, Keshia Daniel, Brandon Frazier, Sarina Harty, Emily Irwin, Leslie Mejia
Student Success Advisors – Continuing Students
Sabrina Ally, Jan Krovatin, Bibi Rozario
Transfer Specialist
Nicholas Acosta
Associate Director, Advising and Transfer Support
Diana Zechowski
Director, Advising and Transfer Support
Victoria Romero
