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As higher education institutions continue to compete for a declining population of students (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2019), an increased focus on retaining existing students is required to maintain current levels of undergraduate enrollment (Elliott & Shin, 2002; Habley, Bloom, & Robbins, 2012; Judson & Taylor, 2014; Schertzer & Schertzer, 2004, Vianden & Barlow, 2014). Predominant student retention models (Astin, 1965; Bean, 1985; Tinto, 1987, 1993) emphasize the interaction between students and institutional representatives as a primary factor influencing the student experience and student decisions to continue enrollment in future academic terms. Although academic advisors are the institutional representative most likely to interact with a student throughout the student's academic life, it is challenging to quantitatively examine the influence of academic advising on student persistence. Guided by the conceptual models for College Impact Theory (CIT), Social Exchange Theory (SET), Relationship Marketing Theory (RMT), and the Theory of Planned Behavior Theory (TPB), the current study examined the influence of perceptions of the academic advising experience on student-institution relationship quality, student loyalty to the institution, and student enrollment intentions. Based on theory and prior research, an a priori hypothesized structural equation model (SEM) was constructed. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesized structural model. Data were collected via a self-administered online survey completed by undergraduate, degree seeking students, over the age of 18, who were enrolled at the main campus of a large, Midwestern, 4-year, public institution of higher education (N = 10,809; n = 685). SEM analysis using maximum likelihood (ML) estimation was performed to a) assess the overall fit of the hypothesized structural model to the sample data; b) determine the amount of variance in all endogenous variables that could be explained by the hypothesized structural model; and c) identify the direct, indirect, and total effects among the variables included in the hypothesized structural model. The hypothesized structural model exhibited poor overall model fit and post-hoc model modifications were made. Results of the SEM analysis on the final model using IBM SPSS AMOS version 25 software revealed several interesting findings. Most noteworthy was the finding that perceptions of the academic advising experience had a statistically significant effect on student enrollment intentions via the mediating effect of student-institution relationship quality. In order to support the role that academic advising plays in the development of a positive student-institution relationship, it is recommended that institutional leaders explore and implement policies and procedures that support a positive academic advising experience for all students. For open access institutions, specifically, institutions should take steps to manage advisor to advisee caseloads with an understanding that their students may be academically underprepared, unsure of career goals, and/or have limited understanding of college processes and procedures (Klempin & Karp, 2018). Recommendations for future research include focusing on re-specifying, retesting, and cross-validating the hypothesized model.
This research study examined student perceptions of advisement experiences with a primary role advisor in a centralized advising office. The intent was to explore the connection between academic advising and student connectedness to the institution. This study utilized Tinto's theory of student departure to provide an understanding of how student success can be impacted by institutional relationships, particularly in a community college environment. Tinto asserted that a student's decision to stay or depart from an institution was largely impacted by interactions and relationships between the student and other members of the institution (Tinto, 1975). This study aimed to explore students' perceptions of effective advising strategies and barriers, which may have contributed to their retention and persistence. This study utilized a qualitative case study approach, guided by three research questions. Data collected consisted of observations, interviews, and artifacts. Data analysis explored thematic connections linking student advising and student support experiences to overall institutional connectedness. The findings of this study can be used to inform future decision making about the delivery of advising services, specifically focusing on the needs of community college students.
Strong academic advising has been found to be a key contributor to student persistence (Center for Public Education, 2012), and many are expected to play an advising role, including academic, career, and faculty advisors; counselors; tutors; and student affairs staff. Yet there is little training on how to do so. Various advising strategies exist, each of which has its own proponents. To serve increasingly complex higher education institutions around the world and their diverse student cohorts, academic advisors must understand multiple advising approaches and adroitly adapt them to their own student populations. Academic Advising Approaches outlines a wide variety of proven advising practices and strategies that help students master the necessary skills to achieve their academic and career goals. This book embeds theoretical bases within practical explanations and examples advisors can use in answering fundamental questions such as: What will make me a more effective advisor? What can I do to enhance student success? What conversations do I need to initiate with my colleagues to improve my unit, campus, and profession? Linking theory with practice, Academic Advising Approaches provides an accessible reference useful to all who serve in an advising role. Based upon accepted theories within the social sciences and humanities, the approaches covered include those incorporating developmental, learning-centered, appreciative, proactive, strengths-based, Socratic, and hermeneutic advising as well as those featuring advising as teaching, motivational interviewing, self-authorship, and advising as coaching. All advocate relationship-building as a means to encourage students to take charge of their own academic, personal, and professional progress. This book serves as the practice-based companion to Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook, also from NACADA. Whereas the handbook addresses the concepts advisors and advising administrators need to know in order to build a success advising program, Academic Advising Approaches explains the delivery strategies successful advisors can use to help students make the most of their college experience.
Drawing on studies funded by the Lumina Foundation, the nation's largest private foundation focused solely on increasing Americans' success in higher education, the authors revise current theories of college student departure, including Tinto's, making the important distinction between residential and commuter colleges and universities, and thereby taking into account the role of the external environment and the characteristics of social communities in student departure and retention. A unique feature of the authors' approach is that they also consider the role that the various characteristics of different states play in degree completion and first-year persistence. First-year college student retention and degree completion is a multi-layered, multi-dimensional problem, and the book's recommendations for state- and institutional-level policy and practice will help policy-makers and planners at all levels as well as anyone concerned with institutional retention rates—and helping students reach their maximum potential for success—understand the complexities of the issue and develop policies and initiatives to increase student persistence.
Institutions of higher education are experiencing an increasing number of students enrolling in online or distance education courses. The majority of these students are adult learners. The increase in enrollment is beneficial to institutions of higher education, but it is overshadowed by the low degree completion rate for online and distance education learners. Academic advisors play a crucial role in guiding students to degree completion. While there has been research on the potential contributing factors in online and distance education student retention, the research has been lacking in how communications with academic advisors may influence students’ levels of self-efficacy. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of online and distance education adult learners’ interactions with their academic advisors and how these interactions influenced their level of self-efficacy and persistence to degree completion. The researcher conducted semistructured interviews with current and recent graduates of an online or distance education program. Semistructured interviews were also conducted with current academic advisors of online and distance education students. The data revealed that interactions with academic advisors played a vital role in students’ levels of self-efficacy. Three key themes emerged from the data as contributing factors to student self-efficacy and their interactions with academic advisors: Communication-Immediacy/Individualized Advisement, Relationships-Sense of Community, and Academic Advisor Influence-Student Self-Efficacy. Developing a greater focus in these areas of academic advisement for online and distance education students may assist in increasing online and distance education student retention. Keywords: academic advising, adult learners, andragogy, online and distance education, self-efficacy, sense of community
The purpose of this study was to assess the congruence of perceptions of academic advising between students and advisers. Seventeen tasks involved in developmental academic advising were identified from a review of current academic advising literature. These criteria became the basis of a questionnaire that asked students whether their adviser fulfilled each task, and whether they were satisfied or dissatisfied overall with advisers. The same seventeen criteria were listed on a questionnaire distributed to academic advisers. Advisers were asked the degree to which they perceived students desired each advising task. Adviser and student perceptions were congruent on the majority of advising criteria, but three significant differences arose. Students reported wanting: a) more help setting goals than advisers perceived, b) encouragement in risk taking through different classes and involvement, and c) help with time management and study skills. Academic advisers rated these tasks significantly less important than did students. Other key discrepancies were between students' indications of academic advising tasks desired and advising tasks received. Help with goal setting again arose as a task desired but with which students did not receive assistance. Students also reported some tasks lacking that advisers rated as very important. Most advisers considered helping students with decision making to be important. Many students indicated that they are not receiving assistance in this area. Most advisers recognized the importance of remembering students' names. Students agreed that these tasks were important, yet many indicated dissatisfaction with both criteria. Students are looking to advisers as information sources pertaining to more than their field of study. They want advisers to be familiar with campus resources and different educational options; they also expressed significant dissatisfaction with these tasks, whether satisfied or dissatisfied overall with their advisers. Prevalent factors inhibiting academic advisers from performing desired tasks were lack of time, heavy workload, and overwhelming numbers of advisees. These may explain students' dissatisfaction with noted advising criteria. Advisers recognize most student desires, but are too overwhelmed to fulfill advising tasks. Training, communication, and an increased value and recognition of academic advising as a key retention tool are important means of approaching and accomplishing effective advising services.
The attrition of minority students is fast becoming a salient issue in higher education. Academic advising has long been viewed as a determinant of participation, persistence and success. Persistence focuses on retention. Participation and success are two objectives of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's initiative "Closing the Gap." This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to examine African American male college students' (AAMCSs) perceptions of advising center practices, advisor practices and affinity factors and their influence on participation and persistence. Data collected from a sample of 225 AAMCSs was analyzed to determine if academic advising was indeed a tool that facilitates participation and persistence. The findings suggest that there is a significant relationship between AAMCSs perceptions of advising center practices, advisor practices and affinity factors (family, peer, and social connections).