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The purpose of this study was to examine the type of advising conducted (prescriptive v. developmental), the type of information sought, and the level of participant satisfaction gained through online academic advising. For purposes of this study, online academic advice was defined as advice or information provided by an academic department obtained via the Internet to improve the student's academic experience. The three types of online academic advice considered for this study included (a) email correspondence with an academic advisor, (b) instant messaging or chat based conversation between a participant and an academic advisor, (c) and obtaining academic information from a department supported web page. To obtain a sample for this study, academic deans were contacted by email and asked to distribute a link for an online survey to their respective undergraduate student populations. Data was collected by administering a version of Winston and Sandor's (1984) Academic Advising Inventory (AAI) modified specifically for this study. Participants were asked to complete the multiple-choice instrument online. The researcher conducted t-tests, ANOVAs, and Tukey post-hoc tests on the data in an effort to examine the mean scores between four groups: (a) gender, (b) type of residency, (c) race, and (d) academic college. The data revealed significant results pertaining to several key differences between groups including gender, race, and academic college. The findings shed light on needs and satisfaction of students who receive academic advice online. The results suggest ways to provide consistency among the online academic advising methods of different academic colleges and ways to better meet the needs of students in an effort to increase retention. / Master of Arts

This study was designed to explore the advising styles that are currently perceived and preferred by African American and White students in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. The high attrition rate of African Americans in the engineering colleges both nationally and at Virginia Tech makes it critical to investigate what can be done to increase retention. The lack of awareness of academic advising preferences could be a major component in the high attrition of African American students in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. Moreover, increased awareness and understanding for advisors, faculty, administrators and even students will befall, and in turn strengthen retention. The purpose of this study was to determine; (a) the current advising African American and White students in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech are perceiving; prescriptive versus developmental; and (b) what the preferences are for advising African American and White students in engineering; prescriptive versus developmental. This study specifically examined the comparisons between race, gender, classification, grade point average (GPA), and major. The instrument that was administered via the Internet is called the Academic Advising Inventory (Winston & Sander, 1984). This four-part instrument measures the level of the developmental or prescriptive advising that occurs between students and advisors and student satisfaction with advising in the College of Engineering. The sample consisted of a total of 373 undergraduate engineering students, 265 (71%) males and 108 (29%) females. African Americans made up 35% (n = 132) of the sample and Whites 65% (n = 241). The sample consisted of 25% (n = 93) African American males, 10% (n = 39) African American females, 46% (n = 172) White males, and 19% (n = 69) White females. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests were conducted to analyze differences in advising style when categorized by race, gender, classification, GPA, and major. The results revealed a significant difference between the style of academic advising currently perceived by African American and White engineering students. The majority of the African Americans reported receiving prescriptive advising and the majority of the Whites reported receiving a developmental style of advising. The results also indicated that the majority of the African American males (55%) perceived receiving a prescriptive style of advising. When looking at African Americans when categorized by classifications, all reported receiving a prescriptive style of advising. The junior class of African Americans was the only group that is borderline prescriptive/developmental. The ANOVA test also indicated a significant interaction between race and GPA. Results showed that African Americans engineering students in the GPA categories of 1.0-1.9 and 2.0-2.9 reported receiving prescriptive advising, while the 3.0-3.9 category of African Americans reported receiving developmental advising. This data was not consistent with White students in the GPA category of 1.0-1.9. All White students regardless of GPA reported receiving a developmental style of advising. All engineering students regardless of race, gender, classification, GPA, or major preferred a developmental style of advising. African American females significantly preferred a more developmental style of advising than the other groups. A Chi square test of independence also indicated that a significantly large portion of African American students felt that their academic advisor did not understand them. / Ph. D.

abstract: The theory of learning centered academic advising states that the purpose of advising is to teach undergraduate students about the logic and purpose of their education. Previous scholarship on learning centered advising has focused on the theoretical or on implementation by faculty at small colleges and universities. Methods for supporting learning centered advising in other contexts are lacking. This mixed methods, action research study investigates the efficacy of FaculTea, a professional development program designed to promote learning centered advising practices among professional academic advisors at a large state university. The study also measured frequency of learning centered advising and student perceptions of learning centered advising. Participants were 57 academic advisors in a liberal arts and sciences college at a large state university, who reported on their advising practices. In addition, the investigator interviewed four advisors, and observed them during 15 advising appointments. Also, six students were interviewed to determine their response to learning centered academic advising. Results showed the FaculTea program model was effective in promoting learning centered advising. In addition, advisors used learning centered advising to a moderate extent, depending upon the context of the appointment, the developmental level of the student, and experience level of the advisor. Student responses varied. These findings suggest learning centered advising can be incorporated into various academic advising contexts and structures and that FaculTea is an excellent model for learning centered academic advisor professional development. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Leadership and Innovation 2013

Academic advising has been a part of United States (U.S.) colleges and universities since their inception, yet academic advising as we know it today is a relatively new profession. Over the last several decades, many colleges and universities have employed professional advisors, rather than teaching and learning faculty, to carry out the academic advising functions however little is known about the structures of these advising programs. Academic advisors often serve on the front lines (i.e., high student contact hours) and advocate for student success by supporting students in learning about their institutions, uncovering their personal and professional goals, and encouraging them to pursue life goals. However, the responsibility of academic advising and advisors varies at institutions of higher education across the country and this variation is not well understood. The purpose of this research was to better understand the structures of engineering academic advising at large four-year, primarily residential institutions with a first-year engineering program. To accomplish this purpose, the following overarching research question guided my study: How do first-year engineering programs structure academic advising, and what services, programs, and support are in place for academic advisors and students? To answer this question, I used a qualitative multi-case study design to understand the landscape of advising in first-year engineering programs and the organizational structures of their advising programs. I used Habley's Organizational Models for Academic Advising (1983) as a way to categorize the structures of academic advising and Frank's (1993) Integrated Model of Academic Advising Program Development as a conceptual framework for understanding how academic advising programs develop, the services provided, programming available, and how to enable the advisors to better support the student population. My findings include identifying: 1) several similarities between case sites' organizational structures of advising, 2) new student orientation and major exploration as main services offered at all sites, 3) a lack of formalized planning across all case sites, and 4) the prominence of advisor training with a desire to have more formal advisor recognition programs. Recommendations for future research, practice, and policy are provided along with a proposal for a new model for First-Year Engineering Advising Programs. / Doctor of Philosophy / Academic advising is a function within higher education that serves students by providing guidance to navigate the higher education system. Academic advisors often serve on the front lines of the higher education environment and advocate for student success by supporting students in learning about their institutions of higher education, uncovering their personal and professional goals, and encouraging them in their academic pursuit. Academic advising has been a part of the United States (U.S.) higher education system at colleges and universities since their inception, yet academic advising, as we know it today is a relatively new profession. Over the last several decades, many colleges and universities have employed individuals to serve as professional academic advisors. These individuals spend the majority of their time and availability on the sole function of academic advising. However, the responsibility of academic advising and advisors varies at institutions of higher education across the country and this variation is not well understood. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the responsibilities and organizations of first-year engineering academic advising programs at large four-year, primarily residential institutions with a first-year engineering program. I interviewed individuals at universities and analyzed relevant advising program documents to understand the evolution of their advising programs, the services they provide, their program goals, and professional development available to them. My research uncovered 1) several similarities among the organization of the advising programs, 2) key academic services such the onboarding process for students known as new student orientation and methods to help student select an academic major, 3) a need to develop program planning initiatives and 4) the existence of training and lack of advising awards. Recommendations for future research, practice, and policy are provided along with a proposal for a new model for First-Year Engineering Advising Programs.

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of academic advising needs by faculty advisors and students at Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, Thailand, using the Academic Advising Needs Questionnaire developed by Thomas H. Burke. The assessment is based on age, sex, education level, academic rank, years of advising, and number of advisees. The questionnaire consisted of 15 items, using a four-point rating scale. The population consisted of a total of 280 faculty members and 700 resident students at all seven faculties at Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 230 faculty members or 82.14 percent of the sampling and a total of 561 students or 80.14 percent of the sampling participated in this study. The t-test, Spearman s Coefficient of Rank Correlation, and Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance W were used in the follow-up assessment, with the level of significance at .05. Data were collected by means of two Academic Advising Needs Questionnaires for this study. Questionnaires were distributed to faculty advisors and students. While students revealed some degree of need in all advising areas, the five highest ranked items were: (1) serve as a student's personal reference for prospective employers and/or graduate goals, (2) assist students in obtaining part-time work experiences (paid or unpaid) which complement their career and/or educational goals, (3) assist students with career/vocational planning, (4) help students explore possible graduate/professional school study, and (5) provide students with academic advice and suggestions for scholastic improvement. Faculty responses indicated student need in all advising areas; the five highest ranked items were: (1) assist students with career/vocational planning, (2) help students explore possible graduate/professional school study, (3) assist students in selecting a major, (4) inform students of the employment opportunities in the students' intended fields of study, and (5) assist students in obtaining part-time work experiences (paid or unpaid) which complement their career and/or educational goals.

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenographic study was to understand the experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives of new, primary role academic advisors at four-year public institutions in the United States. Research on advising has provided insight into advising best practices and the student perceptions of academic advising; however, there is little research illustrating current primary role academic advisors and their experience, or perhaps lack thereof. To receive highly coveted federal and state funding, higher education institutions must show growth in student success. Academic advisors are on the front lines of student success because they are tasked with the responsibility of retaining students at the respective institution through graduation. Research has indicated the importance of effective advising as it directly relates to student success metrics. Only recently have a small number of post-secondary graduate programs in the United States established certificate or degree programs specific to academic advising. Also, there are no required training standards for the profession. Because of this, advisors arrive on campus with diverse educational and occupational backgrounds and experiences that may or may not be related to their work with students that directly impacts student success. This research involved interviews with 17 new, primary role academic advisors at four-year public institutions in the United States. Participants discussed their educational and occupational backgrounds and experiences prior to entering the advising profession, their training and development experiences, and their knowledge and perceptions of NACADA’s Core Competency Model and student development theory as it applies to advising. This study added to the gaps in literature by providing specific examples of experience and knowledge of academic advisors currently working with students in the United States. Additionally, there are vast differences in advisor knowledge and understanding of NACADA’s Conceptual Core Competency and student development theories. Many advisors are aware of ideas related to professional best practices whereas others understand specific concepts related to best practices in academic advising. The findings may be used to address the necessity of implementing a university-wide, standard training and development program using NACADA’s Core Competency model as a guide for effective advising practice.

The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive study was to identify the self-perceived leadership styles of college academic advisors and to explore the variance in the perceived leadership styles based on demographic information such as academic advising approaches, institutional type, age, years of experience, and gender. Participants were 225 college advisors from among 5,066 members of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) during the 2013-2014 academic year who met study criteria and whose email invitation to complete an online survey was presumably delivered, rendering a 4.44% response rate. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Version 5X (MLQ 5X) with five supplemental questions was used for data collection The composite score for leadership style served as the dependent variable, and advising approach, institutional type, age, years of experience, and gender served as the independent variables for the study. Descriptive statistics, frequency distribution, and a factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for data analysis. The descriptive statistics for this study revealed that college academic advisors represent all points along the entire spectrum of the Full Range Model of Leadership continuum employing different leadership behaviors based on the situation. The descriptive data were supported by the frequency distributions per case which identified transformational leadership as the perceived dominant leadership style for the college academic advisors in this study. A priori to conducting the factorial ANOVA, Leneve’s test for homogeneity of variance indicated a statistically significant coefficient, thus violating the assumption of data normality and rendering the ANOVA findings uninterpretable. An implication of this study is that transformational leadership is the most desired leadership style of the Full Range Model of Leadership for college academic advisors. If this is true, professional development activities for college academic advisors should focus on strengthening transformational leadership behaviors/techniques including with whom and when this leadership style should be employed compared to the other Full Range Model of Leadership styles

This study is concerned with the problem of providing a program of formal advising for aiding elementary education majors in their selection of an academic area of specialization. .