This workshop will prepare academic advisors to operate effectively while protecting themselves from becoming embroiled in controversy.

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A quantitative study was conducted to determine the preferences of undergraduate students for academic advisors as transformational leaders. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to undergraduate students enrolled in leadership classes at a major land grant university to determine importance ratings based on the variables including non-traditional and traditional students’ ages, classification, gender, number of times advised, number of visits to an academic advisor, membership in a collegiate military organization and athletics, and current leadership activities. Results indicated that undergraduate students preferred their academic advisors to use transformational leadership activities. There was no significant difference in the degree of preference of transformational leadership in their academic advisor based on gender, participation in athletics, traditional and non-traditional ages, classification, membership in a military organization and participation in a leadership position or number of times advised. However, inadequate representation of all groups within the number of times advised category prevented a comparative analysis. As a result of this study, a leadership education workshop was developed as a component for academic advisor training, academic advising activities were identified that corresponded to transformational leadership constructs and similarities were found between the developmental advising model and transformational leadership.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Linda P. Thurston / Navigation and completion of a doctoral degree presents numerous challenges, including managing and understanding the faculty advisor/advisee relationship. Research shows faculty advisors are a critical aspect of the doctoral student experience; however faculty advisors and doctoral students do not always have the same perceptions of the advisor/advisee relationship. This study focused on measuring perceptions of faculty advisors and doctoral students in STEM and social science disciplines on various aspects of the advisor/advisee relationship. Likert-style survey items were used to measure perceptions of six constructs, advisor attributes and characteristics, roles and functions, relationship behaviors, and the faculty advisor role in student academic success, professional socialization, and engagement. Surveys were completed by 137 faculty advisors and 131 doctoral students. Analysis of data was conducted using various methods, including comparison of descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and a factorial analysis of variance. Results of the data analysis revealed some significant differences between the perceptions of faculty advisors and doctoral students on several constructs. The discussion of results focuses on connections to current literature, as well as implications for future research and practice.

abstract: The impact of peer-leadership programs on undergraduate students has been studied since the inception of higher education. Programs such as peer-mentoring, peer-counseling, and peer-advising are regularly used within the college environment as there are proven benefits to both student leaders and mentees. However, there is limited content on students who plan to pursue higher education careers and experiential programs that prepare them for the field. Thus, this action research study is designed to examine the influence of a peer-advising program on participants who have identified their interest in various careers in the college setting. Employing a mixed-method approach to inquiry, the study connects Kolb’s (2005) Experiential Learning theory, and Chickering’s (1964) Vectors of Student Development to a hands-on learning experience designed to improve participants’ competency and clarity in their potential career choice. This study was conducted with the purpose of illustrating the role of experiential learning opportunities in higher education, particularly with a unique focus on undergraduate students desiring careers in the higher education field. Four senior students were positioned as peer-advisors assisting fellow students with academic related matters over one semester as a means of gaining competency and clarity in their pathway toward working in higher education. The results of the study indicate that peer-advising participants attributed program participation to increased career competency and clarity. There were also 64 student-advisee participants who found the program to be beneficial to their overall advising needs, as well as one professional advisor who found the program to be effective in decreasing her advising load during the study. The results of this study align with outcomes of pinnacle research and scholarship on experiential learning, and support the growing acknowledgment of the importance of applied learning experiences in higher education. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2017

Thesis advisor: Ana M. Martinez Alemán / Completion of a college degree has been highlighted as a prerequisite for opportunity (Obama White House Archives, February 24, 2009); necessary for a strong economy (Koropeckyj, et al., 2017). Yet, the rate of completion in the United States remains lower than desired, directing focus toward efforts to promote student success and degree attainment. Within this out-comes oriented climate, academic advising is often viewed solely in terms of its utilitarian value, a means for ushering students toward the final goal of college completion. Without a clear conceptualization of the role of academic advising within higher education, it will continue to be susceptible to political, institutional, and economic forces, making it difficult for either the practice or the scholarly field of study to progress. More importantly, the absence of clear theoretical foundation leaves the profession vulnerable, diminishing the potential to effectively support students. The dissertation will contribute to the theoretical literature on academic advising. Drawing on the work of Martin Heidegger (1927/1962) a contextually inclusive theory of academic advising is introduced, laying conceptual foundation in which interpretation is central, meaning and truth are iterative, and understanding is structured by the conditions of human existence. I maintain that effective academic advising involves recognition of how things have meaning, from where, within what context, and as impacted by the (dis)connections students have with others, over time. Such an attunement offers foundation for equitable practice, inclusive of all students, validating their experiences (Rendón, 1994; Rendón & Muñoz, 2011), identifying obstacles that might impede their performance (NACADA, 2022), allowing them to feel a sense of belonging (Strayhorn, 2018), and providing a space for students to experience meaningful accomplishment. Overall, the dissertation argues that academic advising ought to be educationally driven, learning-focused, concerned with student completion, and informed by an understanding of the human being, the individual student, as a contextualized interpreter. This theory points us to reconsider advising caseloads, training, and institutional information sharing, in an effort to support the interpretive processes necessary for effective academic advising. Moreover, it offers a space to think deeply about the nature of academic advising, what it ought to entail, and how to effectively support students. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

According to the ASEE publication Engineering by the Numbers, student retention and persistence to graduation are ongoing problems for engineering and engineering technology (ET) programs around the country. It is a well-established fact that the quality of interaction between a student and a concerned individual on campus, often through academic advising, is a key contributor to college retention. Over the years, academic advisors have developed effective advising strategies that research shows have positively impacted students' retention and their persistence to graduation. In this study, a national survey was conducted among academic advisors of ET programs in the USA. Results show that for ET students, retention and persistence to graduation are improved by personalized and caring advising, being proactive, keeping students focused on their plan of study, actively listening to students' complaints and concerns, acting on those concerns, and believing in the student. On the other hand, being passive, ignoring students' issues, embarrassing them on their academic struggles and limited knowledge about the curriculum and departmental procedures and practices are found to be the least effective. Overall, this study contributes to ET body of knowledge by providing ET academic advisors a set of best practices for student success. The findings of the study will also benefit ET faculty members, who directly or indirectly advise students, by sharpening their advising practices.

With the demographics of the United States changing at a rapid rate, a greater percentage of the population identifies as first-generation college students (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). Much of the literature available around first generation college students focuses on deficits in this population, noting lower retention and graduate rates compared to their non-first generation peers. The literature notes not having exposure to pre-existing knowledge around the college experience, given they are the first in their families to pursue postsecondary education, is a strong contributor to these poor outcomes (Cataldi et al, 2018; Collier & Morgan, 2008; O’Shea, 2016; Stephens et al, 2012). Next steps, however, require university administrators to view this population from a lens of opportunity and strengths to focus on how institutions can empower this group (Macia, 2013). In spite of the challenges faced, first generation college students have persevered and are seeking additional opportunities for educational advancement, requiring administrators to rewrite the deficit narrative in the literature and focus on how to empower first generation college students to persist and ultimately graduate. With more first generation college students seeking postsecondary education than ever before, universities need to adapt to the changing needs of the students enrolling in their programs and seek ways to build social capital in these students, which has been proven to promote self-efficacy, goal setting, and academic success, and ultimately higher retention rates (Fosnacht et al., 2017; Lotkowski et al., 2004; Tinto, 2007; Vander Schee, 2007; Young-Jones at al., 2013). Given the literature points to a strong connection between students building relationships with academic advisors and higher rates of retention and graduation, universities should focus on the professional development opportunities provided to advisors (Bettinger & Baker, 2014; Fosnacht et al, 2017; Mau & Fosnacht, 2019; Molina & Abelman, 2000; Swecker et al, 2013). This research focuses on a survey of 108 academic advisors across the mid-Atlantic region, including two-year and four-year institutions, both public and private as well those only granting bachelor degrees all the way up to those doctoral granting institutions. The 35 question survey was broken into three parts. Part one focused on utilizing the Mentoring Competency Survey, developed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to understand the development of key competencies related to mentorship, including maintain effective communication, aligning expectations, assessing understanding, fostering independence, addressing diversity, and promoting professional development (Fleming et al., 2013; University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2018). Part two focused on demographic questions taken from the 2011 NACADA National Survey These questions focused specifically on the advisor’s size of the home institution, understanding the advisor’s role (department-level, school-level or university-level), highest degree attained, and types of professional development available to the advisor (National Academic Advising Association Clearinghouse, 2017). The third section asked for general confidence ratings in working with first generation college students versus non-first generation college students and years of service. The survey results noted a general lack of professional development being provided to this population related to the needs of first-generation college students. Most reported minimal to no professional development opportunities in this area and those that did report noted limitation to the events, such as being one day workshops. Of those that reported more professional development opportunities around first generation college student, significant positive correlations for higher levels of confidence in working with this group were associated with having regularly scheduled meetings and out of office staff retreats that focused on first generation college student issues. Respondents also noted that having a series of workshops about general topics also boosted their confidence in working with first generation college students, which highlights the importance of complementing a professional development portfolio with information based on key content related to specific groups as well as generalized professional development that speaks best practices in the profession. Data from this survey promotes key ideas for future next steps, such as hiring and retention practices for academic advisors, setting professional development standards, utilizing competencies for professional growth and career advancement, and creating buy-in with students. Example and implementation ideas are also included for next-step planning. / Educational Administration

The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the academic advising needs of students as perceived by students and faculty advisors through faculty advising functions in the six teachers' colleges in Bangkok, Thailand. Fifteen faculty advising functions were included in a questionnaire validated by a panel of three judges. The questionnaires were distributed to students and faculty advisors in the six teachers' colleges by two selected research assistants. A total of 180 faculty advisors and 540 junior and senior teacher training students at the six teachers' colleges in Bangkok, Thailand, were selected using stratified random sampling. The usable and complete questionnaires received included 109 from faculty advisors (60.56 per cent) and 350 from students (64.81 per cent). The t-test, the Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance W, and the Spearman's Coefficient of Rank Correlation were employed to determine and compare the differences, the agreements, and the relationships of academic advising needs of students as perceived by students and faculty advisors, respectively. Analyses of the data revealed that students and faculty advisors in the six teachers' colleges in Bangkok, Thailand, perceived a mismatch between student advising needs now being fulfilled and student advising needs that should be fulfilled. Apparently, the academic advising programs in the teachers' colleges were not meeting the student needs. However, for student advising needs which should be fulfilled, both students and faculty advisors ranked personal, vocational and career, and academic areas very high. Overall, students and faculty seemed to agree on the advising needs which should be fulfilled.