This study identifies organizational structures within academic departments specifically for advising undergraduate students and examines correlations with selected academic disciplines. The conceptual framework incorporates theoretically grounded models, contributing to the knowledge base concerning administration of student services in academic disciplines. / The predominant literature dates from 1978 to 1990; earlier organizational theories enhance the conceptual framework. This study addresses the gap in higher education literature, left by research reports emphasizing organizational structures at institutional levels, and focuses on departmental levels, where the majority of students seek academic advising. / Advising students is an integral link in the educational process at many universities because research shows that academic advising contributes to student retention. Effective academic advising may be an indirect predictor of retention. Student retention and prudent resource allocation, prominent reasons for implementing appropriate organizational structures which contribute to competent advising, encourages and prepares students for successful academic pursuits. Therefore, the study findings are useful to administrators seeking ways to improve academic advising, subsequently enhancing student services. / A national survey of advising activities in academic departments was conducted to collect data from department chairpersons. Statistically significant relationships existed between Dimensions of Undergraduate Academic Advising and academic disciplines; and between academic disciplines and institutional characteristics. Chi square tests of statistical significance and canonical correlation were calculated for the variable groups. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-10, Section: A, page: 3538. / Major Professor: Allan Tucker. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

The purpose of this study was to extend previous research by comparing two career development programs, one computer-based (CHOICES) and the other a pencil-and-paper-based, the Self-Directed Search, on information-seeking behavior. Subjects were randomly selected from the eleventh grade class from the Developmental Research School at Florida State University. These students were assigned to either the CHOICES group or the SDS group. / Basic to this investigation and its findings was the identification and examination of factors and processes that foster information-seeking behavior. Using the six categories of information-seeking behavior as described by Stewart (1969), this investigator developed an Interview Schedule which was used to gather the post-treatment data. The data analysis procedure employed measured the relative frequencies of responses to the questions from the Interview Schedule. / Chi-square and t-tests were used to determine if there were significant differences in the information-seeking behavior of the two groups. Means and standard deviations were used to report satisfaction scores from the Feedback Sheet administration for CHOICES and the SDS. / Sixty respondents were sampled during the data collection. According to the results, there were no significant differences in the information-seeking behavior of the CHOICES group in comparison to the SDS group. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-06, Section: A, page: 1371. / Major Professor: Robert L. Lathrop. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.

This was an investigation of lawyer occupational stress. The responses (n = 310) of a systematic random sample (n = 1,076) of the total in-state Florida attorney population (N = 30,128) were analyzed for statistically significant relationships between the dependent variable, lawyer occupational stress, and the independent variables physical well being, regressive coping techniques, social well being, number of years in practice and the size of law firm. Demographic data were collected. / The Lawyer Stress and Life Style Inventory was especially developed for this study. Reliability analysis of pilot test data from the stress scale yielded a Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of.92. / A lawyer occupational stress regression model was tested with 12 possible predictor variables i.e., social well being, alcohol use, cigarette use, physical exercise, caffeine consumption, depression, worry, physical well being, TV, age, weight and height. / Depression, age, worry and physical well being were statistically significant at the.05 level. A post hoc stepwise regression analysis added "lack of knowledge about how to relax" to the final prediction model which explained 20 percent of the variance of lawyer occupational stress. / The Lawyer Stress Inventory, The Lawyer Stress and Life-Style Inventory and the Lawyer Occupational Stress Index are presented along with an integration of the study with past stress and burnout research, recommendations for future research and suggestions for practical applications. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-12, Section: A, page: 3053. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

The factors that have influenced counseling services to first generation students with scarce economic resources who have completed a Bachelor's degree

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Counseling and Educational Psychology, 2007. / Title from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 25, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: A, page: 0514. Advisers: Rex Stockton; Jeffrey Daniels.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Debra D. Bragg. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 205-212) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Counseling and Educational Instruction, School of Education, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 4, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-04, Section: B, page: 2572. Adviser: Thomas L. Sexton.

<p> Counselor supervision has evolved as a skillset unique from counseling in the last 30 years. Approaches to counselor supervision, often created with counselor developmental models in mind, are examined, and the author claims that a combination of postmodern approaches to counselor supervision (narrative, systemic, reflective, and IPR strategies), referred to as constructivist approaches, are worthy of additional consideration and assessment. However, no instrument currently exists that validates constructivist approaches to counselor supervision. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore constructivist themes and characteristics associated with constructivist supervisors and supervisees' preference for each of the constructivist supervisor characteristics. The author sent a peer-reviewed and pilot-tested Constructivist Supervisor Scale to multiple counselor supervises. A principal components analysis was used to determine how many components are representative of constructivist supervision. Three components were revealed during the exploratory process: Warm and non-directive relationship, past and present experiences, and acceptance of various styles. Results also revealed that supervisees preferred constructivist supervisor characteristics. Future supervisors can use the Constructivist Supervisor Scale to determine whether constructivist methods are being used during supervision. The Constructivist Supervisor Scale can also be used to assess supervisees' preference for constructivist supervisor characteristics. </p>

The purpose of this study was to examine minority student college persistence. The research setting was a public, Research I institution located in the Southwest. A longitudinal, qualitative research approach was used in which twenty-five students were interviewed at the beginning of their freshmen year, and again, approximately seven years later. Through the analysis of the minority students' experience, a theory of minority student persistence was developed called the Theory of Navigation. The results indicate that minority students experience college differently than their white students cohort. Traditional theories of student persistence do not fully explain their experience. The findings of this research could affect how colleges nationwide serve their minority student populations.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect that the principals' leadership styles, attitudes, and beliefs, and school district leadership had on the successful implementation of a new innovation in elementary schools such as the Comprehensive Competency Based Guidance (CCBG) program. This study was conducted in a small, fast growing rural district in southwestern United States during the spring of 2003. Subjects interviewed in this study were five elementary principals, three elementary counselors, one governing board member, one assistant superintendent, and one student services director. When the elementary CCBG program was first implemented in the Mountain Vista School District (MVSD) in 1991, three counselors worked part-time at each of seven schools. District leadership, not site leadership, proved to be the most important factor in the diffusion of the CCBG program. District leadership provided strong direction to principals to implement a CCBG program where counselors would work in the classroom with all students. One high school counselor took the impetus to improve the high school counseling program in 1986 and created a personal vision which grew into a district vision. District leadership in the MVSD came to share a common vision to increase the number of counselors in the district to fully implement the CCBG program. A governing board member, an assistant superintendent, and the student services director were the influential district leaders. This study confirms that successful implementation of an innovation must have the advocacy of the governing board and district administrators to successfully implement an innovation. Principals provided the site support for the implementation of the CCBG program while district leaders keep the focus on using counselors to implement the CCBG program and working to fund additional elementary counselors. Results of the interviews also revealed that an innovation champion and change agent is needed to diffuse a program and take it from the agenda setting stage of the innovation process to the routinizing stage. The student services director was the innovation champion and her work for 17 years was essential in routinizing the CCBG program.