College Advising: An Analysis of Advisor‐advisee Roles

Abstract

A survey of about 300 students and 14 staff members in one department of a major university revealed some interesting data about advisor‐advisee relationships. The objective was to investigate four areas: (a) student expectations of college advisors, (b) characteristics of good advisors, (c) student roles in advising process, and (d) faculty relationships. The study disclosed that advising was restricted to academic‐educational guidance. Staff members felt a need to expand these relationships to personal, social, and vocational guidance. In view of student demands for more relevant learning experiences, the present system of advising should be reevaluated.

Advisee‐advisor communication: An exploratory study examining interpersonal communication variables in the graduate advisee‐advisor relationship

“…Another area of research has examined the perceptions advisors and advisees have of their interaction roles. Witters and Miller (1970) analyzed the relationship between advisors' and advisees' roles and expectations and concluded that advising is the fundamental component for the advisees' educational experience in graduate school.…”

Advising Experiences and Needs of Online, Cohort, and Classroom Adult Graduate Learners

“…In contrast, those who related negative advising experiences had been assigned advisors who held infrequent meetings (identified as fewer than two per semester), demonstrated no knowledge of students' research topics, and did not treat students like equal partners (Schlosser et al, 2003). Outside of the aforementioned research, much of the literature on graduate student advising is signifi cantly dated (e.g., Berg & Ferber, 1983;Grives & Wemmerus, 1988;Magoon & Holland, 1984;Witters & Miller, 1970).…”