Developmental Advising: Practices and Attitudes of Faculty Advisors

Abstract

In an attempt to join theory and practice and contribute to the teaching function of academic advising, advising procedures at two colleges were studied. After participating in organized advising programs, students reported the nature of the advising they received Then faculty advisors in programs rated as developmental by their students answered questions about specific advising attitudes and practices. The results suggest effective advisor attitudes and practices.

Academic advising—traditional or developmental approaches?: Student perspectives

“…This contrasts to the administrative short-term function of the traditional approach. When advisers encourage students to plan by asking open-ended questions about students' futures, their majors, and selection of courses, they encourage students to become involved in their academic futures (Frost, 1993) and integrate the student into the educational process (Crookston, 1972). Greenwood (1 984) describes developmental academic advising as one of the most important and influential components of a higher education institution, arguing that it has the capacity to become a primary integrating factor that brings students, staff and curriculum together into a truly meaningful educational whole.…”

Advising Alliances: Sharing Responsibility for Student Success

“…(Frost, 1993) Developmental advisors rarely make decisions for students. Rather they encourage students to ask open-ended questions, use campus resources to find answers, and plan courses of study and schedules around the outcomes of their explorations.…”

Faculty Socialization into the Advising Role: An Examination of Information and Information Sources that Shape Role Learning

“…Because the complexity of advising has increased since the mid-1980s (Ryan, 1995), lack of role-acquisition understanding is problematic. Researchers have examined faculty member perceptions of advising (Dillon & Fisher, 2000;Frost, 1993;Kelly, 1995;Kramer, 1984;Larsen & Brown, 1983;Mahoney, Borgard, & Hornbuckle, 1978), but few have systematically studied the communication dynamics surrounding faculty socialization into the advising role.…”