First-Year Student Perceptions of Academic Advisement: A Qualitative Study and Reality Check

Abstract

Researchers on student preferences for academic advising style suggest that students prefer developmental advising but experience prescriptive advising. However, data regarding first-year students are absent from these studies, thus limiting the conclusions. Therefore, I describe first-year students and their expectations and experiences with academic advisement. Students in the study preferred prescriptive advising and described their advising experience as primarily prescriptive. Further examination of first-year students' advising preferences and consideration of effective advising as a developmental process, rather than a static philosophy of either developmental or prescriptive advising, is indicated.

Qualitative Analysis of Student Perceptions: “Some Advisors Care. Some Don't.”

“…This finding is echoed in Smith's (2002) research, which supports the assertion that college students believe their college advisors take responsibility for functions similar to those of high school guidance counselors, such as knowing the easiest classes, structure and content of each course, and instruction style of the professor. Connecting our model to Smith's findings, we argue that expectations of university advising proceed from experiences with high school guidance counselors and also explain the way student interpretations of advisor accessibility, communication, and relational qualities are colored by the process experienced during their transition.…”

“…We found that the transition from meeting with high school guidance counselors to working with college academic advisors challenges students (F ¼ 154, 17%) because the distinction between the two professions remains unclear (Smith, 2002). Some students explained that their interactions with high school guidance counselors involved more than scheduling, checking grades, and preparing for college.…”

“…In addition, students recruited for interviews may have been more aware or appreciative of advising than students who did not agree to participate. The large sample size, compared to similar studies, for examining student narratives focused on perception of advising serves as a strength of this study; for comparison, Montag et al (2012) studied 49 participants in eight focus groups, and Smith (2002) interviewed 34 participants in four focus groups. Additional strengths include the large variety of advising centers represented and the rich quality of the data from the qualitative approach used.…”

The impact of participation in a first-year seminar on increased usage of campus resources, academic and social integration and first-to-second-semester persistence at a two-year community and technical college.

“…Students who perceive academic advisors as good or excellent are more likely to interact with faculty and perceive the collegiate environment to be more supportive (Creamer & Scott, 2000;Crockett, 1978;Frost, 1991;Gordon & Habley, 2000;Habley, 2000;Ishler, 2005;McArthur, 2005;Smith, 2002;Wychoff, 1999). Academic advising plays an integral role in students' success throughout their educational career.…”

Survey of Needs and Expectations for Academic Advising in a Hong Kong University

“…Some concluded that university students prefer the prescriptive approach (Fielstein, 1989;Motterella, Fritzsche, & Cerabino, 2004;Smith, 2002); others found that students prefer the developmental approach (Broadbridge, 1996;Herndon, Kaiser, & Creamer, 1996;Winston & Sandor, 1984). Because findings show no consistent preference on the approach, conclusions about the most appropriate or effective in meeting students' needs remain elusive.…”