Preparing Students for Success in a Multicultural World: Faculty Advisement and Intercultural Communication

Abstract

U.S. academic advisors are challenged to adapt to the educational needs of a culturally diverse student body. They are expected to prepare advisees for success in a multicultural, multilingual world. Presented are key findings from counseling, advisement, and intercultural communication literature that are associated with multicultural competence, including the academic and modeling role of the advisor. The authors also provide a promising conceptual framework of standards that can guide advisors who want to increase their multicultural communication advisement competence and who want to create a more systematic and comprehensive approach to expanding multicultural advisement scholarship.

Advising the Millennial Generation

“…While this is not always possible, training office staff to be competent multicultural communicators can help ensure that a diverse environment is promoted. According to Cornett-DeVito and Reeves (1999), empathy has been identified as a key skill in effective intercultural communication. Advisors should also illustrate "behavior flexibility toward students from different cultures .…”

Advising International Students in Engineering Programs: Academic Advisors' Perceptions of Intercultural Communication Competence

“…For instance, to understand international advisees better, academic advisors could spend more time in their initial meetings establishing rapport with these students and developing holistic views of each. This approach can help form and strengthen a trusting relationship especially for advisors and advisees who do not share similar cultural backgrounds (Cornett-DeVito & Reeves, 1999). We found that several advisors face challenges in assisting international students who struggled to understand the American higher education system and grading policies.…”

“…Numerous researchers have indicated that academic advising plays a pivotal role in student retention, personal development, and academic success (e.g., Hunter & White, 2004;Shelton, 2003;Young-Jones, Burt, Dixon, & Hawthorne, 2013). Advisors' skills in interpersonal relationships and intercultural communication comprise a critical component of quality advising (Cornett-DeVito & Reeves, 1999;Negronirodríguez, Dicks, & Morales, 2006;Zhang, 2015Zhang, , 2016. These skills take on increased importance when academic advisors interact with students who come from different cultural backgrounds, speak nonnative languages, or transfer from overseas educational systems.…”

“…These skills take on increased importance when academic advisors interact with students who come from different cultural backgrounds, speak nonnative languages, or transfer from overseas educational systems. To encourage effective assistance for students from many cultural backgrounds, Cornett-DeVito and Reeves (1999) called on academic advisors to ''model competent intercultural communication by demonstrating cultural awareness and sensitivity and by having a command of communication skills that lead to successful interactions with diverse persons' ' (p. 35).…”

Cumulative Subject Index to Volumes 16–30 of the NACADA Journal

“…Interviews for graduate admission (interviews) Sorenson & Jackson, 1997;Elam, Burke, Wiggs, & Speck, 1998 Intrusive advising (see Advising approaches) Learning communities (learning environment) Tinto, 1999;Heiss-Arms, Cabrera, & Brower, 2008 Learning paradigm Hemwall & Trachte, 2005 Learning Partnerships Model (LPM) (model programs) Pizzolato, 2006 Learning Legal issues (legal problems) Showell, 1998;Forsbach-Rothman, Padró, & Rice-Mason, 2005 defamation Showell, 1998 Modes of inquiry (inquiry) (hypothetical, assumptive, and phenomenological) Kuhn & Padak, 2006a Monitoring academic progress policy (MAPP) Severy & Slinger, 1996 Multicultural competence Shaffer, 1998a;Cornett-DeVito & Reeves, 1999 Multicultural diversity training (multicultural training) Shaffer, 1998a Multicultural issues Cornett-DeVito & Reeves, 1999;Guiffrida, 2004;Torres, Reiser, LePeau, Davis, & Ruder, 2006;Shaw & Barbuti, 2010Multipotentiality McDonald, 2003 Myths about studying abroad (myths or study abroad) Malmgren & Galvin, 2008N NACADA Fiddler & Alicea, 1996Dillon & Fisher, 2000;Lynch & Stucky, 2001;Steele, 2006;Schulenberg & Lindhorst, 2008;Barnes, Kuhn, & Grites, 2009;Habley, 2009;Joslin, 2009;Padak & Kuhn, 2009;Shaffer, Zalewski, & Leveille, 2010 awards (*) Beatty, 2009;Grites & Gordon, 2009b;…”