Virtual Academic Advising in Challenging Times

Abstract

With the rapid shift to remote learning because of the pandemic, the academic advisors of colleges and universities had to adapt and change some of the ways they were advising the traditional higher education students. In this new normal, where social distance needs to be present and non-traditional education takes precedence in the learning environment, academic advisors had to rapidly adjust and use different technology tools of virtual advising. Over the past few years, colleges and universities that offer distance education programs have been struggling in engaging and retaining their non-traditional online learners. However, with the pandemic, these institutions may encounter the challenge of not only retaining the non-traditional students but also, the new distance learners. Therefore, academic advisors will need to use creative ways of providing advising services in this new learning environment. Many studies have demonstrated that virtual advising has been helpful to aid the distance education students. Virtual advising uses different technology applications and platforms. Using it correctly can help students and advisors with the registration cycles and with any other concerns the students may have. In this chapter, the author explains academic advising and the role of an advisor, the definition of virtual advising, the importance of combining the different approaches of academic advising into virtual advising, and the different technology tools that can assist academic advisors when doing their job of supporting the students in the new learning environment.