"Good advising may be
the single most underestimated characteristic of a successful college experience."
– R.J. Light
Advising Research & Best Practices
Advising is a critical component of higher education. Faculty advisors are able to not only guide students through increasing knowledge and developing skill in their respective academic disciplines; but faculty advisors hold unique positions in which they are able to guide students in developing overall educational and career plans (Baker & Griffin, 2010; White & Schulenberg, 2012).
NACADA - The Global Community for Academic Advising
NACADA promotes and supports quality academic advising in institutions of higher education to enhance the educational development of students. NACADA provides a forum for discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas pertaining to academic advising through numerous activities and publications. NACADA also serves as an advocate for effective academic advising by providing a Consulting and Speaker Service and funding for Research related to academic advising.
The Mentor - Innovative Scholarship on Academic Advising
The Mentor is a peer-reviewed, electronic, open access journal devoted to introducing new and unsettling existing ideas relevant to academic advising in higher education. Founded in 1999 and originally known as The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal, it was renamed The Mentor: Innovative Scholarship on Academic Advising in 2018 to reflect its rich history of publishing innovative ideas.
Articles of Interest
Authored by: Cathy Kennemer and Bob Hurt 2013
Students get advice on many different subjects from many different sources during their years in higher education. One of the most important sources is the faculty advisor. In this article, we present information designed to spark interest in faculty advising, to showcase its importance and to point out pervasive issues as points for discussion and / or research. First, we discuss the importance of faculty advising; the second section of the article outlines characteristics of faculty advisors. We conclude by presenting challenges faced by many faculty advisors.
Comparing Undergraduate Satisfaction with Faculty and Professional Advisers: A Multi-Method Approach
The mentor: an academic advising journal
Abstract
Given that “the quality of academic advising is the single most powerful predictor of satisfaction with the campus environment,” it is disturbing to note that college students rank advising so unfavorably
(Carey, 2008, p.12). Using a mixed-method approach (survey data followed by focus group interviews), this article addresses an important paradox: While student satisfaction with faculty advising is very polarized, tending to rate this kind of interaction very favorably or very poorly, students’ experience with professional advisers is less variable, receiving neither very high or very low satisfaction ratings. This article argues that these results stem from a disconnect between students’ expectations of advisers compared to what advisers assume is expected from them, and importantly, what they can realistically deliver. We conclude with a discussion about policy implications and suggestions.
Assessment for Faculty Advising: Beyond the Service Component (PDF)
NACADA Journal Volume 37 (2) 2017
The faculty plays a critical role in the academic advising process in higher education settings. On the basis of a review of current literature on faculty advising, we propose a paradigm shift from assessment of faculty advising to assessment for faculty advising that extends the consideration of advising beyond the service component. Building upon an overview of the faculty advisor role, we unpack this paradigm shift and discuss aspects to consider to enhance the quality and assessment for faulty advising in terms of advising content, process, and impact. We highlight faculty engagement in the scholarship of academic advising to recognize faculty advising as more than faculty service responsibilities.