Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Keeping College Students in the Game: A Review of Academic Advising

  • Published:
Interchange Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Amidst declining state revenues, high transfer rates, and low student retention rates, academic advisors play increasingly crucial roles in attracting and retaining students at their institutions. Using a blend of structural functionalism and professionalism frameworks, the purpose of this literature review is to inform student affairs professionals and college administrators about the importance of academic advisors in their roles to encourage students to persist through their education at their postsecondary institutions. The findings from this review are intended to inform academic advisors and administrators at institutions of higher education on the roles academic advisors play in student retention efforts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alreck, P. L. & Settle, R. B. (2004). The survey research handbook (3rd ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill/Irwin.

  • Astin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Development,40(5), 518–529.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barr, M. J. (2002). Academic administrator’s guide to budgets and financial management (1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigger, J. J. (2005). Improving the odds for freshman success. Retrieved from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources. Retrieved from https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/First-Year.htm.

  • Brint, S., & Karabel, J. (1989). The diverted dream: Community colleges and the promise of educational opportunity in America, 1900–1985. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter, S., & Stimpson, M. T. (2007). Professionalism, scholarly practice, and professional development in student affairs. NASPA Journal,44(2), 265–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, A. M., Brawer, F. B., & Kisker, C. B. (2013). The American Community College (6th ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coquilette, D. R. (1994). Professionalism: The deep theory. North Carolina Law Review,72(5), 1271–1277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demetriou, C. & Schmitz-Sciborski, A. (2011). Integration, motivation, strengths and optimism: Retention theories past, present and future. In R. Hayes (Ed.), Proceedings of the 7th National Symposium on Student Retention, 2011, Charleston (pp. 300–312). Norman: The University of Oklahoma.

  • Donaldson, P., McKinney, L., Lee, M., & Pino, D. (2016). First-Year Community College Students’ perceptions of and attitudes toward intrusive academic advising. NACADA Journal,36(1), 30–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dowd, A. C., & Grant, J. L. (2006). Equity and efficiency of community college appropriations: The role of local financing. The Review of Higher Education,29, 169–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehrenberg, R. G., Zhang, L., & Levin, J. M. (2006). Crafting a class: The trade-off between merit scholarships and enrolling lower-income students. The Review of Higher Education,29, 195–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Filson, C. & Whittington, M.S. (2013). Engaging undergraduate students through academic advising. NACTA Journal. Retrieved from https://www.nactateachers.org/attachments/article/2150/6%20Filson%20Dec2013.pdf.

  • Habley, W. R. (1981). Academic advisement: The critical link to student retention. NASPS Journal, 18(4), 45–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harper, D.W. (2011). Structural-functionalism: Grand theory or methodology? Leicester: University of Leicester. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/1973019/STRUCTURAL_FUNCTIOANLISM_GRAND_THEORY_OR_METHODOLOGY.

  • Heller, D. E. (1997). Student price response in higher education: An update to Leslie and Brinkman. The Journal of Higher Education,68, 624–659.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, J. P. (2005). Review of the book Faculty advising examined: Enhancing the potential of college faculty as advisors. Journal of College Student Development,46, 564–566.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kezar, A. (2005). Consequences of radical change in governance: A grounded theory approach. The Review of Higher Education,76, 634–668.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, M. (2002). Community college advising. NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources. Retrieved fromhttp://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/comcollege.htm.

  • Levin, J. S. (2006). Faculty work: Tensions between educational and economic value. The Journal of Higher Education,77, 62–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Love, P., & Estanek, S. (2004). Rethinking student affairs practice (1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGill, C. G. (2018). Leaders’ perceptions of the professionalization of academic advising: A phenomenography. NACADA Journal,38(1), 88–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGill, C. G. (2019). The professionalization of academic advising: A structured literature review. NACADA Journal,39(1), 89–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McPherson, M. S., & Schapiro, M. O. (1998). The student aid game: Meeting need and rewarding talent in American higher education. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nutt, C.L. (2003). Academic advising and student retention and persistence. NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources. Retrieved from https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Retention.htm.

  • Pascarella, E. T., Pierson, C. T., Wolniak, G. C., & Terenzini, P. T. (2004). First generation college students: Additional evidence on college experiences and outcomes. The Journal of Higher Education,75(3), 249–284. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.2004.0016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pascarella, E. T. (2006). How college affects students: Ten directions for future research. Journal of College Student Development,47(5), 508–520.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: a third decade of research. Volume 2. Indianapolis: Jossey-Bass Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pichon, H. W. (2019). Parental attachment of students as they move through Tinto’s rites of passage: Separation, transition, and incorporation. Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education,4, 19–32. https://doi.org/10.28945/4326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shin, J. C., & Milton, S. (2006). Rethinking tuition effects on enrollment in public four-year colleges and universities. The Review of Higher Education,29, 213–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C. W. (2000). Market values in American higher education: The pitfalls and promises. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stage, F. K., & Dannells, M. (Eds.). (2012). Linking theory to practice: Case studies for working with college students (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: Accelerated Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terenzini, P. T. (1987). A review of selected theoretical models of student development and collegiate impact. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED292382.pdf.

  • Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tinto, V. & Pusser, B. (2006). Moving from theory to action: Building a model of institutional action for student success [Report]. National Postsecondary Education Cooperative.

  • Tinto, V. (2017). Reflections on student persistence. Student Success,8(2), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.v8i2.376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Upcraft, M. L., & Gardner, J. N. (1989). The freshmen year experience: Helping students survive and succeed in college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Upcraft, M. L., & Kramer, G. L. (Eds.). (1995). First year academic advising: Patterns in the present, pathways to the future. Columbia: University of South Carolina.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study did not receive funding.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert W. Elliott.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author declares he has no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by the author.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Elliott, R.W. Keeping College Students in the Game: A Review of Academic Advising. Interchange 51, 101–116 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-020-09401-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-020-09401-5

Keywords

Navigation