Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Academic Advising Of Undergraduates In Communication: Structural Models And Service Challenges Identified By Faculty, Douglas J. Swanson Ed.D Apr

Douglas J. Swanson, Ed.D APR

Undergraduate students need effective academic advising to succeed in college (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Mastrodicasa, 2001; Kramer, 2003). Advising within communication disciplines has received little research attention, and is not even mentioned in one key journal’s research agenda for the new millennium (Friedrich, 2002). This national survey of faculty, a starting point for further investigation, found faculty carry the major burden of advising, are seldom trained for it, and carry out a variety of time- consuming tasks beyond face-to-face student contact. Several areas of apparent deficiency were identified in regard to faculty preparation for, involvement in, and communication about advising.