Perceptions of Academic Advising and Freshman Student Retention

The purpose of this research study was to examine student perceptions of academic advising and determine the relationship between academic advising and student persistence. The first focus assessed views on academic advising and compared students' perceptions of advising based on their primary advising delivery system: faculty advisor, professional advisor or peer advisor. Directed by Tinto's (1975) theory of individual student departure, the second focus examined the predictive quality of factors associated with student enrollment. Perceptions of academic advising were isolated and added to the model and their unique contribution to student enrollment behavior examined. Two separate data sets were constructed for the purpose of this research study. The first sample consisted of 3943 undergraduates at Florida State University enrolled during the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 academic years. The FSU Satisfaction Inventory, an instrument designed to evaluate experiences within the campus setting, was the data source for this study. The second sample comprised a freshman subset of the original sample and included 2064 participants. Satisfaction data was combined with academic and enrollment information and groups of returning and departing students were compared. Quantitative findings revealed areas where students were most and least satisfied with academic advising. Significant differences were observed among advisor types. Students were most satisfied with advising when professional advisors were selected as their primary advisor compared to faculty or peer advisors. No significant differences or multivariate effects were observed between returning and departing students in regard to academic advising or the other constructs of Tinto's model including social integration, academic integration or commitment levels. Results revealed three significant and positive correlations between the academic advising and academic integration scales. These results suggest that perceptions of academic advising function as a valid place within the academic integration construct. It is recommended that institutions educate students on where to seek academic advising on their campuses, and for advisors to make every effort to deliver developmental advising to their students. It is suggested that further research on this topic continue to explore an empirical link between academic advising and student retention through the use of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.