Evaluation of a Pilot Program of Faculty Advising at an Urban Commuter University
To evaluate a pilot program of faculty advising at a large, public, urban, commuter university, 448 pairs of entering students, both freshmen and transfer students, were matched on various demographic and academic variables. One student from each pair was assigned to a faculty advisor. Outcome variables included satisfaction with the university, perception of faculty, grade point average, and retention through the first year. The research design was compromised because of a low rate of participation by students assigned to an advisor. Results suggest that students who felt comfortable and respected during the advising session left with more favorable attitudes toward the university and the faculty.
Contributor Notes
Joseph P. Stokes is Professor of Psychology. During the year this study was conducted, he was also Visiting Assistant Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The author wishes to thank LAS faculty, staff, and students for their help in conducting the study. He also acknowledges the help of Rebecca Burzette and Victoria Crawshaw in collecting and analyzing the evaluation data and Julie Smith, Office of Planning and Resources Management, in providing data that allowed the original matching of students in the pilot study. Address correspondence concerning this article to Joseph P. Stokes, Psychology (mlc 285), University of Illinois at Chicago, P.O. Box 4348, Chicago, IL 60680.
