NACADA Review Volume 4: Issue 1

We are again very happy to expand the boundaries of scholarship related to academic advising. As you may know, the NACADA Review seeks to amplify new voices, showcase a variety of methodologies, and embrace different epistemologies; all in service of our goal to broaden our understanding of academic advising as a practice and a field of study.

The articles that make up this issue are an excellent example of the many lenses that we can use to better “see” academic advising and its effects on students, practitioners, and institutions of higher education around the world.

The issue begins

During the COVID-19 pandemic, academic advisors worked remotely and conducted virtual appointments. One higher education advising unit in the Southeast United States resumed in-person appointments while maintaining virtual appointments in Fall 2021. To address whether significant differences occur in appointment modalities, this study conducted dual surveys to students and advisors and assessed a quantitative comparison between virtual and in-person advising. Students preferred virtual appointments and found them convenient for scheduling. The study observed no meaningful differences in quality between the modalities, but statistically significant differences in the virtual developmental advising approach. Implications from this study inform the advising field as advisors navigate in-person and virtual appointments in advising models post COVID-19.

A cursory review of scholarly articles concerning community colleges will undoubtedly result in references to the “cooling out” function of academic advising. This theory remains among one of the most cited critiques of these institutions to date. Many scholars have debated the accuracy of the assertion, arguing that community college advisors warmed up rather than cooled out their student aspirations. Interestingly, despite the prevalence of references in community college literature, few studies have considered the roots of this debate. This study explores the historical origins of this dichotomy by examining two foundational discourses that inspired the controversy (Provost, 2023).

The number of doctoral recipients per year in the United States has grown considerably, yet on average, half of all students do not persist to degree completion or far exceed the expected completion timeline. Attrition and extended time to degree negatively impact both doctoral students and institutions and costs each time, money, and effort. Advisor-advisee relationship quality significantly affects degree completion. This study explores experiences of 17 full-time working professionals who had recently completed a doctoral degree in education within 6 consecutive years at a regionally accredited institution in the United States. Our findings revealed four faculty advisor behaviors that contribute to doctoral completion: encouragement, accessibility, dependability, and expertise. We offer recommendations for advisors to improve the student doctoral journey.

Welcome to Issue 4(1) of the NACADA Review.

Post COVID-19: A Comparative Assessment of In-person and Virtual Academic Advising

Cooling Out Vs. Warming Up: History of the Debate

Doctoral Student Perceptions of Faculty Advisors: Four Supportive Behaviors to Promote Doctoral Completion

Culturally Engaged Career Advising: Gordon's Model Expanded

From the Co-Editors

Understanding Athletics Academic Advisors’ Experience with Job Burnout

Rural College Students’ Academic, Financial, and Health-Related Obstacles During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Academic Advisors

Career Advising in a VUCA Environment

From the Co-Editors

A Philosophy of Advising and the Challenges of Implementation

The Context and Potential of Lowenstein's Learning-Centered Theory of Academic Advising

Normative Theory, Scholarship and the Need to Disagree: Conversations with Marc Lowenstein

Advising the Law: Academic Advising in Law-Generating Institutions of Higher Education

The Interpretive Turn: It's Our Turn