When COVID-19 struck, higher education experienced major disruptions. Important functions like academic advising were no exception, and the traditional face-to-face model shifted online with remote academic advising (RAA), which uses synchronous communication technologies (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meets). In this quantitative research study, 569 students completed an online survey that produced 539 sets of valid data for analysis. Findings showed no significant differences in students' knowledge or experiences with RAA according to their demographic independent variables such as gender, age, ethnicity, major, and RAA experiences. However, significant differences in student opinions on RAA were found among different age and gender groups. The paper identifies barriers to implementing RAA with suggestions to overcome these barriers when utilizing RAA.

Higher education needs individuals working with students to have the skills to handle a variety of issues related to success and well-being. Graduate programs preparing higher education professionals to work with students provide the opportunity for skill-building to occur. However, how do graduate students perceive their skill development in courses offered in a graduate program, specifically related to basic helping skills? This study, conducted in a College of Education at a university located in the southern United States posed two questions to find out more about the attributes graduate students contribute in the development of their knowledge of helping skills, and documenting the lived experiences of graduate students practicing helping skills. Five graduate students enrolled in a new course on helping skills were part of this case study. Three themes emerged after collecting and coding data during the course. The three themes were: building helping skills, confidence and comfortability, and multicultural, diversity and inclusion. The discussion section includes recommendations to always offer a helping skills course in graduation programs preparing individuals to work in higher education, any course on helping skills should have a multicultural focus, and the course curriculum should include a mix of clinical and practical elements.

As academic advising took hold in higher education as a regular part of the student experience, the profession struggled to support professional development for academic advisors. In the last 20 years, research has shown how academic advising can positively impact student retention, satisfaction, and success in higher education. A need has arisen for the academic advising profession to create foundational experiences for new or emerging academic advisors through professional development such as training, coursework, and graduate programs. This qualitative case study examined attitudes and beliefs of eight graduate students enrolled in a course on academic advising. Data from this study is expected to contribute to the understanding of how advisors feel about becoming academic advisors, how they view academic advisors are created, and assist the profession in preparing individuals who want to become new academic advisors. The results of this study indicated a need to build foundational knowledge and practice for new and emerging advisors so they may serve as resources and guides for students while positively impacting student success in higher education.

Reports of college students living with mental health conditions are common, and the understanding of their connection to academic success is increasing. University campuses strive to meet the psychological needs of their students with a variety of institutionalized practices. However, a question can be raised about how much individual faculty members and colleges know about their specific students’ mental health needs and whether there are ways to assist those students at that level. This is a case study on a group of 17 student teachers in the College of Education at a university in the Southern United States who self-reported that they were living with symptoms of a mental health condition. Through individual interviews, the researchers asked student teachers to describe their symptoms and explain their perceptions of how they alleviate the symptoms to manage their life as a college student. Results of the study were reported thematically and categorized as (a) an increase in negative thoughts and behaviors, (b) absence of positive traits and abilities, and (c) self-identified coping strategies and external support. Discussion and recommendations regarding the findings are included.

As the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most face-to-face instructions and services in higher education, universities struggled to continue teaching and serving students. In particular, student services like academic advising were significantly impacted, as most advising is conducted in person. The use of synchronous communication technology was suddenly increased to continue advising students, employing Remote Academic Advising (RAA). Three researchers at a state university in the southeast USA conducted a case study to understand the experiences of using RAA by academic advisors. The study included 11 academic advisors from different academic colleges and areas who were engaged in RAA to provide advising service to students during the 2020–2021 academic year. Four themes emerged after a reiterative process of coding and analysing the interview responses. The four themes were a slow transition to using RAA, RAA can also be relational, RAA can promote more awareness of mental health and RAA should be part of regular advising practice. The discussion section includes recommendations for advancing RAA as regular practice through a concerted effort of promotion, leadership and effective use of RAA with synchronous communication technology among the advising community on campus.