Administrator Perceptions of Academic Advisor Tasks

Menke, Donna J.; Duslak, Mark; McGill, Craig M.

doi:10.12930/nacada-20-12

Cited by 12 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Initially, advisors in the USA focused on assisting students with course selection to enable them to complete their degrees (Menke et al, 2020). This is a widely acceptable advising responsibility that is regarded by advisors as to the 'nuts and bolts' of advising (Hart-Baldridge, 2020, p. 14).…”

Section: Advising Responsibilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Very little is known about perceptions of advising by those in leadership positions who make decisions that affect how advising is structured and undertaken within an institution (Menke, Duslak & McGill, 2020). A misperception exists that "anyone can simply step into the role and perform the work of an advisor" (Menke et al, 2020, p. 87).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…McGill (2021), who holds that the role of academic advising in higher education (HE) is misunderstood, has identified the need for academic advisors to communicate the value and complexity of their work. Menke et al (2020) thus argue that it is important for advisors to elucidate their daily roles and responsibilities in order for advising to be understood by everyone in an institution. It is envisaged that an understanding of advising practices is able to provide advisors with a language to explain what they do (McGill, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is envisaged that an understanding of advising practices is able to provide advisors with a language to explain what they do (McGill, 2021). Menke et al (2020) maintain that the benefit of advising as it relates to student success is ongoing and that it needs to be understood. We cannot assume that the literature emanating from the USA is transferable to South Africa without further investigation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We cannot assume that the literature emanating from the USA is transferable to South Africa without further investigation. As such, more research is needed on how advising is perceived in a variety of institutional contexts (Menke et al, 2020). Accordingly, Menke et al (2020) advocate for further research to advance the field and to examine the place that academic advising occupies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Advisors’ Perceptions of the Value of Advising Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study at a South African University

Moosa

2021

Journal for Students Affairs in Africa

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Traditional advising responsibilities are shifting to include a holistic, learning-based and developmental approach that favours advising of the entire university experience. A dearth of systematic empirical evidence exists on advisors’ perceptions of the value of advising students during the COVID-19 pandemic in the South African context. The purpose of this study is to elucidate advisors’ perceptions of the complexity and challenges inherent in their responsibilities during the pandemic. This case study draws on a qualitative research design; it is based on semi-structured in-depth interviews undertaken with nine advisors in 2020. The central research questions posed in this study are: how do advisors describe their perceptions of their responsibilities within the COVID-19 pandemic, and how might these contribute to future practices? The findings indicate that advising during the pandemic has transcended the typical transactional dissemination of information to include addressing contextual environmental and resource challenges, social justice imperatives, emergency remote learning, asynchronous advising challenges and data-informed advising. These responsibilities have encompassed a holistic approach to advising and to getting to know students as ‘whole people’. Adjustments and transitions to emergency remote learning have highlighted social inequalities in access to data, to internet and electricity connectivity, which have served as impediments to students’ learning, and to educational experiences. Some home environments were not conducive to studying but necessitated doing household chores and herding cattle. The findings also indicate that an institution’s advising delivery model should enhance advisors’ abilities to perform their responsibilities. A network of cascaded responsibilities that incorporates greater involvement of lecturers in advising could contribute to a shared responsibility between lecturers and central, faculty and peer advisors. Insights gained may lead to a more nuanced understanding of advisors’ responsibilities as they relate to student learning and to the overall educational experience to promote retention and student success in a post-pandemic era.

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Section: Advising Responsibilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%