Merging Academic and Career Advising to Offer Holistic Student Support: A University Perspective

Abstract

Higher education in South Africa has focused extensively on widening access to further inclusivity and to economic development. However, as students need to persist and succeed in their studies, access alone is not enough. Furthermore, the responsibility of higher education to help students succeed does not end with graduation; institutions need to produce graduates who are ready to enter the labour market. Therefore, it is important to integrate career information and concepts into these practices when conceptualising holistic academic advising. Since academic advising is still developing as a professional practice in the South African context, no clear, practical framework has been used uniformly at universities. Career advice is also not necessarily integrated into academic advising in a conscious manner. This may result in students who are struggling to integrate all the academic and career information provided to make informed decisions regarding their studies and career paths. This paper argues that the 3-I Process is an appropriate framework for the integration of career and academic advising in the South African context. In this case study, we draw from the experiences of nine advisors from the central advising office, faculties, and the career office at the University of the Free State to understand the extent to which they have been incorporating the elements of the 3-I Process into their existing academic advising practices and how they view the possibilities of following a more integrated approach. We also map how the framework can be adapted to the broader South African context to inform and develop more holistic and professionalised advising practices, as well as to contribute towards students’ success beyond university.

Establishing a baseline: A social realist perspective on academic advising at a South African university prior to COVID-19

“…Literature on South African advising published since the COVID-19 pandemic focuses largely on: (i) the adoption and implementation of Global North academic-advising models within South African higher education contexts (e.g., Emekako and Van der Westhuizen 2021;Obaje and Jeawon 2021, 24-25;Van Pletzen et al 2021) (iv) quantitative studies that aim to document students' reasons for seeking advice (de Klerk 2021). Additionally, and most notably, literature on academic advising in South Africa from South African scholars has begun to emerge, signalling a promising shift towards more authentic, Global South perspectives on advising within this context (e.g., Schoeman, Loots, and Bezuidenhoud 2021). However, there is an absence of literature on the experiences and perceptions of practising academic advisors within South African higher education settings before the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Harnessing student agency for easier transition and success: The role of life coaching

“…Some of the interventions that are currently being explored and implemented include, for example, those that focus on peer mentoring programmes (McConney, 2021). Some are exploring different academic advising models in their institutional contexts (Schoeman et al, 2021;Tiroyabone & Strydom, 2021;van Pletzen et al, 2021). Other studies are exploring different ways of enhancing students' well-being and harnessing student agency (Mogashana & Basitere, 2021;Terblanche et al, 2021).…”