The Professionalization of Academic Advising: Where Are We in 2010?

Abstract

In the last year, three respected leaders in academic advising, Wes Habley, Terry Kuhn, and Gary Padak, published articles suggesting that academic advising has not met the standards of scholarship to be considered a field of inquiry, an academic discipline, or a profession. In this article, we examine academic advising history from the perspective of the discipline of sociology, through which scholars systematically study the processes whereby activities are transformed from occupations into professions. Indeed, we agree that academic advising has not met the typical sociological standards that accompany societal recognition for a profession, and we suggest that strengthened advisor education and credentialing are the steps necessary to secure public recognition of academic advising as a profession.

Leaders' Perceptions of the Professionalization of Academic Advising: A Phenomenography

“…Despite a century of studying these processes, little consensus has been reached regarding the sociological features of the professionalization process (Shaffer et al, 2010). Although many models of professionalization have been put forth (Abbott, 1988;Goode, 1957;Moore, 1970;Pavalko, 1988;Wilensky, 1964), this study was informed by the models of Pavalko (1988) and Houle (1980), which were both developed after several years of study on a variety of occupations and teasing out the consistent features that characterize professions.…”

“…Academic advisors are currently striving to attain professional status of their field (AikenWisniewski, Shaffer et al, 2010). Although the practice of academic advising in American higher education has existed in some form since the Colonial Era, an organized movement to shape the field has only recently taken root (Shaffer et al, 2010).…”

“…Although the practice of academic advising in American higher education has existed in some form since the Colonial Era, an organized movement to shape the field has only recently taken root (Shaffer et al, 2010). Seminal articles (Crookston, 1972(Crookston, /1994O'Banion, 1972O'Banion, / 1994) situated the emerging profession by laying some theoretical and philosophical groundwork through explanations of the meaning of ''to advise.''…”

“…Although many scholars have described academic advising as a professional endeavor (AikenWisniewski et al, 2015;Habley, 2009;Kuhn & Padak, 2008;McGill, 2013;McGill & Nutt, 2016;Schulenberg & Lindhorst, 2008), in the past few years, the authors of two papers have posited that academic advising does not fit all the characteristics of a profession Shaffer et al, 2010). In analyzing academic advising through the lens of four stages of professionalization from Wilensky (1964)-creating occupations, establishing schools, forming associations, and ratifying codes- Shaffer et al (2010) concluded that the chartering of NACADA (Stage 3) predated the establishment of the requisite schools and body of scholarly knowledge (Stage 2). Without a standard knowledge base to define the academic discipline, academic advisors face obstacles to the professionalization of their field.…”

“…According to lead author Leigh Shaffer (personal communication, October 8, 2014), the article ''The Professionalization of Academic Advising: Where Are We in 2010?'' prompted an uproarious response, while others in the community took umbrage with the continued exploration of this topic (Shaffer et al, 2010). A recent conference reviewer for the project addressed herein stated: ''[Advising as a profession] is a discussion that continues to be researched with no clear findings and changes in the outcomes.…”