The dynamics of undergraduate academic advising

This study describes job activities, role expectations, and jobs satisfactions of academic advisers. The sample consisted of 452 faculty and staff academic advisers in five colleges at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities). Seventy-two percent of the sample completed the questionnaire. The work of the academic adviser can be classified into four clusters of job activities. Three involve helping students: (1) with special academic, social, or financial problems, (2) with emotional or psychological problems, and (3) with academic and career guidance problems. The fourth involves administrative activities. Results from this study also suggest that advisers spend most of their time approving registration cards and providing information about academic requirements. Most advisers view themselves as appropriate sources of help in academic and vocational guidance areas rather than in personal or social ones. In general, most academic advisers are satisfied with their work as an adviser. A substantial percentage is dissatisfied with the amount of recognition they receive. Finally, those advisers with more advanced degrees and those with larger numbers of advisees tend to be more dissatisfied.