Managing Academic Advising Services Quality: Understanding and Meeting Needs and Expectations of Different Student Segments

As universities are under increasing pressure to raise student retention and six-year graduation rates, improving quality of academic advising services has become increasingly important to universities as quality academic advising services can increase student retention rates and six-year graduation rates. While the gaps model of service quality suggests that it is critical to understand the students’ needs for and expectations of academic advising services in order for higher education institutions to provide quality academic advising services, the changing demographics of contemporary college students also bring changing needs for and expectations of academic advising services of students. This article examines the needs for and expectations of academic advising services by diverse groups of contemporary college students in a comprehensive, urban, commuter university setting. The two focus group interviews and a survey study reported in this article found several significant differences in both needs and expectations between traditional college students and non-traditional students, particularly for first-generation students. Implications of the findings for design and delivery of academic advising services are discussed from a service quality management perspective.