Administrator perceptions of the purpose and function of academic advising in the United States

Scholars have long debated an idealised conceptualisation of academic advising practice, while higher education administrators have shaped their own vision for its practice on college campuses, resulting in widespread ambiguity regarding its purpose and function. This study investigated how 181 chief academic officers at two year and four year public and private institutions in the U.S. viewed academic advising roles. The findings indicate consistent agreement amongst those surveyed regarding their views about the role of the academic advisor. However, this consistency of agreement on role possibly represents an oversimplified understanding of the purpose and function of academic advising, contributing to the continuation of role misunderstanding.