Academic Advisee Motives for Pursuing Out-of-Class Communication with the Faculty Academic Advisor

This study examined advisee communication motives for engaging in out-of-class communication (OCC) with the faculty academic advisor. Undergraduate students (n = 21) were interviewed about their motives for engaging in OCC with their faculty academic advisors. In a thematic analysis, six motives emerged for engaging in OCC with faculty academic advisors: relational, participatory, encouragement, sycophanting, functional, and excuse-making. Given the variety of motives, findings support the value of establishing clear expectations about the academic advising relationship.