Graduate students’ perceptions’ on a professional pathway for academic advisors

As academic advising took hold in higher education as a regular part of the student experience, the profession struggled to support professional development for academic advisors. In the last 20 years, research has shown how academic advising can positively impact student retention, satisfaction, and success in higher education. A need has arisen for the academic advising profession to create foundational experiences for new or emerging academic advisors through professional development such as training, coursework, and graduate programs. This qualitative case study examined attitudes and beliefs of eight graduate students enrolled in a course on academic advising. Data from this study is expected to contribute to the understanding of how advisors feel about becoming academic advisors, how they view academic advisors are created, and assist the profession in preparing individuals who want to become new academic advisors. The results of this study indicated a need to build foundational knowledge and practice for new and emerging advisors so they may serve as resources and guides for students while positively impacting student success in higher education.