Retention, persistence and completion are generally the three main criteria for two- and four-year colleges.
overarching goals. According to survey results from the Center for First-Generation Student Success 2018, the three most important factors for student success that drive institutional offerings for students of first-generation status were retention, completion, and degree attainment.
Given the importance of academic advising, research consistently highlights its great significance for students’ personal, academic, and social lives. Light (2001) states, “It is hard to imagine any academic support function that is more important to student success and institutional productivity than advising” (p. 81). In higher education, advising services help first-year students choose and schedule courses, select a major and plan their future careers. In this respect, the academic advisors’ impact on a first-year student’s social integration (Robbins et al., 2009) and retention (Gordon et al., 2011) in higher education is essential.
Academic advising is a powerful tool that can help institutions guide students in the right direction.
