Exploring the role of advising in Canadian universities

Abstract

Advising has been slated as an integral part of Canadian student’s post-secondary education. This is typically framed in terms of the positive relationship between the use of advising services and student success. American research on this relationship has identified advising as a critical component in student retention and graduation rates. Comparatively, very little is currently known about the state, role, and effects of advising in Canada’s post-secondary institutions, as Canadian advisor’s knowledge and practice primarily relies on the theories, research, and findings of America’s advising literature. The present research addressed these knowledge gaps by: (1) Exploring student’s advising experiences at the University of the Fraser Valley, a Canadian university; (2) Providing evidence-based recommendations on how to best evaluate and enhance the University of the Fraser Valley’s advising services; (3) Serving as a call to action for Canadian institutions, advisors, and practitioners to begin conducting advising research that is based in Canadian post-secondary institutions; (4) Identifying knowledge gaps and future directions for Canadian advising research.