THE EFFECT OF ACADEMIC ADVISOR TYPE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RETENTION

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the effect of academic advisor type on retention of first-year, full-time, four-year degree-seeking students at a mid-size research university in the western U.S., while controlling for several predictor variables identified in contemporary and seminal literature as having a potential impact on student retention. Predictor variables are: socioeconomic status, first generation in family to attend college, high school grade point average, first semester grade point average, and enrollment in developmental coursework. In the study, a binary logistic regression model was employed to determine whether academic advisor type had a statistically significant effect on the probability of students being retained for their second year of study, controlling for the aforementioned predictor variables. The alternative hypothesis of the study stated that there is a statistically significant effect of advisor type on the retention of first-year, full-time, four-year degree-seeking students at the study\u27s institution (n = 1,117) when controlling for the additional predictor variables, with professional advisors having a more positive effect on student retention than faculty advisors. Results from the logistic regression analysis indicated that academic advisor type was not a statistically significant predictor of the probability of students being retained at the study\u27s institution from the fall 2015 semester to the fall 2016 semester (= 0.88). Thus, the null hypothesis of the study stating that there is no statistically significant effect of advisor type on student retention was not rejected. The odds ratio value in the model for advisor type (OR = 1.03) indicated that students with a professional advisor assigned had 1.03 higher odds or 3% higher likelihood of being retained at the institution for their second year than students with a faculty advisor assigned