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Keywords

dual advising system, developmental advising model, doctoral students’ academic success

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the dual advising system for student success at a U.S. higher education institution. Research has indicated that approximately 40–60% of students enrolled in doctoral programs do not complete their doctoral degrees. High attrition rates have led some institutions to adopt a dual advising system, a form of developmental advising, to support doctoral students’ success. Creamer and Creamer’s (1994) developmental advising model served as the conceptual framework of the study. The model defines the first stage of advising as defining task, where advisors engage in teaching and utilize strategies to help students attain educational, career, and individual goals. Nine participants (five doctoral students, two professional academic advisors, and two faculty mentors) were purposefully selected to answer the research question: What are advisors’ and doctoral students’ perceptions about defining task in the dual advising system for students’ success? Thematic analysis of interview data revealed concepts such as positive relationships, close relationships, identifying values, and keeping students on the right path as critical to defining task for doctoral students’ academic success. The study concluded that employing the services of both professional academic advisors and faculty mentors through a dual advising system contributes to students’ development and academic success. The findings provide a deeper perspective on the impact of a dual advising system on the holistic growth of students’ academic, professional, and personal goals.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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