LRCs of Advising

The LRCs of Advising: Listening, Respecting, and Caring

With their relationship building and advocacy, academic advisors perform a vital role by helping students feel welcomed and supported as they transition to college and progress toward graduation.

A trusting and respectful rapport with an advisor is essential for new students adjusting to and navigating a complex institution and for seniors looking to maximize opportunities within their major. Among the primary traits possessed by advisors who develop positive relationships with students are active listening, empathy, and cultural sensitivity.

Story Features

LRC and Diverse Students
LRC and Intentions to Persist
Importance of LRC to Seniors

Advising and Sense of Belonging
There's more below!
+Feature descriptions
+Institution stories
+Webinar
+Using student comments
+Tableau dashboard

The Advising LRC Scale

The Academic Advising Topical Module, updated in 2020, reflects the core values and competencies of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). Three items in the module summarize the extent to which advisors are interpersonally attentive to students (see right). This “Advising LRC Scale” is scored from 0 to 60 like the Engagement Indicators. Though we recognize that many people perform advising and students have access to various resources, LRC is likely associated with individuals the students consider their advisors.

Thinking about academic advising, how much have people and resources at your institution done the following?

(Response options: Very much, Quite a bit, Some, Very little, Not applicable)

a. Actively listened to your concerns
b. Respected your identity and culture
c. Cared about your overall well-being

Advising LRC Positively Linked with Number of Advising Discussions

The Academic Advising module asks students how many times they discussed their academic interests, course selections, or academic performance with an advisor. While nearly all students have at least one discussion with an advisor during the school year, first-year and senior students show a positive association between experiencing higher LRC and more frequent discussions with their advisors (Figure 1).

**Figure 1. Advising LRC Score by Number of Discussions with an Advisor**Go to an accessible version of this figure.

Most Students Experience Caring and Attentive Advising, but Some Don't

In the spring of 2020, 42,287 first-year students and 50,957 seniors from 201 bachelor’s degree-granting colleges and universities in the US completed the Academic Advising module. Results for most students show that advisors actively listen, respect identity and culture, and care about students’ well-being (Figure 2). For example, about four in five students had advisors who respect their identity and culture “very much” or “quite a bit” (first-year = 82%, senior = 78%), and three in five students had advisors who actively listened to their concerns “very much” or “quite a bit” (first-year = 62%, senior = 58%).

**Figure 2. Percentage of Students with Advisors Who Listened, Respected, and Cared**Go to an accessible version of Figure 2 data.

Note: Students who responded “not applicable” were excluded.

52%of entering first-year students (53% of seniors) discuss their “academic interests, course selections, or academic performance” with an advisor five or more times during the school year. (NSSE 2020)

Results indicating that a healthy proportion of students experience listening, respect, and caring in advising are affirming of the attention placed on assuring core advising practices. Yet, because the experience is not universal, it is vital to explore what may be inhibiting these practices, and which students are not reporting these positive outcomes. For example, we explore variation in LRC scores by racial/ethnic identity groups in this story, which shows students who are 'American Indian or Alaska Native' and 'Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander' were less likely to have advising interactions that "respected your identity and culture."

We encourage participating institutions to look within their results to examine variation in students’ advising experience as we do in the other advising story features.

Story Features

Students in the classroom. Photo courtesy of Marietta College

What Is the Advising Experience for Students of Color?

We explore how the interpersonal attentiveness of advisors relates to the educational experience for diverse students.
(Photo courtesy of Marietta College)

Read: Advising LRC by Racial/Ethnic Diversity

Three students talking. Photo courtesy of Northern State University

The Relationship of LRC with First-Year Intentions to Persist

The amount of listening, respecting, and caring exhibited in advising is positively correlated with intentions to return.
(Photo courtesy of Northern State University)

Read: Relationship of LRC w/Intentions to Persist

Senior celebrating graduation at DePauw University

The Importance of LRC to Seniors

Senior experiences differ markedly from those of first-year students. It is important to examine seniors’ advising experiences within the major. We also look at seniors' overall experience at the institution by race.
(Photo courtesy of DePauw University)

Read: Importance of Advising LRC for Seniors

Two students at Lewis Clark State College.

Advisors Help Students Feel a Sense of Belonging at the Institution

Connecting students’ sense of belonging with advisors’ interpersonal attentiveness illustrates the value of advising in reaching out to students to help them achieve.
(Photo courtesy of Lewis–Clark State College)

Read: Advisors Help Students Feel a Sense of Belonging

How Do Institutions Use Their Advising Data?

Advisor and student meeting at D'Youville College.

Advising Module Informs Redesign at D'Youville

D'Youville’s results from the Academic Advising Topical Module were consulted to shape the advisement model in the Student Success Center.

Read D'Youville's advising story

Two students talking in a classroom at Indiana University Bloomington

Using NSSE to Enhance Advising at IU Bloomington

Indiana University Bloomington used NSSE and the advising module to augment the student experience and sharpen the focus on best practices.

Read IUB's advising story

Two students talking outdoors at University of North Georgia

Enhancing the Quality of Advising at the University of North Georgia

NSSE data guided UNG's Quality Enhancement Plan for improving and expanding advising.

Read UNG's advising story

My faculty advisor has been extremely helpful in creating an environment where I feel comfortable asking anything. She has demonstrated a willingness to listen and accept my opinions while still giving me needed advice. Because of this mutual respect, I have approached her with all sorts of questions and ideas, and she has been ready and willing to provide assistance.
Senior majoring in English Literature at Brigham Young University

More Features!

Free Live Webinar: The LRCs of Advising–Listening, Respecting, and Caring

View the webinar with Jim Cole, Angie Miller, and Bridgette Holmes in this interactive webinar to explore the benefits of supportive relationships with academic advisors. Engage via chat as they review findings, discuss student comments from the advising module, and demonstrate the Tableau dashboard. Download the slides (recorded January 12, 2021).
(Photo courtesy of Lycoming College)

View the webinar

Student sitting near window at Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Using Open-ended Comments Gives Your Students Voice

Access students' voices to amplify your results

The advising module ends with an open question: "Regarding academic advising, who has been the most helpful and in what way?" Diverse comments are used to assess best practices within advising and provide an authentic student voice to complement results.
(Photo courtesy of Mount Vernon Nazarene University)

Read about student comments

Three students walking out doors at Southwest Baptist University

Investigate the Advising LRC Scale and Items in Tableau

Filter at school and student levels

Interact with our Tableau dashboard to compare your institution with similar types. Examine the association between Advising LRC with the quality of advisor interactions, satisfaction, sense of belonging, and supportive environment. Download to save and share results!
(Photo courtesy of Southwest Baptist University)

Visit the Tableau dashboard