LRC and Diverse Students

Advising LRC by Racial/Ethnic Identity

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We used the 60-point Advising LRC Scale to explore how the interpersonal attentiveness of advisors relates to the educational experience for various groups of students. For example, differences among students by racial/ethnic identity are generally small (Figure 1). LRC scores for first-year students ranged from about 37 (Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander) to 41 (White), and for seniors from about 33 (Another race or ethnicity) to 40 (Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander) for seniors. Such differences are worth exploring if even small effects are related to real benefits or consequences for some groups of students. Advising leaders are encouraged to consider how their day to day policies and practices affect diverse students differently.

**Figure 1. Advising LRC Score by Racial/Ethnic Identity**Visit an accessible table for Figure 1

While differences in the overall LRC score are generally small across a diverse student body, often there is more to the story. Institutions may want to look closely at the experiences of students by the items that comprise the LRC scale. For example, a breakdown of the item “Respected your identity and culture” in Figure 2 reveals that students experiencing “very little” or “some” respect ranged from a high of 30% (American Indian or Alaska Native) to a low of 16% (White).

This may be evidence that substantial numbers of students do not feel their culture and identity are respected. Further investigation of the degree to which students believe their identities and cultures are respected can be productive for institutions looking to meet the needs of a diverse student body.