Fully integrating academic advising with career coaching to increase student retention, graduation rates and future job satisfaction

Abstract

Higher education institutions in the United States are under increasing pressure to retain and graduate more students. Traditionally, the academic advisor helps students to meet degree graduation requirements and may also do some minor career advising. A new approach is proposed, in which career coaching with industry help becomes just as important and is formalized into the academic advisor’s role. Under this approach, students are advised in relation not only to their progress towards their degree, but also to their progress towards their career. They undergo a required process to choose a career and must make progress towards it while pursuing their degree. The use of formal career coaching combined with academic advising is based on goal-setting theory and career planning research. This new approach to advising may lead to increased student retention and graduation rates and also to higher job satisfaction after graduation.