AN EVALUATION OF UNDERGRADUATE A STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT WITHIN-THE: A H SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AT .. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY _ ~ Thesis for the DegreeoftM. S. . MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY DAVID THOMAS WALKER 1,972 LIBRARY 1 HEbL~ Michigan State University I!" c w? ‘I V "DAG & WW ‘I BOOK BINDERY INC. - LIBRARY amocns . “fl""mflmlnmm —-—._ J "I‘ . i.‘ “a - "' ' Nun-arr AN EVALUATION OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT WITHIN THE SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BY David Thomas Walker AN ABSTRACT OF A THESIS Submitted to The College of Social Science Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE School of Criminal Justice 1972 // / APPROVED: 14...“! I ": man ’9'. Vin J. Swan , P .0. “AAA . ,‘M' Me oer Ro-ert C. Tro -~ow cz, ‘ Ph.D. .; . . (Hember) Mr. William E: Horn ABSTRACT AN EVALUATION OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT WITHIN THE SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BY David Thomas Walker Purpose In these times, when each young person is searching for identity, the academic advising process has become a key problem in institutions of higher learning. The current frustration experienced by undergraduate students, according to the literature, is due, in part, to the lack of involve— ment of faculty members with their students. In this context, academic advising has relevance since this process has traditionally represented the faculty-student relation- ship outside the classroom. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of the academic advising process within the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University through student perceptions of their advising experiences. Methodology The research design utilized is that of a descriptive questionnaire-type study. The hypothesis was formulated in order to determine the significant difference between pre- conceived expectations of academic advising and actual David Thomas Walker advising as experienced through students' perceptions. The instrument consisted of 43 items. Scores were tallied and analyzed using percentages and a chi-square (X2) test for independence. Results Results of the analysis showed significant chi- square values on 34 of the 35 items tested. The hypothesis was then considered sound on this basis. Students' perceptions revealed an extremely negative attitude toward the academic advising experiences within the School of Criminal Justice. This analysis is far more unfavorable than had been anticipated. Implications This study has shown that there is a considerable chasm between pre-conceived expectations and actual experiences regarding academic advising in the School of Criminal Justice, as expressed through student perceptions. With this in mind, a grave responsibility rests with the School to avoid a greater drift toward minimum contacts between students and faculty. To resist the growth of even greater distance, the base of the relationship must be broadened through a more responsible concept of academic advising. In addition, this study has shown that a fundamental purpose lies in finding ways of relating to undergraduate David Thomas Walker students in meaningful and significant ways. Also, though leadership is essential from the head of the department, major reSponsibility for the implementation of improved academic advising rests with individual faculty members who possess the desire to meet the needs of their students. AN EVALUATION OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT WITHIN THE SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BY David Thomas Walker A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE School of Criminal Justice 1972 DEDICATION This is dedicated to my wife, Cathy-- Who can't believe she typed the Whole Thing! ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Gratitude, in full measure, is due the many persons who made this study possible, beginning with the 80 students who shared their reactions and experiences in academic advising with this researcher. The School of Criminal Justice provided impetus for the investigation of a service to students to which it has given attention over an extensive period of time. The author's father, Harry H. Walker, was respon- sible for the editing of the final draft. Cathy Walker, the wife of the author was the "perfect partner" throughout this entire endeavor and provided the typing skills in completing both the rough draft and the final manuscript. Finally, Calvin Swank, Committee Chairman, along with Robert Trojanowicz and William Horn provided the guidance and supervision which prevailed throughout this study. To those persons and many others whose help proved to be invaluable, my grateful appreciation is extended. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . . 1 Purpose of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Historical Background of Academic Advising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Statement of the Hypothesis . . . . . . . . 7 Sc0pe and Limitations of the Study . . . . 8 Operational Definitions . . . . . . . . . . 9 Overview of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . 10 II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE . . . . . . . . 12 The Faculty in Academic Advising . . . . . 12 General Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Released Time and/or Extra Pay for Faculty Advising . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Computer-Assisted Academic Advising . . . . 22 Student-to-Student Counseling . . . . . . . 25 Implications of Previous Research . . . . . 28 III. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . 30 Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Sample Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 iv Chapter IV. V. Design and Administration of the Test Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Methodology of the Study . . . . . . . . RESEARCH FINDINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Analysis Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . Restatement of the Hypothesis . . . . . . Total Percentage of Responses, Section 2, with Chi-Square Distribution Total Percentage of Responses, Section 3, with Chi—Square Distribution Total Percentage of Responses, Section 4, with Chi-Square Distribution Total Percentage of Responses, Section 5, with Chi-Square Distribution SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . . Summary of the Study . . . . . . . . . . Research Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . Pre-conceptions and Expectations . . . Satisfactions and Dissatisfactions . . Important Functions . . . . . . . . . . Academic Advising Alternatives . . . . Implications for Future Research . . . . Other Important Implications . . . . . . The Most Pressing Problems . . . . . . . Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . BIBLIOGMPHY O O 0 O O O O O C C C O O O O O O O O Page 32 34 36 ' 36 38 4O 45 50 56 6o 60 60 61 62 63 65 65 .66 67 7o 74 Page APPENDICES A. Letter of Transmittal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 B. Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 C. Follow-Up Letter of Transmittal . . . . . . . . 86 D . Verbatim Student Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 vi 4.10 LIST OF TABLES My academic advisor would be the same person each term throughout my college program . . . My academic advisor would be available to me when I needed him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The academic advisor would take a personal interest in me and give me individual attention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The academic advisor would communicate his enthusiasm about higher education to me . . . The academic advisor would help me clarify my educational and career goals if I needed such clarification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The total curricular offerings of the School of Criminal Justice would be known to my academic advisor so that he could help me to plan a balanced program . . . . . . . . . . . The academic advisor would know all of the resources of the School of Criminal Justice so that he could refer me for additional help if I needed it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The academic advisor would suggest ways to me in which I could improve my academic record if I needed such help . . . . . . . . . The academic advisor would make me feel that I could confide in him about other than educational matters that were of concern to me O O O O O O O O O. O O O O I O O O C O O O 0 Continuity in the faculty academic advising process resulting from few or no changes in the advisor assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . Availability of the faculty academic advisor in time of need on my part . . . . . . . . . . vii Page 40 '40 41 41 42 42 43 43 44 45 45 4.17 4.21 4.22 4.24 Opportunity through the advising contacts to come to a more realistic understanding of my abilities, interests and goals . . . . . . . . Increased insight into my need to combine the general with the specialized aspects of higher education to initiate the process of becoming an educated person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helpful assistance from the faculty academic advisor in selecting apprOpriate courses for me including the offerings of departments other than criminal justice . . . . . . . . . Help from my faculty academic advisor in making long-range educational and career plans 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O C O O O O 0 Assistance from my faculty academic advisor with ways in which I could improve my academic Standing 0 O O O O C O O O O O O O O O O O C 0 An increasing understanding through academic advising of what is involved in such matters as educational program planning and career aspirations so that I could assume more responsibility for myself in those areas . . . Academic advising provides a relationship with someone who can be a friend and confidant Academic advising should be considered as an important educational service for the student. The relationship should contribute to individ- ualize the educational experience in a complex educational environment . . . . . . . . . . . Should help to encourage and motivate the student toward accomplishment consistent with his potential 0 I O O O O O O O O O O O O O I Should assist the student in growth toward understanding his abilities and interests . . Should contribute toward clarification of the student's values and goals . . . . . . . . Should help with immediate and long-range career and program planning . . . . . . . . . viii Page 46 46 47 47 48 48 50 50 51 51 52 52 53 Should teach the student how to assemble information relative to courses, require— ments, procedures and to evaluate the total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Should help the student to grow in judgment- forming and decision-making abilities . . . . Should contribute to the student's knowledge about other resources relevant for him and available in the criminal justice community . Should strengthen the understanding of the student with respect to the goals of under- graduate (liberal and professional) education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Should be performed by members of the faculty who have a Special interest in and ability for this particular kind of teaching rela- tionship with students . . . . . . . . . . . . The student would be completely on his own . . The student would be completely on his own in the junior and senior years after maximum assistance in the freshman and sophomore years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Graduate assistants would be assigned a major responsibility for academic advising in the School of Criminal Justice . . . . . . . . . . Faculty members would assume the responsi- bility with a reduction in the rest of their schedules to permit adequate time for aca- demic advising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Full-time professional staff would be assigned the reSponsibility for academic advising . . . Responsibility for academic advising should rest within the criminal justice department . ix Page 53 53 54 54 55 56 56 57 57 58 58 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem As student enrollment increases in institutions of higher learning, there appears to be a considerable lack of concern shared by the faculty and administration that under- graduate students are being assigned to academic advisors who have unrealistic numbers of advisees. Academic advisement takes on importance because college students manifest a broad array of individual differences. In addition to variations in physical and intellectual growth, students show a wide range of dif- ferences in academic progress and degree of adjustment to the university community. Complications in providing meaningful advising experiences stem, in part, from the search by each young person for identity in these times. Consequently, the area of academic advising becomes a pivotal function in contemporary higher education both in the United States and the world. With these factors taken into consideration, it becomes apparent that the effectiveness of the academic advising process constitutes a key problem in institutions of higher learning. While each department in every university strives to conduct academic advising to accomplish its own desired purposes, the clients' (students') perception of its effectiveness may serve as a realistic criterion of how well the process actually functions. While simple and specific answers to profound ques- tions are not readily available, this study may provide additional insights which conceivably could stimulate an improvement of the academic advising process in making it more relevant to the needs of the undergraduate students enrolled in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University, and thus make it responsive to individual dif- ferences both in theory and practice. Purpose of the Study Current frustration among many undergraduate stu- dents is attributed by some as being due, prOportionately, to the lack of involvement of faculty members with their students.1 Others, notably students, blame increasing deper- sonalization for obstructing the development of each individual student.2 Frances DeLisle defines academic advising as follows: [It is] an educational experience, representing both a dynamic, continuing process and a relationship. Thereby, a student and interested, capable members of the staff and faculty are engaged in a common pursuit of the existing resources of the educational institution to 1Robert F. TOpp, "Education of the Undergraduate: Action Before Reaction," College and University Vol. 45 (Winter, 1970). p. 124. 2 Ibid., p. 126. the end that the student may realize his or her educa- tional and cageer goals according to individual unique capabilities. In this context, academic advising has relevance since this process has traditionally represented the faculty- student contact outside the classroom. At its best, this relationship provides the student with a meaningful, enriching, educational experience. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to measure the effectiveness of the academic advising process within the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University through student per- ceptions of their own advising experiences. Historical Background of Academic Advising An investigation on any subject has many antecedents and so it is with one which prOposes to inquire into the subject of academic advising at any given point in time. There are always those combinations of factors and circum- stances which give immediate impetus to such a study. Nevertheless, these cannot be divorced from historical and philoSOphical develOpments in higher education. HOpefully, history relates what happened while phiIOSOphy helps to understand why. Within this context, while describing some of the highlights, a perspective may be provided from which 3Frances H. DeLisle, A Study of Undergraduate Academic Advising Office of Institutional Research, Michigan State University, East Lansing, May, 1965, p. 169. to View current programs and recent developments in the advising process. In general, the history of theories on academic advising and developmental higher education are quite similar. In fact, the face-to-face nature of the relation- ship between an academic advisor and his advisee is deeply rooted in the tradition of higher learning. Although some have the impression that faculty advising was not a part of early educational deveIOpment, there is no foundation for this impression. That is, during the period 1640 to 1850, it could be said that academic advising existed in the form of personal attention to the students as clergymen were the earliest advisors and were concerned with the general wel— fare of the students.4 In this Colonial period, the faculty member served in a "pastor-teacher-policeman" relationship to the student, which demanded from the professor a combi- nation of "spiritual-instructional-disciplinary" counsel.5 Higher education in the nineteenth century differed from nation to nation as nationalism was the key word. The power of organized religion lessened and positive secularism was widely prevalent. In England, colleges and universities of the medieval social class system persisted. France 4Harry G. Good, A History of American Education (2d ed.; New York: Macmillan Co., 1962), p. 76. 51bid. showed a disorganized pattern in higher education. On the other hand, Germany was devoted to experimental sciences. Its "sink or swim" philosophy assumed no responsibility for the non-intellectual growth of the student and the academic advisor was solely engaged in a "training of the mind" com- paign.6 This trend was easily imitated by American univer- sities following the German "model." At the end of the nineteenth century, the pendulum swung back to "concern for the whole student." By the mid- twentieth century, the reaction to intellectualism materi- alized to the extent of establishing the student personnel movement and emphasizing general education. It is in this frame of reference that Williamson clarifies the term "aca- demic advisor" as referring to "one assisting students in meeting the faculty's requirements for graduation and providing Optimum learning for the formal content of the curriculum."7 Mueller explained this function as a person-to- person contact with individual students and an opportunity to become acquainted with their intellectual and personal qualities by means of written and oral responses, by a constant evaluation of their work, and by conferences concerning their progress. 6Ibid. 7E. G. Williamson, Student Personnel Services in Colleges and Universities (New York: McGraw-Hill Co., 1961), p. 474. 8Kate H. Mueller, Student Personnel Work in Higher Education (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1961): P. 570. This ideal situation has become unattainable in large colleges, especially in certain departments where major growth has occurred. The enlargement of these insti- tutions, the multiplication of study areas, the increased demands upon the faculty's time, and other factors have tended to shift the center of attention away from the student. On many campuses academic advising has become limited to crisis intervention. Many faculty members became inaccessible and found it difficult to keep up to date with current course offerings, college regulations and graduation requirements. Their preoccupations were instruction, research and writing. They became more ineffective in assisting students in course selection, program planning and career exploration. It became impossible to advise 70 to 100 students effectively, especially when academic advising played such a minor role in the professional devel- Opment of faculty members. As stated by DeLisle, undergraduate life became a mere "disjointed series of unrelated assignments and subsequent examinations" as the brief sessions of academic advising were devoted to "what" and not "why."9 He explained this dilemma as follows: We cannot suppose for long that the skeletal outlines of course numbers and credits with which the catalogue defines any one of the 280 major fields in the univer— sity reveals itself with all logic, consistency and 9DeLisle, op. cit., p. 41. relevance to a young man or woman only a term or two out of a secondary school. And even if such an illuminating outline could be drawn, the importance to the student of coming to know well one man or woman (advisor), cannot easily be over-estimated.10 This dilemma apparently inspired administrators in various universities and departments to re-evaluate their academic advising programs and begin to attack the problems. Statement of Hypothesis Keeping in mind that this is essentially an explor- atory investigation, it is necessary to define more clearly the direction of the research. Consequently, in a delib- erate effort to avoid the null form, the following hypoth- esis was formulated as a guideline for the study: Undergraduate students in the School of Criminal Justice will exhibit a significant difference between their prior expectations of academic advising and their actual academic advising experiences. The above hypothesis was devised to measure the undergraduate students' satisfaction or dissatisfaction of their academic advising encounters within the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. The rationale for the hypothesis is based on the theoretical construct that the academic advisor is held accountable for the future because effects of his contem- porary relationship with a student do have a consequence in the life of another human being. As some Futurists point out, tomorrow is being planned or not planned by 101bid., p. 75. whatever we are doing today and have done yesterday.11 The point of no return occurs when the advising system no longer fits the need.12 Thus, improved advising means that needs are being met more effectively. In the words of the poet, Lowell, ". . . new demands make ancient truths uncouth."13 Scope and Limmitations of the Study Due to the nature of this investigation, certain limitations should be identified which may have a direct bearing on the implications that are derived from the results of this study. Any conclusions that may be made from this research should be interpreted in the light of these limitations: 1. Because students in the sample already were enrolled in the School of Criminal Justice and because they were not tested previously for their attitude toward academic advising, the findings will be relevant only to the School of Criminal Justice and may not be generalized to other programs of academic advising. 2. The program in the study is in the process of re— evaluation and improvement. For this reason, there is no assurance that the students queried at this time will be representative of the future academic advising process in the School of Criminal Justice. 11Harold W. Bernard and Daniel W. Fullmer, "Counsel- ing Delivery Systems: Evolving the Consultation Method," Educational PersBectives Vol. II, No. 1, March 1972, p. 5. lzIbid. 13Horace E. Scudder, The Complete Poetical WOrks of James Russell Lowell (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1925), p. 376. 3. The study is limited by the factors inherent in the use of any questionnaires. These factors include the difficulties in establishing the reliability and validity of the instrument, the difficulties in securing complete cooperation of the sample selected, and the bias and frame of reference of the respondents. Nonetheless, despite the limitations listed above, the results of this investigation should provide valuable information to those responsible for the administration of the academic advising process. Also, it will provide a degree of understanding about the satisfaction or dissatis- faction of undergraduate students presently enrolled in the School of Criminal Justice. Furthermore, this study will provide constructive and informed suggestions for improve- ment of the academic advising process in the School of Criminal Justice. The additional insight gained should encourage the process to become more relevant to individual needs of the students. Finally, the results of this research could help to improve not only the academic advising process within the School, but also the under- graduate student complement of the department as well. Operational Definitions Some key terms used in the hypothesis and throughout the study are defined in order to facilitate the clarity of this presentation. Academic Advising involves consultation between the faculty member and the student concerning his program of study and selection of courses. More specifically, it is 10 the assistance with all matters pertaining to a students' academic program and progress.14 Enrollment is a student responsibility in selecting courses for a term schedule from a students' academic plan previously developed by student and advisor.15 Registration is a mechanical process directed by the Registrar's Office to admit students to courses, to allot students to specific class sections, to collect fees, and to prepare records for staff use.16 Academic Advising Process is divided into the three previous operations: (1) advising, (2) enrolling, and (3) registering for courses.17 Overview of the Study The remainder of the study is divided into four additional chapters as follows: Chapter II. Review of Related Literature. The pertinent literature related to known studies of academic advising will be described in this chapter. 14School of Criminal Justice, Revised Assignment of Academic Advisors--Spring 1972 Memorandum: To Faculty and Students of the School of Criminal Justice, Spring 1972. lsIbid. 16Ibid. l7ibid. 11 Chapter III. Research Design and Methodology. This chapter will consist of a description of the population, sample, measures utilized and the steps taken in carrying out the project. Chapter IV. Research Findings. The procedures used in the analysis and the results relevant to the stated hypothesis of the study will be discussed in this chapter. Chapter V. Summary and Conclusions. In this final chapter a brief statement of the problem, summary of the study, implications for further research and the author's conclusions and recommendations based on these findings will be presented. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE The following review summarizes earlier studies which have some bearing on this thesis. This material is representative of the work which has been done in the areas of faculty advising, student-to-student counseling and other means of improving academic advising contact with students. At the conclusion of this chapter is a summary of the impli- cations of previous research for the present study. The Faculty in Academic Advising General Studies: Melvene Hardee conducted a survey on 218 colleges in the United States and all of these institutions responded that faculty members in their institutions conducted aca- demic counseling.l It appears this study was mainly concerned with the exploration of various conseling activ- ities of faculty members who performed duties beyond academic counseling. However, the study pointed out some persistent problems in programs of faculty advising such as lMelvene D. Hardee, The Faculty in College Counseling (New York: McGraw-Hill Co., 1959). p. 294. 12 13 administrative problems, heavy academic loads, the avalanche of paper work, the extent of advising and depth of faculty counseling.2 The study also reported that 181 respondents replied favorably to questions regarding programs in their institutions. Fifty-eight institutions reported that students participate in academic advising.3 Jamrich from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, undertook a study of thirty selected colleges with regard to their academic advising responsibilities. In this study it was determined that about a fifth of the colleges retain responsibilities of academic advising under the Dean of the college. Another fifth indicated that the Dean of the college and one of several other members of the faculty or administration carry the responsibility.4 Robertson surveyed twenty colleges and universities of all sizes and varieties by personal visits in an attempt to find out the basic philoSOphy and guiding principles of their academic advising programs.5 He asked many questions of administrators, faculty and students. Some of the questions were as follows: 2Ibid., p. 105. 31bid., p. 296. 4John X.Jamrich, "Organizational Practices in Student-Faculty Counseling Programs in Small Colleges," Educational Administration and Supervision Vol. 41, No. 1 (January 1955), pp. 36-40. 5James H. Robertson, "Academic Advising in Colleges and Universities," North Central Association Quarterly Vol. 32, No. 3, (January, 1958), p. 228. 14 Should there be an organized academic advising program? What are the major aims of a college advising program? Should academic advising be mandatory? Who should be an academic advisor? What role do professional counselors have in the academic advising proqram? How can a sound working relationship be established between the profes- sional agencies and the academic advising program?6 Robertson found the full gamut of faculty partici- pation in academic advising from extensive to none at all.7 He concluded that each educational institution must shape its own answer as to the amount and kind of academic advising with the outcome of the effort in terms of services only to be tested for sound educational practice.8 In 1966, Tully and McGirt directed a study of academic advising at Florida State University, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida.9 Data was collected from both faculty members and students. In each institution, as shown by entries on advisor logs and by responses from the students, the following items were dis- cussed more than 80 percent of the interview time: 61bid., p. 232. 71bid., p. 235. 8Ibid., p. 239. 9Emerson Tully and R. Martin McGirt, Jr., Academic Advisement in Three Public Universities in Florida Florida Board of Regents, University System of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida (February, 1968). 15 a. TOpics for course selection. b. Future educational goals. c. Career planning. d. Adding or dropping courses.10 The study predicted that "promotion in rank, recog- nition among colleagues and salary increases will aid in shaping faculty attitudes toward advisement."11 Lastly, the study pointed out that the utilization of allotted advisors varied markedly from institution to institution.12 DeLisle conducted research on undergraduate academic advising.13 She administered a questionnaire to 5411 under- graduate students at Michigan State University. She found statistically significant differences in the response pat- tern of the student sample according to college affiliation. She found that: The profile of students affiliated with the more profes- sionally oriented colleges shows them entering the uni- versity with . . . more certainty of specific outcomes from academic advising than is characteristic of students affiliated with other colleges of the University . . . Moreover, students affiliated with the professionally oriented colleges found, to a greater degree than students from the other colleges, that their expec- tations were fulfilled. Their reaction indicated 101bid., p. 27. llIbid., p. 56. 121bid., p. 75. 13Frances H. DeLisle, A Study of Ugdergraduate Academic Advising Office of Institutional Research, Michigan State University, East Lansing, May, 1965. 16 greater satisfaction and a more favorable attitude toward academic advising, based on their experiences after arriving on the university campus. As a result of a survey conducted on Liberal Arts Colleges of 22 major universities, Tinsely recommends that some existing conditions be bettered.15 Notable among these conditions are the assigning of more advisees than an advisor can work with adequately, failure to lighten other responsi- bilities so that there may be more time for advising work or to provide increased remuneration, stress upon the academic phase of the students' life to the partial exclusion of other aspects that comprise the total resPonsibility . . . and lack of any advising training program.16 Keill administered a check-list and a sentence completion form to a sample of 200 students who were assigned to 42 counselors at Brooklyn College, New York.17 Fifty-five percent of the respondents expressed a preference for drop-in, unscheduled appointments. More than half of the sample believed that the main function of the counselor revolved around program planning. Yet, ten percent believed their counselor did not know enough about the college, its 14Ibid., p. 145. 15M. A. Tinsely, "The Faculty Advisor in the Liberal Arts College," Personnel and Guidance Journal Vol. 34, No. 4 (December, 1955), p. 2I9. 161bid., p. 220. 17Norman Keill, "Freshman Evaluation of Faculty Counselors," Personnel and Guidance Journal Vol. 25 (February, 1957), p. 361. 17 resources and the curriculum for them to have faith in him.18 Peterson conducted research in American Lutheran colleges to determine the basic nature of the student personnel programs and to make a comparative analysis of the differences in perceptions of the sc0pe and quality of the existing student personnel services by the basic student 19 personnel staff, faculty members and students. Regarding academic advising, he made the following observations: The greatest criticism of the academic advisement pro- gram centered on the 'haphazard' academic counseling the students had experienced as beginning freshmen. Students felt that they had been given considerable misinformation concerning course work and major selection as well as procedures to be followed. Some of the faculty expressed a desire to have more infor- mation about their advisees. There was also some need expressed for an advisement handbook to supplement information provided in the college catalog. This w8u1d be of particular assistance to new faculty members.2 Morehead and Johnson studied 226 male electrical engineering freshmen at North Carolina State University who were exposed to different faculty advising programs.21 laIbid., p. 364. 19Alexander Duncan Campbell Peterson, The Future of Education (London: The Crescent Press, 1968), P. 163. 201bid., p. 47. 21Charles G. Morehead and J. Clyde Johnson, "Some Effects of a Faculty Advising Program," Personnel and Guidance Journal Vol. 43 (October, 1964) p. 139. 18 Forty-eight students were randomly selected for the experimental group which had a more systematic advising program; the remaining 178 comprised the control group which had the regular advising program. Both groups were alike at the beginning of the experiment in regard to means and variances of age, predicted grade point average and five personality variables as measured by the Minnesota Multi- Personality Scale. All were enrolled in the same subjects during the study.22 The experimental group was scheduled for eight advisement meetings during the year: twice each semester in groups and twice each semester individually. Group meetings were concerned with instruction and advice in effective study habits, study schedules and class participation, discussion, and casual conversation. Individual conferences gave the students Opportunity to discuss academic progress and plans.23 The advisement program for the control group consisted of meeting with the students in groups once during orientation week to give help in course scheduling, review- ing mid-term grade status, and discussing the need for con- sultation with the advisor on individual problems. These . 24 conferences were optional. 221bid., p. 140. 23Ibid., p. 141. 24Ibid., p. 142. 19 The data accumulated confirmed the hypothesis that the mean grade point average of the experimental group would be higher than that of the control group at the end of the freshman year and spring term. There was no significant difference in the proportion of high achievers. The data tended to indicate that the higher grade point average for the experimental group was not facilitated by the intensive faculty advising program or by professional counseling, but by a systematic program that any interested faculty member could conduct with this number of advisees by devoting approximately 50 hours a year to group meetings and indivi- dual conferences with the students.25 One aspect of faculty advising which major authors consistently mention is the accessibility of advisors by their advisees. Dilly conducted research on 42 faculty members representing 11 departments at the University of Wisconsin.26 Each week, the research team attempted to contact a random sample of faculty members. At the end of six weeks, it was found that of 42 with whom contact was 27 attempted, 20 were accessible and 22 were not. The accessibility was defined by the research team as follows: 251bid., p. 144. 26Josiah S. Dilly, "Student-Faculty Non-Communi- cation," Journal of College Student Personnel Vol. 8, No. 5 (September, 1967), p. 282. 27Ibid., p. 284. 20 A faculty member was classified accessible if (1) his name and office number appeared on a building directory, (2) his office could be physically located and was identifiable, (3) his office hours were posted on the door or the appropriate secretary had instructions as to how and when a contact could be made, and (4) he was present in his office during the posted office hours or during the time the secretary said he was available, at the time and during the particular week the contact was attempted.28 Koile undertook research to develop an instrument to aid in identifying college teachers interested in academic advising.29 He administered a 90-item Professional Activity Inventory for College Teachers to 500 colleges in 25 states. The sample included 290 institutions with counseling teachers and 210 with non-counseling teachers. A scoring system based upon the logic of discriminate analysis was highly effective in discriminating between faculty who were interested in engaging in counseling activities and those who tended to have little or no interest in this work.30 A study by Cummer concluded that students' satis- faction was correlated to the extent of interest of the faculty in academic advising. Students at Florida State University counseled by faculty advisors with high interest in counseling showed significantly more satisfaction as measured by their responses to a faculty advisement scale of 281bid., p. 282. 29Earl A. Koile, "A Measure of Interest for Selecting Faculty Counselors," Educational and Psychological Measurement Vol. 15 (Spring, 1955), p. 49. 30Ibid., p. 55. 21 22 items than did students counseled by faculty members with limited interest in academic advising.31 Released Time and/or Extra Pay for Faculty Advising: During the academic years 1964-65 and 1965-66, six Macalester faculty members were given released time from part of their teaching assignment. In an experiment, 120 freshmen students were randomly assigned at the rate of 10 male and 10 female students to each of those faculty members who were released from one of the three courses they would ordinarily have taught. Rossman examined the effect on these students comparing the remaining 400 freshmen whose faculty advisors had a full teaching load.32 The investigator looked for the differences in the rate of retention, grade point average, level of aspiration, satisfaction with college, and perception of the campus. The results indicated that the students in the experimental group were more satisfied with their faculty advisors and were more likely to discuss course planning, career planning 33 and study problems with their advisors. There was a slightly higher retention rate among women in the 31J. P. Cummer, "A Study of Counselee Satisfaction in Relation to the Interest Level of Faculty Advisors in Counseling Activities," Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Florida State University, 1961. 32J. E. Rossman, "An Experimental Study of Faculty Advising," Personnel and Guidance Journal Vol. 46, No. 2, (October, 1967) p. 162. 33Ibid., p. 163. 22 experimental group. However, there were no significant differences between the groups with regard to grade point average, level of aspiration, satisfaction with college, and perception of the campus.34 One of the conclusions of the previously cited study by Jamrich was that the most desirable area of tangible institutional recognition for faculty advisors was in terms of a decrease in teaching load. Faculty members expressed the opinion that where their time was already limited, extra financial remuneration would not create that time. An eXperiment was conducted on the effect of extra pay for faculty counseling. Fahsbender examined the effect on students who were assigned to 11 faculty members with 36 He concluded that students extra pay for advising duties. seeking help on educational matters preferred those faculty advisors who were given extra pay. The students wanted an adult helper who was available, an "expert" in his field and genuinely concerned with the student as an individual.37 Computer-Assisted Academic Advising: Some colleges attempted to improve the effectiveness of academic advising by implementing the latest available 34Ibid., p. 164. 35Jamrich, op. cit., p. 40. 36Kenneth E. Fahsbender, "A Selective System of Faculty Advising as a means of Implementing Community College Counseling," Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Stanford University, December, 1969. 37Ibid. 23 means. Juola and others evaluated the possibility of using computer-assisted procedures specifically for identifying and assisting students who are on academic probation.38 The computer identified students who appeared to have enrollments which were deemed unwise for the critical quarter of academic probation. These students were contacted by their advisors to suggest possible changes in enrollment. The students who did not appear for the interview provided a comparison group. Prior to the experiment, both groups were essentially similar in their cumulative grade point average. This experiment resulted in a significantly higher grade point average for the "enrollment change group" than the "no-show group." The study illustrated that computer technology can be applied to the problems of helping individual students in areas which have generally been regarded as accessible only through individual efforts of an academic advisor.39 McCracken and Penick described the academic advising at the United States Air Force Academy as a system which attempted to utilize computer assisted data on each cadet for effective advising. They expressed satisfaction with the program. 38Arvo E. Juola, John W. Winburne and Ann Whitmore, "Computer-Assisted Academic Advising," Personnel and Guidance Journal Vol. 47 (October, 1968), p. 146. 39 Ibid., p. 148. 4oNaomi McCracken and Ronald J. Penick, "Academic Advising at the U. S. Air Force Academy," College and University Vol. 44 (Summer, 1969), pp. 642-649. 24 Cogswell and Estavan reported that models of "educa- tional planning interviews" were made with computer program— ming and computer controlled equipment. This automated interview was programmed to review student progress, acknow- ledge comments from the students, react to student plans in their academic career and help the student plan a meaningful schedule. The automated systems were tested to assess the ‘validity of the model by comparing the computer responses with the human advisors' responses on a new sample of 20 students from the same population. The study indicated that automated procedures may have great potential value in academic advising.41 In 1968 Tragesser reported that the University of Tennessee Medical Units utilize electronic power typing equipment to ease and automate the entire pre-admission process. The magnetic tape device enables them to machine produce "personalized" correspondence with and documents about each student admitted and make them available to the professional advisors. This service of up-to-date documents increases the effectiveness of an advisor.42 41J. F. Cogswell and D. P. Estavan, Explorations in Computer-Assisted Counseling Santa Monica, CalifOrnia Systems Development Corp., August, 1965. 42E. F. Tragesser, "Advising the Advisor: Eased by Electronic Typing Equipment," College and University Vol. 43, 1968, p. 163. 25 Student-to-Student Counseling: A study completed by Hardee and Powell in 1956 revealed that 147 out of 218 colleges surveyed employed "students-advising-students" procedures. As they pointed out, this process was primarily used to assist incoming students to the university community and was not involved with their subsequent adjustment to the academic community. Subsequently, this appeared to be a form of part-time coun- seling as Opposed to full—time academic advising. However, in more recent years, researchers report that many insti- tutions of higher education are utilizing students for academic advising unlike the past.43 The use of student-counselors at four year colleges and universities was the subject of a survey conducted by Brown and Zunker in 1966. They observed that 67 percent of those institutions sampled did maintain undergraduate student-counselors to assist in the guidance of freshmen. Most of these student-counselors were assigned to duties in dormitories and new student orientation. It was also noted that more than 10 percent of those institutions surveyed reported the use of student-counseling in the areas of subject matter tutoring, study habit counseling and other academic advising. Eighty-four percent of the schools rated 43Hardee, 0p. cit., p. 143. 26 the effectiveness of student-counselors as positive.44 The authors Observed a trend toward increased use of student counselors. Finally, they concluded that this aSpect of academic advising might be the most expendable and least expensive guidance resource available to colleges and universities.45 William Wharton and others reported on an evaluation of the student assistance program in Allegheny College. This school used volunteers from among responsible juniors and seniors to assist the faculty in advising students. Faculty members who desired assistants expressed their preference for particular individual volunteers who were in turn assigned according to this preference. In addition to general instructions, the volunteers were given special instruction on academic requirements, course sequence prerequisites suggested by appropriate departments and other information describing the role portrayed by an academic advisor.46 In the first year, 28 of the 52 faculty members had requested student assistants. The following year the number had grown to 38 of the 54 advisors concerned, an increase of 56 percent to 70 percent. During the third year, 44W. F. Brown and W. H. Zunker, "Student-Counselor Utilization at Four-Year Institutions of Higher Learning," Journal of College Student Personnel Vol. 17 (January, 1966) pp. 41-45. 451516., p. 46. 46William Wharton, John McKean and Ruth Knight, "Student Assistants for Faculty Advisors," Journal of College Student Personnel Vol. 7 (January, 1966), p. 37. 27 49 of the 62 advisors chose student assistants, thus showing a 79 percent increase in enthusiasm regarding the new program. The researchers concluded in unanimous agreement that the program should be continued.47 Brown reported that Southwest Texas State College employed 12 student academic counselors who were selected by an eight-step screening process and trained for their function. The author evaluated their advising effectiveness by research on a sample of 216 students (108 males and 108 females) from the 670 full-time freshmen entering that college during the fall, 1960. Students in the control group (uncounseled) were individually matched with those in the experimental (counseled) sample by sex, high school quarter ranking, high school size, scholastic achievement and study orientation. Six upperclassmen, three males and three females, were randomly assigned as counselors to 48 same-sex counselors. The test-retest differential for the experimental or counseled group was significantly higher on measures of study behavior. Those counseled earned grades averaging one-half letter grade and 8.3 quality points higher 49 during the first semester tested. Brown concluded: 47Ibid., p. 40. 48W. F. Brown, "Student-to-Student Counseling for Academic Adjustment," Personnel and Guidance Journal Vol. 43 49 Ibid., p. 815. 28 The student academic counselors were successful in communicating information about effective study skills . . . peer delivered information and advice frequently received quicker acceptance than did the counsel given by faculty members. Students were willing to accept and use peer delivered guidance because of its more realis- tic approach, especially to the younger students counseled. This guidance offered by student counselors appeared to be accepted more frequently because these counselors speak the same language and have shared the 50 same problems at some time with the students counseled. Similar findings have been reported in an investi- gative study of entering students advised by upperclassmen at Justin Morrill College at Michigan State University by Chathaparampil and Neil in 1970.51 Implications of Previous Research An effort has been made through this chapter to bring into focus those reports from the literature which provided the impetus and background for this study. The literature revealed that some attention has been given to academic advising. As noted, there have been several techniques and approaches employed in an attempt to improve academic advising. However, many of the general studies show that these are inadequate, and that an effective academic advising program is still an end to be sought after by a majority of todays' institutions of higher learning. 5°Ibid., p. 817. 51Joseph Chathaparampil and Charles K. Neil, "The Academic Assistant Advisement Program” Memorandum: Justin Morrill College, Michigan State University, March, 1970. 29 To the knowledge of this author, there has been no research reported on student perceptions of their under- graduate academic advising experiences regarding the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. Based on this premise, it is the purpose of this study to evaluate the aforementioned program in terms of student satisfaction. This investigation should be helpful in disseminating information on the practical aspects of academic advising within the School of Criminal Justice. In Chapter III, the research design and methodology of the study will be discussed in depth. CHAPTER III RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY This chapter presents a discussion of the methods and procedures used in conducting the present study. Specifically, it is concerned with the population, composi- tion of the sample, administration of the instrument used in the investigation and the procedures for analyzing the responses. Population The defined population for this study consists of all undergraduate students currently enrolled in the School of Criminal Justice. The enrollment and the status of the academic advisors were verified for Spring term, 1972. This sample was selected for a variety of reasons. This researcher is serving as a staff member on the Criminal Justice Education Project (a federal grant devel- Oped by a faculty member of this School). The population addressed for this thesis is an apprOpriate one as it explicitly parallels many of the objectives included in the above Project. An additional reason for selecting the undergraduate population of the School of Criminal Justice as a basis for 30 31 this research was primarily because it appears that problems in academic advising are universal within this "group." While graduate students may incur similar difficulties, they tend to be more independent of the solutions available than the former pOpulation. Finally, narrowing the defined popu- lation was imperative due to limited financial resources available for this study. Nonetheless, it is recognized that the findings of the research on a sample from this population will be generalized only to this particular population, even though the results of this study may have implications for other populations diSplaying similar characteristics.1 Sample Composition The composition of the sample was formulated as follows: The School of Criminal Justice maintains a list of assigned academic advisors, which matches the names of all currently enrolled undergraduate students within the department to their corresponding academic advisors. This list is revised accordingly by the Undergraduate Curriculum Coordinator, an assigned responsibility for a designated faculty member, to insure against outdated student records. The sample for this study was drawn from the Spring, 1972 list. 1Calvin J. Swank, "Marital Status as Related to Male On Campus College Students' Attitude toward Police at Michigan State University," Unpublished Master's Thesis, Michigan State University, 1971. 32 The desired sample was obtained by extracting every tenth name from the list. This produced a total of 100 students chosen at random from the defined population. Students were identified by gender, class year and grade point average. In addition, the sample contained students from a majority of the housing facilities, both on and off campus. Design and Administration of the Test Instrument The research design is that of a descriptive questionnaire-type study. Certainly, the major purpose of descriptive research is to tell "what is."2 That is to say, it merely provides us with a starting point, and therefore, is often carried out as a preliminary step to be followed by research using more vigorous control and more objective methods.3 The undergraduate questionnaire was developed especially for this study. In its final form, the survey was composed of 43 items which were arranged in sections as follows: Section 1 consisted of six questions designed to elicit identifying characteristics to be used in estab- lishing classifications for stratifying the sample. 2Walter R. Borg, Educational Research, An Intro- duction (New York: David McKay Co., Inc., 1965), p. 202. 31bid. 33 Section 2 contained nine statements describing possible characteristics of the academic advising process and its relationship to the academic advisors. The purpose was to determine whether students have any definite pre- conceptions and expectations on academic advising prior to coming to the School of Criminal Justice. Section 3 presented eight characteristics which could be considered functions of academic advising. Students were asked to select one of five possible responses to describe their approval or dissatisfaction with the academic advising and the extent to which prior expectations had been fulfilled ginge coming to the School of Criminal Justice. Section 4 was composed of twelve possible functions of academic advising. Students were asked to indicate the importance they attach to each function. The purpose here was to determine whether there was some pattern of priori- ties shared by the undergraduates. Section 5 supplied six statements representing alternative ways of handling academic advising. Students were asked to indicate which alternative they favored by selecting one of four responses. Section 6 provided two open-end statements designed to give the student an Opportunity to make suggestions or recommendations for the improvement of academic advising. The results of these unstructured responses will be analyzed and discussed at length in Chapter IV. 34 The questionnaires, with personalized letters of transmittal, were mailed April 28, 1972. Forty-one percent of the students returned their completed questionnaires by May 11. A second set of questionnaires and follow-up personal letters were sent to those who had not responded up to that date. By June 5, a total of 73 percent of the students had returned the completed questionnaire. Tele- phone contacts were used for the remainder. The final results showed a return of 80 percent. Methodolqu of the Study Based on the administrative and financial limitations of this study, the following procedure was adopted in ana- lyzing the research. After the sample was drawn, a chi- square was completed in order to determine the significance of the findings. The chi-square (X2) is a non-parametric statistical technique through which observed (Obtained) frequencies are compared with expected (normal) frequencies to determine whether there is a significant difference between the Observed and eXpected frequencies. The .01 level was chosen as the minimum acceptable level of statistical significance. In other words, to be significant the difference between the observed and the expected frequencies must occur by chance not more than one time in 100. 35 With this in mind, the remainder of the study will be addressed to the hypothesis stated earlier along with an analysis Of the research data. CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDINGS Chapter IV is devoted to an analysis of the findings and procedures used relevant to the hypothesis at issue in this study. There will be no attempt to draw conclusions about the data here since those tOpics will be treated in detail in Chapter V. Analysis Techniques Two methods of analyzing the data were utilized in this study: First, percentages were computed on the overall totals of the responses regarding each level of satisfaction. They were then compared and calculated individually.1 For each item, responses of "very unsatisfactory, unimportant to me and very unfavorable toward it" were combined with "some- what unsatisfactory, somewhat unimportant to me and somewhat unfavorable toward it." Also, responses of "very satis- factory, very important to me and very favorable toward it" were likewise combined with "somewhat satisfactory, somewhat important to me and somewhat favorable toward it." For the 1Robert H. Koenker, Simplified Statistics: For Students in Education and Psychology (Bloomington: McKnight and'McKnight Publishing Co., 1961), p. 105. 36 37 purpose of this research, the response of "cannot evaluate because I did not seek or did not need the described function" denoted a neutral position which indicated neither satis- faction nor dissatisfaction. Following the computation of percentages on the responses, and as mentioned in the preceeding chapter, a chi- square (X2) analysis was employed primarily because it provided the author with a simple and useful technique for comparing results obtained in the experiment to those results that would be anticipated on the basis of the hypothesis.2 That is, since the purpose of the chi-square is to compare observed frequencies, it follows that the more closely the observed and expected agree, the smaller the value of chi- square.3 Contrawise, the greater the difference between the observed and the expected results, the greater the value of chi-square and the greater the possibility of a significant divergence or difference.4 Based on this assumption, a chi-square test for significance was used to determine the difference between the two groups (observed and expected) and was computed using the formula x2 = N (AD - 8C)2 (A + B) (C + D) (A + C) (B + D) 2Calvin J. Swank, "Marital Status as Related to Male On Campus College Students' Attitude Toward Police at Michigan State University," Unpublished Master's Thesis, Michigan State University, 1971, p. 45. 3Koenker, op. cit., p. 114. 41bid., p. 126. 38 In order to make chi-square more accurate using low numbers, the Yates correction also was applied. This means that if in any of the cells used in the chi-square the num- ber is less than 20, .5 must be added to the diagonal having the smallest total and subtracted from the diagonal having the largest total.5 Using a chi-square contingency table, it was determined that for significance to exist a chi-square value above 5.168 must be present at the .01 level. At the somewhat lesser significance level of .05 a chi-square value above 3.841 must be obtained.6 Restatement of the Hypothesis As stated earlier, in a deliberate attempt to avoid the null form which states that no difference exists7, the hypothesis states that the undergraduate students in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University will exhibit a significant difference between their prior expec— tations of academic advising and their actual academic advising experiences. As previously mentioned, 100 questionnaires were mailed with a cover letter to a random sampling of under- graduate students enrolled for Spring term, 1972 in the School of Criminal Justice. It is interesting to note that 51bid., p. 109. 6Koenker, op. cit., p. 148. 7Walter R. Borg, Educational Research: An Intro- duction (New York: David McKay Co., 19657, p. 202. 39 as the analysis of the data progressed, only one completed questionnaire had to be omitted because the respondent did not take the test instrument seriously. This then left 80 of the original 100 questionnaires to be analyzed. The following results were thus obtained from the returned questionnaires using a chi-square (X2) analysis and percentages. Each individual item on the questionnaire was computed and chi—square calculations show that there are significant differences at the .01 and the less significant .05 levels for 34 out of 35 items (Sections 2-5) in the survey. The accompanying tables show the results of this analysis: Section 2. The statements in this section refer to under- graduate student pre-conceptions and expectations with regard to academic advising pgigp to coming to the School of Criminal Justice. The purpose was to secure an appraisal of whether students g9 come to the School with definite and certain expectations related to the academic advising process and its relationship with the academic advisors. Code l. I had not thought much about it . . . . . . . . 1 2. I did not expect this would be true . . . . . . 2 3. I was uncertain about whether this would be true 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 3 4. I expected that this would be true . . . . . . 4 40 Total Percentage of Responses, Section 2, with Chi-Square Distribution TABLE 4.1 1. "My academic advisor would be the same person each term throughout my college program." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 20.2 7.1 10.3 62.4 .01 .01 .01 In regard to this item, there is a significant difference at the .01 level which displays a definite prior expectation at this point. TABLE 4.2 2. "My academic advisor would be available to me when I needed him." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 6.2 7.5 12.5 73.8 .01 .01 .01 This item revealed that 73.8 percent of the students queried believed the above to be true while only 7.5 per- cent felt it to be untrue. 41 TABLE 4.3 3. "The academic advisor would take a personal interest in me and give me individual attention." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 3.4 20.3 25.0 51.3 .01 .01 .01 Item #3 shows a strong difference between the number of students who have an expectation regarding this item and those who have not given it much thought. TABLE 4 . 4 4. "The academic advisor would communicate his enthusiasm about higher education to me." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 18.7 25.0 13.8 42.5 .01 .05 NS Although there appears to be a majority of those students who believed the above item was true, there was a significant chi-square value correlated with the female students that the statement was true, without question. 42 TABLE 4.5 "The academic advisor would help me clarify my educa- tional and career goals if I needed such clarification." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 6.3 1.1 11.3 81.3 .01 .05 .01 Again, a strong correlation between the female students and those with the lower GPAs exist regarding prior expectations in this instance. As shown above, this state- ment was generally believed to be true by most of the stu- dents in the sample. TABLE 4.6 "The total curricular offerings of the School of Criminal Justice would be known to my academic advisor so that he could help me to plan a balanced program." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 7.4 5.0 18.8 68.8 .01 .05 .01 Again, the female GPA correlation appears at the .01 level concerning the above response. Students in this response reveal that they believe the statement above is true. 43 TABLE 4.7 7. "The academic advisor would know all of the resources of the School of Criminal Justice so that he could refer me for additional help if I needed it." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 7.2 7.5 15.3 70.0 .01 NS NS Item #7 revealed that while the statement was generally accepted as true, there was a significance correlated with this expectation, particularly with the female students. TABLE 4.8 8. "The academic advisor would suggest ways to me in which I could improve my academic record if I needed such help." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 15.0 7.3 6.4 71.3 .01 .01 .01 Respondents believed this item to be true and showed a substantial degree of significance on the above. 44 TABLE 4. 9 9. "The academic advisor would make me feel that I could confide in him about other than educational matters that were of concern to me." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 11.6 3.2 7.2 78.0 .01 .01 .01 As noted, this item displayed a correlation at the .01 level as 78 percent of the students believed this eXpec- tation to be true. Note all the .01 levels of significance in this section. Section 3. The statements in this section refer to the academic advising undergraduate students have actually experienced ginge they declared criminal justice as their major. The purpose was to discover the major satisfactions and dissatisfactions with the advising process and the extent to which it measured up to prior student expectations. Code 1. Very unsatisfactory . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Somewhat unsatisfactory. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3. Cannot evaluate because I did not seek or did not need the described function . . . . . . . 3 4. Somewhat satisfactory . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 U! 5. Very satisfactory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Total Percentage of Responses, Section 3, with Chi-quare Distribution TABLE 4.10 1. "Continuity in the faculty academic advising process resulting from few or no changes in the advisor assignment." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Sex Year GPA 25.0 20.0 28.8 15.0 11.2 .05 .01 .01 Students were dissatisfied with their experiences regarding this item. A significant correlation was recorded for the freshmen through senior students here, as they answered No. 1--very unsatisfactory-~90 percent as a group. TABLE 4.11 2. "Availability of the faculty academic advisor in time of need on my part." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Sex Year GPA 51.0 22.6 17.0 5.3 4.1 .05 .01 .01 A general atmosphere of dissatisfaction prevails here. The freshmen and sophomores all responded to the "very unsatisfactory" code designation. Also, those with lower GPAs were dissatisfied in this item. 46 TABLE 4.12 3. "Opportunity through the advising contacts to come to a more realistic understanding of my abilities, interests and goals." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Sex Year GPA 37.5 26.2 26.3 10.0 0.0 NS .01 .01 As depicted by this table, dissatisfactions regarding the actual academic advising experiences of the undergraduate students are evident. TABLE 4. 13 4. "Increased insight into my need to combine the general with the Specialized aspects of higher education to initiate the process of becoming an educated person." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Sex Year GPA 16.3 38.0 32.5 11.5 1.7 .01 .01 .01 This item appears to be equally significant as the others previously analyzed, 16.3 to 38 percent of the sample are dissatisfied with this aspect. 47 TABLE 4 . 14 5. "Helpful assistance from the faculty academic advisor in selecting apprOpriate courses for me including the Offerings of other departments other than criminal justice." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Sex Year GPA 39.0 10.9 18.8 25.0 6.3 .01 .01 .01 Regarding this item, 25 percent believe some satis- faction exists here, however, 39 percent are nonetheless dissatisfied with the advising they have received to date. TABLE 4.15 6. "Help from my faculty academic advisor in making long- range educational and career plans." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Sex Year GPA 25.4 31.3 26.3 12.5 4.5 .01 .01 .01 The above item has 25.4 to 31.3 percent of the sample dissatisfied with academic advisor assistance in helping improve long-range educational and career goals. 48 TABLE 4.16 7. "Assistance from my faculty academic advisor with ways in which I could improve my academic standing." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Sex Year GPA 18.8 37.5 37.5 6.2 0.0 .01 , .01 .01 The majority of the items analyzed to this point regard the actual advising experiences of the students with overall dissatisfaction. It is interesting to note how many of the students sampled have selected code number 3 in this section. As mentioned earlier, code number 3 is a desig- nation of "neutral" for purposes of this study but must not go unnoticed. TABLE 4.17 8. "An increasing understanding through academic advising of what is involved in such matters as educational program planning and career aspirations so that I could assume more responsibility for myself in those areas." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Sex Year GPA 18.8 15.0 53.7 10.0 2.5 .01 .01 .01 49 In the final item regarding Section 3, a definite correlation is evident at the .01 level of significance. That is, enough of a difference exists to merit further inquiry into why the undergraduate students of the School of Criminal Justice are generally dissatisfied with the aca- demic advising process. Also it should be pointed out that the median percentage in designating response number 3 range from a low of 17 percent to a high of 53.7 percent. Whatever these particular percentages mean, while not fully understood at this time, they are somewhat higher in total than those responses displaying a "satisfactory" or "somewhat satis- factory" belief that the actual academic advising experiences are meeting prior advising expectations. Section 4. The statements in this section refer to a wide variety of functions which could be included in a defi— nition of academic advising. The purpose of this section was to appraise the degree of importance which the under- graduate students attach to these various functions as they see their needs for them. Code 1. Unimportant to me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l 2. Somewhat unimportant to me . . . . . . . . . 2 3. Somewhat important to me . . . . . . . . . . 3 4. Very important to me . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 50 Total Percentage of Responses, Section 4, with Chi-Square Distribution TABLE 4 . 18 1. "Academic advising provides a relationship with someone who can be a friend and confidant." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 18.3 9.3 56.0 16.4 .01 .01 .01 This item shows 16.4 percent to 56.0 percent of the sample consider the statement true. Extremely significant once again at the .01 level. TABLE 4.19 2. "Academic advising should be considered as an important educational service for the student." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 5.9 7.5 30.3 56.3 .01 .05 NS In this item, there is a strong significant dif- ference correlation by the female students that this is one of the most important items on the questionnaire. 51 TABLE 4 . 20 3. "The relationship should contribute to individualize the educational experience in a complex educational environment." Total Percentages Chi-Squares A Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 4.9 6.3 38.8 50.0 .01 NS NS This item displays the importance attached by the students in this sample. It is an extremely important func- tion to 95 percent of the female students who responded to this statement. TABLE 4 . 21 4. "Should help to encourage and motivate the student toward accomplishment consistent with his potential." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 2.7 5.3 44.2 47.8 .01 NS .05 In regard to this statement, the students who responded to code numbers 3 or 4 were those with the lower grade point averages. Again, the female students as a group reached the .01 level of significance here. On the whole, this item attracted an "important" response. 52 TABLE 4.22 5. "Should assist the student in growth toward under- standing his abilities and interests." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 6.0 12.1 41.6 40.3 .01 .05 .01 Item #5 displays the .01 significance level within the entire female category and lower grade point average group. It shows the belief that this item is regarded as important to the students. TABLE 4.23 6. "Should contribute toward clarification of the student's values and goals." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 20.0 27.5 26.3 26.2 NS NS NS This item depicted the "closeness" of the degree of importance attached by the respondents. Although a signi- ficance level of correlation was not associated with this statement, it was, in fact, the only item in the question- naire without significance. 53 TABLE 4.24 7. "Should help with immediate and long-range career and program planning." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 3.7 2.8 37.2 56.3 .01 NS NS Here, while 83 percent of the females believed this item to be true, 56.3 percent of the entire sample agreed. Only 2.8 percent believed the statement to be unimportant. TABLE 4.25 8. "Should teach the student how to assemble information relative to courses, requirements, procedures and to evaluate the total." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 3.8 3.7 42.5 50.0 .01 .01 .01 Though significant at the .01 level, the sample believed this item to be quite important. TABLE 4.26 9. "Should help the student to grow in judgment—forming and decision-making abilities." 54 Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 13.8 37.4 33.8 15.0 .01 .01 .01 Responses on this item were very close between "somewhat unimportant and somewhat important." While no clear—cut majority existed, definite correlation appeared nonetheless. TABLE 4.27 10. "Should contribute to the student's knowledge about other resources relevant for him and available in the criminal justice community." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 0.0 7.5 30.0 62.5 .01 .05 NS All female students believed this item was important therefore, the high correlation. This item showed a defi- nite importance to a majority of the sample tested. TABLE 4.28 11. "Should strengthen the understanding of the student with respect to the goals of undergraduate (liberal and professional) education." 55 Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 10.0 22.5 40.0 27.5 .01 .01 .01 In regard to this item, there is a major correlation, nonetheless, it is considered to be important to the respondents. TABLE 4 . 29 12. "Should be performed by members of the faculty who have a special interest in and ability for this particular kind of teaching relationship with students." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 0.0 8.7 17.5 73.8 .05 .05 .01 This item is considered somewhat important as 73.8 percent of the sample showed. These students with the lower grade point averages believed this statement to be true to a great degree. Section 5. Various patterns of academic advising exist. The purpose of this section was to explore the student reactions to a number of them. 56 Code 1. Very unfavorable toward it . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Somewhat unfavorable toward it . . . . . . . 2 3. Somewhat favorable toward it . . . . . . . . 3 4. Very favorable toward it . . . . . . . . . . 4 Total Percentage of Responses, Section 5, with Chi-Square Distribution TABLE 4.30 l. "The student would be completely on his own." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 61.3 23.8 13.8 1.1 .01 .01 .01 This statement depicted a very unfavorable attitude by the students. While 61.3 percent rejected the item, only 1.1 percent upheld it. TABLE 4.31 2. "The student would be completely on his own in the junior and senior years after maximum assistance in the freshman and SOphomore years." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 23.7 25.0 38.8 12.5 .05 .Ol .01 57 While 91 percent of the juniors and seniors accepted this statement, the remainder of the sample generally rejected this item. TABLE 4.32 3. "Graduate assistants would be assigned a major responsi- bility for academic advising in the School of Criminal Justice." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 6.2 31.3 52.5 10.0 NS .01 .01 Students accepted this alternative for the most part, even though high correlation existed on this item. TABLE 4.33 4. "Faculty members would assume the responsibility with a reduction in the rest of their schedules to permit adequate time for academic advising. Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 10.1 6.1 30.7 53.1 NS .01 .01 In this item the respondents expressed a very favor- able attitude. Only 10.1 percent of the sample rejected this as an alternative to academic advising. 58 TABLE 4.34 5. "Full-time professional staff would be assigned the responsibility for academic advising." Total Percentages Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 4.2 11.5 52.9 31.4 .01 NS .01 In general, this item was designated as a favorable alternative to academic advising. TABLE 4 . 35 6. "Responsibility for academic advising should rest within the criminal justice department." Total PercentageS' Chi-Squares Class #1 #2 #3 #4 Sex Year GPA 5.7 6.3 38.0 50.0 .01 .01 .01 In item number 6, the respondents appear very favorable toward this statement regarding academic advising within the School of Criminal Justice. Section 6. This portion of the questionnaire will be dealt with in detail in the final chapter. 59 In the preceeding analysis it is quite evident that most individual items obtained a significant chi-square value. It is interesting to observe how many times, repeatedly, the .01 level of significance was Obtained. With this in mind, the hypothesis then must be accepted on the basis that there is a significant difference between prior expectations held by the undergraduate students in the School of Criminal Justice and the actual academic advising they have experienced. The final chapter of this study is concerned with an overall summary of this research endeavor, conclusions, impli- cations for further research and recommendations based upon findings in Chapter IV. CHAPTER V SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Summary of the Study The purpose of this study was to measure the effec- tiveness of the academic advising process within the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. This author chose to utilize student perceptions of their own individual experiences relating to academic advisement as the vehicle through which this research could be accomplished. A descriptive-type questionnaire was developed in order to facilitate the above student perceptions. A random sample was drawn from the Spring, 1972 academic advisee assignment list consisting of all undergraduate students enrolled in the School of Criminal Justice for the latter term. After the sample was drawn and the question- naire was administered, a chi-square was completed so that significance, if any, could be determined. Research Findings Student perceptions toward and opinions about academic advising within the School as displayed through the questionnaire, including an Open-end response, reveal 60 61 a generally negative and unfavorable attitude. Within this overall aura of dissatisfaction reside problems which could be examined profitably to determine what improvements should be made in the process of academic advising. A whole com- plex of interrelated factors, including strengths and weaknesses, need to come under the purview of those having responsibility in this area. Caution needs to be exercised against oversimpli- ll- fication of explanations as to why undergraduate students within this department react as they do, particularly since some contradictions and inconsistencies are inevitably present in the total picture. The first section considered student pre-conceptions and expectations regarding the process of academic advising and the relationship between a student and his or her advisor pgipp to enrolling in the School of Criminal Justice. a. Pre-conceptions and Expectations: The data reveals that students do come to the School with definite expec- tations and pre-conceptions Of academic advising. These ideas come from a number of sources including the high school advising program, college and career orientation days, and the various college catalogues and newsletters. One signi- ficant factor was discovered in this section. Female students tend to enter the School of Criminal Justice with more positive expectations as to the specific outcomes of academic advising than males. 62 b. Satisfactions and Dissatisfactions: In this section notable discoveries were made. Undergraduate students are most satisfied with those functions of academic advising that do not require taking into consideration the matter of individual differences. Students are least satisfied with those possible functions in which individual differences come into play, where knowledge of other campus resources would be needed, and with the limited amount of time provided for the advisor- advisee relationship. Students do not concur that the single goal of aca- demic advising should be the processing of students each term for enrollment and registration. Female students express more satisfactions with academic advising than dissatisfactions, though the Opposite tends to be more often true for male students. Students with the higher grade point averages tend to be less satisfied and more critical of certain aspects of academic advising than students with lower grades, or stu- dents who have not yet established themselves academically. Students living in the coeducational residences tend to feel less satisfied with certain aspects of academic advising than students living elsewhere. To some extent, this may reflect the high percentage of freshmen students among them. On the other hand, it may be that the full potential of the resources and facilities have not reached them. 63 0. Important Functions: A discrepancy exists between those functions associated with academic advising (to which students in the sample attached importance) and the extent to which satisfaction has been experienced by their fulfill- ment through academic advising. A few examples will suffice to illustrate: 1. To have a relationship with someone who can be a friend and confidant is believed to be important by 62.1 to 78.0 percent of the student sample. Actually, 20.5 to 42.3 percent are satisfied with the opportunity that academic advising gives them to interact with a faculty member. To help encourage and motivate the student toward accomplishment consistent with his potential is thought to be an important function of academic advising by 86.6 to 93.1 percent of the students in the sample but, 11.6 to 26.3 percent are satisfied with the help academic advising has provided them in improving their scholarship. Learning to understand students' interests and abilities is considered to be an important function of academic advising by 86.1 to 92.9 percent of the students in the sample. On the other hand, only 24.0 to 44.2 percent are satis— fied with the extent to which they are currently achieving it through academic advising. 64 4. To help with immediate and long-range program and career planning is considered to be an important function of academic advising by 86.9 to 98.3 percent of the student sample. Yet, only 15.1 to 59.0 percent express satisfaction with the extent to which this help is available through academic advising. 5. To learn about other resources and experiences relevant and available in the Criminal Justice community is rated as an important function of academic advising by 73.6 to 89.9 percent of the students in the sample, whereas 14.4 to 27.2 percent have experienced satisfaction, in this respect, through academic advising. 6. To strengthen the understanding of the student with respect to the goals of undergraduate edu- cation (liberal andgprofessional) is a function of academic advising valued by 76.4 to 86.6 per- cent of the sample. Nevertheless, 25.3 to 42.2 percent express satisfaction in this respect through academic advising. Moreover, the data shows that female students attach more importance to all of the suggested functions of aca- demic advising than do male students. Thus, there is no constant indicated for attaching the same degree of importance to all functions simultane- ously. Rather, the evidence suggests changing emphasis at the various stages of education and maturity. 65 d. Academic Advising Alternatives: Students in the sample tend to select the department and the School as central to the academic advising authority and responsi- bility. However, many would like to see some provision for a professional advising staff, and faculty members (1) selected, (2) given released time, and (3) supplied addi— tional help. Furthermore, students Oppose the idea of being expected to plan on their own, even after they progress to the upper divisions of the School. They are generally favorable toward the use of graduate assistants being assigned a major responsibility for academic advising. Overall, students would like to be free to confer with an academic advisor, or not to do so, according to their needs. They would like to have a consultant available and accessible, but nothing mandatory for making use of him. Implications for Future Research A grave responsibility rests with the School of Criminal Justice to fulfill the promises it makes with respect to academic advising. Leadership to bring about change involves the top echelons of the department supple- mented by the assistance of faculty members and students. The drift toward minimum contacts between students and faculty represents a well-known modern phenomenon. To resist the growth of even greater distance, the base of the relationship must be broadened through a more respon- 66 sible concept of academic advising. This includes the advisor knowing more about his students, about total univer- sity programs and the questions that students ask about their courses and educational experiences. Full recognition must be given to the need to extend the faculty and administration concept of instruction. Academic advising is too Often viewed as extra and unrelated to instruction. As a matter of fact, these functions are the logical extensions of teaching in the classroom regard- less of whether they are engaged in on a full-time, part- time or rotating basis. The results of this current study of academic advising demonstrate--by means of statistically significant differences in responses characteristic of the students in the School of Criminal Justice--that diversity of approach in academic advising is necessary to meet the widely- varying needs of the students. No single formula for serving all these students will suffice to meet the indi- vidual differences involved. Moreover, it is evident that all aspects of student development are interdependent--educational, social and emotional. A long-range view of personal growth should be adopted, resisting doing for the student what he can reasonably be helped to do for himself. Other Important Implications Other important implications merit serious consid- eration in future research. That is: 67 1. Students do bring misconceptions of academic advising to the School of Criminal Justice. Some eXpect too much and some too little. 2. Another need exists to extend the concept of orientation, thinking of it as a process, rather than as an event. Students require periodic reorientation particularly closer to the time of their need to know certain information. 3. Attention should be given to influencing atti- tudes brought by the advisor and the advisee to the relationship that represent great significance in terms of providing the climate and atmosphere in which the process and the relationship may flourish. 4. If possible, faculty academic advisors should be selected. The criteria should be only those who display an interest toward being student oriented, aware of the academic advising task, and pro— vided with in-service training and materials including handbooks, curricula, etc. The Most Pressing Problems Academic advising in its broadest sense functions most effectively and satisfactorily for the bright, achiev- ing upper division students and in particular, those who possess confidence, initiative and enough persistence to seek out and make use of supplementary resources. 68 Other students express varying degrees of dissatis- faction with certain functions and characteristics of aca- demic advising in relation to the School of Criminal JuStice, especially in the following areas. 1. They object to the lack of continuity in aca- demic advisor assignments. 2. They feel inconvenienced by the fact that the advisor is seldom available when they need his services. 3. They are perplexed to find that the advisor knows so little about other curricula and resources of the university. 4. Often they are frustrated by the fact that advising is carried out in a perfunctory manner, from which they conclude that the advisor is doing it against his will and that he lacks personal interest in the student as an individ- ual. 5. They resent the fact that there is insufficient time to discuss the alternative of program planning and career exploration. 6. They tend to characterize academic advising in the School as depersonalized, mechanical and providing little opportunity for faculty inter- action. 7. They experience a feeling of discomfort when they need to confer with an advisor and feel 69 they are intruding on hip more important con- cerns and responsibilities. These were the most pressing problems concerning academic advising in the School of Criminal Justice as taken from the open—end section of the student questionnaire. Though the evidence revealed in this study would support the need to extend the concept and improve the functions of academic advising for all students of the School according to their needs, it seems abundantly clear that certain groups have been identified whose needs call for a major investment in expanded services and arrange- ments. These include: (1) freshmen students who come to the department largely unprepared for the demands which will be made upon them. The majority are in a stage of late adolescence, characterized by uncertainties, inconsisten— cies and lack of confidence in making decisions about impor- tant matters. For these reasons, a greater provision of guidance services and support through this period would enhance the possibility of winning more freshmen to the intellectual life and of reducing attrition; (2) other new students, whether they are transfer students, foreign, or just new-declared majors, these students are in a transi- tional period, similar to that of freshmen; (3) female students need to work with academic advisors carefully selected for their understanding and acceptance of the unique roles women play in today's modern society, and of the alternatives Open to women today as well; (4) students 70 in scholastic difficulty should be identified as early as possible and provided with all of the special assistance they are willing to accept; (5) exceptionally bright stu- dents need special assistance in the early college years if they are to develOp to the fullest their greater potential, and (6) students who have interrupted their education for a period of years are usually in need of special advising assistance because of age and more diversified patterns of experience. Recommendations Though much is unknown at a theoretical level, recommendations should be considered for the pressing pro- blems of academic advising regarding the School of Criminal Justice. If an experimental attitude and open-minded approach are adopted, perhaps new and significant break- throughs will follow. To meet the needs of the undergraduate students, the following recommendations merit evaluation, though each will have its advantages and disadvantages. The recommen- dations may be combined, modified, altered or expanded according to specific needs. Certainly, the choices of applicability will involve the weighing of a number of factors, including the practical ones of time, personnel and finances. 1. Continue with the current academic advising program which places reliance on the initiative 71 of the students to seek supplementary sources of assistance to bolster any inadequacies of the advising system. The faculty advisors should be relieved Of some of their other responsibilities if the advisee load exceeds a reasonable number. Provide all upper division students of the School of Criminal Justice with academic advising. Faculty members would be selected for their interest in and qualifications for academic advising. Provide graduate assistants and outstanding upper division students to serve as assistants and aides to full-time academic advisors and part—time faculty advisors for the more routine advising functions, especially at peak periods. Provide orientation to the academic advising hhgh for all those engaged in any part of the total function so they will know what it involves and how their part contributes to the whole. Provide in-service training to academic advisors to help them to grow in this role, to include such skills as interviewing techniques, inter- pretation of orientation test scores, knowledge of resources to which they may refer students, and an understanding of the skill involved in making an effective referral to these resources. 72 6. Provide the means at an all-universityylevel for furnishing academic advisors with complete and accurate information about curricula and resources in time to carry out effective long- range program planning with students. The major implications of the findings in this study have been presented. Emphasis has been given to the prior- ities, as represented by the pressing problems to which further research should be addressed. Recommendations for improvement in the current academic advising process of the School of Criminal Justice have been suggested predicated on the following: (1) stu- dents need Opportunities for interaction with faculty members as one means of establishing identities of their own; (2) students will be inducted into the intellectual life only if a significant effort is made when they are most susceptible; and (3) students want guidance and need help in developing logic and the principles of right and reason to sort out that which is right and just from the vast majority of conflicting and confusing philosophies, principles and practices which surround them in the univer- sity community with its academic freedom and free speech emphasis. In this research, the fundamental purpose lies in finding ways of relating to undergraduate students in meaningful and significant ways, through the use of control and experimental groups conducted for a sufficient period 73 of time to evaluate in terms of academic achievement, attrition rates and student satisfaction. In addition, experimentation may serve to help in the discovery of arrangements by means Of which the whole may be divided into parts which constitute viable student communities related to criminal justice educational programs. Though leadership is essential from the top echelons of the department, major responsibility for the implementation of improved academic advising rests with individual faculty members who possess the desire to meet the needs of their students. The huge, untapped resources of talent, ingenuity and good will toward students on the part of faculty members, will not be brought fully to bear upon the vast reservoir of student need until there is tangible and convincing evidence of the importance vested in this activity by the School of Criminal Justice. Basic to an expanded and improved academic advising program, therefore, is the clear assurance by the School that excellence in aca- demic advising is part of the incentive system, and as such, is concerned with excellence in teaching and research as one of the bases for promotions and salary increases. Having been convinced of this, it can be assumed that faculty members of the School will contribute their full support to making a more effective academic advising program to meet more directly the increasing needs shared by under- graduate students of the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY A. BOOKS Arbuckle, Dugald S. Student Personnel Services in Higher Education. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1953. Borg, Walter R. Educational Research, An Introduction. New York: David McKay Company, 1968. Duncan, Alexander and Peterson, Campbell. The Future of Education. London: The Crescent Press, 1968. Fisher, M. and Noble, J. College Education as‘Personal Development. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1960. Flexner, Abraham. Universities American, English, German, New York: Oxford University Press, 1930. Gardner, John W. Self-Renewal. New York: Harper and Row, 1964. Good, Harry G. A History of American Education. New York: Macmillan Company, i962. Hardee, Melvene D. The Faculty in College Counseling. New York: McGraw-Hili Book Company, Inc., 1959. Kirk, Roger B. Experimental Design: Procedures for the Behavioral Sciences. California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1968. Koenker, Robert H. Simplified Statistics: For Students in Education and Psychology. Bloomington: McKnight and McKnight Publishing Company, 1961. Mueller, Kate H. Student Personnel Work in Higher Education. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, I961. Sanford, Nevitt. The American College. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1962. Scudder, Horace E. The Complete Poetical WOrks of James Russell Lowell. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, I925. 74 75 Tyler, Leona E. The Work of the Counselor. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1956. Williamson, E. G. Student Personnel Services in Colleges and Universities. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, I961. B. PERIODICALS Aschenbrenner, A. J. "The Role of Upperclass Students as Academic Advisors for College Freshmen." Journal of College Student Personnel. Vol. 4, 1964. Bernard, Harold W. and Fullmer, Daniel W. "Counseling Delivery Systems: Evolving the Consultation Method." Educational Perspectives. Vol. II, No. l, 1972. Blaine, G. B., Jr. "Stress and Distress in Identity Formation in College and High School." NAWDC Journal. Vol. 27, 1963. Boykin, L. L. "Role of the College Teacher in the Student Personnel Program." American College Bulletin. Vol. 34, 1948. Brown, W. F. "Student-to-Student Counseling for Academic Adjustment." Personnel and Guidance Journal. Vol. 43, 1965. Brown, W. F. and Zunker, Robert H. "Student Counselor Utilization at Four-Year Institutions of Higher Learning." Journal of College Student Personnel. Vol. 7, 1966. Cameron, M. L. "An Evaluation of a Faculty Advisory Program." Educational and Psychological Measurements. Vol. 12, 1952. Cowley, W. H. "A Preface to the Principles of Student Counseling." The Educational Record. Vol. 18, 1937. Dilly, Josiah S. "Student-Faculty Non-Communication." Journal of College Student Personnel. Vol. 8, No. 5, I967: Donk, L. J. and Oetting, E. R. "Student-Faculty Relations and the Faculty Advising System." Journal of College Student Personnel. Vol. 9, No. 6, 1968. 76 Ekstrom, Verner R., "Advising the Advisor." College and University. Vol. 43, 1968. Erikson, Erik H. "Late Adolescence." The Student and Mental Health. 1959. . "Faculty Counseling Faculty Style." Personnel and Guidance Journal. Vol. 33, No. 1, 1954. Friedenberg, Edgar Z. "The Measurement of Student Concep- tions of the Role of a College Advisory System." Educational and Psychological Measurement. Vol. 10, No. 3, 1950. Gelso, Charles J. and Sims, David M. "Faculty Advising: The Problem of Assigning Students on the Basis of Intended Major." Journal of College Student Personnel. Vol. 9, No. 5, 1968. Halberg, Edmond C. "Realism in Academic Advising." Journal of College Student Personnel, Vol. 6, 1964. Jamrich, John X. "Organizational Practices in Student— Faculty Counseling Programs in Small Colleges." Educational Administration and Supervision. Vol. 41, No. l, 1955T’ Jones, R. L., Jr. "A Suggested Training Program for Aca- demic Advisors." Journal of College Student Personnel. Vol. 4, No. 3, 1963. Juola, Arvo E.; Winburne, John W.; and Whitmore, Ann. "Computer—Assisted Academic Advising." Personnel and Guidance Journal. Vol. 47, 1968. Kauffman, Joseph F. "Student Personnel Administration." Educational Record. Vol. 45, No. 3, 1964. Keill, Norman. "Freshmen Evaluation of Faculty Counselors." Personnel and Guidance Journal. Vol. 35, 1957. Koile, Earl A. "A Measure of Interest for Selecting Faculty Counselors." Educational and Psychological Measurement. Vol. 15, 1955. Koile, Earl A. "Faculty Counseling in Colleges and Universities." Teachers College Review. Vol. 55, 1954. Lynch, Thomas H. and Montaba, Robert P. "The Illusion Of Pre-enrollment Counseling." Personnel and Guidance Journal. Vol. 48, No. 1, 1969. Martinson, R. A. "Guidance of the Gifted." Bibliography of Education. Vol. 82, 1962. 77 McCracken, Naomi M. and Penick, Ronald J. "Academic Advising at the United States Air Force Academy." College and University. Vol. 44, 1969. Morehead, Charles G. and Johnson, Clyde J. "Some Effects of a Faculty Advising Program." Personnel and Guidance Journal. Vol. 43, No. 2, 1964. Muro, James J. and Revello, Edward A. "Counselor-Student Perceptions of the Extent of Performance of Guidance Services." The School Counselor. Vol. 17, No. 3, 1970. Paulsen, James A. "College Students in Trouble." Atlantic Monthly. Vol. 214, No. 1, 1964. Redemsky, Louis W. "How Can College Instructors Assist in the College Guidance PrOgram?" Educational Adminis- tration and Supervision. Vol. 39, 1953. "Released Time for Faculty Advising: The Impact Upon Freshmen." Personnel and Guidance Journal. Vol. 47, 1968. Riesman, D. and Jencks, C. "The Viability of the American College." The American College. 1962. Robertson, James H. "Academic Advising in Colleges and Universities." Association Quarterly. Vol. 32, No. 3, 1958. Rossman, J..E. "An Experimental Study of Faculty Advising." Personnel and Guidance Journal. Vol. 46, No. 2, 1967. Schoen, Walter Thomas, Jr. "Clarification and Delineation of Areas of Student and Faculty Responsibility." Journal of College Student Personnel. Vol. 6, 1965. Stickler, W. Hugh. "Whence and Whither General Education." Journal of Higher Education. Vol. 37, 1957. Tinsely, M. A. "The Faculty Advisor in the Liberal Arts College." Personnel and Guidance Journal. Vol. 34, NO. 4, 1955. Topp, Robert F. "Education of the Undergraduate: Action Before Reaction." College and University. Vol. 45, 1970. Tragesser, E. F. "Advising the Adviser: Eased by Elec- tronic Typing Equipment." College and University. Vol. 43, 1968. 78 Wharton, William; McKean, John; and Knight, Ruth. "Student Assistants for Faculty Advisers." Journal of College Student Personnel. Vol. 7, 1966. Whitla, Dean K. "Guidance in the University Setting." Howard Educational Review. Vol. 32, No. 4, 1962. C. UNPUBLISHED REFERENCES Cummer, J. P. "A study of Counselee Satisfaction in Relation to the Interest Level of Faculty Advisors in Counseling Activities." Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Florida State University, 1961. Fahsbender, Kenneth E. "A Selective System of Faculty Advising as a Means of Implementing Community College Counseling." Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Stan— ford University, 1969. Smith, Hiram V. Jr. "An Investigation of the Application of Computer Assisted Instruction and Information Retrieval System to Academic Advising in a Junior College." Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Florida State University, 1968. Swank, Calvin J. "Marital Status as Related to Male on Campus Students' Attitude Toward Police at Michigan State University. Unpublished Master's Thesis, Michigan State University, 1971. D. OTHER REFERENCES Bloland, Paul A. Student Group Advising in Higher Education. Student Personnel Series No. 8. American Personnel and Guidance Association, Washington, D. C. 1967. Brown, Nicholas C. Orientation tg_College Learnin . Washington, D. C.: American Council on Education, 1961. Cogswell, J. F. and Estavan, D. P. Explorations in Computer Assisted Counseling. Santa Monica, California Systems Development Corporation, 1965. . "The Counseling and Advising Process: Its Many Facets and Applications in the Liberal Arts College." Wheeling College, West Virginia, 1967. 79 DeLisle, Frances H. A Study of Undergraduate Academic Advising. Office of Institutional Research, Michigan State University, 1965. . Faculty Advising in Colleges and Universities. Amefican College Personnel Association, Student Personnel Series, NO. 9, Washington, D. C., 1970. Farnsworth, Dana L. "Who Really Helps Our Students?" Personality Factors on the College Campus. Austin Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, University of Texas, 1962. . "Guidance--An Examination." Harvard Educational Review. Special Issue, 1962. Henry, David D. "On Counseling." Advising and Counseling Undergraduate Students--A Guide fOr the Fegulty. Urbana, Illinois: University of IllinOis Press, 1963-64. Lehmann, Irvin J. and Dressel, Paul L. Critical Thinking, Attitudes, Values in Higher Education. Michigan State University Press, COOperative Research Program of the U. S. Office of Education, 1962. Leonard, Eugene A. Origins of Personnel Services in Higher Education. UniverSiEy of Minnesota Press, 1956. Robertson, James H. Report of the Committee on Academic CounselingiProcedures. University of Michigan Press, I959. Robertson, James H. "Why Students Flunk Out." New York Times Magazine Section. 1963. Russell, Norman K. Academic Counseling--A Counseling Center Function. Paper presented at AmeriCan Personnel and Guidance Association Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1969. Tully, Emerson and McGirt, R. Martin, Jr. Academic Advise- ment in Three Public Universities in Florida. Florida Board of Regents, University System of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida, 1968. Wrenn, C. G. The Counselor in a Chihging World. Washington, D. C., American Personnel and Guidance Association, 1962. APPENDICES APPENDIX A . Letter of Transmittal MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY . East Lansing . Michigan . 48823 College of Social Science . School of Criminal Justice . 412 Olds Hall April 26, 1972 Dear Student: I am a graduate student in the School of Criminal Justice here at MSU, and am requesting your help so that I may com- plete my thesis for the Master of Science degree. You have been randomly selected to assist me in evaluating the various aSpects of the current academic advising process within the School of Criminal Justice. For some time, the adequacy of this academic advising system has been under serious discussion with concern shared by students, faculty, and the administration. As a result, I have developed a research plan which involves the gathering of relevant data from all possible and pertinent sources. This questionnaire represents an attempt to elicit infor- mation from the undergraduate students of the School of Criminal Justice as to what expectations they have and what their reactions have been with respect to their academic advising experiences. The investment of only a few minutes will be necessary in order to share your ideas on this subject. I am requesting that your name and student number appear on the questionnaire for purposes of follow-up and in relating other data to this study. It is important for you to know that each individual questionnaire will remain COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL, as only I will see them. For these reasons it is hoped that you will feel free to respond with utmost frankness and sincerity. Your cooper- ation in this endeavor will make a distinct contribution to the assessment of the current advising system in the School of Criminal Justice and to serious consideration of ways in which improvements can be made to the ultimate benefit of the students and to the department. Thank you for your valuable time and assistance. Sincerely, David Walker Graduate Assistant 80 APPENDIX B . Questionnaire Name Student NO. UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC ADVISING SURVEY Section I. — As indicated in the cover letter, it is hOped your responses will be completely accurate and frank. In this study it is desired that large groups of different classi- fications of students be identified. Therefore, you are asked to classify yourself according to the following questions. For each question please write the code number for the answer appropriate to you in the code column blank at the right of each question. Code Column 1. What is your sex? Code: 1. Male 2. Female 2. What is your present age? yrs. 3. What is your class standing? Code: 1. Freshman (0-39 cr) 4. Senior (130 cr+) 2. SOphomore (40-84 cr) 5. Special student 3. Junior (85-129 cr) 4. What was your approximate cumulative grade point average at the end of winter quarter 1971? Code: 1. Below 2.00 4. 3.00-3.49 2. 2.00-2.49 5. 3.50 and above. 3. 2.50-2.99 6. No G.P.A. yet. 5. In what type of housing do you live? Code: 1. A coeducational complex 2. Other residence hall on campus 3. Sorority or fraternity house 4. Married student housing 5. Religious living unit 6. Cooperative house 7. Off-campus apartment 8. Other off-campus housing 9. At home locally 10. At home in another community 6. How long have you been a criminal justice major at MSU? qtrs. Section 2. - The statements in this section refer to your conceptions and expectations with regard to academic advising prior to coming to the School of Criminal Justice. The purpose is to secure an appraisal of whether students do come to the School with definite and certain expectations related to the academic advising process and the relationship with the academic advisor. Use the follow- ing code in responding to each item to indicatepyour con- ceptions and expectations. 81 82 Code 1. I had not thought much about it . . . . . . . . 1 2. I did not expect this would be true . . . . . 2 3. I was uncertain about whether this would be true . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4. I expected that this would be true . . . . . . 4 1. My academic advisor would be the same person each term throughout my college program. 2. My academic advisor would be available to me when I needed him. 3. The academic advisor would take a personal interest in me and give me individual attention. 4. The academic advisor would communicate his enthusiasm about higher education to me. 5. The academic advisor would help me clarify my educa- tional and career goals if I needed such clarification. 6. The total curricular Offerings of SCJ would be known to my academic advisor so that he could help me to plan a balanced program. 7. The academic advisor would know all of the resources of the SCJ so that he could refer me for additional help if I needed it. 8. The academic advisor would suggest ways to me in which I could improve my academic record if I needed such help. 9. The academic advisor would make me feel that I could confide in him about other than educational matters that were of concern to me. Section 3. - The statements in this section refer to the academic advising you have actually experienced since you have declared criminal justice as your major. The purpose is to discover your major satisfactions and dissatisfactions with the advising process and the extent to which it measured up to your expectations. Please respond to each item using the following code to indicate the degree or level of your satisfaction with the various aspects of the academic advising process. Code . Very unsatisfactory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I . Somewhat unsatisfactory . . . . . . . . . . 2 Cannot evaluate because I did not seek or did not need the described function . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Somewhat satisfactory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Very satisfactory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Uluh DUMP 83 Code 1. Continuity in the faculty academic advising process resulting from few or no changes in the advisor assignment. 2. Availability of the faculty academic advisor in time of need on my part. 3. Opportunity through the advising contacts to come to a more realistic understanding of my abilities, interests, and goals. 4. Increased insight into my need to combine the general with the specialized aspects of higher education to initiate the process of becoming an educated person. 5. Helpful assistance from the faculty academic advisor in selecting apprOpriate courses for me including the offerings of departments other than criminal justice. 6. Help from my faculty academic advisor in making long-range educational and career plans. 7. Assistance from my faculty academic advisor with ways in which I could improve my academic standing. 8. An increasing understanding through academic advising of what is involved in such matters as educational program planning and career aspirations so that I could assume more responsibility for myself in those areas. Section 4. - The statements in this section refer to a wide variety of functions which could be included in a definition of academic advising. The purpose of this section is to appraise the degree of importance which you attach to these various unc- EiOns as you see your own needs for them. Use the following code to indicate the value that you place on each of the items listed. Code 1. Unimportant to me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l 2. Somewhat unimportant to me . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3. Somewhat important to me . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4. Very important to me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1. Academic advising provides a relationship with someone who can be a friend and confidant. 2. Academic advising should be considered as an important educational service for the student. 3. The relationship should contribute to individualizing and personalizing the educational experience in a com- plex educational environment. 84 Code 4. Should help to encourage and motivate the student toward accomplishment consistent with his potential. 5. Should assist the student in growth toward under- standing his abilities and interests. 6. Should contribute toward clarification of the student's values and goals. 7. Should help with immediate and long-range career and program planning. 8. Should teach the student how to assemble information relative to courses, requirements, and procedures, and to evaluate the total. 9. Should help the student to grow in judgment-forming and decision—making abilities. 10. Should contribute to the student's knowledge about other resources and experiences relevant for him and available in the CJ community. 11. Should strengthen the understanding of the student with respect to the goals of undergraduate (liberal and professional) education. 12. Should be performed by members of the faculty who have a special interest in and ability for this particular kind of teaching relationship with students. Section 5. — Various alternatives to the traditional pattern of academic advising exist. The purpose of this section is to explore your reactions to a number of them. Please use the appropriate code to indicate your reactions to each of the follow- ing academic advising arrangements. Code 1. Very unfavorable toward it . . . . . . . . . . l 2. Somewhat unfavorable toward it . . . . . . . . 2 3. Somewhat favorable toward it . . . . . . . . . 3 4. Very favorable toward it . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1. The student would be completely on his own. 2. The student would be completely on his own in the junior and senior years after maximum assistance in the freshman and SOphomore years. 3. Graduate assistants would be assigned a major respon- sibility for academic advising in the School of Criminal Justice. 6. 85 Code Faculty members would assume the responsibility with a reduction in the rest of their schedules to permit adequate time for academic advising. Full-time professional staff would be assigned the responsibility for academic advising. Responsibility for academic advising should rest within the criminal justice department. Section 6. 1. What do you feel are the problems with the quality of the academic advising process within the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University? Please be specific. What are your suggestions for possible solutions to these problems or improvements in the program? I appreciate your COOperation very much. I am requesting that you return the completed questionnaire, including this sheet, in the enclosed business reply envelope within one week after you receive it. Again, thank you. APPENDIX C . Follow-up Letter of Transmittal MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY . East Lansing . Michigan . 48823 College of Social Science . School of Criminal Justice . 412 Olds Hall May 10, 1972 Dear Student: As of this date I need more returns on the questionnaire I distributed on April 28th in order to do the statistical analysis on the responses. It is imperative that you com- plete the questionnaire and return it in the business reply envelope already provided as soon as possible. Without your assistance at this critical point, I cannot proceed with my thesis. I apologize for burdening you with extra work at a time of the term when everyone is so busy, but I would be most appreciative if you would comply with my request in this matter, or the time and money I have invested in this study will be lost. If you have already returned your questionnaire, my personal thanks. The comments and suggestions that I have received to date will be most helpful in assessing the current advising system in the School of Criminal Justice, as well as determining where improvements should be made for your benefit. Sincerely, David Walker Graduate Assistant 86 APPENDIX D. Verbatim Student Comment June 3, 1972 Dear David W.: I'm sorry for the belatedness of this questionnaire, but I have been out of school and out of state and the mail has had difficulty keeping up with me between returns and forwardings, so I do apologize and hOpe this isn't too late. I do have negative feelings about our advising system which has been so unhelpful and literally non-existant. My main reason for dropping out of school for two terms was due greatly to this lack of guidance, in fact. If you even see an advisor it's for such a minimal time allotment that only short term by term goals can be discussed--never the long-range future preparatory ones. I don't accept my class professors as my advisors either. If one has the necessary experience in all aspects of the CJ System or at least the knowledge of it way can't he be shared by all students instead of 10 or 20 or whatever. I don't think it should be required that a professor also be a counselor or either done by incentives or such, but done only by an interested and capable person. I am relieved that someone is bringing this problem out in the Open and I hope something beneficial to the students results from it. 87 ”'II'IIIIIIIIIIJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIIIIIIIT5