Academic Advising: Improving Current Practices

Abstract

Academic advising is an essential element of a student’s experience and an integral part of a professor’s work. However, it does not always receive enough attention in higher education (HE) institutions even though it has proven to be crucial in enhancing the success of an institution and promoting student engagement and retention.  The purpose of this paper is to discuss academic advising, describe current practice in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures (MLAC) at Durham University, and present students’ views of this practice as expressed in a survey of students in 2022 as well as the efforts being undertaken to improve such practice. The analysis of survey data shows that there is a lot of room for improvement in the way academic advice was provided. The paper also lists the recommendations made by a working group on academic advising that convened in 2021-22 to scrutinise and suggest improvements in MLAC. Some of these recommendations could be also useful to other departments as well.