Counseling in higher education

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the academic advising needs of students and compare the perceptions of these needs among selected upper division students, faculty, and academic administrators at Florida Atlantic University. A secondary purpose was to determine if any differences in perceptions were due to any of several demographic variables. A sample of upper division students, faculty, and administrators in the six colleges were surveyed using the Academic Advising Needs Questionnaire developed by Burke (1981). The questionnaire was divided into three sections. The first section requested demographic data, the second section measured the extent to which respondents perceived how fifteen advising functions should be fulfilled and were being fulfilled by the academic advising program. The third section consisted of an open-ended item which allowed respondents to make additional comments concerning the academic advising program in general. Data were collected from 482 students, 162 faculty, and 46 administrators. Students indicated a need for all fifteen advising functions, while faculty indicated student need for twelve of the functions and administrators indicated student need for ten of the functions. A comparison of student and faculty perceptions of students' academic advising needs overall revealed a significant (.05 level) correlation (.59) between the two groups, however when the rank order of need scores for the two groups were compared within college, significant (.05 level) differences were found in three of the six colleges. Significant (.05 level) differences were evident when the rank order of need scores for students and administrators were compared overall and within colleges. Although the overall results revealed a significant (.05 level) correlation (.79) between faculty and administrator perceptions of students' academic advising needs, significant (.05 level) differences were evident when comparing the rank order of need scores between faculty and administrators within five of the six colleges.

The purpose of this study was to determine certain perceptions
held by disadvantaged students about the usefulness of selected student
services at eight MOTEC-JC related Community junior colleges in America.
In order to accomplish this purpose, a survey questionnaire was sent to
eight community junior colleges participating in the MOTEC-JC Program
(Moving On To Enrollment and Completion of Junior College), a Federally
funded institute operated at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton,
Florida. Some of the MOTEC-JC participants were teachers and administrators
employed at the following community junior colleges which partieipated
in this study: Central Florida Community College, Ocala, Florida;
Sanford D. Bishop State Junior College, Mobile, Alabama; Daytona Beach
Community College, Daytona Beach, Florida; Cumberland County College,
Vineland, New Jersey; Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, Florida;
Broward Community College, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Jefferson State
Junior College, Birmingham, Alabama. A participant from each of these
eight community junior colleges identified disadvantaged students enrolled in their respective institutions and administered the survey instrument
to these students.
One hundred and forty-two questionnaires responded to by disadvantaged
students were returned and utilized in percentage, ratio, and
statistical analyses. Percentages were obtained to determine disadvantaged
students' utilization of selected student services at their respective
community junior colleges. Ratios were computed to isolate important
relationships among the answers given by disadvantaged students to the
questions comprising each of the ten sections of the questionnaire. Moreover,
findings were analyzed and tested by x^2
to identify significant
differences in the responses made by disadvantaged students when classified
as Freshmen and Sophomores. A comparison of the responses of these
two groups was made to determine if being freshmen or sophomores at the
community junior colleges made a significant difference in whether these
students utilized the selected student services.
Disadvantaged students were utilizing selected student services
at their community junior colleges. Furthermore, being freshmen or
sophomores made no significant difference as to whether these students
utilized the selected services. Nevertheless, there were those disadvantaged
students who never used the selected student services at their
community junior colleges. Consequently, future research is needed to
obtain information from disadvantaged students not utilizing selected
student services at their community junior colleges.

The purpose of this study was to examine students' preferred methods of academic advising services and whether they related to their individual learning styles. The first objective of the study was to determine each participant's learning style. The second objective of the study was to determine which method of academic advising each participant preferred. The third objective of the study was to determine whether a relationship existed between the participants' learning styles and preferred methods of academic advising. Additionally, the moderating effect of gender, ethnicity, college major, high school grade point average (GPA), location, and employment on the relationship was considered. Students' learning styles were measured by the Barsch Learning Style Inventory (BLSI). Academic advising preference and demographic information were gathered through a researcher-designed questionnaire. All students (N=1,184) who completed the Online Advising & Registration System (OARS) were cont acted via e-mail and received a web link to the BLSI and student questionnaire. Data from the students (n=172) who completed the BLSI and student questionnaire were analyzed. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the quantitative data. A qualitative analysis of four open-ended survey questions was completed. The results found no relationship between participants' learning styles and their preferred methods of academic advising services. Additionally, gender, ethnicity, college major, high school GPA, location, and employment did not moderate the relationship between participants' learning styles and their preferred methods of academic advising services. The findings suggest that a student's learning style is not associated with his or her preference for type of advising.