Quality advising plays an important role in supporting retention and graduation initiatives, but turnover among academic advisors is higher than for other university staff positions (Brantley & Shomaker, 2021; Elliott, 2020). Given high advisor turnover and the central role academic advisors play in supporting student success, there is a need to explore why advisors leave the profession and what institutions might do to retain them. Fifty-six former academic advisors completed a survey regarding the reasons they left the profession. The top two reasons advisors left the profession were low pay and a desire for a better work environment. Based on the survey results, the authors make recommendations to institutions on how to retain advisors.
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In this article, two STEM advisors share their perspectives on the challenges of advising for technical disciplines that can lead to dissatisfaction or burnout. The authors also provide recommendations for advising staff and administrators on how to cultivate higher job satisfaction among advisors of all disciplines.
