An Examination of Occupational Satisfaction Among New Academic Advising Professionals

Academic advisors play a pivotal role in the landscape of postsecondary education.

The purpose of this researcher was to examine the perceptions and experiences of new academic advising professionals on or about their occupational satisfaction.

This researcher fulfills a need in the academic advising literature, which is lacking in research related specifically to new academic advising professionals.

The sample for this study consisted of approximately 540 professional advisors who are members of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) and possess less than three years experience in the profession.

Data were collected via the New Advising Professionals Survey (NAPS), a researcher-designed instrument created specifically for the purposes of this non-experimental study.

Descriptive analyses were conducted for each of the survey's criterion and multiple response items, followed by an examination of interrelations among the item responses using correlation analyses.

Linear regression analyses, with stepwise selection, were used to determine the relationship between the various responses specific to each subscale and the degree of satisfaction expressed by respondents.

Chi square analyses were conducted to examine possible associations among the multiple response items.

The researcher incorporated the role of demographic characteristics as possible predictors of satisfaction.

Analyses of Variance (ANOVA), with follow-up post-hoc tests, were conducted to investigate whether statistically significant differences exist among responses to several key items in relation to the advisors' self-reported demographic information.

Results were congruent with previous research related to job satisfaction among academic advisors.

Findings are presented in accordance with the four previously identified domains of concern for advisement professionals: role ambiguity, advancement, burnout, and professional development.

Conclusions based upon research findings are included, as are recommendations for practice and future research related to the perceptions, experiences, and challenges of new academic advising professionals.