Journal of College Orientation, Transition, and Retention

Academic Advising and the Student Transition to College

Current Issues, Emerging Challenges, and Potential Roles for First-Year Experience Professionals

Joe Cuseo

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jcotr.v19i1.2781

Keywords: First-year, advising, withdraw, attrition, undecided majors, Chickering, seven vectors, student development, Perry, Baxter Magolda, encourage, educate

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Abstract

The first year of college continues to be a critical period for student persistence, learning, and development. College students are under increasing pressure to make commitments to major and career plans at a very early stage in their undergraduate experience, often without the programmatic support to do so. First-year experience professionals, who are knowledgeable about student development theory and professionally committed to facilitating the transition of students to collee, are well position to fill the void in support for early academic and career decision-making. Provision of proactive and personalized support to meet the current demands for early educational and vocational decision-makingmay be pivotal for ensuring the success of today's first-year students in general, and today's growing number of first-generation students in particular.