Presented By: Daniel Ayisi Nyarko, Iowa State University
Co-Authors: Ben Chamberlain, Iowa State University
Nate Dobbels, Iowa State University
Fallys Masambuka-Kanchewa, Iowa State University

Academic advising has recently become a subject of discourse in higher education institutions, as many are striving to boost student enrollment and improve retention rates. However, research has paid little attention to students' perspectives on advisors' performance and its influence on their academic success. The purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate students' perspectives of academic advising. Mixed methods techniques were adopted. A four-year data was collected from undergraduate students who received advising services from faculty and staff between 2020 and 2023 using a questionnaire and a checklist. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data, while a thematic approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. The results revealed that students perceive staff and senior faculty to be knowledgeable about university support systems and very friendly and supportive in guiding them in course selections. In contrast, junior faculty were found to have limited knowledge of available courses, requirements for undergraduates' graduation, and available opportunities in the university for students. The findings also revealed a gap in staff and faculty knowledge about career paths and life goal advising for students. Most of the students indicated that staff and faculty were not able to help them clarify their career and life goals. The findings indicate a strong need for training on students' career guidance for staff and faculty to enable them to support students' academic and life success. This study adds to knowledge on the growing body of literature on the importance of academic advising on students' career and academic success.