History of Academic Advising in Higher Education

 

Academic advising has been present in American higher education in some form or another from the beginning. Starting in the late eighteenth century institutions such as Harvard, William and Mary, and Yale were created based on the Cambridge and Oxford model (Lucas, 1994). At these universities collegiate faculty were mentors in many ways and were concerned with the intellectual and moral development of the students. At this time faculty and students shared residents, which provided close proximity between the students and the faculty that provided guidance and influenced these students’ development (Brubacher & Rudy, 1997).

 

After the American Revolutionary war the American colleges started to develop independently of the English model. Faculty overall became less involved with guiding the students and began putting the responsibility of moral and intellectual development in the hands of each individual student. This separation allowed students to be responsible for their own development. Throughout the nineteenth century the number of colleges increased, thus encouraging faculty in specialized curriculum to provide guidance for many students (Gordon, 1992).

 

In addition, after seeing psychology practices and methods utilized by the U.S. Army during World War I, counseling and advising were strengthened in higher education (Gallagher & Demos, 1983). In the Army they placed recruits in areas of specialization based on their skills and intelligence, similar to advising tactics used today to guide students into majors. Similar to the Army, universities and colleges adopted personal placement and vocational guidance centers that allowed students to choose majors and areas of specialization based on occupational aptitude and other assessments (Gallagher & Demos, 1983).

 

During the 1920s emphasis was put on the role of educators as mentors. Educators became an integral component of student development as a result. In addition, the baby boomers entering colleges in the 1960s and 1970s caused an increase demand for professionals who could provide advising and counseling services (Gordon, 1992). Following this period, issues of access, accountability, and social justice further encouraged a variety of student services, including academic advising.

 

Today academic advising services and its development reflect the unique needs of students throughout the history of American higher education.