Award Date

May 2016

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Psychology & Higher Education

First Committee Member

Mario Martinez

Second Committee Member

Doris L. Watson

Third Committee Member

Lisa Bendixen

Fourth Committee Member

Gene Hall

Number of Pages

181

Abstract

Community college advisors perform a crucial job in the student success mission. This study examined the competencies that community college advisors need to be successful in their jobs. The survey of community college advisors included a possible 942 respondents; 371 participated for a response rate of 39%. Respondents rated the 48 job competencies for their priority and frequency of use.

Using an expert panel, survey research, and exploratory factor analysis as the method of analysis, this study establishes a job competency model that community college advisors and leaders can utilize in recruitment and selection, job performance and evaluation, and professional development. The community college advisor competency model is a three-factor solution that summarizes and groups competencies into interpretable clusters. The competencies clusters for priority and frequency are:

1. student centered;

2. advisor centered;

3. institution centered.

These distinct categories of competencies, when applied to complete advising duties, are likely to lead to achieving crucial outcomes, such as successful student completions.

The three-factor solutions for priority and frequency were compared with the three competencies clusters as suggested by Boyatzis (2011)—cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence, social intelligence. Each competency was found to require a blend of emotional, social, and cognitive intelligences. However, the student, advisor, and institution centered factors can be compared to social, emotional, and cognitive intelligences, respectively.

In addition to a job competency model, this research offers highest rated priority and frequency of use competencies to consider in recruitment and selection and professional development. A job competency matrix is also provided for analyzing and improving advising practices in community colleges. All findings of this research are aimed at enhancing recruitment and professional development for the community college advisor.

Keywords

Advising; Advisor; Advisor Competencies; Community College; Community College Advisor; Competencies

Disciplines

Education

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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