Professional Development, Performance Expectations and Academic Advisors' Perceptions of Relational Skills: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods Study

Academic advisors need training and development in three critical components for effective practice: conceptual (students and institutional context), informational (laws, policies, procedures) and relational (interpersonal skills). Yet, the relational component is often neglected. Limited research explores the relational component and its presence in training and professional development programs for academic advising. This two-phase sequential explanatory mixed methods study investigates the relational component in an advising professional development program. In phase one, we found relational learning opportunities were lowest among the three areas and did not significantly impact advisor evaluation score. Themes uncovered in phase two regarding perceptions of the relational component and factors impacting advisor performance suggest more emphasis on relational training and advisor assessment of relational competencies is critical to professionalizing the field.