Efficacy of Advising Outreach on Student Retention, Academic Progress and Achievement, and Frequency of Advising Contacts: A Longitudinal Randomized Trial

Abstract

Previous research on advising outreach, including intrusive or proactive advising, suggests required advising improves contact frequency, student retention, and academic achievement, especially for students on probation. We show results of a 4-year randomized trial of 501 students at an urban state university. One half the cohort received advising outreach every semester of enrollment. The other half received typical university announcements about advising but no additional outreach. Advising outreach increased student contact with professional advisors but offered minimal support for outreach to improve retention. Future researchers should continue evaluating advising outreach and proactive advising to improve student success.