Strengthen the Bond: Relationships Between Academic Advising Quality and Undergraduate Student Loyalty

Abstract

Extant research suggests that student loyalty, a strong bond between the student and university, positively affects important student outcomes, most notably retention. In this article, we advance the notion that academic advisors should become managers of the student–university relationship. We examine the correlation between respondents' perceived quality of academic advising and their loyalty to the university as measured by our recently developed Student University Loyalty Instrument, administered to 1,207 undergraduates at three comprehensive midwestern institutions. Results suggest that a positive relationship exists between the perceived quality of academic advising and student loyalty, other meaningful indicators of the student–university relationship, and specific student demographic characteristics. Recommendations for academic advising practice are shared.