ABSTRACT
In the media, professional literature and conversations with both Student Affairs and Academic Affairs colleagues from across the nation, it is apparent that those who work in higher education are continually being “asked to do more with less” (see Levy, 2010 in a Community College Times interview, Dembicki, 2010), while under increased scrutiny from various stakeholders-all with varied agendas. Unfortunately, this is occurring while there is an upsurge of impediments to student success. One factor which often has a deleterious impact on student achievement is the need for students to manage multiple concurrent responsibilities, including their education (O’Connor, Levy & Polnariev, 2012). This is occurring simultaneously with continued substantial increases in tuition at both two-and four-year institutions. In a paper on Strategic Advising (2013), leaders from the Community College Research Center state:
For many community college students-a significant portion of whom are the first in their family to attend college-these tasks (completing financial aid applications, choosing a major, registering for the “right” courses, trans - ferring) appear to be insurmountable hurdles. The sheer number of choices students face can lead them to stumble. Students may waste time and money on unnecessary course; they may miss a financial aid deadline. These stumbles can contribute to a sense they do not “belong” in college (p. 1).
