Community college academic advisors and the challenge of access in the age of completion

Abstract

<p>This study sought to examine the impact of the college completion movement on the historical commitment to open access that serves as an essential part of the community college mission. Using the experiences of academic advisors as a lens, this mixed methods study describes how academic advisors feel about issues related to access, enrollment, and completion. Use of both a survey and one-on-one interviews revealed that academic advisors strongly support open access in theory, but the very real pressures to meet both enrollment and completion goals has led to feelings of frustration and mistrust of their administration and a willingness to curtail access in practice.</p>