A Phenomenological Study of Online Students' Experiences with Proactive Advising Effects on Retention

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the academic, proactive advising experiences of online students’ and the effect on their retention in an online degree program. The theory and conceptual framework that guided this study are Tinto’s student integration model and Schlossberg’s theory of marginality and mattering. For this study, I conducted a transcendental phenomenological qualitative study to understand the personal experiences of proactive advising among online students. This study was conducted with 10 students attending an online university. The data was collected through individual interviews, hypothetical letters, and focus groups. Three themes were identified; overall online experiences, barriers to online education, and proactive advising and four subthemes; helpful/detrimental advice, more needed support, lack of social interaction, online academic supports. These themes and subthemes unveil the importance having a proactive academic advisor for online students.