UC San Diego

In response to administrative concerns, the undergraduate colleges at the University of California, San Diego created a web-based advising and enrollment program for incoming transfer students. Despite interactive one-on-one advising opportunities through the site, few students used web-based advising. Interviews with six transfer students explored their transition, perceptions of academic advising, and integration to the university. Students were generally satisfied with the availability of advising, but their desire for more personal connections suggests that communication media affect how students experience advising. The author proposes a model of advising as a mediator of academic culture to analyze academic advising activity