dc.contributor.author	DeHaven, Sharon Ruth
dc.coverage.spatial	United States	en_US
dc.coverage.temporal	2020-2025	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2025-07-15T19:23:37Z
dc.date.available	2025-07-15T19:23:37Z
dc.date.issued	2025-06-18
dc.identifier.other	4d6719c7-95d2-4d19-aedf-5667affeb904	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/7555
dc.description.abstract	This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic advisors who supported college students without an academic major. These students are often classified as undecided or undeclared. However, some colleges and universities have adopted the term “exploring” to refer to this diverse group of students and have established Exploratory Studies units to assist them. In these specialized units, academic advisors engage with students in one-on-one sessions to assess their skills, interests, and values, helping them determine which major best fits their goals. Additionally, the academic advisors of exploratory students (AAES) facilitate introductory or survey classes for these students. Consequently, the number of academic touchpoints that advisors have with their advisees often exceeds those of advisors in academic units such as business, computer science, and education. Through virtual interviews, AAES participants from across the country described how they continued to support their advisees while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. They initially had reservations about their ability to effectively advise and teach remotely; nevertheless, they committed to learning new technologies, utilizing video conferencing platforms, and developing a more holistic advising approach to continue helping students. Some advisors questioned why their institutions were not adequately informed and prepared for the pandemic; however, most believed their institutions managed the situation as well as possible. According to the AAES, due to changes brought about by the pandemic, their advising approaches were reassessed and strengthened, student services were expanded, and the advisors achieved a more balanced work-life.	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic record. PDF/A document, 185 pages, 2415060 bytes.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Academic advising	en_US
dc.subject	College students	en_US
dc.subject	COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020–	en_US
dc.subject	Dissertations, Academic--United States	en_US
dc.subject	Electronic records	en_US
dc.subject	Higher education	en_US
dc.subject	Counseling	en_US
dc.subject	Work-life balance	en_US
dc.title	"How Do I Comfort Them on Zoom?" Academic Advisors of Exploratory Students and the COVID-19 Pandemic	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology of the Dewar College of Education and Human Services	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Ruttencutter, Gwendolyn
dc.description.committee	Smith, Matthew
dc.description.committee	Waugh, Christopher
dc.description.committee	Workman, Jamie
dc.description.degree	Ed.D.	en_US
dc.description.major	Curriculum, Leadership & Technology	en_US