Farmingdale Students Struggle with Academic Advisement

By Julia Durutovic

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Farmingdale State College students rely on the process of advisement to help them in completing their degree. However, many students feel unheard by their advisors and overall alone in the process. The Academic Advisement and Information Center (AAIC) is described as essential to a student’s success at Farmingdale, and students are encouraged to take advantage of all services provided. 

The process of planning a student's academic future can be challenging and frustrating at times. A growing number of students are falling behind their projected graduation dates, which raises a concern about the effectiveness of Farmingdale’s advisement system. 

Recent stats have shown an increase in retention but a lower number of students graduating on time. In 2022, Farmingdale had an overall retention rate of 81 percent, which is comparatively higher than other four-year colleges. However, in 2022, only 32 percent of students completed their program within four years, while 51 percent completed their degrees within six years. This data suggests that a significant portion of students take longer than the projected four years to complete their degrees, and it highlights issues that could be related to factors such as advisement, along with other issues such as personal circumstances or financial difficulties. 

https://www.farmingdale.edu/aaic/index.shtml

One student majoring in Professional Communications shared, "I’ve had to figure out a lot of things myself because getting an appointment or a clear answer from advisement can be really difficult." One of the biggest challenges students face is accessibility, and the same student shared their thoughts saying, “It’s frustrating because I was still considered a sophomore at the start of my junior year because I switched advisors and ended up falling behind.”

Advisors play a big role in helping students stay on track and on top of their academic goals. Some students however feel that they were steered in directions that didn’t align with their goals. Another student shared, “Instead of helping me graduate early, they pushed me to take a lighter course load, which doesn’t work for me.” 

Many students also expressed their frustrations to peers and found similar experiences; some have even opted to switch their advisors in order to help them with their academic journey at Farmingdale. Many students also expressed that advisement should be more hands-on in keeping students informed, especially in specific majors such as Professional Communications, which tends to only offer courses during specific semesters and are very limited in capacity. 

Students agree that advisors should play a more active role in their academic careers, and improved communication is necessary to help bridge the gap between students and the support they need and deserve. 

As more students voice their concerns, a question remains: Will Farmingdale’s academic advisement program make any changes to ensure students don’t feel left behind?