Focus Group Findings Report

Communication between Freshman Students and
their First-Year Advisors:
An Analysis of Focus Group Findings
Developed by Chelsea Woods on Behalf of the Office of Career
and Academic Planning at James Madison University
February 2016

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Executive Summary
Background. This report includes findings from focus groups conducted by graduate
student Chelsea Woods on behalf of Career and Academic Planning at James Madison
University. Findings are based on two focus groups that took place on February 9th
and
10th
, 2016 in the Student Success Center. The purpose of these focus groups was to
understand how academic advisors are already communicating with their advisees and
to determine advisees’ preferences, needs, and habits regarding communication with
their advisor; ultimately, the goal of this research was to use these findings to make
communication more efficient and effective for both advisors and advisees. Participants
included nine freshman advisees from various academic programs.
Method. Participants were contacted via email sent out through JMU’s Recruit-A-Duke
system. Interested individuals followed a link in the email to an anonymous sign-up
page. Each focus group was audio recorded and then transcribed verbatim by Woods.
Based on a qualitative analysis of the transcribed data, seven primary themes emerged
between the two focus groups.
Results. Qualitative data displayed seven themes among the two focus groups. Theme
topics range from communication platforms and content to frequency, format, and tone
of communication. The seven themes are listed and briefly described below:
Theme #1: Small Screen Reading: Advisees reported that their phones are their main
method of checking their email communication. This reality has implications for how
some messages written on larger computer screens by advisors are then displayed and
read on advisees’ mobile devices with smaller screens. For instance, messages that are
lengthier seem even longer when downsized on a phone screen, and content written in
paragraph form creates more scrolling for the user. One advisee described this scrolling
as “a lot of thumb work,” which they viewed as a deterrent in reading longer email
communication from their advisor. Another advisee advocated for her advisor’s
formatting methods, where the advisor had more of a list-oriented layout with topic
sentences bolded and regular explanatory text to follow. Advisees agreed that lists were
preferred over paragraph reading.
Theme #2: Consistent and Frequent Communication: Several advisees that reported
receiving communication from their advisor only a few times a semester expressed that
they would like to hear from their advisor more often than that. Advisors that
communicated more rarely typically only communicated with students around add/drop
deadlines, enrollment dates, and other important academic-related deadline times.
These advisees, however, wished to have more communication from their advisors,
specifically about campus events and opportunities that pertained to their major, minor,
or pre-professional programs. Advisees that received communication more frequently
were satisfied with their advisors’ communication with them, feeling as though they were
being “kept in the loop.” Another advisee suggested that having more frequent and

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consistent communication from their advisor would help them remember upcoming
deadlines. Consistency in content among advisors within specific majors was another
issue brought up. One advisee reported that her friends in the same program received
information about a specific opportunity that she did not receive. This concerned the
advisee, as she reported that she didn’t want to feel as though those peers had an
advantage over her due to differences in advising communication.
Theme #3: Conversational Tone: Overall, advisees agreed that they preferred their
advisor to have a more conversational tone in their communication. Conversational
tones made advisees feel like their advisors are approachable and accessible, and they
felt that they could go to their advisors with their questions. Advisees with more formal-
sounding advisors reported that they sometimes felt that their advisors’ formal tone was
“intimidating” or “scary,” deterring them from asking questions or seeking out their
advisor.
Theme #4: Applicability: Advisees reported that they liked when their advisors sent them
additional information beyond academic advising, if they perceived the information to be
relevant to themselves or their academic program. They were open to the idea of
advisors sending information about campus events and involvement opportunities, as
long as those events and involvement opportunities were applicable to their interests
and academic success. One advisee reported that her advisor frequently sends tips and
tricks for college (e.g., study tips), which made other respondents in the focus group
respond positively. However, the idea of advisors sending random or seemingly
unrelated information to advisees was unappealing, and one advisee reported that she
was concerned that would make her advisor’s emails seem like the JMU informational
emails, ‘which she already ignores.’ Overall, advisees were open to receiving
information from their advisor beyond academic dates and deadlines, as long as that
information was applicable to them in some way.
Theme #5: Quick Visual Learning: Advisees responded positively to both video and
written how-to instructions, as long as they were quick and intuitive. They were
displeased with the length of the videos they watched before Summer Springboard,
reporting that they were too long with some details that seemed too obvious (e.g., like
opening a Web browser); advisees suggested 2-5 minute videos would be more
appropriate and helpful. Respondents were also open to the idea of written how-to
instructions, given that they included screenshots of step-by-step instructions. Such a
method would allow students to skip around the instructions and go their own pace in a
way that the videos would not allow.
Theme #6: Reference Storage and Accessibility: In comparing email to Canvas as a
platform, advisees reported that Canvas seemed to be a better platform for storing
resources related to academic forms and instructions. They wanted to have how-to
resources regarding scheduling classes, using Canvas, navigating MyMadison, etc. in
one easily accessible location. Advisees also reported that they felt overwhelmed by the
amount of information they received at the beginning of the year during Summer

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Springboard, as well as 1787 Orientation, and that it would be helpful to have some kind
of reference with all of that information that they could go back to.
Theme #7: Subject Lines: Based on focus group responses, it seems that advisees are
reading advisor communication for the most part. Advisees felt less strongly about the
subject line of a message than they did about the sender (i.e., their advisor). In other
words, advisors’ ethos seemed to overpower a bad subject line. For instance, one
advisee reported that, when she receives an email from her advisor, she knows that it’s
important. However, some advisees reported that they were more willing to read
messages when they could tell from the subject line that the content of the message
would apply to them, and they preferred when their advisors would explicitly state the
content of their message in the subject heading. Messages that carried the attachment
paperclip symbol were reported to receive more weight, where advisees said they often
think that the attachment is a form they need to complete. Overall, it seemed that
communication from academic advisors is regarded as important by advisees.
Advice/Suggestions: At the end of each focus group, advisees were asked if they had
any advice or suggestions for advisors as they plan communication for next year’s first-
year students. Overall, advisees expressed the importance of advisors being
approachable and accessible to their advisees. Other suggestions varied in topics from
explanations of general terms (e.g., “office hours”) to thoughts on Orientation. Advisees
offered insightful answers that demonstrated meaningful perspectives on the first-year
experience.
Discussion and Implications. The main themes gleaned from the focus group findings
can be divided into three categories for discussion: 1) Devices & Platforms (#1, #5, and
#6), 2) Communication Characteristics (#2 and #3), and 3) Message Content (#4 and
#7). Advisees’ reading habits were arguably the most significant finding from this study,
where advisees overwhelmingly expressed reading communication on their smartphone
devices. Smartphones—where advisees are reading communication—have much
smaller screens than laptops or computers, where advisors are creating communication.
Thus, how the message appears to an advisor creating communication is different than
how the message appears to an advisee reading communication. This largely affects
readability, in that advisees may be less inclined to read communication from their
advisor if that communication is not written in an accessible format. Advisees also
preferred communication that is frequent and conversational. They acknowledged the
important role that advisors play in their first year, as well as the stressors that come
along with this transition. Thus, hearing from their advisors more often made them feel
more informed, and messages written in a conversational tone made them feel like their
advisors were accessible and approachable. Finally, advisees were open to and
enjoyed receiving non-academic information (e.g., events around campus,
opportunities, etc.), as long as that information was still relevant to their academic
program. Overall, advisees suggested that advisors should strive for accessible,
frequent, consistent, and relevant communication.

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Conclusion. These focus groups highlight the importance of audience analysis and the
need to keep up with evolving technology’s effect on reading habits, particularly among
younger generations like college freshman. Understanding advisees’ reading habits will
assist advisors as they craft communication for future advisees. In addition,
acknowledging the complexities of the new college environment from the perspective of
a first-year student reminds advisors that, while encouraging autonomy and self-
responsibility among their advisees is important, first-year students are vulnerable to the
major transition from high school to college and can significantly benefit from advisors’
guidance and involvement in the first-year experience.
Background
Academic advisors serve an essential role in undergraduate students’ success,
particularly in their freshman year. In an effort to understand online communication
practices between freshman advisors and advisees, focus groups were conducted with
undergraduate freshman students. This report includes findings from focus groups
conducted by graduate student Chelsea Woods on behalf of Career and Academic
Planning at James Madison University. Findings are based on two focus groups that
took place on February 9th
and 10th
, 2016 in the Student Success Center.
The purpose of these focus groups was to understand how academic advisors are
already communicating with their advisees and to determine advisees’ preferences,
needs, and habits regarding communication with their advisor; ultimately, the goal of
this research was to use these findings to make communication more efficient and
effective for both advisors and advisees. Advisees were asked about communication
platforms, content, formatting, and tone, and they were given a chance at the end of the
focus groups to offer general advice to advisors as they plan communication for next
year’s freshman advisees.
Participants included nine freshman advisees (four in 1st
focus group; five in 2nd
focus
group) from various academic programs. There were eight female students and one
male student. Eight advisees began their first semester at JMU in Fall 2015, and one
advisee started in Spring 2016. Among the participants, there were eight majors and
nine minors or pre-professional programs represented.
Seven major themes emerged from the advisees’ responses, in addition to advice and
suggestions for freshman advising. Findings from this report will be used to make
recommendations to freshman advisors regarding their communication with their
advisees.

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Method
Participants were contacted via email sent out through JMU’s Recruit-A-Duke system;
the email was specifically sent to freshman students. Interested individuals followed a
link in the email to an anonymous sign-up page. Fourteen students originally signed up
online; however, three did not attend the actual focus groups, and the remaining two
were notified that the originally scheduled third focus group on February 11th
was
cancelled due to low attendance and weather.
Email Sent to Freshman Students
Subject: Pizza for your thoughts?
Come tell us how your freshman advisor can help you and future Dukes!
Attendees will get free pizza and JMU swag. :)
What do you want to hear from your freshman advisor? How can their emails,
blog or Canvas posts be more effective? What resonates with you?
We're taking a look at those questions by running focus groups on campus. We want
to hear FROM YOU!
Take part in a conversation with a few peers and a fellow student facilitator. These
focus groups will be informal, anonymous, and last less than an hour.
Spaces are limited, so SIGN UP today! http://tinyurl.com/FreshmanAdvising
Brought to you by JMU Career & Academic Planning.
Questions? Email woodscm@jmu.edu.

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The first focus group on February 9th
lasted approximately 50 minutes, and the second
focus group on February 10th
lasted approximately 30 minutes. Demographics, including
major, minor/pre-professional program, gender, and first semester at JMU, were
collected at the beginning of each focus group, and participants were asked nine
questions to generate focus group discussion.
Focus Group Questions
1. What format do you receive information in (email, blog, Canvas, etc.)?
a. What are the pros and cons of getting info in this format?
2. If your advisor posts info to Canvas or a blog, how do they let you know that a
new post has been written?
a. What would make you more likely to then go seek that post out?
3. Which posts from your advisor have gotten your attention the most? (If your
advisor hasn’t emailed about these things, just rank them in terms of your order
of preference.)
4. Rank these from most important (1) to least important (6):
a. JMU dates and deadlines
b. Info about majors and minors at JMU
c. Campus events or involvement opportunities (e.g., Study Abroad Fair,
Student Org Night)
d. How to use campus tools like Recruit-A-Duke, BeInvolved website, etc.?
e. Tips for success in freshman year (studying, dealing with homesickness,
roommate conflicts, etc.)
f. Academic policies (e.g., academic probation, repeat/forgive)
5. Do you want to receive information from your advisor about things going on
around campus? Do you feel like that is part of your advisor’s role?
6. How frequently does your advisor post info (by email, Canvas, a blog, etc.)?
(e.g., weekly, biweekly, monthly)
a. Are you satisfied with how often your advisor posts information?
Why/why not? How often would you like to hear from them?
7. Do you tend to read communications from your advisor?
a. If not, why not?
b. How do you feel about the length of the posts from your advisor?
8. How would you describe the tone that your advisor uses in their posts?
Formal? Conversational? Somewhere in between?
a. How does your advisor’s tone influence your willingness to read their
message?
9. What advice would you have for freshman advisors as they are trying to plan
their messages to next year’s freshmen?
Each focus group was audio recorded and then transcribed verbatim by Woods. Based
on a qualitative analysis of the transcribed data, seven primary themes emerged
between the two focus group discussions.

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Results
Qualitative data displayed seven themes among the two focus groups. Theme topics
range from communication platforms and content to frequency, format, and tone of
communication. In addition to information and suggestions gleaned within the seven
themes, advisees also had a chance to offer general advice and suggestions to
advisors as they plan communication for next year’s advisees. The seven themes, as
well as advisees’ advice and suggestions, are listed and described below with verbatim
samples of advisees’ representative responses:
Focus Group Themes
1. Small Screen Reading
2. Consistent and Frequent Communication
3. Conversational Tone
4. Applicability
5. Quick Visual Reference
6. Reference Storage and Accessibility
7. Subject Lines
Theme #1: Small Screen Reading
Advisees unanimously reported using their phones as their main method of checking
email communication. When asked about typical length and format of messages from
their advisors, advisees generally preferred shorter messages, or messages that were
at least written in an accessible list format. They made the observation that lengthier
messages seem even longer when downsized on a phone screen, and content written
in paragraph form creates more scrolling for the user. One advisee humorously
described this scrolling as “a lot of thumb work,” which they viewed as a deterrent in
reading longer email communication from their advisor:
Yeah, no mine takes me three or four scrolls to get to the bottom.
Oh my gosh, whoa…
Well, also like in terms of reading it on our phones, which I think most people do,
really long paragraphs—they’re longer than a normal paragraph would be and it’s
a lot of thumb work. I don’t want to say that, but it definitely feels longer.
Thumb work? (laughter)

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As an alternative to paragraphs, another advisee advocated for her advisor’s formatting
methods, where the advisor had more of a list-oriented layout with topic sentences
bolded and regular explanatory text to follow:
So lists are easier when phones are a thing.
My advisor, I like what he does. He puts the important stuff or the topic
sentences in bold, and I’ve found that you don't necessarily have to read the
regular print under the bold, it’s just kind of elaborating on what he said in bold in
case you didn’t understand the wording or something like that. So I can just go
through and read the bold type and that cuts down the time. I still get the
message and that cuts down on my reading time a lot. And that also makes it a
lot easier to navigate if I’m going back and looking for something that he said in
an email. It’s like bulleted points, but it’s just easier to see. It’s less of a list. It
makes the paragraphs a lot less tedious to read.
Advisees agreed that lists were preferred over paragraph reading, given the smaller
screens on which messages are primarily read.
Theme #2: Consistent and Frequent Communication
Communication frequency and consistency were important to advisees. Frequencies
ranged from weekly to a few times a semester. Advisees who reported hearing from
their advisor more often generally enjoyed that higher frequency because it made them
feel more informed about what was going on around campus and within their program:
I’d say I get my emails probably like weekly. She sends them out pretty
frequently I think. And I personally like that because it keeps me in the loop. I
always check my emails and I read all my emails, so I think that’s a good
medium. I don’t think more than that is really necessary, but I definitely like it
being weekly. I wouldn’t want it just sporadically because I like to keep in the loop
and she does a pretty good job of doing that.
Advisees were generally open to weekly or biweekly communication. One advisee
expressed that, even if something wasn’t going on that particular week, it would still be
helpful to receive communication from their advisor that reminded them of upcoming
events or deadlines:
I don’t know if it’s necessarily stuff going on around campus. I mean even if it’s
just like a weekly update or something just about things in my specific major, I
would appreciate that. I’m not really necessarily that interested in like things that
don’t apply to me obviously, but I would like to have, even if it’s just like a weekly
reminder about something that’s coming up in three weeks, I would like to have
just something to keep me in the loop. Because deadlines, if you’re not

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constantly reminded of them and you don’t remind yourself about them, they
come up faster.
Advisees that received communication from their advisor a few times a semester
around major academic deadlines generally wished that they heard from their advisor
more often. Those who declared a major, minor, or pre-professional program were
particularly interested in hearing about events and opportunities related to their program
of study, especially if it helped prepare them for future steps:
I think for me being in a pre-profession I would like to hear from mine more just
because I’m constantly having to think about, between classes and organizations
to get involved in, and, even as a freshman, I have to think about applying to
grad schools and what I need to do to qualify for that, or things like that. So I
would like more information on that.
Having advisors send specific program information concerned some advisees, however,
as communication consistency among advisors in the same program seemed to be
somewhat lacking:
And even just like a consistent like—every advisor using the same one. Like, I
know that’s a lot to ask, but I know sometimes my friends will be like, “I got this,”
but then the other friend’s like, “Oh, I didn’t get that.” I don’t know if that makes
any sense, but there are advisors who have—I don’t know if you guys heard—but
they had like smaller group meetings once the semester started. Like some
advisors would email out and be like, “Oh, we’re just gonna make sure
everybody’s okay.” But then friends that were in the same program missed it
because they didn’t see the email or something like that.
The same respondent later reported:
I also feel like it could be more than just your advisor, but for that entire major
because how do you make sure that one advisor is sending it out and the others?
Like I know for you, you have one advisor for your entire major, but for
Communications, there’s a whole bunch of them. So, I would want to make sure
that I’m getting the same information as someone else because I don’t want to
feel like someone else has a better advantage of something I didn’t do just
because I didn’t find out about it.
Advisees didn’t want to feel like their peers had an advantage over them due to
inconsistencies in communication among specific program advisors. Thus, specific
program advisors that provided more information more frequently were viewed as
having preferable communication habits, based on advisees’ perceived needs.

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Theme #3: Conversational Tone
When asked about their advisor’s tone, overall, advisees preferred a more
conversational tone. Advisors who used conversational tones were perceived as
providing clear information and answering questions before they were even asked:
Yeah! She is very wordy. It’s nice though because it’s like you’re talking to her,
like you can literally hear her voice in the email and she’s very animated and
she’s really good at staying connected with us. So she’ll type us a book, but it’s
everything you need to know and some jokes or something. (laughter)
While some advisees said that they didn’t mind that their advisors used a more formal
tone as long as the information was clear, others felt that more formal tones made their
advisor seem less approachable and more intimidating:
...a lot of his emails are short and sweet and to the point. Sometimes that can
come across as kind of like, I don’t know if intimidating is the right word. But just
kind of like, scary…
Overall, advisees preferred a more conversational tone, which came up again at the
end of one of the focus groups when advisees were asked if they had any other
suggestions for advisors. Participants reported the importance of advisors portraying
themselves as accessible and approachable, given first-year students’ anxieties and
concerns from their major transition to college life.
Theme #4: Applicability
Advisees were asked about their perceptions of their advisor’s role and whether they felt
their advisor should be sending academic information only, or if their advisor should
also send non-academic information (e.g., campus events, opportunities, etc.). Overall,
advisees said that they would enjoy and have previously benefited from receiving non-
academic information from their advisor; however, non-academic was and would be
more well-received if it was relevant to the student, their specific major of study, or the
freshman year transition:
...I’m a pre-profession, so if there was something going on around campus that
involved me or would cater to my major or pre-profession program, then I would
want to hear about it, but as far as everything else—I feel like campus does a
pretty good job of getting things out there. Like we get tons of emails every day
about all kinds of events going on, so it would be almost redundant for them to
say everything again. But unless it pertained to me or my specific major, then I
don’t think it’s necessary for them to announce it again.
...I don’t feel like it’s necessarily their role, but if they’re willing to, I don’t mind
getting the emails, especially if they’re activities that can enhance the academic

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experience—things like, I’m a psych major, I know you said you were a psych
major, too, so things like touring Western State, or activities that would be
beneficial towards your major and things that would tie in with your major, which
enhances your academic experience, then I’m all for it. Or just things to get you
more experience, or internships, or things like that...
While students did seem willing to receive non-academic information from their
advisors, they stressed the importance of its relevancy. Otherwise, they were concerned
that they would not be able to differentiate the importance between their advisors’
messages and the informational emails sent out by the university:
To me, the negative side of that seems like it would turn my advisor’s emails into
the JMU informational emails…which are the emails I tend to ignore......so then I
wouldn’t be able to differentiate between important things about my major and
things that I don’t necessarily like. Some things I am interested in learning about,
but other things… I don’t want to have everything on the same plane…
First-year students were also interested in receiving success-related tips from their
advisor. For instance, one advisee said that her advisor sent success tips, and the rest
of the participants in the focus group responded positively, agreeing that having tips to
ease the transition into college life would have been helpful for them, too:
But she always puts like tips and stuff like that in the email to kind of like help you
get through your day, and like study tips, and stuff like that.
Aw that’s cute!
Yeah that is cute.
F: And do you like that?
I do. I do like it because I mean first semester, I didn’t have like a hard time
adjusting—
I did.
...it was just like—
—an adjustment.
....like a different… like in high school, I never had to study and then coming
here, everyone was just like, you’re gonna have to read, you’re gonna have to
study. And then it’s just a reality check. Everybody says it to you—
—but then you actually have to do it, or else you’re like, Oh I’m going to fail this
class.

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In satisfying advisees’ reported preferences for more frequent communication, advisees
suggested that hearing about non-academic information would create more
communication opportunities between them and their advisor.
Theme #5: Quick Visual Learning
Advisees expressed a preference for quick visual learning when it came to tutorial
instructions (e.g., MyMadison navigation, scheduling classes, etc.). They were asked
about their preferences for video instructions versus written instructions. Overall, they
preferred visual learning, as it was clearer than written instructions. One advisee
expressed a fondness for video instructions, explaining that they’re easy to follow:
I think I did watch some videos actually, and I think it was pretty helpful. The
written ones are okay, but sometimes you’re just trying to find what you want, so
you kind of miss something. So with watching someone, it’s like, oh okay, you
click there, then you click there. You’re just mimicking what they do and you get
right where you need to. I don’t know, the videos are just really easy to watch.
However, other advisees had differing opinions, saying that the videos they had to
watch before Orientation, for example, were too long and subsequently difficult to follow:
I mean, I’m sure the videos are helpful to other people. Like, watching them, I
was annoyed.
I think the problem was that they were so long. They did not get to the point until
the end, but you really couldn’t skip because you were going to miss something,
so I think if they were a lot more consolidated to like, max five minutes because
that’s pushing it, they would be a lot more helpful.
Thus, videos between 2-5 minutes are likely the most ideal range for keeping students’
attention. Another advisee also suggested written instructions with screenshots to
mimic:
Or even with the PDFs, for example, we’re in Computer Information Systems,
and we have this big book and it has written steps for things with little pictures
everywhere, like screenshots—that’s my favorite. I absolutely love that because
you can skip it if you want, you don’t have to listen to the monotone…
You can go your own pace.
Advisees preferred quick and visual learning, in that video tutorials should be kept short
and written instructions should include images. With the latter, advisees felt that they
could go their own pace without having to skip around a video and potentially missing
an important step.

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Theme #6: Reference Storage and Accessibility
Storing references and being able to easily access them was also important to
advisees. As first-year students, they expressed an overwhelmed feeling in coming to
college and having to learn about different habits, routines, and systems. Although all of
the participating advisees received email communication from their advisors, they were
familiar with Canvas from their classes and saw the benefits of this platform for
reference storage:
And I remember in the beginning, we had worksheets of how to schedule your
classes and stuff like that and having those go on Canvas might be nice. You
know, so if you wanted to put it online, or if you lose the paper, that might be
nice. But maybe not for a communication medium, more for like a, “Here’s papers
that you can get in my office that are really helpful.”
They reasoned that, this way, Canvas would be more easily searchable than email,
creating greater and easier accessibility:
But I feel like with Canvas, the upside of that would be having everything in one
place...because I would get all these emails, and then I would have to go through
and like search through them for something that he sent out. And with Canvas, I
could just find it in one place, which would be really helpful… especially with all
the emails we get on a daily basis.
One student described how having these stored references would have been nice to
refer back to after first being introduced to new concepts:
I never got any sort of video information from my advisor and I feel like that would
have been really helpful for me because I know when I was signing up for
classes this summer, I almost had a panic attack because I was trying to figure
out how to use MyMadison and figure out my schedule and get everything to
balance and get all the credits I needed. I almost lost my mind because I couldn’t
figure it out. And my advisor, the first week of classes we had a few meetings
with his group of music students and he was just going over everything and it
was just so much information at once that I didn’t retain any of it, and so having
videos to go back to would be really helpful for me. And I learn a lot better from
auditory and video material than written material.
Other students agreed, saying that they would have liked to have some sort of summary
of their initial meeting with their advisor:
Yeah, like if they advisors had gone, Hey, do that. Then that probably would have
been nice. I didn’t do the Summer Springboard thing, but the first meeting that we
had with our advisors at the beginning of last semester, that was a lot too. It
would be nice to have some kind of breakdown or write up from that to go back to
as well.

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Overall, students expressed feelings of being overwhelmed by their new college
environment and having to learn a lot of new information. Having stored references as
tools that were easily accessible to them when they confronted specific challenges or
situations might have eased these anxious feelings.
Theme #7: Subject Lines
Participants were also asked what gets their attention the most regarding
communication from their advisor. In response to the question, “Do you read
communication from your advisor?” one advisee responded:
Yeah because when I get an email from my advisor, I know it’s important, so I
actually read it.
Overall, it seemed that advisees cared less about subject lines or other rhetorically
attention-grabbing tactics than they did about the messages being from their advisor.
Advisees that received communication more infrequently seemed more inclined to read
their advisors’ communications, since it was such a rare occurrence, usually around
important deadlines. However, advisees did express a preference for messages with
subject lines that explicitly stated related content, as this would also make searching for
messages easier:
Maybe if the subject line, if there was a code or something. Or even if it said
“important,” or “scholarship information,” or “deadline.” Or if there was some kind
of abbreviation code for that then people who get the notification and don’t open
emails just look at the subject line, and if they see something they should
probably read, it would just make it that much easier. To just have explicitly
what’s in that email in the subject
Another interesting point that one advisee brought up was how messages with
attachments caught her attention:
I’m just looking at my emails now and if I see an attachment, like the little
paperclip, I’m like maybe I should look at what’s attached.
Yeah, that’s true. When there’s attachments, I definitely look.
...There may be something that you need to fill out and you’ll get in trouble if you
don't do it.
Other advisees agreed, assuming that if there advisor is sending them an attachment,
then it’s likely something that they need to have signed or fill out. Regardless of the
subject line or presence of an attachment, respondents’ answers made it seem like
advisors carry a strong ethos that prompts advisees to read advising-related
communications.

16
Advice/Suggestions
At the end of each focus group, advisees were asked to provide any other advice or
suggestions for advisors as they plan communications for future advisees. These
suggestions ranged from resources on campus to meanings of general terms to
thoughts on Orientation. Overwhelmingly, advisees expressed the importance of
advisors being approachable:
I feel like freshman advisors are so important because they’re the first face of
JMU that the kids—us, me—see. And I think that they have to remember that
even though they are professionals, we are just kids, and to come across as
welcoming and as someone they can come and talk to. And don’t get so stuck up
into being formal. They can be fun with it. Be welcoming and be excited to have
us here. Because they’re kind of like our parents while we’re here almost—at
least mine is, I don’t know…
Another advisee agreed, elaborating on the importance of meeting with their advisor in
person:
I’d say be accessible, like my advisor, I felt like she was very accessible and I
went to her office hours once or twice to go ask questions. So I feel like her
making those very noticeable was good because I remember I had them written
down and I was like, Okay cool, I can just go rather than email.
This perception was fairly unanimous among the group, where students believed that
advisors played an important role in the first-year experience:
Yeah having a mandatory face-to-face time because one of the girls in my suite
has never gone to see her advisor, she’s like, She’s just kind of useless to me, I
don’t know who they are, I don’t know what they look like, I don’t need them. So I
think having the face-to-face is so important in terms of actually succeeding. And
knowing where they are and being able to know to go somewhere if you need
help, rather than just flailing.
Another advisee agreed, suggesting that making a meeting mandatory would
encourage students who may otherwise feel embarrassed to seek out their advisor to
do so:
Yeah, and I also think that that gives the opportunity whether they have
questions or not to be comfortable with having an excuse to going. Because I
mean, at least the four of us I’m assuming are somewhat outgoing because we
came here by ourselves, but I know some of my friends who would feel silly
going to their advisor or something like that. So if it was mandatory and they had
to go in there, they might as well ask their questions while they’re there. Because
the worst that would happen is that they get there and they’re like, No I don’t
have questions, and then leave.

17
I would say on top of that, not only make it required at least once during the
semester, but at least for the first semester, I would say during FROG week or
the first week of classes, everyone should go see their advisor at least once face-
to-face. Because I met with my advisor with 20 other people and so I never got a
chance to really ask the questions that I was kind of embarrassed to ask—
Exactly.
Several other suggestions about FROG week came up when one advisee reported that
they were still unfamiliar with how to use Canvas:
I feel like Canvas, too. My high school used Canvas, so I’m used to it, but…
Yeah I still have no idea how to work it.
I know so many people who have no idea how to use it. And since I had already
had it for a year and in high school, since they spoon-feed everything to you, I
learned how to use it really well. And I know so many people who were just
thrown into it and I had to teach people how to use it.
Teach me. I’m not kidding. (laughter) I still don't know what I’m doing.
The same advisee that said they were still unfamiliar with how to use Canvas suggested
having an optional “Canvas How-To session” during FROG week. In relation to
Orientation, advisees also hoped that advisors would prepare students for information
overload:
And also, maybe telling people to bring a notebook with them when they go to
their advising meeting because I wouldn't have had to write down all this stuff on
my phone if I’d known I was able to take notes. I just didn’t even think I was going
to have to take notes.
When asked about perceptions of their advisor’s role, one advisee felt that their advisor
didn’t necessarily need to send non-academic information; however, they suggested
that the JMU Master Calendar could be included in one of the Orientation sessions.
That way, students could explore those opportunities for themselves:
I feel like that’s not necessarily my advisor’s role, but it might have been helpful if
some of the meetings during FROG week or Summer Springboard or that kind of
thing, they showed us the Master Calendar. Because I didn’t know that was a
thing and it shows you all the events that you could be going to for study abroad,
or student org night, or things that different organizations are putting on. So, I
think it’d be helpful during the orientation process to have them show us how to
find that information on our own, rather than keeping up with it all throughout the
year.

18
In addition to the Master Calendar as a tool, one advisee wanted to know more about
resources on campus that might be helpful for class assignments or future
opportunities, like the Media Resources Library in Carrier or resume builders:
I said adding something about, like how you just mentioned that Carrier has the
media resources—I didn’t know about that, so that would be helpful if they
emailed you about resources like that, or like the interview practices or the
resume builders, so if they emailed that, I’d definitely be interested in hearing
about that kind of stuff.
Other advisees suggested that advisors define terms that former high school students
would not be familiar with, like “office hours:”
—because I didn’t understand things about MyMadison or specifics of my major
requirements and I didn’t—like coming into college—I didn’t really understand
office hours because my high school teachers obviously never did that. And so I
never went to my advisor’s office hours. I think he mentioned them like once.
But you didn’t understand what they meant.
Yeah. Like I thought office hours were for like crisis.
One other general suggestion that advisees felt freshmen needed clarity on was the
differentiation between a BA and BS degree:
I think differentiating between BA and BS because I think—like I came in a BA
because BS sounded scary with science and stuff, but then I found out it was
actually a lot easier to do that with my major, so I’m switching halfway through.
But I ended up having to drop a language because I wasn’t going for BA
anymore. So my advisor did explain the difference…
Oh, BA means a language?
Yeah, BA means language and philosophy, and then BS is science and math.
And what kept me from it was science, like I didn’t want to take chemistry or bio
or anything like that, but what I didn’t realize was that science includes political
science and…
Yeah, exactly, so I took it—not because I thought it’d be easier, but I thought,
that’s more up my alley, like I’m more of a language person—I’m not like a
statistics and math person. So, I wish I would’ve seen that there’s more options
than just science in the science sector.
Overall, advisees had great suggestions that came up on the final open-ended question
of the focus group. Their suggestions revealed meaningful perspectives of first-year
students and how academic advisors might best communicatively serve their needs.

19
Main Points from Themes
Theme #1: Small Screen
Reading
 Advisees are mainly reading email on their phones
 Mobile devices w/ smaller screens make lengthier
emails seem even longer
 Lists or bolded topic sentences are preferred over
paragraph formatting
Theme #2: Consistent and
Frequent Communication
 Advisees would like to hear from advisors more
frequently (e.g., weekly to monthly, as opposed to
only around important deadlines)
 More communication beyond academic deadlines
could include campus events and opportunities
relevant to advisees’ programs of study
 Some advisees worry that peers have an
advantage over them due to communication
inconsistencies between different advisors
sharing/not sharing opportunities
Theme #3: Conversational
Tone
 Overall, advisees prefer a conversational tone over
formal tone in advising communication
 Conversational tones portray advisors as
approachable and accessible
 Formal tones can be perceived as intimidating
Theme #4: Applicability  Advisees like and are open to advisors sending
information beyond academic advising, as long as it
is perceived as applicable to them or their program
of study
 Tips and tricks for college success are perceived as
applicable
 Extra, seemingly irrelevant information is unwanted
with advisee concerns that advising communication
could resemble the JMU informational emails
Theme #5: Quick Visual
Learning
 Both video and written how-to instructions are
perceived positively, as long as they allow for quick
reference
 2-5 min video tutorials are preferred to longer ones
 Written instructions are preferred when they include
step-by-step screenshots
Theme #6: Reference
Storage and Accessibility
 Advisees like storing resources (e.g., how to
schedule classes, use Canvas, navigate
MyMadison) and knowing they can easily access
them

20
 Canvas was perceived to be a good platform for
storing resources
 Advisees were overwhelmed by the amount of
information received at the beginning of the year
and wanted a breakdown of that information
Theme #7: Subject Lines  Overall, advisees seemed to read communication
from their advisor simply because it was from their
advisor (i.e., subject lines were not as important)
 Subject lines that explicitly state the content/main
topics of the message are preferred
 Messages with attachments were reported as
receiving more attention and priority with advisee
concerns that attachments are important forms to
be filled out
Advice/Suggestions  Be welcoming and accessible
 Share more information about campus resources
(e.g., Carrier media resources, CAP interview
practice)
 Show freshmen the JMU Master Calendar during
1787 Orientation Week
 Have a “Canvas How-To” session during 1787
Orientation Week; provide more instruction on using
Canvas, in general
 Prepare freshmen for information overload by
suggesting they take notes during first advising
meeting(s) and providing a breakdown of
information afterwards
 Have mandatory face-to-face time with advisor at
beginning of first year fall and spring semesters
 Define/explain office hours (i.e., some students
believed they were only for “times of crisis”)
 Differentiate between BA and BS degrees and
inform students of variety of science course
requirements they can take
Discussion & Implications
The main themes gleaned from the focus group findings can be divided into three
categories for discussion: 1) Devices & Platforms (#1, #5, and #6), 2) Communication
Characteristics (#2 and #3), and 3) Message Content (#4 and #7).

21
1. Devices and Platforms - Where are Advisees Reading?
Findings from these focus groups have communication-related implications for how
advisors interact with advisees, beginning with advisees’ reading habits. Advisees
unanimously reported using their phones as their main method of checking email
communication. None of the advisees attending either focus group had an advisor that
used Canvas, blogging, or another platform as their main method of communication.
However, it is reasonable to infer that advisees may check these platforms on their
phones as well, especially since they are typically notified of a Canvas or blogpost via
email. Canvas and blog platforms offer apps for both Android and Apple devices, but it
is unclear from these focus groups whether or not students check Canvas and blogs in
an app or web browser. Regardless, each situation influences readability.
This reality has implications for how messages are read by the audience, since
advisees are typically reading on smaller screens. Longer messages typed on a larger
computer screen may seem readable by the author; however, the same messages
appear significantly longer when they are displayed on advisees’ mobile devices with
smaller screens. Thus, content written in paragraph form creates more scrolling for the
user, or “thumb work” as described by one participant. Understanding where and how
advisees are receiving messages, as well as the strengths and limitations of those
mobile platforms, can help advisors craft messages that are responsive to and readable
on smaller screens, potentially increasing advisees’ willingness to read the messages
and decreasing the likelihood that the communication will be ignored. Thus, messages
written in lists or bolded topic sentences are more mobile-friendly than longer traditional
paragraphs.
Another implication regarding platform deals with the reference storage and accessibility
theme. While having one solid conclusion that one single platform trumps the others in
terms of storage and accessibility would be ideal, the findings suggest that the reality is
more complicated than that. Advisees that primarily receive email communication may
have an easier time accessing that communication on their phones and they may check
email more regularly than Canvas; however, mobile devices can only sync a certain
number of past messages. For instance, a mobile device may only be able to display
200 messages at a time, or 100 days at a time. Though they could still be accessed on
a desktop computer or laptop, all other previous messages would not be easily
accessible on a mobile device. This makes searching for past messages and resources
from their advisor more complicated for advisees.
In terms of Canvas, advisees would have an easier time searching for past
communication from their advisors, since Canvas displays announcements as a
temporal feed of information and allows for resource storage in modules. However, it is
important for advisors to consider how their advisees will continue to access that
information once they are switched to a declared major advisor. Typically, advisees no
longer have access to the Canvas site, so they lose access to all of that information.
Blogging may be an alternative way to store and give access to information. However, a
major shortcoming of blogging might be advisees’ habits and willingness to check for

22
new posts or to click on reminder links. Regardless of the platform, it is important to
understand the strengths and weaknesses of each platform and how those translate to
the reality of advisees’ environments and habits.
2. Communication Characteristics - What Kind of Communication Do Advisees Prefer?
In terms of communication characteristics, advisees expressed a desire to hear from
their advisors more frequently and they preferred those messages to be written in a
conversational tone. Some advisees expressed that their advisors seldom contact them,
only around important academic deadlines, such as add/drop deadlines or major
declaration deadlines. While advisees acknowledged the importance of these deadlines,
they also preferred more preliminary notice of the deadlines in the form of several
deadline reminders, for example. They also added that having more frequent
communication could also encompass events going on around campus or opportunities
related to their specific major of study. For advisees that did receive the latter content,
some advisees were concerned about communication inconsistencies among advisors,
where their peers were receiving information about opportunities that they did not
personally receive. Knowing that others might have an advantage over them due to
communication characteristics like frequency and content worried advisees, and specific
majors of study may want to consider a more streamlined approach in terms of what
information gets sent to members of their programs of study.
Advisees also showed a preference for conversational tones in communication versus
formal tones. They situated their freshman population as a particularly vulnerable
population, dealing with new environments and experiences, including but not limited to
making new friends, confronting roommate issues, struggling with homesickness,
experiencing anxiety, and figuring out how to learn in the college classroom. Overall,
advisees demonstrated the huge learning curve that happens in terms of academic,
social, emotional, and psychological development when students transition from high
school to college. This transition raises many questions, as well as insecurities, which
are more comfortably addressed when the advisee has an advisor who is perceived as
approachable and open. Using a conversational tone in emails, Canvas
announcements, and/or blog posts, among other communication forms, may make
advisees feel more comfortable asking important questions related to their academic
performance and success, and it may also make them more willing to seek out their
advisor in person. Participants reported that a more formal approach can sometimes be
interpreted as intimidating, deterring advisees from using their advisor as a resource,
subsequently increasing the possibility of students performing at a level lower than their
potential. In sum, advisees acknowledged the important role that advisors play and the
subsequent effects they can have on the freshman year experience.

23
3. Message Content - What Information Are Advisees Interested In?
Advisees were more interested in information that they perceived as applicable to them
and their specific major of study. Participants were asked about their perceptions of
their advisor’s role and whether or not they felt it was out of the scope of that role to
send non-academic information (e.g., events around campus, opportunities, etc.).
Overall, advisees expressed a preference for additional information beyond academic
information, as long as it was relevant to their major of study. However, they did not
want to receive information about any and all other on-campus events, as they felt
communication from their advisor would unnecessarily mimic JMU informational emails
that they already receive. Thus, specific advisors may want to consider making an effort
to send information that is relevant to their advisees’ programs of study, and undeclared
advisors may want to send information that may help their advisees explore options for
declaring a major.
While advisees noted that having a clear, explicit subject line that explained message
content got their attention, they also reported that they regarded nearly any message
from their advisor as important (and worthy of reading), simply because the message
came from their advisor. Related to the above information, it is important for advisors to
send additional information sparingly so that this perception of importance does not
fade. In other words, advisees were concerned that if their advisor sent too many
emails, advisees may begin to ignore advisor emails that could contain important
academic information or an upcoming deadline. Additionally, advisees said that they
were more likely to open a message that had an attachment, as they frequently
assumed that the attachment was an important form to be completed and/or signed.
The paperclip attachment icon was attention-grabbing, as well as titles that were
perceived as clear and relevant.
Conclusion
These focus groups highlight the importance of audience analysis and the need to keep
up with evolving technology’s effect on reading habits, particularly among younger
generations like college freshman. Understanding advisees’ reading habits will assist
advisors as they craft communication for future advisees, making that communication
more accessible to smaller devices. This includes the use of larger font sizes, particular
font styles, clear information architecture, and more bulleted lists. Regardless of the
content, advisees may be less inclined to read information that is not made accessible
to their devices. To avoid this, another extra step that advisors could take in crafting
their messages is to perform a small usability test on their own smaller device
(assuming they have a smartphone with standard communicative capabilities). This
way, advisors could see how the messages would appear to their advisees.
In addition, acknowledging the complexities of the new college environment from the
perspective of a first-year student reminds advisors that, while encouraging autonomy
and self-responsibility among their advisees is important, first-year students are

24
vulnerable to the major transition from high school to college and can significantly
benefit from advisors’ guidance and involvement in the first-year experience. Overall,
advisees reported that they felt their advisor did or could have played a significant role
in their first-year experience as a resource for academic information, among other
transitional elements. While an advisor that formally communicates important deadlines
is advantageous, an advisor that uses a conversational tone with more frequent
communication, including not only academic information but also relevant non-academic
information, is preferred. Though it is impossible for advisors to always know if a student
will perceive a particular message as relevant or irrelevant, it is important that advisors
communicate in a way that makes them accessible and approachable to their advisees.
These focus groups were beneficial in that they provided the Office of Career and
Academic Planning with qualitative data based on nine freshman students’ perceptions
of their first-year advising experience. In addition to understanding advisees’ reading
habits and communication preferences as gleaned from the focus group questions, the
conversations also allowed a space for advisees to report other suggestions, related
and unrelated to freshman advising. These recommendations ranged from tone and
content of advising communication to questions about the definition of specific terms
like “office hours” to thoughts on improving the First-Year Orientation experience.
Talking with freshman students in person is valuable in that researchers are able to ask
for further elaboration and/or clarification on thoughts, and students are able to share
their firsthand experiences and perceptions, offer insights into how communication
could be improved, and provide richer responses than what might be gleaned from
survey research.

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