Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ed.D. Program: Partha Chanda “AI-Enhanced Hybrid Academic Advising: Student Experiences at Rutgers University”

Although higher education institutions expand the use of AI-based hybrid advising platforms, existing research has largely evolved along two parallel strands – one emphasizing the efficiency and scalability of AI technology and the other highlighting the relational, cultural, and developmental importance of in-person advising. This divide has produced a limited scholarly understanding of how hybrid advising operates in practice, particularly from the student perspective. Hybrid advising involves more than layering digital tools onto in-person advising; understanding it as an integrated practice requires examining how students experience, interpret, and navigate advising systems within specific institutional contexts. This study examines how undergraduate students at Rutgers University-Newark experience hybrid advising as an interconnected system of support.

By centering students’ lived experiences, the study conceptualizes hybrid advising as a dynamic advising ecosystem in which students actively interpret, navigate, and balance AI-generated guidance with in-person support. The findings offer actionable insights for institutions seeking to align advising technologies with student needs, strengthen student engagement, and deploy resources more strategically. Ultimately, this study contributes to a more cohesive understanding of hybrid advising as a socio-technical system, advancing institutional efforts to enhance student academic success, improve retention, and promote equity within increasingly diverse higher education environments.