Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ed.D. Program: Petal R. Britton Gadsden, “Stress, Coping and Advising: A Phenomenological Study of the Experiences of Educational Opportunity Fund Program Advisors”

Academic advisors often serve as students’ primary point of contact when they encounter challenges and frustrations. However, the nature of their role exposes them to repeated interactions with students facing emotional distress, leading to heightened stress levels (Soria et al., 2023; Viande, 2016). Over time, constant exposure to these pressures can result in emotional exhaustion and job disillusionment (Figly, 1995), a phenomenon categorized as burnout and compassion fatigue.

These concerns are particularly significant for academic advisors working within opportunity programs, such as the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) in New Jersey. The EOF program, a state-sponsored initiative, provides academic and financial support to underrepresented students. EOF advisors play a crucial role in student retention and success, serving as the first point of contact for underrepresented students navigating higher education.

This phenomenological study seeks to explore the lived experiences of EOF academic advisors in New Jersey and examine their coping strategies to manage stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Grounded in coping theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), the research aims to develop a framework for supporting EOF counselors in their efforts to guide underrepresented students through college and ensure their persistence to graduation. The central research questions guiding this study will examine what factors contribute to stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue among EOF academic advisors, explore their coping strategies to manage them, and discuss how higher education institutions can help mitigate their effects.

EOF professionals serving as academic advisors will be selected for individual interviews, with data analyzed using phenomenological analysis. Triangulation will be employed to synthesize findings and illuminate their lived experiences. Given the pivotal role EOF advisors play in student success, understanding effective coping strategies is essential to fostering their well-being and sustaining their ability to support underrepresented students.