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Abstract
Faculty advising has maintained a prominent role in the history of higher education institutions in the United States (Cook, 2009; Habley, 2003; Rudolph 1962). The role of faculty serving as advisors is still significant at private, four-year colleges and universities (Habley, 2004). Over the past several decades, research has recognized the significance between academic advising and student retention. Chickering and Gamson (1987) surmised the importance of encouraging interactions between faculty and students outside the classroom. Transformations in society have occurred, including a change in the student populations entering higher education. To assist faculty in their role as advisors, administrators should provide support through professional development opportunities to address the diversity of today’s college students. However, shortcomings in higher education institutions exist for faculty advising development. Wenger, McDermott, and Snyder (2002) defined communities of practice as "groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis" (p. 4). The purpose of this qualitative, interview-based study was to describe the experiences of faculty advisors’ participation in a shared model of advising at a four-year private, comprehensive university in the southeast United States. The implementation of this shared model of advising occurred in 2015 as a replacement to the previous faculty-only model and promoted collaboration among faculty and professional advisors who work with traditional undergraduate first-year students. This study encompassed advising model redesign, Wenger’s community of practice framework, and the elements of an advising community of practice. Grounded in learning theory, communities of practice require the elements of the domain, the community, and the practice (Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002). The findings showed that each element of a community of practice was present in the advising model at the institution under study. Themes emerged from each of the three areas, including the domain (the advising model and first-year students), the community (shared learning and relationship building), and the practice (advising practice and resources).