N.C. A&T Doubles Academic Advising Staff, Boosts Retention Rate to 81%

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has achieved a remarkable 8% increase in student retention by doubling its professional academic advising staff, demonstrating the transformative power of comprehensive student support.

The expansion within N.C. A&T's Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) now serves approximately 6,000 freshmen and sophomores with professional guidance from trained advisors. This strategic investment helped boost retention from 73.1% for the fall 2022 cohort to 81% for the fall 2024 cohort, positioning students for stronger academic outcomes and timely graduation.

Revolutionary Advising Model

In 2023, CAE began providing professional advising for all first-time freshmen - previously a service reserved only for undecided students.

The comprehensive advising services include:

• New student support: Registration, pre-advisement, and orientation sessions
• Academic planning: Year-round course planning and major exploration
• Student success services: Academic recovery support and campus resource referrals
• Targeted coaching: Proactive advising for designated student populations

Benefits Beyond Retention

The new model frees faculty from advising duties, allowing them to focus on teaching, research and service. It also improves communication and consistency - an upgrade students themselves identified as a priority during feedback sessions.

"The decision to expand professional academic advising was driven by clear institutional evidence and national research showing that early, consistent advising is one of the strongest predictors of student persistence and degree completion," Nail explained.

This success story demonstrates how targeted investments in student support can yield significant improvements in retention and student outcomes across HBCU campuses nationwide.