Rutgers CMSI Releases New Report on Academic Advisor Training Efforts at Hispanic-Serving Institutions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jacinda Nembhard | jacinda.nembhard@gse.rutgers.edu
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., March 25, 2025 – The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) has released a new report, Compañeros en el Camino: Preparing Academic Advisors to Serve at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, revealing critical insights into the training, competencies, and professional development of academic advisors at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The report underscores the importance of structured, competency-based training and professional growth opportunities to enhance Latine student success at HSIs.
HSIs play a critical role in advancing educational opportunities for Latine students and other underrepresented populations, and academic advising is at the heart of promoting student learning, retention, and success. The report reveals that HSIs demonstrate a strong commitment to hands-on training methods to prepare advisors. Yet, there are critical gaps in alignment competencies with training content and expanded professional development opportunities.
According to the author, Gabriel O. Bermea, a visiting scholar with CMSI, “Effective academic advising at HSIs goes beyond course selection—it is about fostering a sense of belonging, validating students’ experiences, and guiding them toward their personal and academic goals. When advisors receive ongoing training and professional development, they become powerful advocates who help students navigate challenges and persist toward graduation.”
“This report highlights how critical it is for Latine students to access effective academic advising. These practices allow them to receive ample access to resources and opportunities that support their pursuit of higher education,” said Marybeth Gasman, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University. “Having advisors actively working towards developing their professional skills and student success strategies will pave the way for a collective and continuous support system for students.”
According to the report, formal training must be provided to advisors upon hire and continue through professional development opportunities. Bermea stresses that it is important to understand student barriers and implement culturally affirming practices to build meaningful relationships and reduce potential dropout risks.
Further, the report reveals that training should focus on specific skills or competencies that need to be developed for advisors to succeed in their roles and in completing their tasks. The ultimate purpose is to offer effective and transformative resources that ensure student success through well-trained and prepared academic advising employees.
Institutions looking to enhance their academic advisor training and professional development can access the full report here.
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About the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions
The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) brings together researchers and practitioners from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions. CMSI’s goals include: elevating the educational contributions of MSIs; ensuring that they are a part of national conversations; bringing awareness to the vital role MSIs play in the nation’s economic development; increasing the rigorous scholarship of MSIs; connecting MSIs’ academic and administrative leadership to promote reform initiatives; and strengthening efforts to close educational achievement gaps among disadvantaged communities. The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions is part of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity and Justice (Proctor Institute) at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. For further information about CMSI, please visit http://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/.
