Barriers to Advising and Course Access

Mia Meng

Co-Presenters: Adrienne Rementeria, Iris Zhang, Haojie Ran

College: College of Business and Public Management

Major: BS.MARKETING

Faculty Research Mentor: Lee, Kyungwon

Abstract:

Many undergraduate students at Kean University balance academic responsibilities alongside part-time or full-time employment. While employment provides necessary financial support, it also introduces time constraints that can limit access to academic advising and complicate course registration planning. This study will examine how employment-related time demands, advising accessibility, and course registration policies collectively will influence academic planning among Kean University undergraduates. The primary objective of this research is to assess how students’ work schedules will affect access to academic advising and the ability to register for online and evening courses. The study will also explore whether delayed online course enrollment and limited evening course availability will disproportionately impact working students’ ability to plan for degree completion. A survey-based quantitative research design will be used, employing a structured questionnaire that will be administered to current Kean University undergraduate students. The survey will collect data on employment status and weekly working hours, advising access and response time, experiences with course registration timing, and the effects of registration uncertainty on academic and work planning. This research will contribute to a clearer understanding of how institutional policies and academic support services will affect working undergraduate students. Findings may help inform improvements to advising availability, course registration processes, and scheduling flexibility to better support Kean University’s student population.KEYWORDSStudent Employment, Academic Advising, Course Registration, Online Courses, Academic PlanningKean Research Day Form of participation: Pre-recorded 3 min. presentationAuthors:Mia Meng, Adrienne Rementeria, Iris Zhang, Haojie Ran