The Nature of Exemplary Doctoral Advisors’ Expectatios and the Ways they May Influence Doctoral Persistance

This paper aims to uncover the reasons behind the high attrition rates (as much as 30-50%) among  doctoral students.

Poor advising and mentoring are consistently cited as reasons for the high attrition rates. Faculty  members play a key role in the persistence and departure of doctoral students. There is also a lot of evidence that advisors greatly impact the quality of student experience, socialization processes,  and post-graduate opportunities.