Volume_5_Issue_1_Digest

20 TPC Digest The process of successfully completing a doctoral program is a multifaceted journey that depends upon a variety of factors. One key component of degree completion hinges on the dissertation process. It is well documented in the literature that multiple invested entities (student, faculty, department, university) are affected by a student’s achievement of a doctoral degree, which stems from the successful completion of a dissertation. Data show that attrition rates are declining for most students in Ph.D. programs; however, rates for students in the field of humanities continue to stall. Specifically, the single most frequent finding in Bair & Haworth’s 2004 meta-synthesis study addressing doctoral attrition is that successful degree completion is related to the amount and quality of contact between a doctoral student and his or her advisor. The present study was conducted in order to better understand which variables best predict satisfaction in the relationship between counseling doctoral students and their dissertation chairperson. Specifically, the study was designed to address gaps in the literature regarding selection criteria and chairperson behaviors as predictors of satisfaction among counselor education doctoral students. A survey instrument containing items pertaining to participants’ selection criteria of their dissertation chair (success/reputation, research/methodology, collaborative style, obligation/cultural), chairpersons’ behaviors (work style, personal connection, academic assistance, mentoring abilities, professional development) and participants’ overall satisfaction with their dissertation chairperson was used. Separate multiple regression analyses were conducted in order to predict current doctoral students’ and recent doctoral graduates’ overall satisfaction with their chairperson. Results from both regressions were statistically significant, and the overall findings reveal how counselor education doctoral students’ selection criteria for their chairperson, and the behaviors that the chairperson exhibits, are influential in predicting overall satisfaction in the advisor–advisee relationship. Findings from the current study reveal how counselor education doctoral students’ selection of their chairperson and the behaviors that the chairperson exhibits are influential in predicting students’ overall satisfaction with the student–chairperson relationship. Therefore, understanding the most influential selection criteria Cheryl Neale-McFall Christine A. Ward Factors Contributing to Counselor Education Doctoral Students’ Satisfaction with Their Dissertation Chairperson (similar work ethic, personality match, previous relationships) and chairperson behaviors (patience, investment in the relationship and the student, advocacy for the student, effective feedback) can result in greater satisfaction in the advisor–advisee relationship. By utilizing the current study’s findings and understanding which selection criteria and chairperson behaviors are most likely to influence overall satisfaction, counselor educators can enhance their advising behaviors to best meet the needs of students, thereby increasing the likelihood that students will successfully defend their dissertations and graduate from the counselor education doctoral program. Cheryl Neale-McFall, NCC, is an Assistant Professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Christine A. Ward is an independent scholar. Correspondence can be addressed to 1160 McDermott Drive, Suite 102, West Chester, PA 19383, cneale@wcupa.edu. Read full article and references: Neale-McFall, C., & Ward, C. A. (2015). Factors contributing to counselor education doctoral students’ satisfaction with their dissertation chairperson. The Professional Counselor , 5 , 185–194. doi:10.15241/cnm.5.1.185