Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A Live Internet-broadcast Webinar Event

Save Time and Energy: Utilize Existing Resources for Advisor Training and Development

Are rising gas prices restricting your summer travel?  Save transportation costs by joining us on August 12 for the first offering in our 2008-2009 Webinar series! 

Interactive Schedule Planner: Back by popular demand --the Interactive Schedule Planner has been a big hit for the past three years. Use it before you arrive at the Conference to identify individual sessions you want to attend.

Hotel Update: Most official hotels still have availability. The Hard Rock Hotel and Hotel 71 are within three blocks of the Hyatt. Make your reservation online. Are you looking for a roommate to defray hotel costs? You can sign up or look for one here. Individuals contact each other directly; NACADA simply maintains the list.

Tours: Join others for an evening of Hot Jazz; spend the evening watching “Second City” where Bill Murray, Gilda Radner and John Belushi all performed; or cruise Lake Michigan - there is something for everyone! Take a minute and look at the tours that are available. Most tours require a minimum of 35 people by September 1 to avoid cancellation - place your reservations now!

NACADA Choir: The Choir is looking for a few great voices (or anyone who loves to sing and have fun!). The Choir will practice on Wednesday, October 1 at 4:30 p.m. and perform at the Plenary Session Thursday morning. If you would like to get involved, stretch your vocal chords and make some new friends, contact Bruce Norris, bnorris@wcupa.edu, to learn more!

Town Hall Business Meeting: The Board of Directors will be sharing with the attendees the Strategic Goals for the Association and gathering ideas, recommendations, and concerns from the membership concerning these goals. Participants will work in teams during the Town Hall Meeting to discuss the goals and develop ideas for implementation. Come help us plan for NACADA’s future! Friday, October 3, 5:45-6:45 p.m.

New this year -

Common Reading: “Racial bias, whether at the individual or collective levels, is hard to see and harder to talk about” (Bensimon, 2007, p. 454). But we’re going to talk about it!   

If you work with students, you may want to attend NACADA’s first Common Reading scheduled for Thursday, October 2 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. The discussion will focus on the issues of diversity presented by Estela Bensimon in Bensimon, E.M. (2007). The Underestimated Significance of Practitioner Knowledge in the Scholarship on Student Success. The Review of Higher Education, 30 (4), 441-469. “We have learned to view inequality in educational outcomes as a problem of student underpreparedness, not a problem of practitioner knowledge, pedagogical approaches, or ‘culturally held’ ideas about minority students” (Bensimon, 2007, p. 456).

If you would like to pick up a copy of the new Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook (2nd Ed.) in Chicago, be sure to preorder a copy by August 15 when you register for the Annual Conference.  Authors of this book will be available to autograph your copy from 7:15-8:30 a.m. on Friday, October 3, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Riverside Center. 

The new Handbook is available at a special rate of $50/copy when you preorder with your conference registration.  Click here for the conference registration and book order forms.

If you are unable to attend the annual conference, you may still preorder a copy of the book at the member rate of $55.  Complete the on-line order form and your copy will be sent to you after the annual conference. 

Many of you have asked “Why purchase the second edition of the Handbook?”  The new edition builds upon the first edition of Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook.  The new second edition:

• Has a new set of authors offering new and expanded perspectives.
• Has more emphasis on teaching and learning that reflects current thought that the advisor’s role is "teacher" as well as “advisor.”
• Has an expanded section on the changing college student and current research on the profile of today’s college students, including students with special needs.
• Looks at students moving in, moving through, and moving on from college and how each of these transitions carries its own responsibilities for advising and advisors.
• Continues to examine the newest, most effective ways to organize and deliver academic advising from a variety of perspectives, including how technology is changing support and delivery systems.
• Offers the latest advisor training concepts and tools for enhancing advisor skills and knowledge.
• Offers an expanded and in-depth approach to assessment of advisor effectiveness from many perspectives, as well as methods for evaluating advising programs.
• Gives perspectives on advising from chief academic and student affairs officers and advising administrators and how they view the importance of advising on their campuses.
• Looks at the future of advising and how it will change in the next decade; offers an agenda for change that reflects the future of higher education in general.
• Has a new section on exemplary practices presenting academic advising programs that illustrate many of the practical applications of the book’s topics. These include advising programs that represent the foundation of advising practices, student diversity and student needs, organization and delivery of advising services and programs, and effective practices in training, assessment, and recognition/rewards.

Items donated to date:

• 4 nights at North Carolina vacation property
• Quilted wall hanging
• Consultation services
• Sheraton Hotel weekend
• Sports memorabilia
• Region gift baskets

Don't forget that NACADA will host its first Silent Auction this year in Chicago.  Visit the Silent Auction webpage for more details as the Annual Conference approaches.

All proceeds from the auction will be used to fund NACADA region conference scholarships for graduate students.  If you would like to donate an item to this Silent Auction, please complete this form and fax it (785/532-7732) to the NACADA Executive Office by August 15, 2008. 

You must be willing to bring your donated item with you to Chicago. Those donating items should bring them to the area near the NACADA booth at the Hyatt Regency Riverside Center.  A receipt for your donation will be provided to you. 

Thank you for your support of this first endeavor. We hope this will be a great way for people to mingle, bid on some great gifts, and support our graduate students who are pursuing career goals in the field academic advising.  If you would like to volunteer to assist at the Silent Auction with set-up, security, and check-out while you're at the Conference, or if you have any questions contact Bev Martin at bmartin@ksu.edu.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

A Live Internet-broadcast Webinar Event

Proactively Planning for a Career in Academic Advising

Proactively planning a career is as important for academic advisors as it is for the students we advise. In this online broadcast, NACADA President Jennifer Bloom and Professional Development Committee Chair Albert Matheny will focus on a variety of ways to advance a career in the academic advising field. This presentation will offer specific suggestions on steps advisors and advising administrators can take to ensure long and successful careers in the field.

NACADA will host three Professional Development opportunities in Clearwater Beach, Florida in February 2009! 

The meetings will begin with an excellent seminar titled Advising 2.0: Utilizing Technology Effectively for Campus-wide Advising - February 12-13. Next, the 7th Annual Academic Advising Administrators' Institute - February 15-17, followed by the 6th Annual Assessment of Academic Advising Institute - February 18-20.

All three events will be held at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Hotel. Watch the NACADA Website and your mail for more information! Find links to all three events under the NACADA Events menu.

The Diversity Committee developed the NACADA Emerging Leaders Program to encourage members from diverse groups to get involved in leadership opportunities within the organization, outfit participants with the skills and tools necessary to pursue elected and appointed leadership positions, increase the number of leaders from diverse groups, and encourage and assist members of underrepresented populations to attend State, Regional, or National Conferences.

The 2007-2009 Emerging Leaders and Mentors, who began work at the 2007 Annual Conference in Baltimore, have been diligently pursuing their goals over the past year and look forward to reuniting at this year's Conference in Chicago. 2007-2009 Emerging Leader Carol Pollard says, “The ELP program has expanded my view of advising and opened so many doors for me within advising and the association.  I will be Exhibits Chair for the 2009 Annual Conference in San Antonio.  I would never have attempted to be a ‘chair’ without the wonderful mentorship and learning opportunities afforded me by this past year. The friendships, contacts, and training have been remarkable; I know this is just the beginning!”

Information is now available on the 2009 NACADA Leadership elections, including a list of positions being elected, eligibility criteria, position overviews, general election information, and an online nomination form. Election information and printed nomination forms will also be available in the NACADA booth in the Exhibits area at the Annual Conference in Chicago, as well as in the back of the Conference Program. Nomination forms can be submitted either online, at the Conference, by fax or mail. All nominations will be due to the Executive Office by Friday, Oct. 31, 2008.

More information can be found here regarding the NACADA Leadership positions. If you are interested in becoming a candidate for a NACADA leadership position -- now or in the future -- we encourage you to review this information to learn more about the leadership opportunities available to you.

If you have any questions, or would like to inquire as to your eligibility for a particular position or the eligibility of a colleague whom you wish to nominate for a position, please contact the NACADA Executive Office at (785) 532-5717 or e-mail us.

Your participation in the nomination process for these leadership positions is encouraged!

Plan ahead for these upcoming Events in the NACADA Webinar Series:

November 6, 2008 - Significant Conversations: The Art and Science of Communication in Transformational Advising

Presenter: Jose Rodriguez (Florida International University)

Registration deadline is October 27

Learn More

November 20, 2008 - Creative Utilization of Technology in Academic Advising

Presenters: Terry Musser (Penn State University), Art Esposito (Virginia Commonwealth University), and Wes Lipschultz (University of Pittsburgh)

Registration deadline is November 10

Learn More

*Please Note: This broadcast will include video streaming, and therefore, compared to our usual Webinar broadcasts, may require additional Internet bandwidth at your campus for optimal viewing. Please confer with your technical staff concerning your campus capabilities.

December 12 , 2008 - Infusing Research into Practice: Multiple Pathways to Conducting Research in Advising

Presenters: Joshua Smith (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) and Wendy Troxel (Illinois State University)

Registration deadline is December 2

Learn More

February 4, 2009 - Success with Parent Education: Dialoguing with the New Student and their Parents at the Collegiate Level

Presenter: "Best of Region 7" winner Brian Nossaman (University of Oklahoma)

Save the date! More information coming soon!

February 27, 2009 - DIFS Makes the Difference in Student Motivation: Both Skill and Will are Needed for Student Success

Presenter: Ken Kiewra (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

Save the date! More information coming soon!

March 26, 2009 - Making the Grade: What Advisors and Administrators Need to Know to Better Assist Students with Disabilities

Presenter: Marilyn Kaff (Kansas State University)

Save the date! More information coming soon!

Participation for each event is limited by our Service Provider, so don't miss your chance - Register concurrently for any three Webinars and save $10 off each!

Would you like to propose a Webinar topic? 

The Webinar Advisory Board would like to hear what topics YOU would like to see presented in this format - and, they would also like you to see what considerations they will be addressing in choosing their topic list.

Click here to review their rubric and submit your ideas.

The September edition of NACADA's quarterly e-Publication, Academic Advising Today, is currently with the publisher. Articles you can look forward to reading include:

• Vital Links: Touching the Minds of Students by Douglas W. Estry (Michigan State University)

• Are Academic Advisors Knowledge Workers? Yes! by David Freitag (Graduate Student, NACADA/Kansas State University Masters of Academic Advising Program)

• Making the Connections: Liberal Arts Advisors Teach Students by Julie Givans (Arizona State University)

We are currently accepting article and *Sparkler* submissions for possible publication in the December edition (submission deadline September 1). If you are interested in sharing your thoughts with your colleagues in this format, check out the Guidelines today!

Featured this month in the Clearinghouse:

Tim Clydesdale (2007) in The First Year Out: Understanding American teens after high school, tells us that American teens work in order to consume. Today's incoming students have more financial issues than ever before.  What do advisors need to know to address these important issues? 

This month the Clearinghouse features resources that can help advisors work with students on important financial issues:

• Katie Beres' review of the Clydesdale book The First Year Out: Understanding American teens after high school
• Theresa Hitchcock's Clearinghouse overview "Mind over Money" with suggestions for ways advisors can help students balance their financial wants and needs
• Clearinghouse resources for dealing with student financial issues

The NACADA Research Committee announces a Request For Proposals (RFP) for NACADA grants that support advising research. Grants up to $5,000 are available to support a single-year proposal. Practicing professionals (administrators and faculty), as well as graduate students seeking support for dissertation research, are eligible.

The Research Committee has two deadlines for 2009 funding proposals: November 1, 2008 and March 15, 2009. Click here for information regarding research grants.

The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) has an opening in the Executive Office for Associate Director for Programs, which is a new position. For information on qualifications, duties, and application procedures, please refer to our Website at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/PositionAnnouncements/EO/Index.htm. Screening of applications will continue until the position is filled. Kansas State University is an equal opportunity employer.

Kansas State University in partnership with NACADA has offered for four years a Graduate Certificate in Academic Advising online. Now in addition to the Graduate Certificate, K-State is offering an online Master of Science in Academic Advising degree.

Courses offered for Fall 2008 are:

• EDCEP 761 Intercollegiate Athletics and the Student-Athlete
• EDCEP 816 Research Methods
• EDCEP 851 Multicultural Aspects of Academic Advising
• EDCEP 863 Trends in Career Development

You still have time to apply and register for classes now for the Fall semester! Visit this NACADA Webpage for more information!

In addition to the 2nd edition of Academic Advising:  A Comprehensive Handbook, NACADA will also have the following new publications available for sale at the Annual Conference in Chicago:

Advising Student Athletes:  A Collaborative Approach to Success will be available very soon.  You may preorder a copy on-line for $35 or pick up a copy in Chicago at the special conference price of $30. 

College student-athletes are a unique population on a college campus. Advising Student Athletes: A Collaborative Approach to Success is a monograph dedicated to educating campus professionals on how to best work collaboratively to maximize student-athlete success on campus. This monograph includes contributions by leading researchers and practitioners on key topical areas including social issues of sport, academic reform, bridging the gap between campus and athletics, unique student-athlete issues, student development theory, career considerations and ethical and legal issues. There are several case studies on subpopulations and special issues such as LGB, learning issues, two-year college transfers, international student-athletes, nonrevenue sports, NCAA Division 3, and mental health. Finally, hot topics are also addressed such as HBCUs, social networks, high achieving African American male student-athletes, Black female student–athletes, crisis situations and high school considerations. The reader will find several practical strategies and suggestions, in addition to discussion questions and resource listings. This monograph is a must-have for professionals on both sides of campus (regardless of the role of sport on their campus) in order to help them better serve the student-athlete population.

A Family Guide to Academic Advising, 2nd edition

This newly revised guide from the National Academic Advising Association and the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition offers an easy-to-read overview of this critically important educational program. Written by a college faculty member and a veteran academic advisor, the Guide describes the role of the academic advisor, outlines the advising process, and highlights important academic issues facing new college students. The second edition includes a new section on first-generation college students and an expanded discussion of career counseling.

Email renewal notices were sent to those with a September 1 membership expiration date in mid-July.  Many of you have already responded by sending in your membership renewals.  Thank you!  If you haven't sent your membership renewal form to the Executive Office by September 1, another email reminder will be sent to you.  Your support of NACADA and its missions is deeply appreciated