Advising Native Americans in Higher Education
By Mark A. Bellcourt, Chair, Native American and Tribal College Interest Group, University of Minnesota

Native Americans have always valued education and learning, and many are accomplished science and mathematics practitioners (traditional healers, herbalists, astronomers, builders, etc). Even so, it is ironic that today approximately 50% of Native Americans will graduate from high school, and only 17% will attempt college (National Science Foundation, 2000; Pavel, Swisher, & Ward, 1994). There are many cultural and social reasons for these low rates including reservations located in remote areas, a lack of successful Native American role models, English as a second language, and the low socioeconomic status of many Native Americans (Cajete, 2000).

Suspicion of the traditional American education system is very strong among the Native American populations. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Native Americans were forced into separate, but certainly not equal, educational systems. Marr (2004) states that Congress backed a policy establishing schools that promised to make the “Indian population into patriotic and productive members of society” thus supporting a policy of assimilation that called for the systematic and intentional destruction of an entire population. Marr highlights Richard Henry Pratt, a leading proponent of the "kill the Indian and save the man" philosophy, who opened the first Indian boarding school in 1879. Pratt commissioned ‘before’ pictures, with students in their long braids and regalia, and ‘after’ pictures showing the same students with short hair and military clothing. He thought these pictures would show the country that Indians could be civilized.

Through the 1950’s, school policies systematically broke up families, forbade Native languages, banned traditional and spiritual practices, and relocated children to schools far from their homes. Through these actions more than two generations of Native Americans lost their identities in the name of traditional American education (University of Washington Library, 2003). Today’s Native American students are frequently reminded by their parents, grandparents and great grandparents of these atrocities, and are covertly and overtly told not to trust the traditional education system.

The statistics are equally dismal for Native American students in our colleges and universities. Janis Swenson Taylor (Taylor, 1999) reported that “…skin color and appearance, covert and overt racial hostility, lack of respect, stereotyping, loneliness, lack of role models, and lack of institutional support…” impact Native American success in college. She also reported that the students’ reasons for attending college and level of family support are equally important to Native American persistence in college. In many tribes, the sense of community and extended families are very highly valued. Sometimes Native American students must choose to attend college far away from home or to stay on the reservation.

However, the future is looking much brighter for Native Americans. According to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), casinos and other tribal enterprises have enabled a number of tribes to charter colleges in their local communities. In the last 10 years, tribally chartered colleges have increased from 15 to 34 and enrollments have risen from less than 15,000 to more than 34,000 (American Indian Higher Education Consortium, 1999). Tribal colleges have now gained “land grant status” that provides extra federal funds for research and the ground needed for agricultural and natural resource stations and for building campuses. Although many of these newly formed institutions are currently going through the accreditation process, many have completed the process and are becoming credible and legitimate members of the higher education community. A number of these colleges now offer 4-year and advanced degrees directly or through articulation agreements with nearby institutions.

Now that education has come to many of these remote locations and tribal control allows for culturally relevant curriculums, Native Americans are seeking higher education in increasing numbers. If this trend continues, and all evidence suggests that it will, an increasing number of Native American students will be entering our institutions of higher education. As academic advisors, we must be ready to accommodate these students’ needs. It is imperative that we honor their heritage, value their wisdom, and understand their histories. We need to help them transition from reservations and tribal colleges to our cities and traditional institutions. That is why we founded the Native American and Tribal College Interest Group (NATIG) in NACADA.

NATIG is intended to bring together both Native and non-Native American students, advisors, faculty and other student service personnel. The forum created by this group will not only address the needs of Native American students, but will engage the greater advising community in Native American educational issues.

References
American Indian Higher Education Consortium. (1999). Tribal Colleges: An Introduction.

Cajete, G. A. (2000). Native science natural laws of interdependence.

Marr, C.J. (2004). Assimilation Through Education: Indian Boarding Schools in the Pacific Northwest. Retrieved on February 6, 2004 from http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/marr/marr.html

National Science Foundation. (2000). Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering. (Rep. No. NSF 00-327).

Pavel, M., Swisher, K., & Ward, M. (1994). Special focus: American Indian and Alaska Native demographic and educational trends. Minorities in Higher Education.

Taylor, J. S. (1999). America`s First People: Factors Which Affect Their Persistence in Higher Education.

University of Washington Library. (2003). Assimilation Through Education: Indian Boarding Schools in the Pacific orthwest.http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/marr/.

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Multicultural Awareness issues for academic advisors
Leigh Cunningham
Kansas State University

Multicultural awareness is essential for academic advisors, for our cultural identity "is central to what we see, how we make sense of what we see, and how we express ourselves" (DuPraw & Axner, 1997). Lack of understanding about what constitutes cultural identity, and how we are affected by the various aspects of our world view, can be a source of conflict and a great hindrance in the development of productive relationships. As DuPraw and Axner (1997) note, "oftentimes we aren't aware that culture is acting upon us. Sometimes we are not even aware that we have cultural values or assumptions that are different from others!"

There are two guiding principles that we must keep in mind: (1) cultural identity is made up of a myriad of aspects , and (2) while we can learn something from generalizations about cultures, we must not allow these generalizations to cause us to stereotype or over-simplify our ideas about others . It is crucial that we preface any discussion of diversity issues with firm declarations that ALL people have cultural identity and that we value ALL forms of diversity, whether they be majority or minority.
One of the most disturbing recent trends has been the equation of the terms " multicultural" and " diversity " with ethnic/racial minority status. Three major issues must be addressed in this discussion:

We must not make the mistake of thinking that we know much of anything about anyone simply because we are aware of their racial or ethnic classification! As Brown and Rivas (1995) caution, "advisors must approach the first advising session with few preconceived notions about the student."

In recent years, many people have discussed the "characteristics" of umbrella-labeled groups they considered representative of various aspects of diversity. While no doubt the intention has been to increase sensitivity and ability to communicate, in all too many cases what has actually been accomplished is a delineation of new sets of stereotypical expectations - or reinforcement of old ones - that inappropriately color expectations and decrease clarity in communication. In the area of race/ethnicity, for example, the most common umbrella-terms used are African-American, Asian-American, European-American, Native American, and Hispanic/Latino - even though research tells us that most people oppose being classified in this way. Other divisions of this kind are also used, such as discussions of the "common characteristics" of members of American generational cohorts, known by terms such as the "Silent Generation," the "Baby-Boomers," and the "Gen-Xers." If we create these sorts of categorical expectations, then we are in danger of viewing behavior through these preconceived "filters."

Rather than focusing on characteristics of specific populations, a better approach is learning to look beyond specific behaviors in order to discover intent, because similar behaviors can serve dissimilar functions (and different behaviors serve similar ones) in different settings. For instance, it is important to know that, in some contexts, respect is shown through the maintenance of eye contact, while in others direct eye contact is viewed as a signal of disrespect, challenge, or sexual invitation. It may also be crucial to be aware that, in some cultural contexts, eating all of the food on one's plate is viewed as a compliment to the preparer (and, conversely, not doing so may be perceived as a great insult), while in others it is viewed as poor manners and low-class status. Rather than focusing on the particular culture involved, or even on the level of eye contact or the amount of food eaten, we need to focus on how we can go about understanding what communication (if any) is intended by these behaviors. (Perhaps my stomach is upset and I am afraid I will become ill if I eat any more; thus, how much I eat has nothing to do with either appreciation or manners!)

For the past five years, I have taught a course in cultural awareness using this approach, and one of the most common end-of-class responses I have gotten is, "I took this course thinking I would learn about behaviors that make us different, but instead I learned about how we can begin to connect with one another." We need to begin by recognizing that each of us views the world through the lens of our own ethnocentricity; and then we need to learn strategies for recognizing our lenses and moving beyond them. We need to understand that all cultural behavior is learned and that all of us have the natural tendency to judge the behavior of others in accordance with our own experiences. While we might like to think otherwise, all of us are ethnocentric, at least to some degree, both by nature and training. This is not necessarily always a "bad" thing, since a certain amount of love for one's own culture is necessary to hold societies together; however, anything that is positive (functional) at a certain level can become negative (dysfunctional) when we take it too far, as frequently happens. We can , however, train ourselves not to judge one culture by the standards of another, and with vigilance, we can maintain (at least for the most part) a stance of cultural relativism.

We need to learn about ways that cultural perspective can differ, such as high-context vs low-context orientations. For example, we should be aware of continuums of time orientation (circular-"loose"/linear-"rigid"), space/tempo (synchronicity-harmony/independence-individuality), type of reasoning that is valued (intuitive-comprehensive/linear-analytical), types of verbal messages used (formal-verbal/informal-non-verbal), societal role expectations (flexible/non-flexible), and interpersonal relationships (collectivist/individualistic). We should identify where our own experience has placed us on each of these continuums and how that placement might cause us to react to people who are at different points. We should seek to identify areas that might be problematic for us, because we are at one end of the continuum and might be more likely to have strong reactions to people coming from the other end. We need to develop good listening skills and learn how to gather information by asking questions in a non-invasive, non-threatening manner.

These are the skills and strategies that best serve advisors for working with students from any background. We must begin by understanding that behaviors and verbalizations can have a variety of meanings and intentions, depending upon context, and we must seek knowledge of what the possibilities may be. Then we must be willing to take the time for introspection and reflection on our own cultural identity, seeking to understand our personal world view. As noted by Cornett-DeVito and Reeves (1999), "advisors cannot merely increase awareness and knowledge about those from other cultures. They must also recognize themselves as cultural creatures and realize that they must first know themselves to appreciate the cultural lenses through which they interpret others" (p. 39). We must be willing to admit that we have biases and stereotypes, and we must seek understanding of what these are and where they come from. We must have the desire to be continually working to look beyond our world view and the dedication to gaining the knowledge and developing the skills that will aid us in doing so. We must recognize that while it will not ever be possible for us to completely erase the effects of our enculturation and experiences - and that it is unlikely, and perhaps even undesirable, that we will ever come to equally value or appreciate every possible means of cultural expression - we can come to the place that we, for the most part, seek to comprehend before we judge, and offer thoughtful, responsive understanding and respect more often than reactive judgment.

Leigh Cunningham (Student in the Kansas State University graduate certificate program in academic advising)
Academic Advisor
Kansas State University
leigh@ksu.edu

References
Brown, T. & Rivas, M. (1995). Pluralistic advising: Facilitating the development and achievement of first-year students of color. In M.L. Upcraft & G.L.Kramer (Eds.), First-year academic advising: Patterns in the present, pathways to the future (pp. 121-137). Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for the Freshman Year Experience & Students in Transition.

Cornett-DeVito, M.M. & Reeves, K.J. (1999, Spring). Preparing students for success in a multicultural world: Faculty advisement and intercultural communication. NACADA Journal, 19(1). (pp.35-44).

DuPraw, M.E. & Axner, M. (1997). Toward a more perfect union in an age of diversity: Working on common cross-cultural communication challenges. Retrieved September 10, 2003 from http://www.wwcd.org/action/ampu/crosscult.html.

Priest, R. & McPhee, S.A.. (2000). Advising multicultural diversity: The reality of diversity. In V. Gordon, W. Habley and Associates (Ed.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook (pp. 105-117 ). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Upcraft, M.L. & Stephens, P.S. (2000). Academic advising and today's changing students. In V. Gordon, W. Habley and Associates (Ed.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook (pp. 73-83 ). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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President's Letter

Dear Colleagues:

Happy New Year and best wishes for a fulfilling and healthy 2004. As we begin a new year, it seems appropriate to provide the NACADA community with an update of current initiatives, and a review of the professional development opportunities available throughout the coming year.

Through the dedication and expertise of the Association’s member leaders, and with the assistance of the Executive Office staff, the Association continues to embark on new professional development programs and publishing opportunities. New initiatives being implemented, or in the development stages, include:

These new initiatives supplement NACADA’s successful professional development opportunities that include: Regional Conferences, Summer Institutes, Administrators’ Institute, National Conference, the NACADA Journal, and the electronic newsletter, Academic Advising News. The continuation and expansion of these activities are directed by the emerging strategic plan that guides our association and its leadership in its focus on NACADA’s critical role within higher education.

I look forward to meeting many of you at a Regional Conference this spring. At each conference, a member of the NACADA Board of Directors and an Executive Office staff member will facilitate a roundtable/open discussion session. This session will provide an opportunity for Association members to engage in conversation with NACADA leaders regarding your concerns, needs and questions. Your feedback is important to us!

Finally, please contact the NACADA Executive Office if you have specific questions or concerns.

Best wishes,

Ruth A. Darling
President

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2004 NACADA Awards Program

Nominations are being accepted for the 2004 NACADA National Awards Program. The deadline for submitting most nominations or applications is Monday, March 8, 2004 . Final research grant applications and retiree recognition notifications are due Monday, June 7, 2004 . Complete information on the 2004 Awards Program is available on the NACADA web site at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Awards/AwardsCall.htm

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Meeting student needs in tough economic times
Lynda J. Sukolsky , Academic Counselor, Seton Hill University

In these economic times, meeting the needs of so many diverse student populations can be a challenge. However I believe there are steps a college or university can take to effectively, and efficiently, provide quality services.

Simple stated, quality service comes from quality people. An institution should seek to hire well-trained individuals to provide quality advising services. Advertising through the NACADA Position announcements for candidates who possess interpersonal and multicultural skills, and knowledge of developmental and career theories, is essential to advising programs staffed by full-time, professional advisors. Faculty based advising programs must provide quality advisor training and development that goes beyond the informational elements of advising to include the conceptual and relational aspects that make a significant difference for students. Examples of successful faculty advisor development programs can be found in Advisor Training : Exemplary Practices in the Development of Advisor Skills.

Secondly, consider developing a freshman seminar course that allows for quality advising in a group setting. First year students need more time to gather and synthesize information about your campus. While a freshman seminar course provides that, when taught by an academic advisor, it can help students make the needed advising connection central to proven retention strategies. An added bonus is that it provides quality advising services in a time efficient way.

Consider utilizing a “peer advising” system. My grant program (TRIO) developed a peer mentoring program to work with our at-risk students. It has proven to be a great opportunity for our at-risk students to have additional support, and the peer mentors talk positively about the services students can access for additional help. I think the same model could work in an advising center. Upperclass students could be peer advisors. They could answer “walk in” general requirement questions and assist students in developing a preliminary schedule. Peer advisors could direct students to appropriate offices or services when asked. Certainly, their duties should be limited, and on-going training must occur, but in a budget conscience office, this type of program could help. Find examples of peer advising programs in recent NACADA Journal articles and in the Clearinghouse and watch for the upcoming Peer Advising monograph next winter.

Utilizing technology is also a good way to reach students in a cost effective way. Most college campuses have web sites, which could contain advising information. Some campuses have an internal system than can be customized to their needs. My campus has a system called Jweb. It is an online course organization system similar to Blackboard . I have set up an advising group, which allows me to email pertinent information to my students and allows them to respond with questions or concerns. I can set up discussion boards and group the students by major, year of school etc., so the information I send is specific to the students needs. Technology can also provide computer based credit checks, a means to distribute newsletters addressing common advising issues, and if a campus has their own television station, information can be posted there.

Intrusive advising with at-risk students is a preferred way to advise at-risk students but can be very time consuming. The establishment of a course for students below the academic standard allows the advisor to meet with these students in a group, work on common themes, provide individual meetings as needed, and is cost effective.

Utilizing people in the surrounding community to connect with students can help extend the advising unit. Recruiting community leaders/workers, especially those from ethnic minorities, to meet with students can be very effective. Additionally, if the college is near a graduate level counseling program, the advising unit could act as an internship site. I have hosted four graduate level counseling students in my office and have found it to be a win-win situation. The graduate student has the opportunity to practice skills and get the “real world” experience needed, and I have an extra pair of hands that allows our office to offer more services. Advisees often relate well to someone closer to their age.

I would add a word of caution, based upon ACT research that shows advisor training, evaluation and reward are the weakest links in advising. I fear that when an advising unit is looking for ways to provide services to various groups without increasing the dollar amount, the extras, such as these components will be the first to go. Ironically, it is with training, evaluation and reward that advisors improve and can provide a higher quality service.

Lynda J. Sukolsky
Academic Counselor, Seton Hill University
(Student in the Kansas State University graduate certificate program in academic advising

sukolsky@setonhill.edu

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From the Executive Office

As a means to assess how well this association is meeting the needs of its members, we have initiated a series of three surveys seeking member feedback. The first survey, completed in November and early December 2003, was directed toward persons who had been members for one or more years, while the second survey in December 2003, was completed by new members (less than one year). A third survey, to be completed in late February, will go to individuals who have not renewed their membership.

The results of the first survey from 853 individuals who have been members for over one year are very interesting. Some highlights are:

A sample of the comments to the question, “What one thing NOT covered above would you like the NACADA Leadership to know regarding your member benefits” were:

We appreciate the ‘experienced’ members who took the time to complete the survey and express their thoughts. We look forward to comparing these results with the responses of our newest members and of those who have not renewed their memberships. These responses and comments will help leaders shape the organization’s future in the Strategic Planning process.

Roberta “Bobbie” Flaherty
NACADA Executive Director
785-532-5717
nacada@ksu.edu

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Building Bridges: Advisors as Architects for the Future

	28th Annual Conference on Academic Advising
	October 6-9, 2004
	Cincinnati Convention Center

Plans are coming together for a great conference!

The conference will be held Wednesday, October 6, 7:00 p.m. through Saturday, October 9, 12:15 p.m. A variety of pre-conference workshops are scheduled on Wednesday from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. New this year---two post-conference workshops and optional tours will be offered on Saturday afternoon.

Here are just a few of the benefits of attendance!

Please note that the conference ends on Saturday--you may want to check airfares with and without a Saturday night stay. You may be money ahead by staying Saturday night, as many airlines offer deep discounts for travel that includes a Saturday night stay. The hotel on-line reservation system is now linked at the NACADA web site!

Early conference registration fees for current members are $255. You may choose to renew your membership at the same time you register using the “early combo” fee of $310.

See http://www.nacada.ksu.edu for more information! We look forward to meeting you in Cincinnati!

Barbara Bucey, Conference Chair
University of Cincinnati

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NACADA Conferences & Institutes for 2004

Northeast Region 1 Twenty Years of NACADA The Past, The Present and the Future of Academic Advising	March 24 - 26, 2004 Burlington , VT	Beth Higgins   Gail Stepina
Mid-Atlantic Region 2 Academic Advising: Focusing on the People in the Process	March 11 - 13, 2004 Princeton , NJ	Bill Johnson   Wayne Jackson
Mid-South Region 3 Adventures in Advising Abound in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia	April 14 - 16, 2004 Charleston , WV	StanCoberly Maria Watson
Southeast Region 4 Advising:   An Investment in Our Students	March 7 - 9, 2004 Oxford , MS	Charles Gates Sue Hodge
Great Lakes Region 5 The Winds of Change: Preparing Today's Advisors for Tomorrow's Students	April 22 - 24, 2004 Chicago , IL	Kristi Bloom
North Central Region 6 Responding Creatively in Challenging Times	April 15 - 16, 2004 St. Paul , MN	Tonia Baxter
South Central Region 7 The Road Less Traveled	May 27 - 29, 2004 Overland Park , KS	Patricia Griffin   Jill Anderson-Hieb
Northwest Region 8 What's So Funny About Advising?	April 21 - 23, 2004 Seattle , WA	Jason Boyd
Pacific Region 9 Time for Retrofitting	April 21 - 23, 2004 Pasadena , CA	Gwen Fleming Beth Webb
Rocky Mountain Region 10 Academic Advisement: An Educational Oasis	March 3 - 5, 2004 St. George , UT	Debra Bryant

 

Academic Advising Summer Institutes The Most Comprehensive Consideration of Academic Advising! June 6 - 11, 2004          Portsmouth , VA Aug 1 - 6, 2004                       Milwaukee , WI National Conference In Cincinnati Building Bridges: Advisors as Architects for the Future Wednesday, October 6 -- Saturday, October 9, 2004

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ACADEMIC ADVISING PUBLICATIONS

	Advising and Learning:   Academic Advising from the Perspective of Small Colleges and Universities This monograph addresses advising as learning from the unique perspective of small colleges.  Lessons learned are applicable across higher education.
	Advisor Training:   Exemplary Practices in the Development of Advisor Skills All New! This monograph focuses on the structure and content of exemplary practices in advisor training and development.
	Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook This comprehensive guide to academic advising examines the advising issues facing colleges and universities today .   Administrators and faculty will find the handbook invaluable as they strive to enhance advising on campus and professors will appreciate its comprehensive examination of the issues as a text for graduate classes in higher education administration, student personnel administration, counseling and related areas.
	A Family Guide to Academic Advising Family support and involvement are key ingredients in college student success. Unfortunately, families often know very little about the most important campus contributions to learning, persistence, and academic success. This guide is an easy-to-read overview of one of the most important educational programs colleges and universities provide their students-academic advising.

For more information on many other NACADA publications and promotions, visit http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Monographs/index.

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NACADA Research Grants

Preliminary proposals are now being accepted for NACADA Research grants. Proposals received by March 8, 2004 may receive feedback to enhance their submission prior to the June 7, 2004 final deadline. Complete information is available at the NACADA web site at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Awards/Grants.htm

NACADA has particular interest in soliciting proposals that document the outcomes of different advising models. In addition, submissions are encouraged that are concerned with developing, conducting, and reporting: empirical studies; evaluation or analysis of advising practices, models or systems; development, evaluation or analysis of advising-based theory; studies of the history, evolution and future of the field; empirical research related to the advising process (inter- and intra-personal dimensions); and, qualitative research on advising practices.

Up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) may be awarded to support a single-year proposal. Multiple-year awards may also be awarded. Award winners will be notified by late summer. Funds will be disbursed following the research award winner's submission of the completed NACADA Research Agreement.

To review a list of ten advising topics identified by the NACADA Research Committee as being critical areas of research in advising, please visit the NACADA web site at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/Research_Related/researchagenda.htm. For a list of those research topics awarded NACADA grants in the past, please visit the NACADA web site at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Awards/Grant_Winners.htm.

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NACADA Journal Timeline

The NACADA Journal Editors have worked hard to put the Journal back on schedule without skipping any issues. To achieve that goal, the Editors are pleased to announce the following schedule for upcoming Journal issues that will 'catch us up' to the current date. The Editors thank you for your patience and hope you will enjoy the upcoming Journal issues.

Journal Volume/Issue	Issue Date	Anticipated Publication
22(2)	FALL 2002	March 2004
23(1)	SPRING 2003	June 2004. Special Populations Facets issue
23(2)	FALL 2003	June 2004 [double issue with 23(1)]
24(1)	SPRING 2004	August 2004 -- Advising Administration Facets Issue

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NACADA/Kansas State University Graduate Certificate in Academic Advising Has a Successful First Semester

The newly initiated NACADA/KSU Partnership with KSU’s Graduate Certificate in Academic Advising had a very successful first semester with over 70 students from across the country and Canada enrolling in and completing the first course, Foundations in Academic Advising. The course, taught by Charlie Nutt, Associate Director of NACADA and Assistant Professor in the KSU Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, had a very diverse student enrollment – faculty members, full-time advisors, administrators, full-time graduate students, and those interested in entering the field of advising. The on-line format proved to be very positive as students were able to gather vast amounts of information from each other about advising programs and initiatives across the country.

January-May semester classes being offered are Foundations of Academic Advising and Multicultural Counseling and Advising. Students may register for these courses through March 15, 2004, understanding that all course work must be completed by the end of the term in May 2004.

For information on application and registration procedures, as well as the course syllabi for these courses, visit the NACADA web site, http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/GraduateCertificate/index.htm.

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NACADA Journal Seeks Editorial Board Members

Qualifications:

Expectations:

Appointment: Editorial Board members serve 3-year terms that begin and end at the National Conference in the fall. An Editorial Board member may serve non-consecutive terms.

Application: Applicants familiar with the field of academic advising who are interested in seeking a position as manuscript reviewer on the Editorial Board should submit an email message to Journals@ksu.edu stating interest in and rationale for serving as a member of the NACADA Journal Editorial Board. A professional resume prepared in Microsoft Word .doc format should be attached. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

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NACADA Academic Advising Summer Institute
The most comprehensive professional development event

for academic advising
Join your colleagues for one of the two Summer Institutes offered in 2004!

June 6-11, 2004 , Renaissance Waterfront Hotel and Conference Center , Portsmouth , VA
or
August 1-6, 2004 , Hyatt Regency Hotel in Milwaukee , Wisconsin

The Institute provides expert presentations, small group discussions organized by institutional type, workshops, and topical sessions, all led by skilled practitioners. Through these activities, you will develop a network of supportive colleagues throughout the nation, design an action plan to refine or redesign advising at your institution and investigate advising options for student success.

The Institute is designed for individuals or teams who have responsibility for academic advising, including

Join us for a week designed to make a difference for you and your institution!

Further information and registration materials are located at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu

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Leadership Opportunities

NACADA Commissions provide members an opportunity to join others with similar academic or specific student population interests in advising.

Those interested in a leadership opportunity in the NACADA organization may want to start as a member of a commission steering committee or serve on a committee within a Commission.

The Commission Chair provides leadership for commission activities in support of the profession. The Chair represents the members of the commission, their needs and concerns, assists with the selection and evaluation of presentations for both national and regional conferences, and communicates with the members through the national newsletter and electronic mail. The Chair attends the fall Division meeting and communicates commission needs and concerns to the Division Representatives on the NACADA Council.

To qualify for the elected position of Commission Chair at least one year of membership in the commission and a commitment of 2 years of service is required. Additional information can be found on the Commission and Interest Group Division web page at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/CandIGDivision/cigdivinfo.htm.

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Assessment of Advising Commission

Going to Cincinnati for NACADA 2004 National Conference? Now that we are a commission, we would like to have you note and make time to attend the presentations at national conferences on assessment activities, programs, or research. At last year's conference in Dallas, the assessment sessions were well attended.

Those of you who have submitted proposals will find that presenting your ideas and programs are a great way to create more dialogue on the assessment of advising and advance the practice and knowledge of this field.

Some other commission activities include a survey of the membership on how assessment of advising is being conducted (in conjunction with NACADA national office); active representation at regional meetings; updated commission website with assessment resources.

http://www.advising.hawaii.edu/nacada/assessmentIG/aaig.asp

Lynn Higa
Commission Chair
lmh@advisers.hawaii.edu

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Liberal Arts Advisors Interest Group

The Liberal Arts Advisors Interest Group was created to promote an understanding of the liberal arts education and to serve as a resource for advisors, administrators, faculty, and the external community. Liberal Arts refers to a broad-based education in a variety of disciplines whose emphasis is on understanding humanity from multiple perspectives (e.g. history, literature, philosophy, psychology) while developing the skills of critical thinking, analytical reasoning, oral and written communication and problem solving with the aim of developing an educated individual who respects diversity and accepts global responsibility. In an ever-changing world, liberal arts majors offer an opportunity for breadth and depth of study while producing flexible, well-rounded individuals with an understanding of life-long learning. It is our mission to develop and provide the necessary resources to advise effectively in this environment.

If you know other advisors interested in joining this listserv, send them these instructions! To join the Liberal Arts e-mail list, simply follow these directions:

Every month we will collect websites and other information that may
benefit advisors working with Liberal Arts students.

January 2004-Articulation of Liberal Arts Values
February 2004-Critical Thinking and Life Skills for Liberal ArtsStudents
March 2004-Career Development for Liberal Arts Students
April 2004-Career Opportunities for Liberal Arts Students
May 2004-Advising Transfer Students/Advising from 2 to 4 years Schools
June 2004-Training for Successful Liberal Arts Advising
July 2004-Advising Liberal Arts Populations (First Year/Mature/Diverse)
August 2004-Mentoring Liberal Arts Students
September 2004-Recruiting Liberal Arts Students
October 2004-Reaffirming the values of Liberal Arts for Advisors

Here's a taste of what's to come. (Listed with permission)
Enjoy!

The Value of Liberal Arts

Paul Farber, Chair of the Department of History at OSU looks at the value of a liberal arts education in the new century. "After decades of growth, universities find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being considered by the general population expensive, self-indulgent, and increasingly irrelevant institutions....Everyone is in a hurry. Sitting around a coffee house reading poetry seems like a quaint, but not essential part of an education to those who are paying for it. Is there a value in the liberal arts today?"

Click on the link below for the full article:
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/cla/alumni/farber_1.html

Karen Kvidt
Oregon State University
karen.kvidt@oregonstate.edu

and

Sarah Ann Hones
Southern Oregon University
honess@sou.edu

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Pre-Law Advising Interest Group

Our website is up and going! Located on the web at: http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/InterestGroups/C34/index.htm, the Pre-law Advising Interest Group website includes a lot of information we hope will be helpful to you, whether pre-law is your primary duty or just one of many hats you wear as an advisor. Be sure to check out the “Resources” page, featuring a list of answers to questions frequently asked by pre-law students and advisors. If you have a question you would like to see included, please send and e-mail to julie.givans@asu.edu and she will do her best to include it.

All advisors who do pre-law advising on their campuses may want to attend the Pre-Law Advisors National Council (PLANC) FOURTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR PRE-LAW ADVISORS to be held June 9-12, 2004, at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, in Boston, Massachusetts. The theme of the conference is "Sailing into the Future: Revolutionary Ideas for a Diverse Legal Profession." For more information, you can check the PLANC website at http://www.planc.org/

Julie Givans & Sandra Voller, Co-Chairs
Arizona State University
julie.givans@asu.edu
sandra.voller@asu.edu

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2004 NACADA Leadership Elections Results

Please join us in congratulating the newly elected members of the NACADA Leadership! Below are the results of this year's election. The terms in office for these individuals will begin at the conclusion of the national conference in Cincinnati this fall. These results are also
posted on our web site at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Election/2004/2004ElectionResults.htm.

President (2004-2005): ERIC WHITE
Vice President (2004-2005): ELAINE BORRELLI

Board of Directors (3-year term each, 2004-2007):
JO ANNE HUBER, JANE JACOBSON, NANCY WALBURN

REGION CHAIRS (2004-2006) —
Region 2: JON STEINGASS
Region 4: ANNIE TURMAN
Region 6: CAROL GRUBER
Region 8: SARAH ANN HONES
Region 10: BETH ISBELL TAPLEY

COMMISSION CHAIRS (2004-2006) —
Advising Administration: LINDA CHALMERS
Advising Education Majors: KARLEEN EDWARDS
Advising Students with Disabilities: LES HEMPHILL
Advising Transfer Students: TROY HOLADAY
Assessment of Advising: VICTOR MACARUSO
Engineering & Science Advising: JEANETTE SORENSEN
ESL/International Student Advising: PATRICK SLOWINSKI
Faculty Advisors: KATHY STOCKWELL
LGBTA Concerns: LYNNE CARLSON
Multicultural Concerns: TINA MCNAMARA
Small Colleges and Universities: WILLIAM VAN DUSEN
Undecided/Exploratory Students: ELIZABETH HIGGINS

COMMITTEE CHAIRS (2004-2006) —
Finance Committee: CELESTE PARDEE
Membership Committee: BRANDY ZITO
Research Committee: JOYCE BUCK

The election for the positions of Administrative Division Representative
(2004-2006) and Regional Division Representative (2004-2006) will be
conducted soon now that the new incoming chairs have been elected. Those
results will be announced in a couple of weeks.

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Northeast Region 1

We’re Number 1! The theme for Northeast Region 1 for the next couple of years will be three-fold:
• develop a stronger sense of community within the Region,
• strengthen networking between and among members and,
• provide opportunities within the Region to acknowledge and reward good academic advising and advisors.

In order to move us toward accomplishing these goals, the Executive Committee and the State/Province Liaisons are exploring a number of activities including revitalizing “drive-in” meetings on topics of importance to academic advisors, structuring networking opportunities early on during the national conference in Cincinnati, initiating a regional academic advising award to be given during the Regional Conference, and even providing Regional Conference attendees with a REGION 1 t-shirt!

Drive-In Meetings. Each State/Province has a Regional liaison whose role it is to support the design and offering of drive-in meetings. Drive-in meetings provide professional development opportunities to members within driving distance! These meetings are usually ½ day in length and lunch is usually provided. The cost of attendance is minimal—usually enough to cover expenses. Topics addressed in the past have been those related to ADA, FERPA, career development, etc. Seed money is available to help front expenses for these meetings with the intent that expenses will be covered by registration fees. If you are interested in putting together a Drive-In or have ideas for topics, I encourage you to contact the State/Province Liaison in your area. I have listed them below:

Canada: Tanya Pitt – University of New Brunswick tpitt@unbsj.ca
Connecticut: Susan Gregoire – University of Connecticut Susan.Gregoire@uconn.edu
Maine: Marcia Mower – University of Maine at Augusta mower@maine.edu
Massachusetts: Steve Viveiros – Boston College viveirst@bc.edu
New Hampshire: Gail Stepina – University of New Hampshire Gail.Stepina@unh.edu
New York: Jean Landes – St. John Fisher College landes@sjfc.edu
Susan Moyer – Excelsior College smoyer@nycap.rr.com
Rhode Island: Solanchi Fernandez – Bryant College sfernand@bryant.edu
Vermont: Rob Lukaskiewicz – Norwich University rlukaski@norwich.edu

Regional Conference: Region 1 looks forward to its annual regional conference to be held March 24, 25, and 26, 2004 with excitement—2004 marks the 20th anniversary for the Northeast Region. Our conference planning committee is taking us back to where it all began—the Wyndham Hotel (formerly known as the Radisson) in beautiful Burlington, Vermont! The conference’s theme, “The Past, Present and Future of Academic Advising” has led to a record number of proposal submissions. We look forward to a wonderful conference! We direct your attention to the Region 1 website for information specific to the conference and how to register for this important upcoming event!

Susan Campbell
Region 1 Chair
(207) 780-4547
scamp@usm.maine.edu

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Mid-South Region 3

Well, the new year finds several things going on here in Region 3!

North Carolina hosted a state conference this past week. Approximately 100 individuals, with Tom Brown as their keynoter, had a great time discussing "Remember Who Brought You to the Dance."

Tennessee has decided to reschedule their state conference, targeting an early date in the fall. They are hoping to provide a great lead in and motivation for the National Conference in Cincinnati.

Speaking of conferences, PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR 2004 REGIONAL in Charleston, WV. Stan Coberly and Maria Watson are doing a great job of pulling everything together. I've seen our presentation proposals and abstracts, and we are going to have a great lineup of sessions to enjoy April 14-16!!! It's time to go ahead and make your calendar and travel plans--the conference registration form is online (see the region website), and the Town Center Marriott is ready and waiting for us.

Finally, things are in the works for our initial "Regional Outstanding Advisor" awards. Stay tuned to email for a solicitation of nominations. We hope to announce winner(s) by the National Conference, then recognize the winner(s) at the 2005 Regional Conference. We hope this recognition will be awarded on a yearly basis.

We'll have updates on all of these things in our next newsletter.
Have a great winter/spring semester!!!

Rob Mossack
Chair, NACADA Region 3 (MidSouth)
Lipscomb University
(615) 279-6297
rob.mossack@lipscomb.edu

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Southeast Region 4

I am pleased to announce the recently approved expansion of Region 4. Previously, Region 4 included Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Puerto Rico. The new Region 4 territory will now include all schools located in the entire Caribbean. Peter Slinger, Director of the Pre-Medical Program at St. George's University located in Grenada will serve as the Area Rep for the Caribbean. The other state reps for Region 4 are:

Alabama: Jennifer Wycoff - University of Alabama, Birmingham, jlwycoff@uab.edu
Florida: Charlene Stinard - University of Central Florida, cstinard@mail.ucf.edu
Georgia: Annie Turman - Georgia State University, sacaht@langate.gsu.edu
Mississippi: Elaine Reed - Mississippi State University , ereed@deanas.msstate.edu

Glenn Kepic
Region Four Chair
(352) 392-1521
gkepic@advising.ufl.edu

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Great Lakes Region 5

Region 5 is currently in the election process for State Representatives in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. New state representatives will take office in April with the Regional conference. If you have any questions about this position, feel free to contact Rebecca Ryan at rjryan@wisc.edu.

We are also gearing up for our Regional conference, to be held in the Windy City, Chicago, Il, April 22 -24. This conference is shaping up to be a great one, with awesome sessions and lots of variety. In addition, with only a $100 registration fee, it's a bargain! Kristi Bloom and her committee are anxious to meet you there!

Last year (not so long ago!) the Region 5 steering committee presented 6 grants to state and institutional organizations seeking to become affiliated with NACADA, or to offer professional development for academic advisors, In one case we're helping to bring a NACADA consultant to a state conference. We're hoping we'll be able to continue this initiative this year, so be on the lookout for information. You may want to take advantage of these funds, especially those of you at institutions that are tightening their fiscal belt.

If you have any questions about Region 5, the conference, or our grants program, consult our webpage available on the NACADA web site, or Rebecca Ryan

Rebecca Ryan
Great Lakes Region 5 Region Chair
rjryan@wisc.edu
(608) 265-5460

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North Central Region 6

Region 6 is looking forward to the conference in St. Paul on April 15-16. We are honored to host keynote speaker, Chancellor Kathryn Martin from the University of Minnesota - Duluth, who is also the 2002 NACADA Pacesetter Award winner. Pre-conference workshops will be offered for the first time ever in Region 6, including the Administrators' workshop. St. Paul welcomes NACADA attendees to experience the rich culture and history of Minnesota's capitol city along the Mississippi River.

Some of the steering committee members terms will be up, so we will be electing, for the first time, new members (elected in "even years") from Manitoba, North Dakota, and Iowa. The new steering committee has been at work approving and making changes to our strategic plan and budget.

Two new initiatives in the region are an annual NACADA supported Drive-In day conference and advising awards (to be implemented at the Regional Conference in 2005). The first NACADA supported drive-in is in the planning phase, but it will be the University of Minnesota's Advisor Development program, held in conjunction with the awarding of the John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.

We look forward to seeing everyone in St. Paul!

Kim Roufs
Region 6 Chair
(218) 726-8761
kroufs@d.umn.edu

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South Central Region 7

Arkansas and Louisiana are holding conferences in March. We hope you will be able to support your state and then plan to attend the Region 7 Conference in Overland Park, KS. Plans for that meeting are moving forward and more information will be available at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Regional_Divisions/region7/confindex.htm soon!

Arkansas: ARKAAN (ARKansas Academic Advising Network) will host their state conference, “Issues in Advising: Accountability, Recognition, Knowledge, Accessibility, Administration, and Numbers” on Friday, March 5, 2004 at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Wes Habley, Director of the ACT Office for the Enhancement of Educational Practices, will be the keynote speaker. Conference fee is $60 and includes two meals and an annual membership to ARKAAN. All interested individuals within Arkansas and Region 7 are welcome to attend. For more information, including registration information, visit http://www.arkaanonline.net

Louisiana: LACADA (Louisiana Academic Advising) will be having their state conference on March 19, 2004. It will be hosted by Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA. The City of Natchitoches is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. It is a quaint, charming town on the Cane River.

Patricia Griffin
South Central Region 7 Chair
pgriffin@fhsu.edu
(785) 628-5577

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Pacific Region 9

A very Happy New Year to members of Region 9. I hope that all of you had a very safe and happy holiday season and it is my hope that 2004 will be a great year.

The conference in Pasadena will be here soon. Our conference chairs, Gwen Fleming and Beth Webb are busy working on our conference, Time for Retrofitting, to be held at the Pasadena Hilton, April 21- 23. The conference committee is planning several special events and our keynote speaker will be Anne Harrington from USC.

Invite a friend from your institution to come to our conference in April. We hope to see many members from the Cal State systems, as well as the community colleges and others from Nevada and Hawaii. In fact, we welcome all comers, as California is a great place to be in April!

Planning ahead, it is not too early to start thinking about our national conference in Ohio in October 2004. Also, we are still looking for a site host for the 2005 regional conference. We would like to hold the regional conference in Northern California. Any interested parties please contact me!

Cindi Guimund
Pacific Region 9 Chair
(909) 621-8117
cindi.guimond@claremontmckenna.edu

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Rocky Mountain Region 10

The advisors in the state of Utah, lead by Debra Bryant of Dixie State College, are excited to host the 2004 NACADA Region Ten Conference in St. George, Utah from March 3 to 5. St. George is in the southern part of Utah and has a lovely climate in March. There are many great outdoor activities including Zion National Park. And, if you are avoiding the sun, this conference is only two hours away from Las Vegas, Nevada. Something for everyone for the apres-conference time.

Proposal submissions were incredible from the membership and advising topics include transfer issues, major exploration, staff development and probation issues. We are fortunate to be joined by Charlie Nutt who will provide a pre-conference Advising Administrators seminar and during the conference will update us on the activities of the national NACADA office. Two keynote speakers with considerable experience in public education and higher education, Dr. Max Rose and Phillip Alletto, will share inspiration that will energize us personally and professionally. And, you could leave this conference with a new palm pilot, digital camera or some other neat new technology tool complements of the Utah Advising and Orientation Association.

Free stuff, Las Vegas, Charlie Nutt and an Early Bird conference fee for NACADA members of $95 must have peaked your interest by now. So check out the website for more information and registration materials. http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Regional_Divisions/region10/confindex.htm

Other advising news in the region:

The academic advising professionals in the states of Colorado and Wyoming will gather for a state advising conference on April 30, 2004 at Front Range Community College in Longmont, CO.

The next New Mexico conference sponsored by the New Mexico Academic Advisors Association (NMAAA) will be held in Albuquerque in the Student Union Building on the UNM campus, October 22, 2004. Donna George of UNM is the conference chair this year and she has a tremendous conference in store! The call for proposals will be going out soon, so watch for it! This is a great time to present and get practice for NACADA regional and national conferences.

Thank you to everyone in Region Ten who participated in the election of Beth Isbell Tapley as my replacement for Region Ten Chair. She has been very active in our region and will represent Region Ten very well.

See you in St. George!

Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski
Region 10 Chair
(801) 581-7787
saiken@uc.utah.edu

Academic Advising News

Published four times annually by the National Academic Advising Association, located at the address below:

National Academic Advising Association

Kansas State University

2323 Anderson Ave., Ste 225

Manhattan, KS  66502

Phone:   (785) 532-5717

FAX       (785) 532-7732

nacada@ksu.edu

This newsletter is a NACADA member benefit.  Membership information is available through the Executive Office or at www.nacada.ksu.edu

Guidelines for Newsletter Submission

Academic Advising News is a quarterly publication of the National Academic Advising Association.  Newsletter articles are generally quite short and informal.  Origional articles and opinion pieces that are directed to practicing advisors and advising administrators and have not been printed elsewhere are welcome.  They are printed on a space-available basis and should not exceed 500 words.  Articles may be sent to the editor, advnews@listserv.ksu.edu

The deadlines for the newsletter are located on the web.