NOTE: This message was e-mailed to commission members on January 27, 2006.

To: Advising Administration Commission Members
From: Linda Chalmers, Chair

Dear Commission Colleagues,

I hope this e-mail finds you well with 2006 in full swing. Before the holiday break, I sent an e-mail asking for your responses to the “hot topics” listed on our commission “Resources” web page at www.nacada.ksu.edu/Commissions/C05/C05-Resources-Tips.htm. I’d like to encourage you to respond to any or all of these as I know so many of you manage and lead so well that you must have “tips” to offer. In this way, we may “mentor” our newest administrators and maybe even rejuvenate some of our veteran ones. I will list your response or responses under the related issue with your name, school, title, and e-mail unless you let me know not to do so and I will post it anonymously.

These were the topics of concern identified at the Las Vegas pre-conference seminar for administrators:

• ISSUE 1: Leading a multigenerational workforce to stay focused on the same page to achieve the goal of advising students toward pursuit of degree and/or educational goals.
• ISSUE 2: Responding to the "hover" of the Helicopter Parents (Spouses and/or Significant Others) in a way that allows advisors to work effectively with their advisees.
• ISSUE 3: Keeping faculty advisors interested, focused and motivated about advising students when the reward system is contradictory.
• ISSUE 4: Moving from "crisis management" to strategy and planning.

I would also encourage you to submit a different issue or “hot topic” to me for exploration with our members. It is difficult to get out of the “world” around us and reflect -- but it is so valuable to do so. The Steering Committee members and I would like to know if “hot topics” vary by region or are we all facing much of the same issues regardless of regional affiliation. Are we or aren’t we?? There will likely be some “hot topics” discussion groups formed at the Indy conference. So let me hear from YOU.

Lastly, please take time to review many of the upcoming deadlines for institutes, conference proposals, awards, and regional conference registrations through the NACADA web site at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/. I have long used this saying and truly believe it (but have forgotten where I heard it or who said it), “We can’t spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S without U.”

Best Regards,

Linda Chalmers, Commission Chair
Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies
University of Texas at San Antonio
210-458-6325 or 4302; fax 210-458-4303
Linda.Chalmers@utsa.edu