Research in the area of retention, in nearly all instances, concludes that the single most important contributor to student persistence is the development of strong relationships between students and members of the faculty and staff. Because academic advising is the only structured service on the campus in which all students have the opportunity to develop an on-going, one-to-one relationship with a concerned member of the college community, quality academic advising should be a major strategy in every college's retention planning.

The Summer Institute experience is based on a week-long program providing you and/or your team the opportunity to develop a customized Action Plan based on needs at your particular institution. This process is facilitated by your active participation in all general sessions, your choice of topicals and workshops, and your work daily with a summer institute faculty member and a small group of participants from similar institutional types. Through these activities, you will develop a network of supportive colleagues throughout the nation.

See the complete schedule here !  

Designed for Individuals or Teams* !

The institute is designed for individuals or teams who have responsibility for academic advising, such as:

Teams or individuals from an institution desiring to refine or redesign campus advising services

Academic advising campus task force members

Advising program directors

Academic Advisors

Academic Counselors

Faculty Advisors

Campus administrators including deans or vice presidents with responsibility for advising 

Special Benefits to You and Your Program

Action-oriented small group discussions with persons from similar type institutions

Close facilitator and participant interaction

Development of a network of colleagues and friends for support after the institute

A variety of topical sessions to focus on your specific situation/role

Opportunity to earn graduate credit

Facilitators who are expert practitioners and national leaders in the field

Hands-on workshops

Examination of workable models and practical alternatives to improve advising on your campus

Opportunities to share experiences and get feedback from experts and colleagues

Assistance with the development of a plan to enhance advising on your campus

You will be given the opportunity to prepare and present (in your discussion group) an ACTION PLAN for solving an advising challenge on your campus. The scope of the action plan is left up to you. The scope may be as narrow as devising a new form or as broad as proposing a new model for delivery of advising on your campus or recommending the use of new technology. You will receive assistance with this project by attending relevant sessions, group discussions, and group and individual consultations with institute facilitators who have expertise in the area you have chosen.

Here's a link to Action Plans developed by participants in previous Institutes!

Small Group Discussions

During these daily sessions, led by an institute facilitator, you will discuss issues focusing on the general session topics, share ideas, and receive feedback on your ACTION PLAN. Each group will consist of approximately 12-15 colleagues from similar type institutions.  

Experienced Faculty

Our team of expert faculty brings together a wide variety of advising and administrative experiences. Regardless of the type of higher education institution you represent, you will have ample opportunity to interact with the faculty and others who share common challenges and commitments.

Graduate credit is offered through Kansas State University. Participants must supplement their institute experiences with readings and written papers to earn one to three semester hours of graduate credit. The cost is $380 per credit hour for 2009.  Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are also available for NBCC certification.  Here are the course requirements:   Kansas City    or   New Orleans

Non- Kansas State University Students need to fill out the form at https://eis.dce.ksu.edu/CourseReg/graduate/OpenPersonalInfo.do?degreePlan=2094ed to be admitted as a nondegree-seeking student. Then they will receive an email with their student identification number and instructions on how to proceed with enrollment within 3-5 days.  You may find these instructions helpful. 

You may also record ceu's for NBCC credit.