NACADA Deadlines

• February 10 is the deadline to submit your Presentation Proposal for National Conference 2006 [more]
• Cast your vote in the 2006 NACADA Leadership elections by February 24 [more]
• Nominate exemplary programs/resources for new advisors for new monograph by February 24 [more]
• March 6 is the deadline for submitting nominations for NACADA Academic Advising Awards [more]
• Article and "Sparkler" submissions for the June edition of Academic Advising Today are due by March 15 [more]
• March 15 is the deadline to nominate a "Voice of Experience" for new CD on academic advising delivery models [more]
• Does your NACADA membership expire in March? [more]

NACADA Professional Development Events

• Spring Regional & State Conferences bring Professional Development Opportunities closer to you!  [more]
• Effectively Engaging Faculty in Academic Advising Seminar - June 22-23 in Portsmouth, VA.  [more]
• 20th Annual Academic Advising Summer Institutes - June 25-30 in Portsmouth, VA and July 30-Aug. 4 in Madison, WI. [more]
• NACADA Partners with AAC&U for March Conference in Phoenix, Arizona [more]

NACADA Resources and Publications

• Academic Advising Today features the 20th Anniversary of NACADA's Academic Advising Summer Institutes [more]
• Featured this month in the Clearinghouse...Career Advisors: A New Breed [more]
• Foundations of Academic Advising CD 2: Academic Advising Delivery Models is in the works! [more]
• Career Advising:  An Academic Advisor's Guide by Virginia Gordon is now available [more]
• Consider a NACADA Journal Book Review [more]
• Potential Interest Group Formed for Appreciative Advising [more]
• List serve established for the New Advising Professionals Interest Group [more]

Association Governance

• Voting Begins Soon for 2006 NACADA Leadership Elections [more]
• New Chair Appointed for Canada Interest Group [more]

Other

• Meet Eleanor (Nora) Zavolunova, NACADA's 9,000th Member! [more]
• New Member Blitz for 2006 - Qualify for prizes! [more]

Meet NACADA's 9000th Member - Eleanor (Nora) Zavolunova

Welcome to NACADA, Nora.  How many years you have been advising?

One year.

What is your educational background?

Master of Science in Education in Guidance Counseling.

We understand that you joined the Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus' Athletics Department as an Academic Enhancement Coordinator in 2005.  What other professional experiences have you had?

Prior to my current position, as well as teaching Freshmen Seminar and Career Readiness courses, I served the University as Senior Recruitment Coordinator in the Office of Career Services (2004-2005).  Before that, I served as Career Counselor (2001-2004) and Administrative Assistant (1998-2001).

Why did you choose academic advising for your career?

While pursuing my undergraduate degree, I was working in the Office of Career Services as an Administrative Assistant. I worked both with students and counselors and enjoyed what I was doing. That was the time I decided to be in the education setting in the field of counseling and advising. Soon after graduation, I decided to take it to a higher level and pursued my Master of Science in Education in Guidance Counseling. Due to my educational background and experiences at Long Island University, I became aware of the student needs and the services the campus offers, so it seems natural to me to advise students.

Can you tell us about an experience that you have had with an advisee that is particularly memorable?

One of the experiences that comes to mind was when I had to advise an undecided student. She came to my office really upset and frustrated, complaining that she wasn't sure what she wanted to major in and didn't have any idea what kind of job she would want to have after graduation. As we know, the first thing that needed to be done was assessment. I started asking her questions such as: what she liked and didn't like to do, what were her hobbies, if there was a subject she preferred more over the other, etc. Then we talked about various majors that LIU has to offer and narrowed down to her interests. After the session was over, she mentioned that assessment really helped her to get a better understanding of what she wants.

Why did you decide to join NACADA?

I was looking to join an organization that would help me broaden my horizons.  One day, one of my colleagues and I had a conversation about various advising issues and possible organizations to join.  She mentioned that she attended NACADA's Conference in October and talked about how resourceful and beneficial the Conference was.  Sure enough, I went on NACADA's website and was impressed by the information that is offered.

Have you found any NACADA resources (publications, web site, advice from other members, etc.) that has been very useful?

I'm still exploring the website, and all I can say is it's beyond resourceful!

As noted above, NACADA recently surpassed the 9,000 member mark and is steadily marching toward becoming 10,000-members strong!  You can help by inviting your colleagues to become members of NACADA.  The 2006 membership drive, New Member Blitz for 2006, started January 3 and ends June 1, 2006.  Prizes include airline tickets, registration to professional development events, and AMEX gift cards.  A complete list of membership drive prizes and rules may be found here.  Be sure to have your colleagues add your name as their sponsor at the bottom of the New Member Application form found here.

We've recently added a new prize component to the drive.  At the end of each month (January-May), one sponsor's name will be drawn to win a NACADA shirt.  If your name is drawn, you will be contacted by email and asked to supply your shirt size.  Remember, for every new member you recruit, you increase your chance of winning! 

Regional & State Conferences are offered each spring to bring NACADA professional development opportunities closer to you! 

*Check the Regional Conference Schedule for more information.

1. Northeast March 29-31, 2006  Hartford, CT
2. Mid-Atlantic March 22-24, 2006 Lancaster, PA 
3. Mid-South March 19-21, 2006 Nashville, TN
4. Southeast March 5-7, 2006 Atlanta, GA 
5. Great Lakes April 20-22, 2006 Cleveland, OH 
6. North Central May 18-20, 2006 Iowa City, IA 
7. South Central March 9-11, 2006 Little Rock, AR 

8. Northwest & 9. Pacific Combined March 22-24, 2006 Honolulu, HI 
10. Rocky Mountain Feb 22-24, 2006  Albuquerque, NM 

*Check the State Conference Schedule for more information.

NACADA National Conference 2006

Presentation Proposal Submission Deadline is February 10th

We encourage you to submit a proposal, whether you are a novice or experienced presenter.  Advisors, administrators, faculty, counselors, career development specialists, researchers, graduate students-we want to hear from you. Click here for complete information.

Being a presenter gains national exposure for your ideas, as well as your institution, and may help secure funding to attend the Conference. You can also establish relationships with and learn from colleagues working on similar issues.

Hotel Reservation Information is now available at this webpage.  If you are interested in sharing hotel accomodations to stretch your travel budget, you can register at that site as well.

Would you like to recognize a colleague who does an exemplary job with academic advising on your campus?  Does your campus have an outstanding advising program currently being implemented?  Are you planning to submit an award nomination, but just haven't done so yet?  The deadline for submitting nominations for the NACADA 2006 Awards Program is Monday, March 6th.

All nomination materials must be received by March 6, including the appropriate number of support documents.  Please closely review the applicable information in the 2006 Awards Call before submitting your final nomination materials (there are changes in the criteria for certain awards).  The 2006 NACADA Awards Call for Nominations, including nomination/application criteria, deadlines and forms, is available online.

All information and forms can be accessed on the NACADA National Awards Program website.  Refer to the website for more detailed information about all award categories and applicable eligibility criteria and submission procedures.

Coming soon! - The February edition of NACADA's quarterly e-Publication, Academic Advising Today, features the 20th Anniversary of NACADA's Academic Advising Summer Institutes, as SI founder Wes Habley looks back over 20 successful years.

Also featured this month:

• "What if They Still Don't Get It?" by Tina McNamara (Marquette University)

• "Advising the Major - the Job Myth" by Andrew Colby (University of New Hampshire)

• "Advising in a Different World" by Susan Boland (Tidewater Community College)

• "The Balanced Scorecard Approach" by Ilene Gilborn (Mount Royal College)
• "Advising Against Pop Culture" by Darren Francis (University College of the Fraser Valley)
• "Continuous Improvement and Advising" by Kathy Stockwell and Dana Zahorik (Fox Valley Technical College)
• and much more!

Does your campus have an exemplary development program for new professional academic advisors? Now is the time to be recognized.

NACADA has started work on an upcoming monograph focusing on the initial and extended development of professionals whose primary responsibility is academic advising and who are new to the profession.  This monograph, to be published in the fall of 2006, will be edited by Pat Folsom (The University of Iowa) and Ben Chamberlain (Iowa State University).  Pat, Ben, and a review team made up of new and experienced advisors are currently planning for this publication.  This monograph will provide new academic advisors and their administrators with valuable guidance as well as highlight exemplary programs and resources. 

Your assistance is needed to identify exemplary programs and resources that can be included in the monograph. To nominate a program or resources see the application guidelines.  Nominations will be accepted through February 24.  This is a marvelous opportunity to gain recognition for your program or resource.

Has your institution changed the Delivery Model for academic advising?  Are you a "Voice of Experience" in the area of what it takes to choose/develop an exemplary Advising Delivery System?  Have you either designed a new institutional model "from scratch" or worked through a process in which your current model developed over time?  Now is the time to be recognized!

NACADA has begun work on the second CD in the Foundations of Academic Advising CD series. This CD, which will be available in the fall of 2006, will be entitled Academic Advising Delivery Models.  It will explain the seven most widely used advising delivery models (self-contained, faculty only, satellite, total intake, dual, split, supplementary) and discuss why they are an important consideration when assessing, evaluating or re-evaluating any advising system.

Your assistance is needed to identify exemplary programs and resources that can be included in this CD.  To nominate a program, see the application guidelines.  Nominations will be accepted through March 15.   This is a wonderful opportunity to gain recognition for your work in the area of choosing/developing a successful delivery model for your unit.

• Career Advising: An Academic Advisor's Guide
• Lessons in Learning, e-Learning, and Training: Perspectives and guidance for the enlightened trainer
• Supervision: A Guide to Instructional Leadership
• Working the Planning Table: Negotiating Democratically for Adult, Continuing, and Workplace Education

The NACADA Commission and Interest Group Division has received a request to form the Appreciative Advising Potential Interest Group.  This group would be focused on how the organizational development theory of Appreciative Inquiry can be utilized in academic advising.   Jennifer Bloom (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) intiated the formation of this potential Interest Group, and Scott Amundsen (Eastern Kentucky University) has volunteered to serve as its Interim Chair.  A short description of the focus of this potential Interest Group is available here.

Members interested in this potential Interest Group will have an opportunity to meet at the NACADA National Conference in Indianapolis in October.  This group will also be given an opportunity to participate in the annual Commission and Interest Group Fair at the Conference.   Plan to visit this table at the CIG Fair and attend the organizational meeting.

If you have questions or would like to become involved with this group prior to the fall Conference, please contact Scott Amundsen or Jennifer Bloom.   To designate this potential Interest Group as one of your four chosen Commission or Interest Group preferences in your member record, please e-mail NACADA .

A new list serve has been established for the New Advising Professionals Interest Group. NACADA members and/or colleagues who are new to the academic advising profession or interested in issues facing new advisors are encouraged to subscribe. This new list serve will provide an excellent opportunity for these advising professionals to network with colleagues across the country and to share concerns having this unique focus. NACADA is excited to share the news that the New Advising Professionals Interest Group was recently granted official Interest Group status after first being formed as a potential Interest Group.

To subscribe, please visit the NACADA website for subscription instructions for this new list serve. Instructions on posting messages to the list serve are also provided.

Click here for a complete list of other advising-related list serves.