2020 Annual COnference
All Hands on deck: Navigating through uncertain times
Break Out sessions
October
Too Tired to Video-Chat?? Teaching Students to Battle Technology Fatigue
Presenter: Jenny Feysa - University of West Florida
As academic advisors, we must understand that technology fatigue does exist and has been exacerbated by the current pandemic. As such, our students are facing varying degrees of digital fatigue in their academic, professional, and personal lives. The presenter will consider the causes and effects of heightened technology fatigue as it relates to the academic advisor and various student populations. She will describe her experiences, provide insights, and utilize group discussion to integrate attendees’ various experiences and practices. She will discuss strategies for mitigating technology fatigue. Graduate, undergraduate, online, and face-to-face student populations will be discussed.
Unmute Your Mic and Support Students Virtually
Presenters: Julia Kristman & Jayla McAdory - University of South Alabama
Academic Advisors play many roles while fulfilling their duties to support and effectively engage with students during the academic year. However, this role has been particularly challenging due to the impact COVID-19 has had on students, departmental responsiveness and the university’s student enrollment expectations. This meant we needed to ensure that we were meeting our goals and that students had the necessary tools and support to adjust to the new norm. In our efforts to serve the students in our unit, we increased persistence and retention rates and saw a larger number of students virtually all while maintaining relationships despite barriers amid the pandemic. This presentation will provide techniques utilized by AATS advisors that allowed us to rise to the demand of unmuting our mics and supporting students virtually.
November
Navigating the Storm: 3 Steps to Success for Probation Students
Presenters: Mike Genovese & Brooke Ciolino - University of West Florida
The University of West Florida's College of Business Student Engagement and Advising (SEA) Center recognized a support gap with probation students. Even though the spring semester provided flexible options, a fully online summer and the challenges of 2020 made educational achievements difficult. Amidst these challenges, our advising center developed a 3-step probation outreach plan for the fall semester to ensure probation students would feel supported through these rough waters. The strategy is composed of three crucial advising meetings throughout the semester. SEA Center advisors created a resource guide, consistent communication among COB advisors, and objectives for each meeting. In this session, the advisors will talk about the process of developing the SEA Center Academic Probation Outreach Program and the components of each established meeting.
Common Reading Discussion - Mindset Messaging: Fostering Student Support and Confidence through Micro-Messaging in Advisor Communication
Facilitators: Beth Billy & Robin Jones - University of West Florida
Join members of the ECAAN leadership team for a discussion of this recent research article from the NACADA Journal where the study shows how academic advisors help students navigate academic challenges toward a degree and have the potential to shape students' beliefs about themselves and their abilities. Read the article and come prepared to discuss! The article is available for free* at https://doi.org/10.12930/NACADA-19-08
*Used with permission from NACADA Journal. Copyright 2020 by NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising, www.nacada.ksu.edu
December
Finding Your Voice: Encouraging Self-Advocacy in Students
Presenter: Matt Waller - Kennesaw State University
In the advisory role, we regularly encounter students whom we coach in how to reach out to instructors, campus partners engaged in student success, and even potential employers. These students need help in knowing when and how to ask questions or raise concerns. In this presentation, we will define self-advocacy and describe self-advocacy models. Additionally, we will discuss current research on self-advocacy skills in college students and the link to positive outcomes. Pulling from the work of “Test, Fowler, Wood, Brewer, & Eddy (2005)”, we will appraise self-advocacy training programs and apply those steps to the advisory role. By generating new ideas on how to incorporate self-advocacy training into their advising, participants will leave with tools that will help students advocate for themselves.
After Registration: Intrusive Advising Throughout the Semester
Presenter: Rebecca Johnson - Troy University
Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Students usually only use their advisors during registration periods or if a problem has already occurred. If the advisor used the intrusive advising model to check-in on the student throughout the semester, there would be time to provide solutions to the student early. This presentation will demonstrate methods and frequency of checking in on the student. It will also provide examples such as connecting students to helpful resources and departments, helping them develop skills to succeed in their class, and opening discussion concerning their future. Even if the student is making good progress in their courses, checking in on them helps the advisor develop a relationship of trust with the student.
Learning to Navigate Uncertain Waters With Academic Coaching
Presenters: Dallas Schmidt, Shawn Minzes, Alphonse Taylor - University of South Alabama & Zeke Jones, Kelly Scott - Pack Education
Partnering with the Ignite Program has helped Academic Advising and Transfer Services at the University of South Alabama better engage with and understand what students are experiencing this semester. The coaches can connect with students on a personal level and then can share student feedback with the academic advisors at South. While academic advisors value getting to know their students on a personal level, the Ignite Program provides extra support for students who are navigating through college for the first time.
Clearing the Transfer Path: The 2UWF Pathway Program
Presenters: April Leake, Jamie Zielinski - University of West Florida & Carter Caywood Northwest Florida State College
With renewed and continuous interest in building 2+2 agreements and enhanced pathways programs it is more important than ever for colleges and universities to work together to help students transfer successfully. The 2UWF enhanced pathway program is designed to assist students with the transfer process to The University of West Florida. NWF2UWF offers an example of how a close relationship can be developed and how all three stakeholders (college, university, and student) can benefit from this win-win-win model. This presentation will give the history of how the partnership was formed, how it was modified over time, and future plans for the partnership. Representatives from both NWF and UWF will share their perspectives and take questions in the hope that attendees can use this model to create an enhanced pathway that works for their institution's unique programs and populations.
Too Tired to Video-Chat?? Teaching Students to Battle Technology Fatigue
Presenter: Jenny Feysa - University of West Florida
As academic advisors, we must understand that technology fatigue does exist and has been exacerbated by the current pandemic. As such, our students are facing varying degrees of digital fatigue in their academic, professional, and personal lives. The presenter will consider the causes and effects of heightened technology fatigue as it relates to the academic advisor and various student populations. She will describe her experiences, provide insights, and utilize group discussion to integrate attendees’ various experiences and practices. She will discuss strategies for mitigating technology fatigue. Graduate, undergraduate, online, and face-to-face student populations will be discussed.
Unmute Your Mic and Support Students Virtually
Presenters: Julia Kristman & Jayla McAdory - University of South Alabama
Academic Advisors play many roles while fulfilling their duties to support and effectively engage with students during the academic year. However, this role has been particularly challenging due to the impact COVID-19 has had on students, departmental responsiveness and the university’s student enrollment expectations. This meant we needed to ensure that we were meeting our goals and that students had the necessary tools and support to adjust to the new norm. In our efforts to serve the students in our unit, we increased persistence and retention rates and saw a larger number of students virtually all while maintaining relationships despite barriers amid the pandemic. This presentation will provide techniques utilized by AATS advisors that allowed us to rise to the demand of unmuting our mics and supporting students virtually.
November
Navigating the Storm: 3 Steps to Success for Probation Students
Presenters: Mike Genovese & Brooke Ciolino - University of West Florida
The University of West Florida's College of Business Student Engagement and Advising (SEA) Center recognized a support gap with probation students. Even though the spring semester provided flexible options, a fully online summer and the challenges of 2020 made educational achievements difficult. Amidst these challenges, our advising center developed a 3-step probation outreach plan for the fall semester to ensure probation students would feel supported through these rough waters. The strategy is composed of three crucial advising meetings throughout the semester. SEA Center advisors created a resource guide, consistent communication among COB advisors, and objectives for each meeting. In this session, the advisors will talk about the process of developing the SEA Center Academic Probation Outreach Program and the components of each established meeting.
Common Reading Discussion - Mindset Messaging: Fostering Student Support and Confidence through Micro-Messaging in Advisor Communication
Facilitators: Beth Billy & Robin Jones - University of West Florida
Join members of the ECAAN leadership team for a discussion of this recent research article from the NACADA Journal where the study shows how academic advisors help students navigate academic challenges toward a degree and have the potential to shape students' beliefs about themselves and their abilities. Read the article and come prepared to discuss! The article is available for free* at https://doi.org/10.12930/NACADA-19-08
*Used with permission from NACADA Journal. Copyright 2020 by NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising, www.nacada.ksu.edu
December
Finding Your Voice: Encouraging Self-Advocacy in Students
Presenter: Matt Waller - Kennesaw State University
In the advisory role, we regularly encounter students whom we coach in how to reach out to instructors, campus partners engaged in student success, and even potential employers. These students need help in knowing when and how to ask questions or raise concerns. In this presentation, we will define self-advocacy and describe self-advocacy models. Additionally, we will discuss current research on self-advocacy skills in college students and the link to positive outcomes. Pulling from the work of “Test, Fowler, Wood, Brewer, & Eddy (2005)”, we will appraise self-advocacy training programs and apply those steps to the advisory role. By generating new ideas on how to incorporate self-advocacy training into their advising, participants will leave with tools that will help students advocate for themselves.
After Registration: Intrusive Advising Throughout the Semester
Presenter: Rebecca Johnson - Troy University
Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Students usually only use their advisors during registration periods or if a problem has already occurred. If the advisor used the intrusive advising model to check-in on the student throughout the semester, there would be time to provide solutions to the student early. This presentation will demonstrate methods and frequency of checking in on the student. It will also provide examples such as connecting students to helpful resources and departments, helping them develop skills to succeed in their class, and opening discussion concerning their future. Even if the student is making good progress in their courses, checking in on them helps the advisor develop a relationship of trust with the student.
Learning to Navigate Uncertain Waters With Academic Coaching
Presenters: Dallas Schmidt, Shawn Minzes, Alphonse Taylor - University of South Alabama & Zeke Jones, Kelly Scott - Pack Education
Partnering with the Ignite Program has helped Academic Advising and Transfer Services at the University of South Alabama better engage with and understand what students are experiencing this semester. The coaches can connect with students on a personal level and then can share student feedback with the academic advisors at South. While academic advisors value getting to know their students on a personal level, the Ignite Program provides extra support for students who are navigating through college for the first time.
Clearing the Transfer Path: The 2UWF Pathway Program
Presenters: April Leake, Jamie Zielinski - University of West Florida & Carter Caywood Northwest Florida State College
With renewed and continuous interest in building 2+2 agreements and enhanced pathways programs it is more important than ever for colleges and universities to work together to help students transfer successfully. The 2UWF enhanced pathway program is designed to assist students with the transfer process to The University of West Florida. NWF2UWF offers an example of how a close relationship can be developed and how all three stakeholders (college, university, and student) can benefit from this win-win-win model. This presentation will give the history of how the partnership was formed, how it was modified over time, and future plans for the partnership. Representatives from both NWF and UWF will share their perspectives and take questions in the hope that attendees can use this model to create an enhanced pathway that works for their institution's unique programs and populations.