CONCURRENT SESSION #1 – 9:50-10:35 AM
Catching Students Early: The Holland Code Meets a Resume in Progress
Julie Hunt and Jo Maseberg-Tomlinson, Kansas State University
Today’s graduates are facing an increasingly competitive job market. As academic advisors, we have the opportunity to encourage students to take an active role in preparing for their futures now. Many students, especially those who are undecided, may not even consider writing a resume until their senior year. However, by using the Holland Code as a guide, advisors can quickly and easily help students see the potential in each semester and take action. We will provide you with a range of materials to aid in discussing resume building with students beginning as early as their first semester. Attendees will have the opportunity to help in our mystery student resume-building activity.
Answering the Questions Students DON’T Ask
Kathy Mason, University of Kansas
Sometimes in addition to being knowledgeable and friendly, advisors must also be psychic! Students may hide their real concerns in common phrases or questions which are not what they really need or want to know.
This session will address situations in which students are not able to articulate their concerns or issues so they don’t ask the questions most paramount to their actual situation. We will investigate the advisor’s responsibility to assist students with clarifying their needs and ways to direct the conversation to focus on the most relevant issues.
The Unprofessional Degree: Advising Creative Writing Students
Dan McCarthy, University of Kansas
Ever since Wilbur Schramm started the Iowa Writer’s Workshop in 1936, Creative Writing programs have tempestuously wedged themselves into the liberal arts curriculum, resulting in widely disparate attitudes toward this curriculum. Much of this debate hovers between two points: can creative writing be taught and should creative writing be taught. This session explores the ways in which undergraduate advising can promote the virtues of a degree in Creative Writing, while demystifying student expectations and encouraging developmentally responsible behaviors.
CONCURRENT SESSION #2 – 10:45-11:30 AM
Cultivating Mission: Life Outside the Petri Dish
Jody Johnson, University of Kansas
Mission statements, as well as “philosophy of advising” statements, are often bold, broad charges that are intended to direct our work. But do such statements really make a difference in day-to-day regimens? This session promotes the mission statement as a tool that can be adapted (no matter your style) to enrich your student sessions and to empower you to act as an agent of communication and change on important institutional issues. Mission implementation will be presented as a personal skill that you can use to assess and enhance yourself professionally. This topical session is appropriate for both administrators who have written mission statements and newer advisors who try to implement mission statement tenets. A combination of the two is desired for activities and discussion.
Collaborative Online Advising: Meeting your Advisees’ Needs Using Skype and Google Docs
Robert Moody, Fort Hays State University
Crucial to the online advising experience are collaborative relationships in which the advisee receives a level of personal attention and individualized support not found in many traditional programs. Can effective advising take place for distance learners? Most definitely! Academic advising should be available to distance learners at the same level it is for a traditional campus setting and at a time more convenient to nontraditional students. Many universities advise students at a distance first through letters and telephone calls; followed by e-mails and the web. This session will demonstrate how to use Skype and Google Docs in unison to improve the amount of interaction between advisor and advisee.
Helping Your Students Reach New Heights: How Advisors Can Write Better Recommendation Letters
Adrienne Johnson & Kelli Nichols, University of Kansas
We’ve all been asked to write reference letters for our students, but few of us have been formally trained in how to construct a great letter. As advisors, we have a unique challenge because we may not see students in the classroom or on the job. We’ll provide tips and techniques, including what not to say, how to educate students on the etiquette of requesting recommendations, and provide samples of excellent and not-so-excellent letters we have seen. A list of resources will be provided for participants to use beyond the conference.
CONCURRENT SESSION #3 – 11:40 a.m.-12:25 PM
AI – Artificial Intelligence or Advising Intelligence
Robert Pettay, Kansas State University
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, with intelligence being the computational part of the ability to achieve goals in the world. Advisors interact with students with similar purpose. When talking about Advising Intelligence, what are the characteristics of the advisor that can assist the student in this process. Emotional Intelligence, empathy, advising efficacy, and understanding of theory are some components of Advising Intelligence. This session will discuss these topics and allow interaction between advisors to share ideas on this concept of Advising Intelligence.
Where do I go next? A lesson in growing professionally in the advising field
Abby Coffin, Diann Burright, and Emily Malin, University of Kansas
The advising field offers several paths for growing professionally and into more advanced positions. Where are you headed, and do you know how to get there? This panel presentation will provide you with insight from three advising administrators and offer discussion on topics including opportunities for advancement, when advanced degrees are necessary, networking for professional growth, strategic involvement, and “moving out to move up”. The session will be interactive and specific questions and advice will be welcomed from the audience.
