Creating Consistency in Decentralized Advising Models
July 20 - 21, 2020 | Eastern Time
After participating in this conference, you will be able to take steps to create consistency across your decentralized advising model.
Overview
In many decentralized advising models, individual advisors and units can look and feel very different as they operate independently of one another. As such, there is a degree of inconsistency that develops over time when it comes to advising requirements, approaches, efficiency, and quality, which can create discrepancies in students’ experiences across the institution. As we look toward the uncertain fall semester and continue to mitigate the pandemic's impact, it’s more important than ever to collaborate and communicate in order to support students through individual advising during this challenging time.
Many universities are now taking steps to create more standardization and uniformity among advising across campus. Join us for a practical and interactive learning experience to consider common models, communication protocols, and other means of collaboration that create consistency to best serve students. You will:
- Identify your institution's unique challenges and areas of inconsistency,
- Define your advising framework and philosophy,
- Design a training program to create consistency,
- Assess advising effectiveness, and
- Create a career ladder to grow and retain talent.
Who Should Attend
The content of this virtual conference is geared towards those who are looking to establish a model for creating more consistency across their advising departments on campus. Directors of Advising, VPs of Academic Affairs, and advising teams are encouraged to attend.
Limited Attendance
In order to ensure a high-quality learning experience, we have intentionally designed this Virtual Conference to have a limited number of total attendees. To ensure access from both paying participants and also from those who have an All-Inclusive membership, when the membership cap is reached, only paying participants can register after that point (while spaces are still available). If you have questions about whether this program is right for you, please contact us.
As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds nationally, it is so important to keep connecting and networking with your peers - at a “social distance” - and to keep learning and developing as higher-ed leaders and professionals. Don’t let social distancing and quarantines prevent you from setting aside time for professional development. Everything is changing so fast; more than ever, we need to be pooling our resources and knowledge and finding the best ways to develop our capacity, connect and share with each other, and move forward during a challenging time.
*A limited number of FREE member spots are open for each virtual conference. Sign up today.
The Academic Impressions Virtual Conference Experience
Our virtual conferences go far beyond just replicating PowerPoint presentations online: these new programs are intentionally designed to give you the kind of robust and dynamic learning experience you’ve come to expect from Academic Impressions. As higher education strives to adapt rapidly to the shifting crisis, connecting with your peers who are experiencing similar challenges can be the best use of your professional development time.
What you will get:
- A dynamic, interactive, and high-touch virtual learning experience designed to engage and set you up for growth
- Seamless online face-time, networking, group work, and Q&A opportunities from the comfort of your own workspace
- Practical takeaways and hands-on knowledge
- Unlimited access to all recorded online sessions
- Access to an online conference hub — one-stop shop for presentation materials, attendee introductions, worksheets, supplemental reading, videos, and other resources
See What Our Attendees are Saying
AGENDA
Tech Check and Meet & Greet
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Welcome and Introductions
12:00 - 12:15 p.m.
Understanding Approaches of Decentralized Advising
12:15 - 1:00 p.m.
In this opening session, you will hear case studies of how different institutions addressed decentralized advising. You will learn how their teams are organized, reporting structures, how they collaborate, and the pros and cons of each. This will give you an idea of the many variations that might work well at your institution.
Break
1:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Identifying Challenges and Inconsistencies
1:15 - 2:15 p.m.
We will explore how to use various data sources to “tell the story” of the impact of your current advising model. Our speakers will share ideas for using qualitative and quantitative measures, how to gather data, and what trends to look for as you compile this information. You will look for ways to answer questions such as: Where does advising live at my institution? What evidence do I have that change is needed?
Break
2:15 - 2:45 p.m.
Working Session: Auditing Your Challenges and Inconsistencies
2:45 - 3:15 p.m.
You will have an opportunity to address the higher-level goals or objectives and the evidence you currently have behind this effort (e.g., Why do you want to create more consistency in advising across your institution? What data or questions are driving this effort? What evidence/data have you collected to suggest that the student experience is being impacted by inconsistency of advising across the institution?) You will have an opportunity to discuss the disparate places and people where advising currently exists at your institution so that you begin to create a roadmap to creating more cohesion.
Break
3:15 - 3:30 p.m.
Defining Your Framework for Consistency
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Once you have determined where the inconsistencies lie in your advising models, you can begin determining guidelines to help articulate desired quality, processes, and outcomes of your campus’ advising program. During this hour, you will begin to define what high quality advising looks like at your institution. You will start considering the advising philosophy or model you would like to use as a contributing factor to creating consistency in advising across decentralized models, how to get input from various stakeholders, and how to get buy-in across campus.
Day 1 Wrap-Up
4:30 - 4:45 p.m.
Ask an Instructor & Virtual Networking
4:45 - 5:15 p.m.
This informal reception is your chance to decompress and expand your network of connections. Our programs are intentionally designed for smaller groups, so this is a great time to catch-up with attendees and speakers whom you may not have connected with yet.
Tech Check
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Day 2 Opening Remarks
12:00 - 12:15 p.m.
Designing and Planning a Training Program
12:15 - 1:15 p.m.
Once you have identified a framework, developing training around that model will be a next natural step. During this hour, you will gain ideas for how to develop in-house training. You will explore options for how it’s structured, who participates and how frequently, and what to consider as you build the curriculum.
Break
1:15 - 1:30 p.m.
Working Session: Defining Your Framework/Developing a Training Program
1:30 - 2:00 p.m.
This working session will give you an opportunity to begin considering ideas you have heard on day one and identifying action steps once you get back to your campus.
Break
2:15 - 2:45 p.m.
Assessing Your Advising Effectiveness
2:45 - 3:45 p.m.
Once your new advising model is in place, it will be important to have ongoing assessments to ensure that the model is being implemented effectively and that it is ultimately having an impact on student success and retention at your institution. In this session, you will see how other institutions utilized data to maintain momentum and identify needs as the model was implemented. We will explore individual advisor performance assessment, assessment of student satisfaction, and assessment of the program on student success.
Break
3:45 - 4:00 p.m.
Maintaining Momentum
4:00 - 4:45 p.m.
Maintaining momentum and consistency of your program will rely on retaining and growing your advising team. You will learn ways to create a career ladder for your front-line advisors in order to minimize turnover. Finally, you will learn mechanisms for sharing data on regular basis and professional development considerations for advisors.
Final Remarks, Questions, Evaluations
4:45 - 5:00 p.m.
SPEAKERS
Lynn M. Disbrow
Interim Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Dean of the University College, Kennesaw State University
Lynn’s professional life has emphasized innovation in pedagogical design and technology integration, advising, student support, and building trans-institutional relationships to create a wholistic approach to student success. Each year the National Communication Association awards the Lynn M. Disbrow Advisor of the Year award to an outstanding chapter advisor of the Sigma Chi Eta Communication honor society, in recognition of Disbrow’s role in founding this national student organization.
Paul Sileika
Manager of University Academic Advising, Ryerson University
Paul is the Manager of Academic Advising at Ryerson's business school, Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM). With nearly 11,000 students, TRSM is the largest business school in Canada. Paul's role since 2019 has been to design, create, and manage a new academic advising team for business students at Ryerson University.
PRICING
Can't attend the virtual conference? Buy the binder
All presentation resources
$295
each
Questions About the Event?
Jess Landis
Program Manager, Academic Impressions
*There are limited spots available for All-Inclusive Members to register for Virtual Conferences for free in 2020. Each virtual conference has a registration cap in order to ensure a high-quality learning experience, personalized attention, networking and interactivity. If the cap has been met, All-Inclusive Members can register with a $250 discount if space is available.
Please note the member discount is not applicable on conference binders or success coaching.