5th Annual Academic Advising Conference
A Call for Proposals:
Submit your proposals for the 5th Annual Academic Advising Association Conference, “All Are Welcome: Building Bridges in Unsettled Times.” The conference committee hopes that this one-day event will inspire and motivate advisors and student affairs professionals to think about strategies and ways to promote building bridges in the midst of social, political, and cultural unrest. In an effort to guide conference topics and proposals, the conference committee has identified four thematic concentrations. These concentrations will help conference attendees acquire an improved understanding of the complex times in which we live and the various ways we can help our students navigate these times.
Building Group Cohesion
• Cross-campus collaborations that encourage student engagement across disciplines, experiences, and professional goals
• Modeling effective engagement in difficult dialogues in and out of the classroom (i.e., Husker Dialogues; OUCH; etc.)
• Supporting students in times of social, political, and economic unrest
Advising and Advocacy
• Advising as an advocate (i.e., DACA students, LGBTQ, nontraditional students; veterans; mental health; Title IX; students with disabilities; etc.)
• Creating safe spaces on campus and speaking out in support of student populations
• Students as advocates for one another (i.e., empowering students in majority groups to be aware and engaged)
Empowering Advisors
• Advocating for yourself and advisor professional development (i.e., professional development in times of budget constraints)
• Supporting and retaining advisors from underrepresented groups
• Remaining effective in times of fiscal leniency and increasing student numbers (i.e., managing advising loads)
• Best practices in self-care and self-advocacy among advisors and student affairs professionals
Methods, Theories, & Practices
• Supporting students facing financial and legal challenges that have direct impact on academic success (i.e., student food pantry; housing rights; immigration status; etc.)
• Moving beyond traditional development theories to address social and political unrest
• Best practices examples (i.e., successful strategies, programs, and activities; advising students at different points in their career; student advising strategies that work; etc.)
• Engaging students beyond the classroom (i.e., internships, educational abroad, community service, etc.)
• Advising theories (i.e., development of emotional and social intelligence; transactional vs. transformational advising models)
Proposals are welcome from all colleagues and intercampus cooperation is appreciated. New and emerging professionals as well as advanced undergraduates and graduate students are encouraged to collaborate and submit poster and presentation proposals. We are looking for interactive, innovative, and engaging presentations, panels, and posters that will assist attendees in enhancing their knowledge and skills to aid student and advisor success. Do not feel like you need to be an expert to present. All of us have the ability to share our ideas or experiences and lead others through discussions or reflections.
The conference is scheduled for Wednesday, February 21st, at the Nebraska East Campus Union. Each conference session is 60 minutes. Proposals should include the session title, presenter information, technology/equipment needs, and advising-related content*. Please include an abstract of 300 words or less describing your presentation and desired learning objectives. Prior to the conference, a 150-word description of the selected presentations will be requested to include in the conference program. The following program formats will be considered: single or group presentations, panel/round table discussions, and poster presentations.
* We encourage you to incorporate advising-related information into your presentation or incorporate 5-15 minutes for advisor discussion.
All proposals should be submitted online at http://go.unl.edu/pyj6. The deadline for proposals is Friday, November 3, 2017. Questions can be directed to Paula Caldwell, Conference Proposal Chair at pcaldwell3@unl.edu.
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/pyj6