Monday, March 11, 2019

Region 2 Poster Sneak Peek (Part Three)!

Here is a sneak peek of the poster presentations you will see at this year’s Region 2 Conference in AC! For those attending, don’t forget to vote for your favorite on Thursday, March 14th. The winner will be announced on Friday, March 15th during the closing session.


Disabilities Resources for Advising and Advocating
Michelle Kowalsky
Rowan University


Are you finding quality, up-to-date resources for students with many different disabilities? This project evaluated the most commonly accessed and available library materials for professional development of educators who work with students with disabilities at any level. Specifically, we identified the best articles in major research databases which are freely available to faculty, staff, and students around the country through their university or school libraries. We showcase the categories and themes of online resources in academic journal articles, professional magazines and books which will be useful to those who interact with students with disabilities at all levels.





Don’t Land on Chance: Using Peer Mentoring to Enhance Student Success
Paul Whalen & Judith MacDonald
West Chester University


Academic Advising has always sought to support student success by empowering students to navigate their majors smoothly and effectively. State and departmental requirements, added on to program curriculum, often present extra hurdles to student degree completion. At West Chester University, the College of Education & Social Work sought to address procrastination and enhance student major progression by introducing a peer mentor program. This program was tailored to engage older peer mentor students in interacting with younger students to positively impact their perception of program requirements, cultivate collaborations between faculty and staff, and develop innovative professional development opportunities for students. Presenters will look at the research, assessment, and fruits, of the program, including challenges and lessons learned.


Enhancing the Virtual Student Experience
Whitney Milhouse & Kelly Carr
The George Washington University


One of the most difficult aspects of advising online students is creating a connection that allows students to feel as though they are a part of the university despite their distance. What better way to know what a student is missing from their learning experience than to ask the students themselves? Our team surveyed approximately 700 students to find out what they felt was missing from their virtual experience at GWU. We took this feedback and began implementing many of the suggestions to enhance the connection between the university and online student experience.







Faculty Mentors Driving Co-Curricular Excellence
Jesse Swartz
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia


A recently created, co-curricular program was designed to insure students develop strong relationships with faculty mentors, stay engaged throughout their time in college, and become advocates of their own personal and professional development. This presentation will introduce the process of developing a faculty-mentoring program centered on co-curricular rather than academic learning.


Fostering Student Success in Large Academic Departments using a Developmental Advising Approach
Suzanne Morrow & Jennifer Muth
Old Dominion University


Developmental advising is frequently used to improve student success. However, the application of this model can seem too time-consuming to implement with large caseloads. If done correctly though, this model can be implemented effectively. Because responsibility gradually shifts from the advisor to the student, less time can be spent in prescriptive advising tasks leaving more time for quality advising. This poster will address how Appleby’s (2001) four components of developmental advising are implemented with a caseload of 1300 majors. Specific recommendations and tools are provided for each component. Examples include an example advising syllabus, list of questions asked during the goal setting process, examples of group and individual advising sessions, and ideas for meaningful and time-efficient interactions.






From "OH NO!" to "AH HA!": Helping First-year Students (and their Families) Transition to Life At College
Stephen Hester & Sarah Lewis
Liberty University


Change can be unsettling. Changes that first-year students and their families go through during the transition from life at home in high school to life outside the direct influence of the family dynamic can lead to some stressful situations that can affect a student’s success. How can we as Professional Advisors come alongside both student and parent to help them both reach the “Ah Ha!” moments and ensure academic, social and personal success during this new chapter of life?





Getting Off on the Right Foot: Guiding Online Learners from Admission to Completing Their First Course
Bryan Brittle
Southern New Hampshire University


With the growth of online learning, the persistence and overall success of adult learners in the space is becoming ever more important in higher education. This presentation will take a look at the seven phases adult learners go through as they choose a school, adjust to college, and begin and ultimately complete their first class. We will examine a student’s mindset in each phase and challenges presented at each point. We will also look at what elements are unique to the experience of an online learner. We will then explore how tactics taken from the world of customer service can be combined with those of academic advising to improve student satisfaction, engagement, and overall success in the online environment.




Go Directly Abroad: How One Advising Unit Used Data to Improve Study Abroad Rates
Diana McFadden & Keith Schweiger
Temple University


This presentation highlights Temple University’s College of Science and Technology’s creation of study abroad programming for science majors, and successful, yet continuing efforts to improve overall rates of study abroad in our student population. NAFSA: Association of International Educators data indicated Temple’s College of Science and Technology rates of study abroad were lower than their data suggested it should be. Our advising office created resources, new tools for our students and changed our processes in our offices, based on data collected from a short survey of our students. In the Spring 2019 semester, the number of our students studying abroad doubled compared to the previous spring semester. This presentation will highlight and explore the different ways and roles advisors can play in improving study abroad interest.





Humor in Academic Advising: A Literature Exploration
Matthew Armes & Andrew Millin
University of Pennsylvania & Mercer County Community College


The literature regarding humor in teaching is plentiful. Advising can be defined as teaching (Lance, 2009). As advisors, we know that incorporating good, positive humor and laughter with students during advising conversations allows them to relax, even if only for a moment (Hughey, 2011). This poster will highlight findings that can be utilized in advising to disarm and build rapport with students.



It’s All Fun and Games Until a Student Feels Lost at Orientation - Helping Each Student Feel like a Winner!
Christine Powers & Julie Crosby
University of Maryland Baltimore County


Over the course of a summer, the Life Sciences advising team meets with approximately one third of the entering class at University of Maryland Baltimore County. When there are many “players in the game” at orientation, students can feel overwhelmed by information and often get lost in the crowd. The presenters will share the evolution of their departmental advising model and will explore the ways in which preparation, outreach, materials, and recruiting of advising support can lead to a more individualized experience. Attendees will discuss best practices and gain valuable materials for immediate and effective applications at their home institutions.


Keeping It Lit: Advisor Burnout Prevention and Management
Lauren Kaczmar, Ellie Hansen, & Stephen Britt
George Washington University


Whether you have been advising for one year or ten years, you have probably experienced burnout in some form or another. In this session, we will explore ways to prevent and manage burnout both from the perspective of a supervisor and advisor. You will leave with a self-assessment of your burnout triggers and cycles and toolkit of strategies to manage your own burnout and the burnout of those you supervise.


Pathways to Success: Academic Advising for Struggling ELLs
Ross Fenske
University of Delaware


Struggling college-bound ELLs are a unique population; most are fresh out of high school living on their own, learning a foreign language well enough to attend a four-year American university. Some are able to be successful by themselves, having the ability to overcome their own weaknesses, whereas others are not. A well-known intensive English program has an academic advising team which assists conditionally admitted students to navigate their pathway to matriculation. By systematically reaching out to this population, many are able to reach their full potential as engaged members of the university. This presentation will illustrate the steps taken, highlighting some of the successes and failures, and addressing possible reasons for the outcomes. A discussion will ensue including implications for other programs.





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