5 Questions with... Tom Grites

Leading up to the NACADA Region 2 Conference, we will be speaking with NACADA members, new and old, to help enrich your conference experience. Today's installment is with Tom Grites, Ph.D. from Richard Stockton in Galloway, NJ.

For those out there who have not met you, please tell us a little about yourself.

I have been employed in higher education for over 40 years, all but 4 of which have been in academic advising. I have attended every national conference, even the 2 that occurred before NACADA was incorporated. I have been at Stockton almost 36 years, a place that allows for a great deal of flexibility and experimentation, which has enabled me to engage in a wide variety of efforts that improve academic advising. My most recent – and perhaps the best thing I have initiated – is the transfer seminar concept that is delivered through currently existing courses in the regular curriculum.

I grew up in Danville, IL, earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Illinois State University, and my Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

What is your involvement (past & present) in NACADA?

At the First National Conference in Burlington, VT I served on the original Steering Committee that created NACADA and was its second President. I have presented programs or workshops at almost every national conference and most of the regionals. I have served as a faculty member for the Summer and the Assessment Institutes. I have been a member of the Journal Editorial Board since its inception, and currently serve as a Senior Editor with Virginia Gordon. I have authored and/or edited a number and variety of NACADA publications. I served on the various Task Forces that developed the Concept statement. I sort of do whatever they ask me to do in order to support the Association and the field.

What do you gain from going to a NACADA regional conference year after year?

Mostly being able to see friends that I might only see once a year, but also to see the influx of new academic advisors and NACADA members, which reinforces the idea that we had in 1977 was a pretty good one. However, I am always looking for new ideas, programs, strategies, materials, etc that will improve my own advising or help me convey such opportunities and resources to other advisors on my own campus or other campuses that I might visit.

For someone who has never attended a NACADA regional conference, why would you encourage an academic advisor to attend?

Mostly to see what else is going on at other institutions. It is too easy to fall into a rut - especially for those who have large case loads - and become robotic in their advising approach. It’s also good to hear others’ issues and their programming that reinforces certain things that one might already be doing quite successfully. The networking and the opportunities to explore specific ideas, programs, materials, etc on a deeper level are invaluable. One strong suggestion: always avoid the “That won’t work on my campus” syndrome and adopt the “How can I make this work on my campus?” framework.

What recommendations would you make for an attendee to make the most of their NACADA regional conference experience?

Same comment as above re: approach to making things work for you.

Attend sessions that are practical and those that are more theoretical, and especially those that have a research base.

Follow-up with individuals that seem to be doing something you’d like to be doing in your role.

Plan to be proactive to propose and/or implement something that you learned when you return to your own campus.

Start thinking about a conference proposal or a writing project of your own (or in collaboration).

Have fun!

Tom, thank you for your time and we'll see you in Lancaster!