Joshua Smith, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN

Past Involvement in NACADA:

Years in NACADA: 6 years

National Offices Held and Accomplishments Achieved While in Office:

Regional Activities/Offices Held, including accomplishments achieved while in office:

• Presenter at Region 1 conferences:
  • Smith, J. S. & Downey, J. P. (March, 2002). Creating opportunities for assessment in academic advisement. Paper presented at the NACADA Northeast Region 1 Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY.
  • Downey, C. B., & Smith, J. S. (March, 2002). Increasing student-advisor interaction: Going where the students are. Paper presented at the NACADA Northeast Region 1 Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY.
  • Smith, J. S. (March, 2001). Research-driven academic advisement: A revolutionary idea! Paper presented at the NACADA Northeast Region 1 Conference, Framingham, MA.

Committee/Task Force/Advisory Board Activities and Accomplishments:

• Member, Research Committee (2003-present)
• Member, Student Research Awards Selection Committee (2004)
• NACADA Journal Board Member

Commission/Interest Group Activities and Accomplishments:

• Current member: Faculty Advising Commission, Assesment of Advising Commission
• Current member: High School to College Advising Interest Group

Other:

• Publishing Research on Advising in NACADA Journal —
  • Smith, J. S. (2002). First-year student perceptions of academic advisement: A qualitative study and reality check. NACADA Journal, 22(2), 39-50.
  • Smith, J. S., Dai, D. Y., & Szelest, B. P. (in press). Helping first-year students make the transition to college through advisor-researcher collaboration. NACADA Journal, 26(1).
• NACADA National Presentations —
  • Smith, J. S. (October, 2005). Writing for the NACADA Journal. Pre-conference workshop presented at the NACADA Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
  • Smith, J. S. (October, 2005). Faculty advisors using data to increase retention. Paper presented at the NACADA Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
  • Smith, J. S. (October, 2004). Advisors and researchers working together to help students succeed in college. Paper presented at the 2004 NACADA National Conference, Cincinnati, OH.

Platform Statement:

• Highlight your involvement in this unit that will help you in leading this unit. What roles have you played in this unit thus far? 

As a member of the NACADA Research Committee I have been involved in practical matters such reviewing research grants and modifying grant scoring rubrics. Additionally, I am a mentor to a graduate student doing her dissertations on Master's students expectations and experiences with advising. On a broader level, I have been most interested in revisiting the role of research/inquiry in academic advising. The current Chair, Joyce Buck, has led this initiative via the Research Committee listserve and collaborative efforts with the NACADA Journal Editors.

• What do you believe are the most important goals and initiatives for this unit in meeting the strategic plan for both the unit and the Association?  

The most important goal for the Research Committee is to promote the implementation and dissemination of research/inquiry in academic advising and the role of advisors in college student development. The current mechanisms for meeting this goal include mentoring future researchers, awarding grants to support research, and highlighting research-based presentations at NACADA National. In addition to these efforts, I believe that we must encourage presenters at National and Regional conferences to prepare research, review, or theorectical papers to support their presentations. Moving toward a paper presentation model will broaden the field in multiple ways.

• First, presenters will conduct exhaustive reviews of the literature to support their advising perspectives, programs, and/or research.
• Second, conference attendees will be exposed to the underlying theories and perspectives that justify or support decision-making.
• Finally, it will facilitate a movement toward evidence-supported inquiry that is pervasive in higher education.

I intend to meet with Region Chairs, Regional Conference Chairs, and the Board to work on language that encourages changes in presentation formats (e.g. discussants for research sessions) and how presenters prepare for sessions (e.g. post papers on the web prior to the conference).

• Why are you interested in serving in this leadership position or what influenced you to run for this leadership position? 

My work on the Research Committee and NACADA Journal Board stimulated my interest in taking on a leadership role. I see the unique opportunity to work with the talented members of the Research Committee in moving academic advising toward an evidence-supported field in higher education. For example, the increased interest in Assessment and growing number of research-based presentations at National demonstrates that NACADA is poised for change.

• Provide any additional comments or information regarding your past experiences and qualifications that relate to your candidacy for this leadership position. 

In the past 6 years I have learned a great deal from NACADA members, particularly those in leadership roles. As an advisor and researcher my students taught me about the challenges and opportunities associated with the transition to college. These experiences have generated additional questions about the role of advising. As Chair of the Research Committee, I hope to facilitate meaningful discussions about the role(s) of advising and to work with others to discover new ways of thinking about the field in the 21st century.