SEPTEMBER 2021 | What’s your favorite season? Awards & Scholarships: How to start preparing your Region 6 nominations. 
Katie Mehrer, Region Chair, and Kacey Gregerson, Communication & Awards Chair, discuss our NACADA Region 6 scholarships and awards! The presentation includes information on how to submit award nominations, what makes a strong nomination, and highlight our scholarship opportunities...including our newest scholarship for New Advisors to attend the Region 6 Conference!

OCTOBER 2021 | A discussion with Keelin Yenney about advising rural students
Dr. Keelin Yenney discussed her 2021 article "I Trusted Her More Than I Trusted Myself": The impact of academic advising on rural students' sense of belonging in college” and how advising can impact the experience of students from rural backgrounds. Participants engaged in a conversation on how academic advisors in Region 6 can support rural students.

You can find the article here. 

NOVEMBER 2021 | Mindsets, Uncertainty, and Stress
Dan Wilcox, Kansas State University
The pandemic has led to increased stress, anxiety, and uncertainty about the future for everyone, and especially for college students. This potent combination of stress and uncertainty makes transitioning into adulthood even more challenging than it already is. Most people believe that uncertainty and stress are bad and need to be managed or eliminated. Uncertainty, after all, makes it hard to feel in control. It takes a toll on motivation, planning, persistence, and setting goals for the future. Stress is also cruel and ushers in different psychological and physiological problems. The purpose of this talk is to encourage a change of mind about stress and uncertainty. Academic advisors with a more positive view of uncertainty can help students to fuel curiosity to explore and engage with experiences that will add trigger personal learning, growth, and development and enrich possibilities for their futures. Furthermore, students with a “stress is enhancing” mindset have the potential to enhance their motivation, performance, health, and well-being. Dr. Dan Wilcox, Licensed Psychologist and Assistant Professor at Kansas State University, discusses how changing mindsets about uncertainty and stress can benefit academic advisors and their students.

Optimizing Stress: An Integrated Intervention for Regulating Stress Responses | Dr. Alia Crum, Jerrmy Jamieson, and Modupe Akinola

The science of how mindset transforms the human experience | Dr. Alia Crum

How to make stress your friend | A TedTalk by Kelly McGonigal

FEBRUARY 2022 | Learn to how get involved in the Region 6 Advising Mentorship Program (RAMP) 
Martha Scott Johnson & Liza Pierre
Mentorship can be a powerful mechanism not only for professional development, but social and emotional support. However, finding a mentor and cultivating a mutually beneficial relationship can be difficult to navigate alone. The Region 6 Advising Mentoring Program (RAMP) is a yearlong program where new Advisors are paired with professionals who are more seasoned in their career for intentional mentorship. Join us for a panel discussion featuring RAMP alumni and current participants to learn more about the benefits of mentoring and how to get involved!

MARCH 2022 | Network at our first “Unconference” 

Region 6 Professional Development Committee
Join us for a special “unconference” networking session! Get to know other NACADA members in Region 6 and have the opportunity to discuss a variety of topics, including, student well-being, technology in advising, student success initiates, amongst others. Bring your lunch, relax, and have fun hearing from your colleagues and sharing your own ideas on fun and interesting topics!

APRIL 2022 | How to get involved in NACADA
Joan Krush, NACADA Executive Office 
Want to get more involved in NACADA, but aren’t sure how? Want to get others on your campus more involved? Join us for a panel discuss with Joan Krush, Assistant Director for Membership Engagement and other NACADA members to learn more about the purpose of NACADA, how to best utilize your membership and get involved in leadership opportunities! Feel free to invite other colleagues on your campus that may not be a part of NACADA yet. This is a great way for them to get to know a little bit more about our amazing organization!

SEPTEMBER 2020 | Cultivating Gratitude in Advising | Wednesday, September 16 (Recording not available.) 
Di Dingman (Indiana University) will lead a conversation on the impact that gratitude can have on the well-being of advisors and how it might add to our advising practice.

OCTOBER 2020 | CANCELLED | Article Review: “The Professionalization of Academic Advising: A Structured Literature Review” 
Join Dr. Craig McGill (Kansas State University) to discuss his 2019 article, The professionalization of academic advising: a structured literature review. 

NOVEMBER 2020 | Transfer Student Hot Topic Discussion 
Are community college students succeeding in their transition to-or-from your institution? Do you wish you could provide more to impact their success? Mooring & Mooring (2016) noted that the percentage of students who start at a two-year institution with the intention of attaining a bachelor’s degree that successfully complete a bachelor’s degree within 6 years is only 10.2%. Additionally, there are disparities among minority groups with baccalaureate attainment as well. Yet, many programs and initiatives exist to improve the seamlessness of transfer. This transfer student hot topic discussion with Tony Lazarowicz (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) will provide an interactive opportunity to discuss collaborative programs and initiatives occurring on campuses to support community college transfer students. Bring your ideas and questions and leave with some possible solutions to bring back to your campus!

FEBRUARY 2021 | Article Review: The Professionalization of Academic Advising: A Structured Literature Review
Dr. Craig McGill | Kansas State University
Join Dr. Craig McGill (Kansas State University) to discuss his 2019 article, The professionalization of academic advising: a structured literature review. 

MARCH 2021 | Article Review: Collaboration Between Athletic and Campus Advisors
Dr. Lisa M. Rubin | Kansas State University
Athletic and academic advisors routinely collaborate as they together foster student success. When interviewed, these individuals have reported potential barriers related to needed technical knowledge, means of communication, geographical accessibility, and unique reporting lines. In this session, Dr. Lisa M. Rubin, Associate Professor at Kansas State University, will briefly share the results of these interviews and answer your questions about ways to foster supportive, trusting relationships with both staff and students given the unique partnership advisors have with athletics. Attendees are invited to read her 2020 article Collaboration Between Athletic and Campus Advisors and come with questions.

APRIL 2021 | Inclusive Advising 101
Dr. Treya Allen | Arizona State University
Inclusive Advising in higher education refers to the ways in which advising practice, accessibility, cultural self-awareness, and personal values of advisors may differ from those that we are serving and may cause blind spots when we are interacting with students, delivering information, providing support, and making judgements about those that we serve- whether conscious or unconsciously. In considering our practices, Inclusive Advising asks of advisors to be intentional in the ways that we engage in our advising practice, treat the advising appointment as a learning space, and to be intentional about accessibility for all students regardless of their cultural, language, degree of ability, religion, nationality, and other identities that may differ from the advisor. It is this difference that strengthens the partnership between advisor and student as they work toward resolutions and creating programming for students.

MAY 2021 | CANCELLED | Unpack and Snack! 
Join your fellow colleagues from Region 6 to have a debrief discussion on the Regional Conference. Use this time to connect with colleagues and share the new ideas you learned! This will be a casual setting, so feel free to eat your lunch while discussing!

MARCH 2020 | Advising Alternatives: A Case Study | Billie Streufert, Augustana University

Join Billie Streufert, author of  to learn more about ways to engage students in parallel planning and alternative advising. Read the recent NACADA Review article in advance and come to ask questions or exchange exemplary practices. From dealing with resistance to designing effective environments that advance students' adaptability, Billie will also share responses to frequently asked questions and highlight a few other case studies to illuminate central concepts of advising alternatives. The session will conclude with information about ways you can write for The NACADA Review. We hope you join us