Message from NACADA Leadership
NACADA leadership wants to give proposal readers this charge:
1. Think engagement and inclusion: Look at the structure of the proposal. Does the proposal have a clear objective that will be beneficial to interested attendees? Does the proposal have relevance to current events and hot topics in academic advising and higher education? Does the proposal present a potential answer to a question that looms among advising professionals? Would this proposal give someone the opportunity to share their voice in a manner that could effectively benefit other people?
2. Think narrative: While a proposal’s topic may not pique your interest, think about the person(s) on the other side of the proposal. Academic advising goes beyond retention, attrition, picking classes, and creating successful program initiatives. Academic advising is also about sharing stories and creating pathways to accomplish goals not only between the student-advisor relationships, but also from the interactions between all of us on the professional level. Be thoughtful with your feedback because you are reading into the story of another person(s).
3. Think value: In the words of Dr. Peter L. Hagen, “Empirical evidence and data are not enough”. The value of a proposal comes from the experience of the proposal writer. It is our duty to assign value by thinking about how one’s experience could benefit other people; even if the experience does not directly benefit you, the proposal reader. This is an invitation to serve the NACADA community. NACADA as an organization requests you to be open-minded, thoughtful, and thorough when reading your assigned proposals while providing healthy, positive feedback, and constructive criticism when necessary. We ask you to utilize resources for reading and commenting on proposals. When in doubt, please reach out to NACADA Executive Office for assistance.