Preconference Workshops

Wednesday, March 20

You can sign up for Preconference Workshops while registering for the conference. If you have already registered for the conference and would like to add a preconference workshop, please follow these steps.

P1: Blooming as a Supervisor: Strategies for Becoming an Effective Supervisor in Academic Advising

9 a.m.-noon | Cost: $70
Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski | University of Arizona
Natalie Brown | Nevada System of Higher Education
Tammy Nguyen | Weber State University
Leslie Park | Weber State University


The desert in bloom suggests thriving in health and beauty.  It is an experience that emerges through a shared process between plants and nature. This nurturing process includes elements of care, development, maintenance, and serendipity, much like supervision of staff. Effective supervision is a partnership between a leader and the staff that results in everyone in the organization thriving. This pre-conference session will focus on strategies, techniques, and tips for your development as an effective supervisor in academic advising.  Even though the intended primary audience is future or new supervisors, everyone is welcome to learn and share experiences. The participants will be engaged through a variety of modalities, such as lecture, discussion, small group activities, and reflection, which highlights the relational component of the core competencies. The topics will include types of supervision, basic responsibilities and skills, current issues, and supervisor self-maintenance. The facilitators will reference resources that will nurture participants as they develop as supervisors now and in the future.  These references will include NACADA publications, publications outside of NACADA, websites, podcasts, and other relevant tools.  As the workshop concludes, the participants will be invited to create a plan for their personal development as a supervisor based on information from facilitators as well as colleagues in the room.  The overall goal of this session is to create an environment that offers information and strategies that nurtures the participants to bloom as supervisors.

CANCELLED | P2: Expanding Academic Advising Approaches: Going Beyond Presenting Issues

P3: Advising Portfolios: Why Every Advising Professional Should Have One

10 a.m.-noon | Cost: $50
Shalece Nuttall | Utah Valley University

While we may consider portfolios a requirement of artist and marketing professionals, this new age encourages and rewards professionals in all industries that can showcase and highlight their skills and abilities in a format beyond their resume. Portfolios are a great visual tool to share with employers, advising professionals, as well as with your students. A professional portfolio can help in your personal and professional development within advising, allow room for goal setting, reflection and growth as an advisor. This session will explain different portfolio types, what should be included, provide ideas on how to get started on your advising portfolio, and spend time creating an electronic portfolio.


P4: 7 Habits of Highly Effective Advising

10 a.m.-noon | Cost: $50
Jordan Truex | Utah State University

"Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny." This session will outline ways that by implementing Steven R. Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" you can develop habits and best practices that strengthen student advising interactions, build meaningful student, faculty, and interdepartmental relationships, and fortify a healthy work-life balance that produces positive results. Building on NACADA Core Values in this process, you will find ways to make your process the most meaningful and effective for your individual advising practice.

This interactive session will provide an in depth look at Covey's seven habits and how they can be implemented to make advising appointments, and the day-to-day more effective. We will also discuss how you can implement these habits in your personal life to increase productivity, happiness, and well-roundedness. Finally, we will discuss how effective advising can foster results of increased retention, stronger student-advisor relationships, and successful departmental relationships.