The USU Advising Conference has been a tradition for the advising community for over 30 years. It is a special day with time to connect with old colleagues and welcome the new members of our community. The critical work of advisors changes the lives of USU students. This important day holds space for advisors to strengthen their practice and set goals for the coming year. We are looking forward to another great conference.
8:15 | Check-in
Check-in Eccles Science Learning Center (ESLC) Atrium
9:00 | Welcome
ESLC 130
9:45 | Session 1
ESLC 130
Alex Ziegler
Occupational folklore is the concept of folk practices developing within an office culture. This culture differs from office to office – some practices focus on humor, others on food, some on legends. The awareness of occupational folklore within our offices helps bring us together as a group, but also helps us foster a place of belonging by recognizing our strengths and using those strengths to better our place of work. But with the good, comes the bad. Some places of work have recognized the importance of occupational folklore and how to utilize it enforce “behavioral” changes in their workers. This presentation is meant to push back on the negative advantages of office culture and how to utilize it to promote belonging for both advisors and students alike.
ESLC 053
Matthew Plescia
This presentation distills key takeaways, emphasizing lived experiences that have shaped remote advising practices at a state university. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the complexities of remote advising and actionable strategies to enhance their own advising practices.
WIDT 007
Ashley Fluegel
Self-care is not a luxury; it’s a necessity for all human beings to be successful, healthy adults. In the often fast-paced environment of higher education, it is important to remember that mental and physical well-being plays an integral part in the overall happiness and success of both Academic Advisors and the students they serve. This proposal aims to explore why sensory experiences and self-care matter, and how they can help create a better work-life balance. It will also portray practical strategies to engage the five main senses through examples such as, taking a walk, “stopping to smell the roses”, or listening to relaxing music, with resources and practical application discussed throughout.
10:45 | Session 2
ESLC 130
Kayleen Evans, Maygen Simm, and Kristy Bloxham
Using AI in advising can revolutionize student support by providing personalized guidance, streamlining processes, and fostering a deeper understanding of AI's role in education and beyond. Integrating AI into advising requires a balance between efficiency and human-centered support. By leveraging AI tools effectively and promoting AI literacy, our students can navigate their academic and career journeys with confidence, equipped to harness the opportunities of an increasingly AI-driven world.
ESLC 053
Chloe Ridenour, Jen Caines, and Anthonie Nichols
As of 2021 55% of children have parents without a 4-year degree, they are termed first-generation students. Being the first to accomplish anything is daunting, educators can influence this demographic on their collegiate journey. This presentation will provide the tools to identify barriers to success and navigate the various opportunities.
WIDT 007
Brendan Lee
While the Supreme Court made the decision to desegregate schools in 1954, students today still face barriers to access in higher education. Barriers to access have a significant impact on student persistence and belonging. As Academic Advisors, understanding this history and its consequences on our current educational climate is an important step to finding ways to reduce barriers for students and make our programs more accessible to everyone.
11:45 | Session 3
ESLC 130
Jasmine Morales and Brendan Lee
The World Languages & Cultures Department at Utah State University offers a variety of resources to students learning a second language, among these are proficiency testing, tutoring, language clubs, and more. Students who learn a second language and test out of lower division credits can earn up to 16 credits towards their graduation. Our goal with this presentation is to spread awareness of the opportunities students have to build upon their language skills and academic progress towards graduation, as well as the new resources that will be available in the new Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching and Learning Center on campus.
ESLC 053
Shanda Thompson
This session is all about you and finding your peeps. We are an awesome group but we don't get to interact with each other across departments or campuses very often. This session is structured to help us get connected. Are you a podcast Junkie? Are you on the hunt for your next audiobook? Are you an introvert with FOMO? Do you need a break from muggle conversations? Have you been bitten by the travel bug? Come with us to chat with new and old friends with similar interests.
Will also have activities (Coloring, puzzles, Legos) for advisors who are more introverted and want to be around people but don't want to talk to them.
WIDT 007
Andy Gongora
The ABC-X Model of Family Stress and Coping has been used in research and practice to help individuals and families navigate life's stressful situations and cope more effectively. It emphasizes the importance of leveraging available resources and having a positive mindset when encountering and troubleshooting challenging situations. In this session, advisors will learn the core components of the ABC-X model, practice the steps, and adapt the concepts to working with students in an academic advising setting. This model can also help advisors frame and troubleshoot their own individual and family challenges by helping us be more cognizant of our own resources and mindset.
12:35 | Lunch
Lunch Outside Old Main Building under trees next to the A Block
2:00 | Session 4
ESLC 053
Kaylee Roholt and Lisa Hunsaker
Delve into the parallels between aviation and effective advising strategies. Join two aviation advisors who will share valuable lessons drawn from the world of aviation. Don't miss this opportunity to gain fresh insights and elevate your approach to guiding students towards their academic and personal goals. Unlock the potential of aviation wisdom to transform your advising practice and empower student success.
WIDT 007
Tom Liljegren
Effective listening is key to any advising interaction and may be the biggest component of creating an effective advising relationship. Reflective listening is a powerful technique to employ in practicing effective listening that can both help the student know that they are being listened to, as well as help to continue and deepen the conversation. This session will discuss different specific strategies and techniques for reflective listening and have guided practice on how you can put these methods into action with students.
3:00 | Session 5
ESLC 046
Tressa Haderlie and Laura J. Holley
Do you ever feel like an imposter? Like someone not qualified to be in your position? If you haven’t, I can guarantee that your students have. This presentation will discuss Imposter syndrome, what it is, and how to work through it in ourselves and help our students work through it. We’ll share some tools to help identify strengths and recognize that we all belong.
ESLC 131 (Computer Lab)
Caisa Shoop, Shelly Kotynek, Dawnetta Mahnken, Alex Ziegler
Technology is a rapidly evolving tool in our world, and taking advantage of this will help advisors streamline their processes. In our roundtable, Caisa, Dawnetta, Shelly, and Alex will share their tips and tricks on how they use different tools in their advising. They will then lead a brainstorming and practice session with other advisors on how they can implement these tools as well as share other strategies they are personally using to enhance their advising practice.
ESLC 053
JanaLee Johnson, Jordan Truex
So you’ve failed a class. You feel like your dreams are on the cusp of total demise. What do you do now? High-Achieving students tend to react to failure strongly having tendencies towards perfection, high-achievement, and success. How do we as advisors help these students reframe their dreams when they feel like they are no longer within reach?
This session will reflect on the Discover, Dream, and Design phases of Appreciative Advising practices with the implementation of motivational interviewing and design theories to guide conversations with students who see a change in academic standing or struggles within their major coursework. We will share strategies and practices that have helped our unit find success in helping students continue pursuing their dreams.
3:50 | Aggie Ice Cream Social
Eccles Science Learning Center Atrium
Conference Committee Members
- Jacob Van den Akker
- Alex Ziegler
- Janet Blad
- Jennifer Caines
- Kaylee Roholt
- Caisa Shoop
- Tuana Allen
- Annette Petersen
- Jordan Truex
- Brooke Lambert
- Shelly Kotynek