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.
Strengthening Student Success Together recognizes that student achievement is built through meaningful collaboration, shared expertise, and strong partnerships across our campus community. We are thrilled to provide a platform for meaningful discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities.
RSVP
Please RSVP if you plan to attend the conference.
RSVP Deadline July 17th
Conference Committee Members
- Alex Ziegler
- Madison Rasmuson
- Kaylee Roholt
- Myra Durrant
July 28, 2026 - Preconference Service Project
We are kicking off the conference with a service project supporting the Little Lambs Foundation for Kids.
Please join us to organize and package hygiene kits – and enjoy a dirty soda bar!
2-4 PM | Perry Pavilion Huntsman Hall (HH)
Little Lambs Foundation for Kids mission is to strengthen Utah families by providing essential items, education, and resources to break the cycle of poverty and create a brighter, more secure future for children and their families.
We want to support this initiative by asking folks from around campus to donate items for the hygiene kits. While we are happy to accept anything you want to bring, we invite each college to focus on certain items in the hopes we will get a variety of donations:
- Arts and Science – Full size shampoos, hair ties
- Agriculture and Natural Resources – Full size body washes, bars of soap
- Education and Human Services – Full size toothpastes, toothbrushes, floss
- Engineering – Full size conditioners, small hairbrushes
- Business – Deodorants for men and women
- Everyone else – Lotions, chap sticks, period products
The goal of our project is to uplift struggling families and foster youth by providing necessary items that no child should have to go without. Each kit will be thoughtfully assembled with dignity in mind.
July 29, 2026 - Conference Sessions and Workshop
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM | Muffins & Mingling |
LSB Atrium |
| 9:05 AM – 9:20 AM | Opening Session / Welcome Remarks | LSB 133 | Zoom |
| 9:30 AM -12:20 PM | Concurrent Sessions | |
| 9:30 AM – 10:20 AM | Session 1 | |
| 10:30 AM – 11:20 AM | Session 2 | |
| 11:30 AM – 12:20 PM | Session 3 | |
| 12:30 PM – 1:50 PM | Lunch | Eccles Conference Center South Lawn |
| 2:00 PM – 3:20 PM | Student Success Workshop | LSB 231 |
| 3:30-4:00 PM | Closing and Ice Cream | LSB Atrium |
Concurrent Session Information
Session 1
Integrating career exploration and financial reality into advising conversations
Location: LSB 133
Presenter: Alana Stowe
This presentation is offered in a Hybrid format, and can be attended via a Zoom Webinar.
Abstract: Advisors play a critical role in helping students explore majors, careers, and designing lifestyle choices. Sometimes financial implications of career choices are difficult to address in advising conversations.
This session introduces a practical, student-centered framework that integrates career development theory with financial awareness. Grounded in design thinking, this approach equips advisors to ask meaningful questions, normalize conversations about cost and earning potential, and confidently refer students to appropriate resources when needed.
Participants will leave with a three-part framework—Explore, Reality Check, and Strategize—along with specific questions, conversation techniques, and referral strategies they can immediately apply in advising sessions. This approach empowers advisors to support whole-student decision-making, helping students design futures that are both meaningful and sustainable.
Weaving Relationships: Holistic Advising for Native American Students Through K’é, Waymaking, Appreciative Advising, and Advisor Reflection
Location: LSB 207
Presenter: Tylan Dee
Abstract: Native American students often navigate higher education while balancing cultural identity, family responsibilities, community commitments, and institutional expectations. This presentation explores how Appreciative Advising, Devon Isaacs’ concept of Waymaking, and the Navajo teaching of K’é can be woven together to create more meaningful and holistic advising experiences. Participants will examine how relationships, belonging, and advisor reflection influence student success and consider how advising practices can either create barriers or help students find their way. Throughout the session, attendees will engage in reflection about the knowledge, experiences, and assumptions they bring into advising spaces while learning practical strategies for supporting Native American students. Participants will leave with actionable approaches for fostering trust, belonging, and culturally responsive support that honors both individual aspirations and community-centered values.
Tell Me You're An Advisor, Without Telling Me You're An Advisor...
Location: LSB 231
Presenters: Allie East, Abby Macbeth, & Caisa Shoop
Abstract: What does advising really look like beyond schedules, policies, and Degree Works? In this lively, interactive session, we invite participants to “tell us they’re an advisor” through shared experiences that highlight the heart of the role: Collaboration. We kick things off with a five-minute activity designed to spark laughter, recognition, and connection. From there, we explore four essential collaboration avenues—working with students, supervisors, colleagues, and faculty—spending ten minutes on each to share relatable scenarios, practical strategies, and lessons learned. We wrap up by tying these perspectives together to reimagine advising as a dynamic, relationship-driven profession. Attendees will leave feeling validated, energized, and equipped with ideas to strengthen collaboration in their own advising work.
Session 2
Level Up: Integrating Student Development Theory to Help Students Become the Hero of Their Own Journey
Location: LSB 133
Presenter: Jordan Truex
This presentation is offered in a Hybrid format, and can be attended via a Zoom Webinar.
Abstract: Academic advisors play a critical role in helping students navigate their educational experiences and develop meaningful academic and life plans. To effectively support students, advisors must understand the complex interplay of student behaviors, motivations, and institutional influences that are often explained through student development theory. This session will introduce participants to several foundational student development theories and demonstrate practical ways to apply them within advising conversations. Attendees will explore how theory-informed advising can enhance student growth, decision-making, engagement, and success, while empowering students to become the heroes of their own educational journeys.
From Technical Colleges to USU: Making Transfer Credit Count
Location: LSB 207
Presenters: Lisa Hunsaker & Chenese Boyle
Abstract: Students from Utah technical colleges are an important and growing population at Utah State University, bringing valuable hands-on training and prior learning experiences. However, differences in credit structure, terminology, and evaluation processes can create challenges in understanding how this coursework applies toward degree completion. This session provides a high-level overview of how technical college coursework is received and evaluated at USU, along with practical examples of how these credits can be applied toward degree requirements. Institutional data and program models, including Technology Systems and the Robotics, Automation, and Control Systems BS degree, will highlight how intentional pathways support student success. Participants will gain strategies and language to help students maximize prior learning, reduce time to degree, and navigate transfer pathways more effectively.
Turning Hope Theory Inward
Location: LSB 231
Presenter: Heidi Kesler
Abstract: Academic Success Coaches utilize a framework based on Snyder's Hope Theory to assist students to grow in academic belonging and learning excellence. This framework builds on three principles: 1) Understanding Identity, 2) Recognizing Agency, and 3) Developing Pathways and Taking Action. Hundreds of students have benefited from learning this framework for building hope and getting "unstuck." The purpose of this session is help advisors understand the framework through personal application.
Session 3
Making Meaning in Limited Time: Conflict and Change in Advising
Location: LSB 133
Presenter: Erik McFadden
This presentation is offered in a Hybrid format, and can be attended via a Zoom Webinar.
Abstract: As advisors, we regularly step into conversations that can lead to conflict. These moments often reflect students trying to express what they want, even when there’s a gap between what they say and what they actually need. Building on the first principles of transformative conflict, this session explores the patterns advisors fall into, applies ideas from change theory to support student motivation, and reframes how we approach advising conversations when time is limited.
Advising Habits of Mind in ACTION!
Location: LSB 207
Presenters: Melanie Chambers & Carolina Bell
Abstract: USU students are introduced to Habits of Mind from the start of their academic journey. How can advisors bring these concepts to life beyond the classroom? This session explores how Habits of Mind can strengthen both advising practice and students’ academic success.
Advisors will step into the student experience by engaging in activities drawn directly from several Habits of Mind courses, while also discovering how these skills translate into professional and career development. Together, we will focus on making Habits of Mind messaging relevant and aligned with curricular goals—ensuring students not only understand these concepts, and apply them meaningfully. Advisors will leave with practical strategies for incorporating Habits of Mind into advising conversations and have a clearer understanding of how to align messaging with the course outcomes.
Telling Your Advising Story: Translating Impact into Award-Worthy Evidence
Location: LSB 231
Presenters: Dawnetta Mahnken & Kaylee Roholt
Abstract: Many advisors view award applications as intimidating, time-consuming, or reserved for only the most accomplished professionals. In reality, the application process provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on advising practice, assess impact, and communicate contributions to student success.
This session will examine advising award criteria and review processes at the institutional, state, and national levels. Participants will learn how to connect assessment data, student outcomes, and professional accomplishments to award criteria while crafting compelling narratives that showcase their impact. Presenters will share practical strategies, examples, and lessons learned from successful award applications, helping attendees better understand both the award process and their own professional growth. Whether participants plan to submit an award application or simply want to strengthen their assessment and reflection practices, this session will provide actionable tools for documenting and communicating advising excellence.