BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Concurrent Session I - 10:15 to 11:00 a.m.

But I’m *Just* An Adviser: Reframing and Building Your Self-Confidence in Your Role

• Presenter: Meaghan Cole, Oakland University
• Description: The session is intended to provide a safe space to check in with how advisers see their roles and believe they are perceived.  It is intended to help build on the positives within the role and reframe some of the negatives.  It will allow the adviser to self-reflect, discuss with peers, and enjoy mixed methods of learning.

• Presenter: Chris Stroven, Kalamazoo Valley Community College
• Description: Academic Advisors have the ability to support the mental health needs of their students by  utilizing prevention and intervention measures that can also create a positive impact on student retention and persistence. Participants will get a crash course in current college student mental health trends and statistics, how mental health impacts academics and student retention, as well as learn practical applications in supporting the mental health needs of their students.

Empower students to make the most of their time in college using Mission-based Advising

• Presenter: Andrew Beverly, University of Michigan-Dearborn
• Description: The purpose of this presentation is to explore, through discussion, reflection, and activities how advisors can use learning partnerships and reflective conversations to help students create personal mission statements and leverage those mission statements in guiding students to capitalize on their college experience.

Inspiring Student Self-Discovery with Success Coaching

• Presenter: Keanu Respess, Wayne State University 
• Description: “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?” (Marianne Williamson). This quote invites us to be and become without limits. Likewise, a Success Coach compels students to develop holistically. This session will explore Success Coach strategies that can inspire students to take ownership in their self-discovery story.

Concurrent Session II - 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

In the Game of Advising, How do you want to Play?

• Presenters: Jackie Keith and Tiffany LeDonne-Smith, Oakland University
• Description: Virtual Gaming vs. Board Games. In the game of advising, how do you learn to play both? This presentation will showcase how we surveyed our student body to identify their needs from academic advising at a predominantly in-person Institution. By attending this session you will get ideas on how to better support your student population in their advising needs, assess what changes can be made and how to best engage students through events and programs both virtually and in person. 

Preparing students for secondary admit programs by implementing the Clifton strengths assessment!

• Presenters: Benjamin Herbert and Ezra Bell, Kalamazoo Valley Community College
• Description: Looking to innovate how you admit health career students? Want to prepare them in the best way possible? Learn how Kalamazoo Valley CC has implemented holistic admissions to get the right students in the right seats. Meet with Health Careers Advisor Benjamin H. and Director of Student Engagement Ezra B. to see how cross departmental collaborations can prepare students to effectively apply for a holistic secondary admit program!

Noncognitive Factors for Probationary Students Engaged in Academic Recovery Courses

• Presenters: Dr. Christine Robinson and Dr. Ronald Dillard, Western Michigan University
• Description: This presentation presents results from a research study that addressed attribution perspective, shame resilience, and academic identity in academic recovery courses (ARCs) for probationary students. Practice implications for students conditionally admitted to WMU through the Alpha Program, designed to guide first-year students in developing skills that lead to college success, will be presented. Participants will be invited to brainstorm ideas regarding retention efforts at their institutions to encourage creation or improvement of existing ARCs.

Perfection or Reflection? How to be Productive while Making Time for Rest in Advising

• Presenter: Elizabeth Hill, Wayne State University 
• Description: Does advising ever remind you of the game of Perfection? Trying to fit all the pieces into the puzzle with an ever-limited amount of time? If so, this presentation is for you! This session will provide you with tips and hacks for productivity in our everyday professional lives, while also considering meaningful ways to incorporate restorative rest into our schedules. Find the joy in advising again by learning ways to refresh your daily advising routines! 

Concurrent Session III - 1:15 to 2:00 p.m.

• Presenter: Emily Reetz, Wayne State University, MIACADA President
• Description: The MIACADA Executive Board meets four times annually. All MIACADA members are invited to join us for the May meeting during the 2023 MIACADA conference. The meeting includes reports from each officer. We will also be discussing opportunities for members to get involved in MIACADA and developing new committees! Please join us if you are considering running for a board position or would like to learn more about MIACADA!

It is hard to play the game if you don’t understand the rules

• Presenters: Lynnae Selberg and Cassie Tackett, Grand Rapids Community College
• Description: As advisors, we often have to help students translate higher education and learn the rules to success.  As our students arrive on our campuses with even more complex needs, this work becomes even more impactful.  Through this presentation, we will encourage participants to think of all the rules that students need to know to find success at their institution and we will explore the various ways to teach for understanding of these.

Inspiring Students for the Future: Student and Advisor Collaboration for the WIN

• Presenters: Helen Wilson, Lama Fawaz, Ealaf Alshibani and Franklin James, Wayne State University
• Description: Collaboration between advisor and students can help students to move confidently towards their future. Collaboration between a pre-health advisor and pre-optometry students at Wayne State University had positive outcomes for students in gaining confidence in preparing for their future as an Optometrist. There will be interactive discussion of suggestions of how this model of advisor and student collaboration could be applied to students that participants advise to have successful outcomes for their students.

Addressing Trauma in Application Advising for Students

• Presenters: Melissa Vert, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Kristin Janka, Michigan State University
• Description: Explore how advisors can support students who survived trauma and consider the merits and disadvantages of sharing their most difficult lived experiences for an academic, financial, or career opportunity. Our interactive presentation focuses on our experience advising students at two Michigan institutions through trying times, including campus shootings, sexual assaults, and urban environment trauma. We encourage group discussion and welcome attendees' experiences and suggestions. Resources to support students will be shared with MIACADA. 

When the kettle boils over: How to manage compassion fatigue in higher education

• Presenter: Dr. LaSonda Wells, Kalamazoo Valley Community College 
• Description: As college counselors, advisors and student affairs professionals, whether at a community college or a four year institution, we not only serve students from the community but often are forced to address the concerns of our community amid educating. This can bring about compassion fatigue for all who serve students, but especially for those that are charged with the advancement of student success. Therefore, this session will explore what is compassion fatigue, how to identify it, and how to manage.  

Concurrent Session IV - 2:15 to 3:00 p.m.

You: The Authentic Advisor

• Presenter: Kristie Kozub, Grand Rapids Community College 
• Description: This workshop will explore our authentic self, identifying the community that supports your core and how these two sources of inspiration impact our advising work.  From personal experience and tools learned, we will explore ways of cultivating authentic selves.  In support of this, a supportive and non judgemental community is a key element.  An interactive activity will start our journey in promoting the emerging and clarification of your authentic self.  Conclusions and a call to action will be offered.

Integrating Career Advising and Counseling into College & Career FYE Course …through a Pandemic

• Presenter: Jenny Buysse, Kalamazoo Valley Community College
• Description: Participants will learn more about how Kalamazoo Valley integrated career development into course curriculum and streamlined advising and counseling practices.  This inspired and enhanced the academic working relationship while supporting students’ academic success and their work towards degree completion. We will discuss how our collaboration pivoted during the Pandemic to provide consistent services, resources, and remote learning. During this transition, we learned to embrace different technologies, platforms, and teaching concepts to offer different learning modalities.

Beyond Barista - An Internship Awareness Workshop for Humanities Majors

• Presenter: Andrew Murray, Michigan State University
• Description: Though humanities majors learn and cultivate skills that are desirable by employers in a variety of industries, they are often discouraged from declaring a humanities major or feel disillusioned when it comes to career planning. To help students better understand their unique skills and experiences and identify potential career options, an English major internship panel program was created.  Attendees will learn about this program and discuss considerations for implementation.

Design Thinking: The Advising Superpower You Didn't Know You Had

• Presenter: Stephanie Chastain, Wayne State University
• Description: Enhance your advising skills with design thinking! Learn how to reflect on your practices and create personalized advising experiences that are as unique and diverse as your students. Discover how design thinking helps you identify and address student needs in innovative ways. No prior design experience required. You'll leave with a new perspective on how you can use your existing skills to support your students' success by intentionally integrating design thinking into your advising practice.