Academic Advisor Professional Development
Professional Development for College of Science Embedded Academic Advisors
The College of Science Dean's Office Advising Team is pleased to hear you are interested in professional development. Submit your professional development request by completing the appropriate form below pertaining to memberships, conferences, webinars, etc.
Your request will be reviewed and you will receive notification of the status of your request within 3-5 business days.
Virginia Tech Advisor Resources
spring 2023 Professional development Resources
Plugged into Advising: Electronic Accessibility Best Practices
Date: February 8, 2023
Time: 11:00-12:00 PM
Location: Virtual (Zoom only): https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/5501956954
Description: Representatives from the Technology-Enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) will discuss strategies and best practices to incorporate within our electronic communications (i.e. email, Canvas, social media, Zoom, etc.) to ensure accessibility.
Advising Chat: Supporting High Achieving Students Through Academic, Co-curricular, and Extra-curricular Involvement
Date: February 9, 2023
Time: 1:30-2:30 PM
Location: Virtual (Zoom only): https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/83225059027
Speaker(s): Christina McIntyre
Description: High achieving students have a unique set of needs that can be served through partnerships with advisors and other student support practitioners. With over 15 years of experience directly supporting this population of students, Christina McIntyre will pull from literature and experience in this session to discuss strategies for best supporting high-achieving students through academic, co-curricular, and extra-curricular involvement and reflection. She will also share information about National-level scholarships and how practitioners can empower and support students who may be interested in such opportunities
Virginia Tech Advising Matters Conference
Date: March 3, 2023
Time: 8:00-4:30 PM
Location: Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center
Cost: $100
Registration: tbd
University of Pittsburgh 2023 Mentoring and Advising Summit
Date: March 3, 2023
Time: 9:00-4:30 PM
Location: Zoom
Cost: Free
Registration: tbd
About the 2023 Summit
The vision for the sixth annual Mentoring and Advising Summit is to explore how we can continue to build a strong culture of inclusion and belonging in our mentoring and advising work. As we strive to enhance and enrich our educational offerings, it is increasingly important to embrace different ideas, critical perspectives, challenges, and lived experiences.
During this virtual summit, participants will engage with and learn about specific tools, techniques, theories, and concepts to support undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as they chart goals, develop enduring networks of colleagues and mentors, and sustain their pursuit of success after graduation. These aims are particularly important for our at-promise populations, which include first-generation and underrepresented minorities.
Timely Topics in This Year’s Summit
- Creating a sense of belonging and inclusion through mentoring and advising #inclusion
- Leveraging technology to improve advising policies and practices #technology
- Highlighting collaborative and holistic advising and mentoring approaches #collaboration
- Building bridges towards student success for at-promise students #studentsuccess
- Developing strategies for student, postdoctoral fellow, staff and faculty well-being #wellbeing
Who Should Participate?
Any faculty member, staff member, administrator, graduate student, or researcher who advises, mentors or coaches undergraduate students, graduate/professional students, or postdoctoral fellows.
Why Should You Participate?
- Network with colleagues who mentor, advise, and coach students.
- Get up-to-date information on topics, trends, and successful strategies on campus and nationally.
- Learn best practices that you can adapt for your program, students and postdoctoral fellows.
- Explore technologies that facilitate informed, effective, and efficient mentoring.
- Share your innovative solutions and strategies with colleagues
Advising Chat: Navigating Experiences of Burnout in Higher Education
Date: March 14, 2023
Time: 10:00-11:30 AM
Location: Hybrid (Newman Multipurpose Room and Zoom). https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/83225059027
Speaker(s): Rebecca Jarvis
Description: In this advising chat, Rebecca Jarvis will share her insights and research on the topic of burnout. The presentation will include systemic factors that may affect experiences of burnout and also provide participants with actionable takeaways about preventing and managing burnout in both themselves and their students. The presentation will move beyond the scope of a "self-care to-do-list" and, instead, will explore how individuals frame their relationship to work through reflective exercises and activities.
Plugged into Advising: Advising for Student Veterans and Military Connected Students
Date: March 16, 2023
Time: 1:00-2:00 PM
Location: Virtual (Zoom only): https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/5501956954
Description: The Office of Veteran Services (OVS) will discuss the “advising cheat sheet” for students using Veterans Affairs education benefits (GI Bill, military dependent, reservist). The cheat sheet includes what courses count, what to do when a student changes their major/minor, withdraws from a class or resigns as well as the process when students or advisors should connect with OVS and how.
Plugged into Advising: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Financial Aid
Date: April 10, 2023
Time: 3:00-4:00 PM
Location: Virtual (Zoom only): https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/5501956954
Description: Join representatives from University Scholarships and Financial Aid to discuss the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) process and overall financial aid procedures. This presentation will include a discussion around the advisor's role in the SAP appeal process and guidance around financial aid and scholarship cycles.
Advising Chat: Mentorship and Engagement for First-Year Students as a Means to Promote Student Success
Date: April 19, 2023
Time: 2:00-3:00 PM
Location: Hybrid (Newman Multipurpose Room and Zoom). https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/83225059027
Speaker(s): Kendria Mason
Description: Supporting and impacting students’ experiences can happen in various ways, any of which are critical to students’ persistence in higher education. In this interactive presentation, Virginia Tech's Coordinator of First-Year Experiences, Kendria Mason, will discuss the significance of mentorship and engagement when supporting first-year students and will highlight ways that advisors can serve as mentors to this population. The presentation will incorporate conversation with an FYE instructor about the impacts of partnering with an advisor in an FYE course. This session is appropriate for all who work with first-year students, including those who lead FYE courses and those who do not.