Advising About Schooling After College
Joe Hinchliffe, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

Over half of our graduates will acquire schooling after college. This presentation suggests issues to raise with and questions to ask of students in advising on choices about post-graduate education. Topics covered include: integrating selection of a graduate program with undergraduate curricular and career planning; dividing benefits of graduate education into its component parts and recognizing its alternatives; procrastination, timing and suitability of plans for graduate school. If time allows, there will be some attention to development of a credentials portfolio, appropriate referrals for assistance, and matters for consideration in selection of particular graduate programs and schools.

Advising through the Chakras
Mia Garcia-Hills, Concordia University Chicago

Academic advising can be an incredibly rewarding experience that is filled with highs and lows for students and advisors. In this session, attendees will be introduced to a system of energy centers in the body called chakras. Awareness and cultivation of this system helps improve an overall sense of well-being. Additionally active engagement with the chakras can help manifest increased creativity, self-confidence, forgiveness, communication, insight, and connection. This seven chakra system is a natural fit for many of the goals academic advising has in relation to student development and academic success, as well as, an advisor’s personal development and professional success. In addition to providing strategies for enriching student interaction with the chakra system as a guide, this interactive session will encourage participants to develop a brief daily routine of basic yoga postures that will promote positive self-care. Mia Garcia-Hills is Executive Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising and Student Academic Affairs at Concordia University Chicago and has been teaching yoga for more than ten years. She is a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher who has earned an E-RYT 200, RYT 500 certification.

If you Build It They Will Come; Creating The Holistic Student Experience Within Your Department
Stefanie Flores-Freeman, Melissa Newell, Kari Hutjens, Nick Melrose, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

This session explores the importance of offering a holistic undergraduate student experience within every aspect of the Department of Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From admission to graduation, and beyond we as advisors proactively engage students through a variety of academic, professional, and social events tailored to the Department. Students are a key part of the design and implementation of these experiences, providing them with ownership and an opportunity to become involved within the Department. We will discuss different programs, opportunities, experiences, and events we created to engage students with varied interests. In addition, we will show how our branding and bringing events within the Department makes students feel like they are part of something special. Through these experiences students develop a connection with the department, their advisors, and are more active as alumni.

Implications for Advising Gifted Black Males with Dyslexia          

Shawn Robinson, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Dr. Howard Spearman, Rock Valley College

This presentation is based on the educational literature review and personal experiences of a gifted black male with dyslexia. The facilitators will discuss and present implications for advising this specialized population through a holistic advising approach; thus integrating research from two separate dissertations.

Psychosocial Influences on the Sophomore Year
Shelly Price-Williams, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Colleges and universities allocate a wealth of resources to help students make successful transitions from high school to college. As students develop and persist into the sophomore year, transitional issues can arise while the level of institutional support dissipates. This conference session will expand novice and seasoned participants’ knowledge base specific to student transitions, introduce relevant and current literature, and finally, provide advising strategies for supporting sophomore student success.