Innovate or Become Obsolete: Using Technology and Social Media to Reform your Advising
Arif Fazel, Todd Spinner, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

Technology and social media has become an integral part of academic advising and life in general whether we want are ready for it or not. Arif and Todd, creators of the Advisor Podcast and the AdvisingToolbox.com, will review several essential tools to streamline your social media presence and to better organize your life. This is essential for the 21st century advisor. We will look at tips, tools and tricks to better organize your life, advise and inform students, faculty/staff and parents. We will demo audio, video, social media, and websites to improve outreach and productivity. This presentation is for the tech newbie or a grizzled veteran of the interwebs

Get Your Ducks in a Row: Promoting Summer Session through the Duck Hunt Challenge
Elizabeth Chupp, Illinois State University

In 2015, Illinois State University’s School of Communication chose to offer more summer session courses than ever before. The Communication Academic Advisors developed the idea of the Duck Hunt Challenge, connected to ISU’s Summer Session theme to “Get Your Ducks in a Row,” to get students excited about summer session and eager to enroll. It consisted of students seeking out clues to find hidden rubber ducks in our building and win prizes (similar to an Easter egg hunt). During the event, a summer session faculty member was featured each day and was provided with clues to help students in their search. Once students found a duck, a prize was awarded to them (restaurant gift cards, ISU swag, etc.). This event, which was planned and facilitated by the School of Communication’s academic advisement staff, gave us a unique way to promote our summer session courses with the added benefits of engaging faculty members and leveraging our social media platforms. The unique part about this campaign was that it was entirely social media based. In order to receive information about the featured faculty members, students had to like our Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Throughout each day, clues were strategically released to students via social media and our duck hunt winners were featured. This presentation will further discuss the goals of the Duck Hunt Challenge; the logistics, planning, and results; and takeaways for the future.

The Identity Wheel: Dimensions of Diversity
Blane Harding, Keynote Speaker

This will be a two part presentation – The demographics of society are rapidly changing and multiculturalism and social justice are central to these changes. When we as individuals and institutions discuss these changes we tend to emphasize the external identities of others. These identities may include race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientations, gender, and a wide range of other socially constructed concepts. This workshop will allow participants to not only look at their social identity but even more critical is their internal concepts of their personal identity. The objective is to move from being culturally aware to culturally competent so we begin to understand the role our individual identities play in building relationships with others. There will be a series of activities that will allow each individual to gauge their own cultural competency.

Customized Advising for Study Abroad: How to collaborate on programs that fit your department and your students
Jennifer Ewald, Joy Phaphouvaninh, Keri Niehans, Melissa Newell, Melissa Michael, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

This session will showcase UIUC academic departments that have integrated study abroad into their advising strategy through collaborative partnership with the study abroad office. Panelists from Economics, Molecular and Cellular Biology and Psychology will discuss how customized programs, collaborative advising and study abroad consultancies enable academic advisors to ensure academic progress while still allowing students to complement their educational plan by studying abroad. The panelists will cover: study abroad program types for students, requirements for these programs; optimal program locations and durations, strategic program selection, simplified credit/course approvals and best practices for outlining a Collaborative Advising strategy for your department and the outcomes students receive by having a tailored study abroad experience.

Freshman Fast Track to Senior Salute: A Guide to Group Advising 
Chris Smith, DJ Watson, Concordia University Chicago

What do Fast Tracks, Cafés and Salutes have in common? Learn all about how Concordia University Chicago approaches Group Advising, from a small school perspective. Group Advising events present relevant information to the specific class targeted, in a creative and intentional fashion. In this session, we will discuss the various topics and approaches that we take when it comes to large group advising. From different offices invited, down to the delivery and style of presentations, come find out what keeps our students engaged and coming back each year.

Coaching for Academic Success: Innovation at Work
Eric Tammes, Keon Dillon, Mary Haynes, Sandra Pizano, Brigid Rodgers, College of Lake County

The College of Lake County’s Coaching for Academic Success (CAS) program launched in fall 2014 for students enrolled in all developmental math and English courses. The first semester connected 3000 students in 150 course sections to newly hired, full-time academic coaches through early alert case management software. You’re invited to learn about how CAS was created, staffing and program structure, outcomes from the first semester, best practices for building relationships with students, faculty and college departments, and lessons learned about supporting students in developmental education courses.