Advisors Forum: New Advisors Series

The Texas Tech University Advisors' Forum: New Advisors Series is designed to provide new academic advisors with professional development opportunities facilitated by members of the Texas Tech advising community. The following sessions were approved by a selection committee comprised of advisors recognized by the University for advising excellence. If you have questions about the Advisors' Forum please contact Micah Logan at micah.m.logan@ttu.edu. To register for a session please select the Events tab on the TLPDC homepage or visit ttu.elementlms.com.

What Happened in the Past DOES NOT Stay in the Past: How Higher Education's History Reveals Academic Advising's Future

Monday, January 25th at 10:00am, TLPDC 153
Presented by Ryan Scheckel

This session will specifically address the parallels between the evolution of the role of faculty, the purpose of curricula, and the needs of students across the full history of American Higher Education and point to the need for similar efforts to be applied to the field of academic advising. For questions regarding the professionalization of academic advising to be answered and for its practitioners to move past the recurrent Dangerfieldian 'no respect' refrain, we simply must consider the scholar-practitioner model in a new perspective, one informed by the history of American Higher Education. While academic advisors of all types may want respect and support, they must recognize the well-trod path that calls or, if another is out there, blaze their own trail. The session will largely be lecture, based on the research conducted as part of a graduate program in Higher Education, but also engages in spirited small-group discussion and attendees come away with a better understanding of how we got to where we are (highlighting seminal developments in the profession) and where we are going. This is a session where every opportunity to get involved professionally will be promoted, from conference volunteers, to leadership, to publication, etc.

Make it Matter: The Importance of Creating an Evolving Advising Philosophy

Tuesday, February 16th at 2:00pm, TLPDC 153
Presented by Ali Luempert & Brittni MacLeod

What is an advising philosophy? Why do all advisors need to write one? It is important to remember that our students need more than a list of which classes to take each semester and we are responsible for helping students learn more about themselves and the environments they find themselves in. Ali Luempert of University Advising and Brittni MacLeod of University Studies will share experiences that shaped their philosophies as well as provide guidelines for creating or improving your own to better serve your students.

Building Effective Relationships with TTU student's Parents and Family Members

Thursday, April 21st at 3:00pm, TLPDC 153
Presented by Christine Self & Elizabeth Massengale

Parents and family members are increasingly involved in students' higher education experiences at institutions in the United States, including Texas Tech University. By making sure parents and family members are informed about resources and processes that support students, we have a great opportunity to involve parents and family members in supporting student success. The purpose of this session is to share research on parents and family members that can inform attendees' interactions with parents and family members as well as provide strategies for communicating with parents and family members to provide them with the information and involvement they need to support our students.