Supported by decades of research and experience, in this session I will introduce personal and professional research-based tools proven effective in navigating re-entry experiences. To do this we will look into our “backpacks” to examine all that we have collected, packed, and brought into this semester with us. Doing a self-audit, we will re-view and re-pack for the journey ahead. It is expected that we will leave the session with revitalized tools including reframed statements, questions, and inventories that we can carry with us to guide our interactions with advisees and colleagues as we journey along – packed smart and traveling light together.

“How are you doing?” A question we regularly ask students, often leading to conversations about the importance of self-care. We help our students build resilience, but how are we doing? In 2016, a study by Marshall, Gardner, Hughes, & Lowery found that higher education lost 41.7% of student affairs practitioners with 1-5 years’ experience and 21.7% with 8-10 years experience. The effects of losing advisers due to burnout, work-life conflict and loss of passion reflect revolving issues in our field. So, what can we do? Treat self-care as a necessity, a way to reduce burnout and compassion fatigue. In doing so we also become better resources for our students and enhance retention. Join in this interactive session to experience and explore mindfulness and meditation techniques that can help both you and your students flourish.

Adult learners enrolled in distance education courses may face obstacles to retention and degree completion that are not initially clear to the student. It is important to consider that adult students bring their social world and prior knowledge with them to the virtual classroom (Lave, 2011) and expect both to be acknowledged and appreciated by peers and staff. Students are not prepared for the distance education “classroom experience” which is most likely completely different from any educational experience they have known. The SmarterMeasure Consultation helps students identify non-cognitive strengths and opportunities while providing support and resources that can contribute to their performance, persistence, and retention.

The ultimate goal of the advisor is to support our students through graduation and success post-graduation. In the PreHealth Professions Advising Office, we have developed a Health Professions Portfolio system for students to track their progress in a longitudinal manner. For students pursuing graduate school, professional school, or other competitive application processes, this enables these students to think beyond the individual steps they are taking and see the big picture. As a capstone to this longitudinal self-reflection is the Comprehensive Interview. We mimic the experience of a professional school interview and then provide extensive feedback to help our students grow as people, students, future professionals, and interviewees. Our ultimate goal is to help our students feel confident moving off to the next step of their journey.

According to the 2011 NACADA National Survey of Academic Advising, approximately 78% of institutions use faculty for advising and approximately 81% of institutions utilize professional advisers. Both faculty advisers and professional advisers bring unique perspectives to advising, and ideally, both groups are working towards the same goal: student success. Due to a variety of factors, collaboration and communication between the two groups can be challenging.

Advisers must communicate more information more often with more students than ever before and often use email to do so. However, in a 2016 study, 39% of surveyed Bowling Green University students reported they avoided adviser emails. Given the numerous digital platforms students inhabit, how can advisers share vital information that cuts through the noise? This presentation will focus on how Penn State Harrisburg’s Lambert Undergraduate Advising Center utilizes digital tools like SharePoint, Canvas, and Qualtrics to connect with students and empower them to engage with important advising information. Participants will leave the session with the basic steps to get started using these tools in their own areas.

The workshop will provide an overview of the structure, challenges and outcomes of an academic peer mentoring program which supports students in academic risk. The Academic Peer Mentoring Program (APMP) has been in existence for four semesters with over 80 percent of the mentees entering good academic standing the following semester or continuing in academic warning. Mentees report increased motivation, demonstrate increased self-efficacy and engage in help-seeking behaviors. In addition to learning about the structure, challenges and outcomes of the APMP, participants will be led through an activity designed to help them carefully consider and begin to create their own mentoring program.

The Covid 19 pandemic has impacted PSU students in a multitude of ways, including their academic performance. PSU implemented alternative grades to help students with this impact. We were worried about the student who elected alternative grades as they were not making academic progress. We instituted a college wide policy to place hold on these students encouraging them to meeting with an academic recovery advisor and see if they could benefit from intervention or resources. The result will be discussed and how to apply this successful policy to other vulnerable student populations.