What are they? Forums for discussing academic advising
Who’s invited? All faculty and staff (please spread the word)
Why attend? To network, share how-tos, and learn about advising resources
When and where? The first Wednesday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to noon in Zoom.
2025–2026 Schedule
- February 4, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to noon
- March 4, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to noon
- April 1, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to noon
Coaching Conversations in Academic Advising
In this seminar, Tanja St. Pierre, Assistant Director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies, and Chelsey Walls, Assistant Director of the Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success, introduce Academic Success Coaching as a personalized, one-on-one support service that uses reflective conversations to promote student growth.
Drawing on their experience as certified academic life coaches, the presenters explore how academic advisers can incorporate coaching-informed techniques—such as powerful questioning, goal setting and action planning, accountability, and reflection—into everyday advising conversations to empower students to take ownership of their academic journey. Through shared advising scenarios, the presenters illustrate how coaching techniques can be applied in common advising contexts and invite participants to practice these skills in an interactive and engaging format.
Please review our Academic Advising Seminars Archive to view previous seminars. Many of these contain a recording of the presentation and additional notes and documentation.