2021 Quick Guide of the Schedule of Events

9th Annual Advisor Week Schedule - Our second Virtual Advisor Week!

Here is a quick guide so you can save the dates and times on your calendar - we've got a lot of great events and expect some additions, as well as detailed descriptions of the events! There's more coming, but save these right now!

MONDAY, MARCH 22ND - Student Success Lecture Series Session featuring a topic on research recently completed on COMMUTER STUDENTS
"Student Living Situations and Commuting Experiences: Understanding Implications for Academics, Belonging, and Connection"
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 am
Access the Recording on the ORSS Web Page
Slides from Presentations:
VPUAAP's "First-Year Living: Understanding UIC Students’ Housing and Commuting" Presentation Slides and Handout Version
Commuter and Off Campus Life's "My Life in a Backpack" Presentation Slides and Handout Version

Join Dr. Lindsey Back, Associate Director of the Office for Research on Student Success (ORSS), and the staff of Commuter and Off-Campus Life as they present recent research work related to commuter students. There will be time for interactive questions and discussion.

As we plan for on-campus operations in the Fall, it is critical to keep in mind that UIC students travel from near and far to attend the university, and those living situations and commuting experiences can impact them both socioemotionally and academically. Presenters from the Office for Research on Student Success will explore the wide range of first-year students’ living situations prior to COVID-19 in 2016 to 2018 in relation to demographic information, academic progress, and retention outcomes, using institutional, Common Application, and Entering Student Survey data. Commuting students in particular have historically faced a unique set of challenges on a daily basis. From battling rush hour traffic to balancing family responsibilities, commuting students' days are filled to the brim with academic, travel, and personal obligations. Presenters from Commuter and Off-Campus Life will share findings from a recent qualitative study at UIC examining how 11 commuting students experienced sense of belonging and connection to the institution. The session will conclude with a discussion of implications for practice and policy, highlighting the perspectives of advisors, with a focus on identifying opportunities to integrate findings into interactions with students as we shift from a virtual to an in-person learning environment.

Presenters: Lindsey Back, Associate Director, Office for Research on Student Success, Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Academic Programs; Reshunda Bates, Graduate Assistant, Elizabeth Salgado, Graduate Assistant, and Kelly McCray, Interim Director, Commuter and Off-Campus Life

Our Advisor Week Planning Team is pleased that we are continuing to partner with the OVPUAAP to feature the Student Success Lecture Series as we learn together in this special week.

The Student Success Lecture Series showcases research and initiatives being undertaken by the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Academic Programs and across campus to better understand and improve the success of UIC students. The lectures offer a cross-disciplinary dialogue among researchers, faculty, staff, and administrators employing different methodologies to explore questions about student success at UIC and suggest recommendations for practice that will benefit our students.

MONDAY, MARCH 22ND - Brown Bag Lunch Chat - What do you love to do? Tell us about your crafting, cook, hobbies, anything you enjoy! (Or just come over and chat over lunch....)
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Since we can't buy you lunch, we're just gonna have to brown bag it, but this is one of our favorite activities....we get to relax, eat lunch, and learn about all the things we enjoy doing! One of the most interesting and fun things is to learn and share with each other about our skills, hobbies, and things we LOVE! Do you knit...or perhaps crochet? Do you paint? Do you do carpentry? Do you cook and have a favorite recipe? Do you like to read? Do you write? Do you make jewelry? This event is designed as a casual, free wheeling conversation that gives us a chance to learn about each other and to hear about new things we may want to try! And if you just want to bring your lunch for a casual hang out on Zoom to celebrate our Advisor Week kicking off, do that too!

MONDAY, MARCH 22ND - Featured Topic Session - The National Student Survey of Engagement (NSSE) Academic Advising 2020 Academic Advising Results 
Time: 3:00 - 4:30 pm
Recording - View the Recording
Presentation Slides: Slides PDF or Handout Version
Join our very own Danny Lambouths from the Office of Institutional Research and our Steering Committee Hosts Mirtza Campbell (CUPPA) and Iliana Miranda (LARES) for this interactive presentation the focuses and takes a deeper dive into the NSSE 2020 Academic Advising results. As part of the NSSE survey, UIC administers a module on academic advising, which provides context as to how first-year/freshmen and seniors respond to questions related to advising. We are excited to feature our OIR partners as part of this special session to provide us with more information and analyses related to the results of this module. Designed to be interactive, this session can provide us jumping off points for further discussion of advising, our practice, and our students. Starting in the 2019 - 2020 administration, the NSSE Academic Advising module measurements were intentionally mapped to NACADA Core Competencies and intended learning outcomes of advising. We are excited to have the opportunity to engage with these analyses using our own university's results.

TUESDAY, MARCH 23RD - OAD Open House Day featuring a relaxation Zoom room of cute animal videos and other moments of joy and relaxation! 
Time: Room opens 9:30 and will stay open until our Advisor Week Virtual Networking Event!
This is something we've been thinking about for awhile, and with self care on our minds, we all just sometimes need a break, so....we're making a Zoom room designed for doing it! OAD staff and volunteers will be hosting an open come in, come out as you please Zoom room for the day. Think Hoda Kotbe's TODAY Show "Morning Boost" for the entire DAY where the one pre-requisite to join us is that you either must enjoy watching cute, uplifting, funny videos - there may be a strong preference for fuzzy animal videos (cats, dogs, etc.) and want to watch them periodically, or you have in hand and will share with others your favorite "boost" videos! It's open-ended and free form, and we just might have specific themed breakout rooms given the interest in this activity....
RSVP: Even though it's a drop-in event, RSVP for the Zoom Room link

TUESDAY, MARCH 23RD - Advisor Week Networking Event - Virtual Pub Crawl
Time: 4:00 pm - until we're done o'clock 
Alright folks, it's time for Virtual Advisor Week Happy Hour....now....you read that right....OAD is hosting a virtual pub crawl....and well, what's a virtual pub crawl you're asking? It's our Zoom room with breakout rooms to visit your favorite local watering hold in a safe, COVID-friendly way....pick your poison and your favorite place to drink it - the difference here is that it's a little more open ended....you can visit whichever breakout room strikes your fancy "The Ambassador", "Little Joe's", "Ph.D. Pub", "Lalo's", "Wise Owl", "Green St. Local", etc. there's plenty of rooms and places to hang out, so join us and go from room to room or make some plans with your friends and colleagues to hang out at one of our virtual UIC area bars. You're in charge of your cocktail, mocktail, or favorite frosty beverage, but we're in charge of providing the space and the sage advice from the Zoom bartender....come where' we know your name!

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24TH - Morning for in Unit Advisor Week activities...
We have provided the morning off from events for units and advisors to pursue their own activities...we're looking forward to our afternoon events with NASP and the Office of External Fellowships with some student panelists.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24TH - Featured Topic Session - An Afternoon with Office of External Fellowships - join our very own Dr. Kimberly Germain! 
Time: 2:00 - 3:30 pm 
Request the Recording
We are pleased to be able to host our very own Dr. Kim Germain to provide us with valuable information on national and international fellowship opportunities for students and to talk with us about the pivotal role advisors can play in students' learning about fellowships, long-term preparation for candidacy, and the journey students take in fellowship application. Kim is a leading expert in this field and will also bring student voices to the table for this active session.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25TH - Coffee and a Reading - Join us with your coffee, tea, or favorite morning beverage and a common reading! 
Time: 9:30 - 11:00 am
Think a virtual common reading for this session - we're excited about doing it. Our article for discussion for this session is "I Failed Out of College; Let Me Help You” by Luke Faust, Indiana University of Pennsylvania from NACADA's Academic Advising Today - access the article at NACADA's Academic Advising Today article posting. Join us for a discussion of our advising journeys as we jump off from this article, which is a heartfelt thank you from an advisor to his undergraduate advisor and speaks to paths by which many advisors join and excel in the profession.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25TH - Brown Bag Lunch - NACADA Webinar and Discussion - NACADA Webinar "The Magical World of Academic Advising: Advising Styles and Personalities Unite!" and Discussion
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Zoom Link: Visit Advisor Week Zoom Links
View the Webinar Here
Now, you know how much we love to buy lunch and do a webinar viewing and discussion....in deference to our virtual space, we're going to have a brown bag lunch and you should feel free to make yourself or order yourself something special since this is a special NACADA topic - advising and the witchcraft and wizardry of the sorting hat!

The description from NACADA tells us "In this 55-minute 2021 videocast, presenters from Ontario Tech University and the University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa use elements of the Magical World as metaphors to help us understand the magic of our world of Academic Advising. They join forces to consider how the world of wizards can provide insights to help us become more effective advisors and colleagues. In the world of “The Boy Who Lived”, wizards (both students and their teachers/advisors) are sorted into four Houses based on their personality traits and values: Badgers are patient, Lions are brave, Eagles are intelligent, and Snakes are ambitious. While we might have some preconceived opinions about which of these characteristics would make for the “ideal” students, advisors, and colleagues, we know that reality requires that in our real world we are able to interact successfully with all types. The presenters consider how each of us, regardless of our “House” affiliation, can guide our advising approaches and contribute to a holistic working environment. All advising professionals can benefit from this session, and non-magic folk are also welcome."

OAD and UIC as a whole are fully committed to creating an inclusive environment for all staff and students. In recognition of recent comments made my J.K. Rowling, we wanted to take this time to reiterate that commitment and acknowledge that Harry Potter can mean a lot of things to many people. This presentation was created in Spring 2021 based upon work presented in 2018 and 2019, and is designed to help connect advising to all of the wonderful things the Wizarding World provides.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25TH - Give Yourself a Break - MOSAICS with Creativita - delivered to your home!
Time: 3:30 - until we're done (but probably close to 5-ish....)
For those of you who did painting with us in the winter, you're used to this, but for those who didn't, if you want to participate we will have mosaic materials delivered to you (or sent if beyond a certain mileage range), but either way, you will get your materials in a COVID safe manner and you can do mosaics with us! Our wonderful creative partners at Creativita will lead us in mosaic making via Zoom. We're really excited to do this since it's been in the works for a long time and you can enjoy some relaxing crafting in the safety and security of your own place! Bring a frosty beverage, a nice warm cozy mug of coffee or tea and any snacks you want (we're partial to candy this time of year....we're just saying...) and create something great!
RSVP: This event is closed. Deliveries will be made to those who RSVP'd on Wednesday, March 24th

FRIDAY, MARCH 26TH - Morning for in Unit Advisor Week activities...or our Yoga session via recording at your leisure!
We have provided the morning off from events for units and advisors to pursue their own activities...we're looking forward to our afternoon casual chat! While we normally would have ended our week with a live Zoom yoga session, we're actually planning that for a future "Pop-Up Yoga to Start Your Day" with Rachel Nadzjin on April 22nd so you need to SAVE THE DATE for that. In lieu of that, we think it would be amazing to take advantage of our session from last year with Rachel - you can access the recording at our Advisor Links!

FRIDAY, MARCH 26TH - Brown Bag High Tea Chat - What's your favorite outdoor activity? Do you have a favorite Chicagoland trail or nature walk? (Or just come over and chat over lunch....)
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 pm
View Advisor Week Zoom Links
We're going to end the week the way we started it, with casual brown bag lunch conversation! We end our week together relaxing, eating lunch, and talking about our favorite outdoor activities! As the weather gets better in Chicago, the outdoors becomes our favorite place to be....do you have a secret place you love to go but you're willing to share? Is there a great nature trail near your house? Do you have a favorite neighborhood in Chicago? Just like Monday this event is designed as a casual, free wheeling conversation that gives us a chance to learn about each other and to hear about new things we may want to try! And if you just want to bring your lunch for a casual hang out on Zoom to celebrate everything we've done this Advisor Week before you say hello to the weekend, come join us!