Learn. Lead. Contribute.
Introduction
Professional growth happens through more than attending workshops. The Office of Advising Development provides opportunities for academic advisors, student success coaches, and advising administration professionals to actively contribute to the advising community while developing leadership, project management, collaboration, and higher education administration skills.
Whether you are looking to shape professional development opportunities for your colleagues or take on a strategic campus-wide initiative, OAD offers pathways to get involved, make an impact, and continue your professional growth.
Learn → Professional growth and development
Lead → OAD Fellowships (project leadership, administration, strategy)
Contribute → PAVE (service, committee leadership, professional development planning)
OAD Fellowships
Gain Experience. Expand Your Skills. Make an Impact.
The OAD Fellowship Program provides academic advisors, success coaches, and advising administrators with opportunities to contribute to campus-wide initiatives while gaining experience in leadership, project management, assessment, strategic planning, and higher education administration.
Fellows serve in developmental roles that allow them to work alongside OAD leadership on projects that support advising excellence, student success, and organizational effectiveness.
Fellowship Learning Experience:
- Collaborate directly with OAD leadership and campus administrators.
- Lead strategic initiatives affecting the advising community.
- Develop project management and leadership competencies.
- Expand understanding of university operations and governance structures.
- Build relationships with colleagues across colleges and administrative units.
- Strengthen skills that support advancement into future leadership positions.
Details about OAD Fellowships:
There are currently four OAD Fellowship positions. Position descriptions, qualifications, logistics and links to applications are listed below.
OAD Fellow, Advisor Onboarding Program Administration
Position Summary
The Fellow for Advisor Onboarding Program Administration supports operational management of UIC’s Advisor Onboarding Program. This position provides administrative support for participant engagement, onboarding activities, program tracking, and mentor program coordination.
This developmental fellowship provides exposure to large-scale program administration, change management, assessment practices, and cross-campus collaboration.
Primary Responsibilities
- Monitor participant progress through onboarding requirements.
- Track completion of training milestones and required learning activities.
- Maintain onboarding records and documentation.
- Monitor mentor and mentee participation.
- Collect onboarding participation and completion data.
- Assist with program assessment efforts.
- Identify trends and opportunities for continuous program improvement.
- Contribute to recommendations for program enhancement and sustainability.
Through this fellowship, participants will gain experience in:
- Program and training administration
- Assessment and evaluation
- Change management
- Leadership
- Cross-campus collaboration
- Strategic planning
- Project coordination
OAD Fellow, Advisor Onboarding Learning Systems & Content Administration - 1 position
Position Summary
The Fellow for Advisor Onboarding Learning Systems and Content Administration supports the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of UIC’s Advisor Onboarding curriculum and learning technologies. This role focuses on learning management system administration, instructional content management, accessibility compliance, and quality assurance.
The fellowship provides hands-on experience in educational technology, accessibility practices, instructional design, and training program management.
Primary Responsibilities
- Manage onboarding curriculum within the designated learning management system.
- Test and troubleshoot LMS functionality.
- Ensure information remains accurate and current.
- Update onboarding content and learning materials as necessary.
- Assist with development of new learning resources and materials.
- Support adherence to Title II and digital accessibility requirements.
- Help establish content governance and review schedules.
- Maintain version control and documentation processes.
- Make recommendations for improving learner experience and content organization.
Through this fellowship, participants will gain experience in:
- Learning management systems
- Accessibility and compliance
- Instructional design
- Content governance
- Educational technology
- Training administration
- Process improvement
OAD Fellow, Strategic Initiatives & Professional Development - 2 position
Position Summary
The Fellow for Strategic Initiatives & Professional Development serves as a member of the Office of Advising Development team and contributes to professional development programming, advisor recognition initiatives, and strategic projects that advance advising excellence at UIC.
Fellows will be assigned a strategic project aligned with institutional priorities and will play a leadership role in supporting the PAVE committee and campus-wide advising initiatives. Project assignments may vary annually.
Primary Responsibilities
Strategic Project Leadership
- Lead or co-lead a designated strategic project.
- Develop project plans, goals, deliverables, and timelines.
- Conduct research and associated tasks.
- Gather stakeholder feedback and recommendations.
- Present project outcomes and recommendations to campus leadership.
Professional Development Programs
- Assist with planning and execution of advisor professional development opportunities.
- Support Advisor Weeks, Advising Summits and other campus-wide initiatives.
- Collaborate with presenters, committees, and campus partners.
Advising Recognition Programs
- Support administration of the advising award programs.
- Coordinate review materials and committee support activities.
- Promote advisor recognition across the advising community.
Assessment and Reporting
- Collect and analyze program data.
- Assist in preparing reports and presentations.
- Evaluate effectiveness of programs and initiatives.
- Recommend improvements and future opportunities.
Leadership and Collaboration
- Provide leadership and model initiative for the Professional Advisor Development and Enrichment committee (PAVE).
- Build relationships with advising leaders and campus partners.
- Participate in strategic planning discussions and organizational projects.
Through this fellowship, participants will gain experience in:
- Higher education administration
- Strategic planning
- Project management
- Committee leadership
- Event administration
- Assessment and evaluation
- Campus-wide collaboration
- Organizational change initiatives
Q & L
Qualifications
Applicants should:
- Hold a full-time advising, coaching, or student success position at UIC.
- Demonstrate initiative and interest in organizational leadership and professional growth.
- Demonstrate ability to work independently, take initiative, and maintain momentum on long-term projects by establishing priorities, meeting milestones, and following through on deliverables.
- Possess strong communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
- Have an interest in project planning, assessment, or program development.
- Be capable of balancing fellowship responsibilities alongside primary position duties.
Logistics:
- The fellowship appointment is for one 9-month term.
- A one-time renewal for a second term may be considered based on the Fellow’s contributions and project outcomes, with agreement from the Fellow, their supervisor, and the Office of Advising Development.
- A fellowship is an overcompensation of $5,000 distributed over the 9-month period
- Work levels ebb and flow based on the demands of both the primary professional position cycle and the needs of the Fellow position – on average 6 hours per week
- A standing, one-hour weekly meeting
Application
Application:
- Please apply using Qualtrics link – applications accepted through Aug 2, 2026
- Updated resume required
- Must secure supervisor approval as part of application process
PAVE
Professional development opportunities planned, supported, or publicized by OAD are centered in the OAD Professional Advisor Development and Enrichment (PAVE) Committee. Committee members participate in shaping the activities with recommendations from the chair. The PAVE Committee is intended to provide a platform for every college, success unit, and student services and program partners to work together to:
- Engage the advising community;
- Continually evaluate how to best serve students, and;
- Provide opportunities for professional development and career enrichment.
Details about PAVE:
Full Member
Committee Membership: Units with advising responsibilities shall designate a representative to serve on the PAVE Committee for a term of two years, renewable indefinitely at the discretion of the representative’s supervisor. It is strongly recommended that representatives should have at least two years of professional advising (or advising related/similar) experience (at any institution) and at least a semester’s experience at UIC.
Expectations:
Committee members shall:
- Regularly attend monthly OAD PAVE Committee meetings
- Engage substantively with committee work and yearly goal setting
- Chair a working group or participate in at least one working group
- Attend working group meetings
- Take a leadership role within the working group whether explicitly as chair or implicitly as a committee member by participating in and encouraging participation by all members in all aspects of the group’s work.
- Serve as an Event Representative at least once per year – particularly if it is your working group
- Contribute to/participate in the preparation for the event;
- Contribute to/participate in the closing of and follow-up to the event.
- Represent interests of their department and report information/publicize events back to units
- Report in a timely manner to the PAVE Chair or OAD Director/Chair (as appropriate) if unable to participate in expected activities and planning for any reason.
Current Representatives
- Anthony (JP) Jordan-Parnell, AAAN
- Anthony Carr, CHANCE
- Ashley Stewart, TRIO
- Curtis Kimberlin, LAS Pre-Professional Advising
- Eddie Mendoza, LARES
- Eli Vang, AASAP
- Felix Castillo, ACE
- Issy Marquez, Honors College
- Jennifer Gerena, LAS
- Jo Wagner, AHS
- Joseph Chambers, CBA
- Kevin Price, SPH
- Lahney Villahong, COE CS
- Liv Jordan, CADA
- Estherine Morgan, CUPPA
- Monique Williams, CON
- Patrick Eubanks, COE
- Ryan Raymond, SAAS
- Rebeca Lamadrid-Quevedo, COED
- Lisa Hehman, Chair, OAD
- Nick Ardinger, Vice Chair, OAD
- Josephine Volpe, Associate Vice Provost, Office for Advising Development
Link to Qualtrics Interest Survey
We welcome the advising community and professionals to get involved and help us plan professional development opportunities for the community.
Please fill out the interest form using the link below:
PAVE is responsible for executing the following projects:
Each project has a project lead….a PAVE member can volunteer to be a project lead taking responsibility for executing the event, activity, or associated duties with the assistance from other members:
- Fall Advising Summit
- Major Minor Fair
- Winter Advisor Week
- Spring Advising Summit
- Spring Advisor Week
- Advising Awards Ceremony
- Advisor on Fire
- Advisor Recognition
- Professional Association Participation
- Conference Presentations
- Social Media
- Socials and Networking