Onboarding Academic Advisors: Strategies For Success In Changing Times

Description  Challenge - Successfully onboarding academic advisors Academic advisors are integral to both student and institutional success. Getting new academic advisors oriented and equipped to handle their duties and responsibilities requires careful planning and training. The diversity, sheer volume, and technological orientation of today's students make it increasingly difficult to implement effective academic advising. This webinar will address the challenges and opportunities embedded in the onboarding process for academic advisors. Key Takeaway Participants will learn how to better prepare academic advisors to meet their students' needs, given the constantly evolving landscape of higher education. The session will emphasize evidence-based best practices as they relate to onboarding academic advisors effectively and efficiently, using various interlocking and complementary approaches.  Overview "Onboarding is an opportunity for employers to teach skills, share information, and outline behaviors that will set the new hire on a path toward job success. In this stage, hiring managers need to be intentional about sharing specific knowledge to ensure the employee feels part of the team and valued. From the new hire perspective, this stage is where they decide if the first day's experiences match the hiring process. The onboarding experience impacts how the employee performs, how they feel about working at the organization, and how long they remain with the organization. Losing a new hire is costly in both time and money." - Andrea Miller (NACADA)This webinar will cover preparing academic advisors to succeed given the uncertainties ahead. Being able to provide high-quality services in a variety of formats in a seamless manner takes significant forethought, planning, and professional development. The emphasis will be on new academic advisors, although the insights and strategies discussed will also apply to returning professionals. The speaker will highlight key aspects of the staff selection process as hiring the right person determines how successful the onboarding process will be. Moreover, the essential components of a successful academic advising program will be featured, focusing on how those components can be implemented to give new and returning academic advisors maximum flexibility. The goal is to develop and maintain an advising relationship regardless of what form that relationship ultimately takes and irrespective of what the future holds. A primary focus will be on utilizing the best approach amid constantly evolving circumstances. Opportunities for participant involvement through case studies and real-time feedback via chat will also be used to enhance the learning experience. Objectives Assess and anticipate evolving needs with respect to academic advising as a consequence of the pandemic and other factors. Review the essential components of successful academic advising, emphasizing how those components can be configured and reconfigured quickly and effectively. Explore evidence-based best practices associated with the selection of academic advisors. Investigate evidence-based best practices associated with the professional development (initial and ongoing) of academic advisors. Learn how to train academic advisors more effectively, preparing them for multiple scenarios based on unknown contingencies. Discover strategies for training academic advisors so they are prepared to meet their students' needs using various integrated strategies. Navigate the challenges of responding to larger numbers of advisees while retaining a personal approach irrespective of delivery methods. Consider case studies from the proverbial real world that demonstrate how academic advisors can continue to be effective in challenging conditions. Who Should Attend Academic Advising and Retention Orientation and Advising Admissions and Recruitment Enrollment Management Alumni Affairs/Placement Services Academic Affairs/Advising Faculty Student Services/Affairs Registrar Student Financial Assistance Any educator interested in learning more about onboarding academic advisors successfully