Spring 2023

Spring 2023 Advising Chats

Date: Thursday, February 9, 2023
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 PM
Location: Zoom only (this session will be recorded and uploaded soon thereafter to our VT video channel).
Speaker: Christina McIntyre
Description: High achieving students have a unique set of needs that can be served through partnerships with advisors and other student support practitioners. With over 15 years of experience directly supporting this population of students, Christina McIntyre will pull from literature and experience in this session to discuss strategies for best supporting high-achieving students through academic, co-curricular, and extra-curricular involvement and reflection. She will also share information about National-level scholarships and how practitioners can empower and support students who may be interested in such opportunities.

Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 AM
Location: Hybrid (Newman MPR and Zoom; in-person attendance is highly encouraged; this session will not be recorded).
Speaker: Rebecca Jarvis
Description: In this advising chat, Rebecca Jarvis will share her insights and research on the topic of burnout. The presentation will include systemic factors that may affect experiences of burnout and also provide participants with actionable takeaways about preventing and managing burnout in both themselves and their students. The presentation will move beyond the scope of a "self-care to-do-list" and, instead, will explore how individuals frame their relationship to work through reflective exercises and activities.

Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Location: Hybrid (Newman MPR and Zoom; in-person attendance is highly encouraged)
Speaker: Kendria Mason
Description: Supporting and impacting students’ experiences can happen in various ways, any of which are critical to students’ persistence in higher education. In this interactive presentation, Virginia Tech's Coordinator of First-Year Experiences, Kendria Mason, will discuss the significance of mentorship and engagement when supporting first-year students and will highlight ways that advisors can serve as mentors to this population. The presentation will incorporate conversation with an FYE instructor about the impacts of partnering with an advisor in an FYE course. This session is appropriate for all who work with first-year students, including those who lead FYE courses and those who do not.

Date: Thursday, May 4, 2023
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Location: Zoom only
Speakers: Christina Fabrey, Dr. Tara Frank, Ashley Offutt, and Dr. Jess Westcott
Description: Academic difficulties are rarely rooted in one factor alone, such as academic preparation or level of interest in a subject. In this advising chat, we will be joined by a panel of practitioners from various offices, including Cook Counseling, Dean of Students, SOAR (InclusiveVT), and the Student Success Center. Panelists will respond to a set of prepared questions that address topics such as student and faculty/staff resources, factors that may influence academic difficulty, and advising or mentoring approaches for supporting students who are experiencing such difficulties. This panel conversation will be followed by an opportunity for comments and questions from attendees.

Date: Thursday, April 27, 2023
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Location: Zoom only
Description: This highly interactive session will enable participants to share ideas and practices regarding first-year student engagement and/or mentorship. Participants are encouraged to come ready to share their experiences with prior initiatives and/or ready to learn from and build off of other’s ideas. We encourage all to attend, whether or not you have previous experience mentoring first-year students or leading FYE courses.