Connect with your region in Orlando

Jennifer L. McCaul from Grand Valley State University, who serves as the Great Lakes Region V Chair, joins us this week. If you're unfamiliar with the NACADA regions or need to refresh, you may want to view the 10 Regions and their leaders. Thanks for highlighting regions for us Jennifer!

The Annual Conference is an opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the country and the world. However, I find that it's also the best time to connect with the folks that are in my own back yard. That's right! We get so wrapped up in our daily work that we don't often get outside of our bubble to talk to colleagues who work right down the road, or across the state, or across the region. There are so many wonderful things happening across the regions and we often have many shared experiences, cultural similarities, and challenges (economic and otherwise) that it's a good idea to see how our neighbors are handling these issues. It's also much easier to "sell" ideas to your own administration if you can find a similar institution doing something great in your own region because it proves it can work "here."

Take advantage of several opportunities to connect with your region in Orlando:

Welcome Reception: Sunday, October 3, 2010 8:30-10 p.m.

• Each region will have a sign displayed for you to gather with other members of your region and mingle. Use this opening event to find a "conference buddy" to share session notes and ideas with throughout the conference and then have someone to connect with after you get home.

Region Meetings: Monday, October 4, 2010 4:30-5:30 p.m.

• I know a lot of folks don't know what the region meetings are for and decide to check out the sights instead. I would encourage you to stick around and see what's happening in your region! Region leadership will share information about what is happening in the region - which often includes awards, scholarships, grants, conferences, and other events. The meetings then split into state and province meetings; this is an opportunity for you to learn how to get more involved in NACADA. Remember in these tough economic times, we're working to bring NACADA to where you are!

Best of Region Sessions

• The members in each of the 10 regions have selected these sessions as the best presentation from their respective NACADA region conference. Congratulations to the presenters who have been honored with this selection!

Don’t forgot to check out upcoming events in each region.

I can't wait to see all of my friends and colleagues again in Orlando. In fact, if I haven't met you - be sure to look me up! I'll be the one with the big grin on my face soaking up everything that NACADA has to offer... see you in 33 days!

Disney's FREE Magical Express Shuttle

What's the easiest way to save $80 while traveling to the Annual Conference in Orlando? If you're staying at the Coronado Spring Resort or other Walt Disney World Resort Hotels, take a FREE shuttle to/from the airport! This will save you a $40-50 one-way cab fare.

Disney's Magical Express Shuttle provides complimentary roundtrip airport transportation and baggage delivery for guests - which means you can skip baggage claim and your bags will appear in your room.

Please visit the FAQs page to learn more about the service because it is only available to certain airlines and reservations are required 30 DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR ARRIVAL DATE!

Learn how to sign up and use Disney's Magical Express, as well as any restrictions. You can also call directly: 407.939.1020. Only 37 days left!!!

Words of advice from Charlie Nutt, Executive Director of NACADA

Charlie Nutt, the NACADA Executive Director, is posting for us this week. Thanks Charlie!

Welcome to the 2010 Magical Annual NACADA Experience!

Ever since my very first NACADA Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in 1992 I have looked forward to each October for my annual NACADA Experience! Whether this is your first or your 34th conference, I know you are feeling the same excitement and anticipation that I am as we move closer to joining 3000+ members of the Global Community for Academic Advising in Orlando. It is a chance to see old friends, meet new friends, hear exciting and informative keynote speakers, learn new skills, explore exemplary practices and programs, network in commission meetings and region meetings, and get re-energized in our commitment to academic advising.

I would like to share a few suggestions on how you can get the most out of your NACADA Orlando Experience:

Come Prepared

• Bring a large supply of business cards so that you can connect with new colleagues or presenters you want to contact later
• Use the Interactive Schedule Planner to plan out your "conference experience" before leaving home
• Visit NACADA’s blog, Twitter, and Facebook frequently to stay updated on the Annual Conference

Get Involved at the Conference

Workshops and concurrent sessions are only part of the NACADA Experience. In order to fully embrace NACADA at our best plan to:

• Attend your region meetings or our gathering for international participants
• Attend at least one commission or interest group meeting to network and get involved with colleagues with similar interests as you
• Attend the Common Reading event to gain a perspective on the value of research and analysis in the field of academic advising
• Attend the NACADA Town Hall meeting to gain perspective of our association and get involved
• Make dinner plans or Disney Park plans each night with at least one new NACADA colleague

Continue the NACADA Experience after Orlando

• Send a summary of your experience and a plan for how you can implement what you learned to your immediate supervisor - thanking them for the opportunity to attend
• Prepare a summary of the key workshops, sessions, or keynote addresses you found specifically applicable to your institution or program and share them with your colleagues on campus who were unable to attend
• Be sure to connect with new colleagues you met to continue expanding your professional connections in the Global Community of Academic Advising!
• Begin planning to take advantage of the 2011 Annual NACADA Experience in Denver next October

I look forward to seeing you all in Orlando!

Speaker Spotlight: Rey Junco

With only 47 days left to go until the Annual Conference, I wanted to spotlight another speaker. Dr. Rey Junco is currently an Associate Professor and the Director of Disability Services in the Department of Academic Development and Counseling at Lock Haven University. He is widely regarded as a leading scholar on social media in higher education. Take a few moments to read Rey's article, "Using Emerging Technologies to Engage Students and Enhance Their Success," in the September issue of Academic Advising Today. You can follow him on twitter.com/reyjunco and check out his blog.

I wanted NACADA members to gain insight into what Rey will be speaking about at the opening session, so he took the time to answer a few questions.

Brad Popiolek: Why were you interested in speaking at the NACADA Annual Conference?

Rey Junco: It's a fascinating coincidence that ten years ago I presented one of my first national conference sessions at the NACADA conference in Orlando. That was four years before Facebook launched. Clearly, the technologies available and the ways that students interact with them, grow and learn because of them, and are challenged by them has changed considerably. I'm excited to be sharing what I've learned in these ten years about how we, as advisors, can best use technology to support our students.

BP: Describe some of your research interests and how they may relate to academic advising.

RJ: I focus on assessing the impact of emerging technologies on student psychosocial development, engagement, and success. Lately, I've focused a lot on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. While there is a good deal of interest in using newer technologies in higher education, research examining educational and developmental outcomes is scarce. Therefore, I focus on clarifying the impacts that social media have on our students through data-driven approaches. My goal is for advisors to be able to use my results to decide which technologies will be most effective to use with their students and to uncover the most effective ways to use them.

BP: What are possible topics that NACADA members can anticipate hearing about from you?

RJ: Most people think that, because of my research, I'm a digital evangelist. In reality, I take a very measured approach in considering educationally-relevant uses of technology. While attendees will hear me talk about the positive outcomes of student technology use, they'll also hear me talk about the pitfalls. Additionally, I believe it's important not to categorize all students as having equal technology skills just because they are younger than we are or grew up at a time when our society is saturated by technology. So, attendees will also hear me talk about digital inequalities in student ownership and use of technology, something that is of great importance and interest to me.

Rey Junco will be speaking at the Opening General Session on Sunday, October 3 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. in the Coronado Ballroom

Speaker Spotlight: Vasti Torres

NACADA is excited to have Dr. Vasti Torres as the Plenary Speaker at the 2010 Annual Conference. Dr. Torres is currently a faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Indiana University. She teaches classes in student affairs administration, student development theory, diversity, and research in higher education.

I wanted NACADA members to learn more about Vasti prior to the conference, so she took the time to do a quick Q&A as the conference approaches - only 54 days to go!!!

Brad Popiolek: Why were you interested in speaking at the NACADA Annual Conference?

Vasti Torres: Regardless of the type of campus, residential or commuter, the academic advisor is the one person that every student should have contact with. What I think is critical in helping students is that advisors must take an active outreach role - many times it is assumed that students understand the advisor role and will come to the person. My research illustrates that this is not the case for all students.

BP: Describe some of your research interests and how they may relate to academic advising.

VT: Early on in my longitudinal study of Latino/a college students I found that having a mentor or advisor was very important to the students who were processing and developing. As a result I added this as an item to the survey of the students I was following - the results illustrate this importance. The issue is that not all students had identified a mentor or advisor - this means there is much more work that needs to be done.

BP: What are possible topics that NACADA members can anticipate hearing about from you?

VT: Some confirmation of the importance of the academic advisor and then some challenges about how this work should be done to reach students who may not understand what this role is.

Vasti Torres will be speaking in Orlando on Tuesday, October 5 from 8:30-10:00 a.m. in the Coronado Ballroom.

Mixing Work with Pleasure…

I admit it - after the conference, I plan to play a day in Orlando. If you are planning some time for play as well, take a look at the ideas below:

• After-hour tickets to the theme parks are available on our website. If you are staying at the Coronado Spring’s Resort there is a FREE shuttle that runs all day to all Disney theme parks.
• Theme parks….again! If you are a Harry Potter fan, prepare to have your dreams come true. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter park opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure this summer, so be sure to pack your wizarding robe and wand.
• Behind-the-scenes tours of Disney World, called Disney Institute Tours, are available before and after the conference and tickets must be purchased on our website prior to the conference.
• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, with food and wine samples from various countries, is being held while we are in Orlando! Remember, the parks all close at different times, so check here for the relevant operating hours.
• Spend an evening unwinding at Downtown Disney, which offers a wonderful array of shops and restaurants to enjoy… especially the Ghirardelli chocolate store. Irresistible! The Disney Shuttle system will provide a complimentary ride back and forth.
• Check out the conference hospitality booth to sign up for a dinner group - it’s a great way to network and meet new friends!

After a full day of conference sessions, maybe a nice stroll around the lake will be sufficient! I’ll see you there!