Presenters: Karen C. Thurmond and Amanda Lee Savage

1. Grassroots Leadership: Creating Professional Communities from the Bottom Up Friday, May 18, 2018 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM UC Shelby Room Presenters: Karen C. Thurmond and Amanda Lee Savage

2. Introductions Karen C. Thurmond Director of Academic Advising, retired AAN Administrator, 2007-14 Amanda Lee Savage Instructor/Advisor, Department of History AAN Co-Chair 2015-16 AAN Executive Committee, 2016-17

3. Agenda History of Academic Advising Network at UofM Benefits and Missteps of AAN Benefits and Missteps of Grassroots Leadership Looking Forward

4. History of the Academic Advising Network Prior to 2000 – Cross campus collaborative of non faculty principles charged with discussing student issues and led by Dir Curriculum Planning; 40% of advisors are primary role Circa 2000 – Provost Sidney McPhee reorganizes the network into two entities Academic Advising Network Provost’s Advisory Council on Academic Advising (Leadership still resides with Dir Curriculum Planning and later Dir Academic Advising) Circa 2015 – Vice Provost Richard Irwin reorganizes network into an advisor-led organization (Chairs elected or appointed); 70% of advisors are primary role

5. Benefits of a network Relationships with colleagues Updates on trends and policies Professional renewal for experienced advisors Essential training and development opportunities Improving satisfaction and retention rates for advisors Achieving institutional goals Fostering research in the field of advising

6. Missteps in network effectiveness Advisors do not attend because of concerns over time away from office Institutional commitment lacking because of money and time away from office Institutional doubt concerning advisor development effectiveness

7. …going grassroots Practical considerations of the duties of the position of Director of Academic Advising at UofM Climate of the meetings Decentralization of advising leadership to colleges and units Growing body of primary role academic advisors with interest in leadership Need for leadership opportunities for various academic advisors outside their unit Impending retirement of director (urgency)

8. Transition to Member-Based Leadership AAN Co-Chairs: diverse departments and roles • 2014 Trellis Morgan (Manager, FCBE) and Mary Brignole (Director, CARES) • 2015 Amanda Lee Savage (History) and Lori Stewart (Engineering) • 2016 Cody Clinton (FCBE) and Jenna Koestler (ACC) • 2017 Jessica Flanigan (ACC) and Jessica Kelso (CAS)

9. Benefits of Grassroots Initiative 1.) Advisor retention Lack of career ladders in advising Breaking down barriers Increased opportunities for leadership roles in advising and beyond

10. Benefits of Grassroots Initiative (con’t) • 2. Opportunities for professional growth through program contribution • Creation of a robust advising portfolio • Frequent meetings with member-driven agenda allow for rapid response to immediate student needs • Increased clarity for take-away messages, information ranking

11. Benefits of Grassroots Initiative (con’t) 3.) Having a voice: being part of an organization that reflects it’s members 4.) Preventing burnout through camaraderie and self-care

12. Missteps in Grassroots Initiative Decentralized leadership = decentralized mission No pulse on administration/answering to multiple masters Stagnation

13. Looking forward Mission statement with buy-in from members Lobby for increased professionalization institutionally More deliberate methods for increased professional development Program development for meetings Blogs (thematic, multiple authors, editorial board) More formal mechanisms for self-governance A balance of new/old leadership, faculty/staff Pathway for shared responsibility

14. Conclusions at the Org level Increased collaboration between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Use AAN to strengthen definition of advising to broadly encompass more “student success” initiatives

15. Conclusions at the Individual Level • Grassroots Leadership for AAN: • Creates more leadership opportunities for academic advisors • Allows for greater input and collaboration with one another • Encourages a sense of ownership not previously experienced • Fosters relationships that transcend academic units and positions

16. Resources Barber, D. (2005, September). Creating a campus-based advising organization: The KASADA experience. Academic Advising Today, 28(3). Available here. Bruens, Robbie (2012). Academic Advisor: Job Requirements and Salary Info. Retrieved from Room 241: Concordia University-Portland Education blog. Available here. Bryant, R., Chagani, A., Endres, J. and Galvin. J. (2006). Professional Growth for Advisors: Strategies for Building Professional Advising Networks. Available here. Hubbell, E. and Fusch, D. (2017, June). Overcoming Barriers to Student Affairs/Academic Affairs Partnerships: 4 Examples. Academic Impressions. Available here. Iten, C., & Matheny, A. (2008, September). Promoting academic advisors: Using a career ladder to foster professional development at your institution. Academic Advising Today, 31(3). Available here. Logan, B. L. and Turman, A. (2003). Dealing with stress: Get better not bitter! Available here. Marthers, P. (2016, July). Improving Student Success Can’t be a One-Office Effort. Academic Impressions. Available here. Savage, Amanda Lee. (May 2018) Interviews conducted with Koestler, J., Morgan, T., Brignole, M., Kelso, J., and Sacks, C. Taylor, M. A. (2011). Professional advisor credentials, career ladders, and salaries. Available here.

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