Conference Schedule

(Please check back on the days of the conference in case of updates)

Schedule for Thursday, September 25th

11:00 a.m. EST

Welcome and Introductory Remarks

11:15 a.m. EST -11:45 a.m. EST

It's Not in the Syllabus: Revealing the Hidden Curriculum to Foster College Success

Amy Baldwin, Ed.D., Senior Lecturer of Literacy and Academic Success, University of Central Arkansas

Do your students understand how to navigate campus resources and why they matter for their success? Do your students recognize the variety of available support services and when they should be accessed? If not, you may want to reveal the hidden curriculum. Using unwritten expectations as both a challenge to address and an opportunity for empowerment, this interactive session will help participants recognize how the hidden curriculum—the unspoken rules of succeeding in college—can serve as a barrier for first-generation college students. Participants will explore how institutional practices, campus culture, academic expectations, and unspoken norms can create challenges for students who lack insider knowledge about higher education. Learn how educators, student affairs professionals, and support staff can make small, but meaningful changes to communication and student interactions that help students feel they belong in college and develop greater academic self-confidence. Participants will gain practical strategies for improving their understanding of what students don't intuitively know about higher education as well as actionable approaches for making institutional expectations more transparent across all areas of the college experience.Thursday, SLOT 1

11:55 a.m. EST - 12:25 p.m. EST

More Than a Job: Creating Meaningful On-Campus Employment Experiences

Stefanie Norris, Ed.D.  |  Executive Director of Strategic Enrollment Initiatives and Transfer Pathways, The University of North Carolina Wilmington

Working on campus can be a powerful tool in creating a meaningful outside-of-classroom experience when constructed intentionally. A committed and present supervisor intentionally mentors or invests in students’ academic and career goals. The findings from the presenter’s research show on-campus employment can deliver similar outcomes as other involvement opportunities, such as involvement in student organizations. The results indicate that an on-campus job can create a sense of belonging for students. As educators, we must leverage on-campus employment as a type of out-of-classroom experience for students and a strategy to engage students who seek employment or opportunities to engage on campus but need to work to support themselves financially. Integrating on-campus employment into the conversation about involvement and engagement is an essential next step to meeting the needs of the college student of today and tomorrow.

12:35 p.m. EST - 1:05 p.m. EST

Cultivating Student Growth: Academic Advising with Mindset Strategies

Sarah Hosch, Ph.D. is the Faculty Director for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Oakland University

In the dynamic landscape of higher education, understanding the power of mindset can be a game-changer for academic advisors. A growth mindset—the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work—empowers students to embrace challenges, persist through setbacks, and view effort as a path to mastery. For advisors, recognizing and fostering this mindset in students is crucial. It transforms advising sessions into opportunities for growth, resilience, and academic success.

By guiding students to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset, advisors can help them practice self reflection, navigate academic and personal challenges with confidence, and foster a stronger sense of belonging. Join us to explore key practical strategies for embedding growth mindset principles into your advising practice. Ideal for anyone seeking to transform student support strategies or learn more about growth mindset principles.

1:15 p.m. EST - 1:45 p.m. EST

Rethinking Disabled Student Self-Advocacy in Higher Education

Katie Usrey, Academic Coach, TRIO Student Support Services, Santa Fe College; Beth Roland, Coordinator of the Santa Fe College Disabilities Resource Center (DRC), Santa Fe College

This presentation aims to equip college professionals with a nuanced understanding of self-advocacy as it pertains to disabled students. We will examine how professionals engage students in discussions about self-advocacy, as well as how they can empower students who initiate these discussions. By focusing on the structural and attitudinal barriers that influence the effectiveness of student self-advocacy, we will explore alternative approaches that center disabled students' experiences.

By facilitating a space to explore the self-advocacy process of disabled students, professionals can cultivate recognition of and appreciation for the diverse perspectives of disabled students. The session also provides professionals with an opportunity to see how their approach towards disabled students can make an incredible difference in students’ experience, especially feelings of belonging.

Schedule for Friday, September 26th

11:00 a.m. EST

Welcome and Introductory Remarks

11:15 a.m. EST -11:45 a.m. EST

Bookending the Student Experience to Promote a Sense of Belonging

Sarah Howard, Assistant Professor, Center for Bioethics and Department of Philosophy, Ohio State University; Christin Hutchinson, Reflection Seminar Coordinator, ePortfolio Design and Development Specialist and Lecturer, Ohio State University; Niki Jaburek, General Education Bookends Launch Seminar Coordinator, Ohio State University

A general education curriculum can be seen by students as a checklist, or it can be an opportunity for students to integrate themselves more fully into their undergraduate experience. This session explores how The Ohio State University’s new General Education (GE) curriculum uses two courses, the GE Launch Seminar and the GE Reflection Seminar, to bookend students’ academic journeys. These courses are designed to foster a sense of belonging, build academic confidence, and promote integrative thinking. By engaging students early and late in their undergraduate careers, the Bookends create intentional spaces for reflection, goal-setting, and connection across disciplines. This session will also highlight how the teaching community for these courses cultivates inclusive learning environments and supports student success across the university.

11:55 a.m. EST - 12:25 p.m. EST

Supporting Students on Leave: The 'One Where They Take a Break' and Find Their Way Back

Jessica Talbott, Senior Student Success Counselor, CSU Global; Jennifer Wachicosky, Senior Student Success Counselor, CSU Global

This presentation addresses the critical need for comprehensive support for students who take a break from their studies. Much like the beloved characters of Friends navigating life's unexpected turns and finding their way back to each other, students on academic leave (or time-off) often require support to re-engage with their academics. While breaks can offer time for growth or self-care, transitioning back to academic life often presents challenges. This session will explore reasons students take breaks, analyze common barriers to successful return, and highlight effective strategies for re-engagement to ensure academic success. Applying Appreciative Advising phases, we aim to discuss proactive outreach and best practices to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for students navigating non-linear academic paths.

12:30 p.m. EST -1:00 p.m. EST

Lunch Break

1:00 p.m. EST -1:30 p.m. EST

Belonging: A Transition to A Professional Advising Model at A Small Private College

Michael Munro, Director of Academic Services for Student Success, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College,

This presentation will review the transition of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College from a faculty advising model to a professional advising model. In just three years, this evolution has proven to better assist our growing student population. We can now provide our students with stronger academic supports. Each student has their own academic team who monitors their progress and creates a plan when they begin to struggle. However, this advising model wouldn’t be complete if we only focused on student academics. The connections that professional advisors have with their advisees is crucial. We have created an environment in which students feel comfortable reaching out to their advisor for their personal, emotional, and physical needs. Students know that their advisor will be their compass to the many resources offered on, and in some cases, off campus. We have seen an increase in utilization of support resources and in retention numbers.

 1:40 p.m. EST -2:10 p.m. EST

Come on in: Creating a Culture of Comfort in a College Writing Center (A Model For Decreasing Anxiety and Encouraging Creativity for Students Seeking Support)

Kerry Brackett (he/him), Assistant Professor of English and Writing Center Coordinator, Miles College

This presentation will provide insight into how a culture of comfort can be beneficial for a writing center on college campuses. Composition and rhetoric can be intimidating for many students, especially considering factors such as a lack of preparation from secondary school, the thought of the validity of essay writing, and impostor syndrome. Writing center administrators must be able to create an environment in which students can be encouraged to express their thoughts to answer whatever assignment is given by their professor. This presentation is to show how creating a culture is necessary in order to lead students to complete writing assignments efficiently. A few examples/experiences will be shared that relate to the presentation.

2:20 p.m. EST - 2:50 p.m. EST

Moving From Harm to Healthy Discomfort: The process of gaining skills on dialogue, discourse, and expression

Dr. J. Cody Nielsen, Executive Director, Convergence Strategies and Assistant Professor of Higher Education Leadership- Western Michigan University 

This session considers the barriers to discourse and dialogue which are harming our campuses by directly considering our personal roles in fostering spaces for disagreement.  Drawn from extensive work with institutions and organizations, can best serve in a setting where civic engagement, democratic education, and civic engagement are cornerstones of the shared work of constituents.  This sessions help with the following critical areas of dialogue: 

•  Moving toward one another: the process of unearthing hidden bias and stigmas which keep us from talking with each other

•  How to hold dialogues and discussions even when values around subject matters are misaligned

• Identifying the role of political and religious ideologies in our communities

• Considering the role of freedom of expression and the value of viewpoint diversity

• Moving toward sustainable conversations and expressive speech in the everyday experience

Thursday/Friday Alternate Session

Why Career Advising? (Pre-Recorded)

Lakeisha Mathews, Ed.D., Director, Career & Internship Center, University of Baltimore

This session looks at the research on the impact of career advising for college students. Explore the reasons to provide effective career advising.

Questions about the conference or other events? Please contact info@eduology.org.