Handouts & Pictures

By now, everyone's probably back at work, energized by their experiences at the regional conference. Just a couple of quick items to keep that energy up:

• Presenters are still posting handouts on The Conference page.  We've given them until this Friday if they'd like to share.  Missed a session that you wanted to attend?  Why don't you see if they've submitted their handouts?
• We've started our photo album from the conference and thought we would share.  If you have photos that you'd like to put in the album, let us know at nacadaregion2+photos@gmail.com. We hope you enjoy!

I Stream, You Stream, We All Stream for...well, you get the pitcure

We’re really excited about the conference kicking off in two days, but even more so about the fact that we’ve managed to set up a few of the sessions to stream live to the internet for those of you who couldn’t secure the resources to come join us. So, between Noon on 4:00 on Wednesday, 8:30 and 5:30 on Thursday and 9:00 and noon on Friday, well be streaming sessions at this address:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nacada-region-2-conference-2011

Here’s the Schedule of Streaming Sessions

Wednesday:
1:00 to 5:00: Applied Technology in Academic Advising.
This four hour pre-conference session will feature a significant amount time for hands on development, encouraging participants to actually set up profiles on the platforms discussed during the session

Thursday:
8:30 to 9:30: Podcasting: What’s Old Can Be New Again
This one is going to feature a lot of talk about screencasting—a really good way to situation training and workshops in online environments. Again, there will be hands on “applied time” for participants

9:45 to 10:45: Beyond Soft Skills: Arts Advising for the 21^st Century
In this session, the presenter will discuss the transferrable skills students acquire in the course of performing and visual arts programs. The main take away being that applicability and practicality are not words typically associated with visual and performing arts majors—the presenter hopes to be able to change that

11:00 to 12:00: Your Own Open Road: VCU’s Discovery Advising Program For Undeclared and exploratory Students.
This session will be a “soup to nuts” tour through an advising program for undeclared/exploratory students. This particular program has had great success improving persistence and academic success rates of their advising population.

12:30 to 2:00: Luncheon Keynote Address
We have lots to take care of during the lunch plenary session, but the main show will be Peter Hagen’s Keynote Address. Peter has outdone himself on this one—check out a preview of it here: http://nacadaregion2.blogspot.com/2011/03/preview-of-keynote.html

2:30 to 3:30: How Can Faculty Advisors to Undeclared Majors Use Facebook, Youtube, Banner, and Other Popular Computer Communication Applications to Improve Retention Rates of Undeclared Students
This roundtable discussion will focus on popular topics of engagement and information delivery through the use of computer-mediated communication and online social networking sites.

3:45 to 4:45: Applied technology, Day 1 wrap up
The presenters of the Applied technology pre-conference workshop will host a follow up discussion in an “un session” format. The purpose of this will be to collect ideas and philosophies discovered ion other sessions throughout the day to assess applicability in your own advising model. This session will include hands on “applied time” as well.

Friday:
9:15 to 10:15: A Tale of two Approaches: Major Exploration with Individuals and Groups
This session will look at the results of this institution’s major exploration programming for both individual advisees and group advising sessions.

10:30 to 11:30: Applied Technology—moving forward
In this final streamed session, the folks from the technology pre-con are back to help attendees collect their thoughts and make plans to bring programming back to their home campuses. This session will conclude the conference-long theme on applied technology in advising and will again feature hands on “applied time” in addition to questions, comments, and observation time.

As Allen mentioned in yesterday's post, we're hoping to get some twitter "back channel" action happening and will be pushing tweets from the streamed sessions. So those of you who are twitter savvy, remember to use the #nacadaR2 hashtag.

We hope that even if you can’t make it all the way to Charlottesville, you can make it into our online environment to benefit from some of the streamed content.

A few last minute tidbits

With the conference just a stone's throw away, I have a few last minute reminders for you.

Common Reading

I hope you've had the chance to read College Students and the Curriculum: The Fantastic Voyage of Higher Education, 1636 to the Present by John R. Thelin and Amy S. Hirsch.  If not, don't worry; there's still time before our common reading program on Friday morning.  Just imagine, you and few dozen of your closest NACADA Region 2 pals having an energizing discussion over a breakfast of bagels and coffee lead by Janet Schulenberg.  If that's not convincing enough, check out Janet's great write-up of the common reading experience.  I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Sessions & Handouts

By now, I'm sure everyone has at the very least briefly looked at the conference schedule.  If not, take a minute and do so today.  There are some great sessions at our upcoming conference.  Want to know more about a session in the list, just give it's title a click to see additional information including the abstract.  Also, some presenters have been adding their session handouts to the information.  If we have handouts for a session, it will designated by a "handouts" link in the column before the title.  All handouts are available for download to your personal computer.

Getting There

Not 100% sure how to get to the Doubletree Charlottesville?  No worry; we've provided directions on the site under the Getting There tab.  Just scroll down about half-way, put in the address you're traveling from, click "go" and voila, you'll have printable directions in no time.

Wireless Access & Twitter

As you're loading up your automobile, don't forget to toss in your laptop.  The hotel is equipped with wireless throughout and some of the sessions may want to take advantage of it.  I know Art plans to in his pre-conference just to name one.  Also, we'll be updating the blog throughout the conference with posts and pics; don't want you to miss out on that.  =0)  Plus, we're hoping for some backchannel  tweets for those following along at home who couldn't attend.  Not up to speed on Twitter and wish you were.  Check out Calley's first Tuesday Tech Talk post about it or just find me at any point during the conference.  I'll get you set up in 5 minutes on the spot (you can even time me). 

You Stream

Okay, so I was saving the best for last.  We're trying something new this year; we're going to try to live stream one session per concurrent session (all of the sessions being held in the Promenade Room will be streamed) as well as all of the large group meetings (such as the keynote).  Since this is an experiment, we don't know how it's going to turn out but we're willing to give it a try.  Look for more information on the blog on Tuesday.  We hope you'll join us on this adventure!

An exhibitor sneak peak

As your Region 2 Conference Co-chairs for Exhibitors, Vendors, and Ads, we've been working this semester to recruit Higher Education businesses and organizations to bring their services to Region 2 members in Charlottesville. We've enjoyed collaborating with our committee members to make this a great Region 2 Conference!

We are happy to welcome are the following organizations' exhibitors which will represented on April 6th in Charlottesville!

See you next week!
Wendy & Patty

GradesFirst

GradesFirst’s Student Support System combines early alert, advising, and tutor management into an exclusively web-based solution. Our Enterprise version allows every campus advising and tutoring center to collaborate and produce campus-wide results. The system centralizes student documentation, provides online appointment scheduling, integrates tutor management, and automates communication with students via text and email messaging. Your increased efficiency allows you to maximize time spent with students.

BecomeAlum.com

BecomeAlum.com, an integrated online resource for student and advisors, identifies the courses needed to meet students’ personal academic goals, including degree requirements, course descriptions, and prerequisites, and semester and campus offerings. Our online tool provides for self-authorship and student centered learning during pivotal schedule planning. Improve the display of Banner information!

School Specialty Planning & Student Development

School Specialty Planning & Student Development offers a fresh approach to Student Success courses by integrating course content with year-long planning. Our textbooks provide students with relevant content, campus information and personalized planning all in one tool. We also produce the widest selection of planners in the market, to meet your students' needs, your school's priorities and design preferences. Created with the commitment to quality featuring the richest educational content & superior layouts with maximum writing space to support student planning.

Become a mentor or mentee today

As I learn more about my new region in NACADA, I've come to learn that it's pretty special.  I've meet some highly dedicated and pretty involved folks and learned that in many ways, Region 2 is leading the way on a number of important NACADA initiatives.  So, when I sat down with Bruce Norris to discuss the Region 2 mentoring program, it came as no surprise that we were the first region to implement such a program and many regions are now following suit.  Hopefully, after you learn a little more about the program, you'll be interested in participating yourself.

Can you tell us a little bit about the program?

It was modeled somewhat after Emerging Leaders and designed as a way for people to become more active in our region. It provides a way for new advisors to link up with experienced advisors who can provide guidance, new perspectives and someone to bounce ideas off of.  I try to match up individuals from similar institutions and geographic areas.  It's nice to have someone outside of your organization to talk and exchange ideas with.

What's the commitment like?

We usually have 15-20 pairings a year (1 mentor to 1 mentee) and the amount of time they spend in mentoring related duties depends entirely on the connection.  At the regional conference, we'll have a mentor/mentee reception so that participants in the program can meet at least once face-to-face.  Since the program is not as structured as Emerging Leaders, in the past, participants usually exchange e-mails a couple times a month.  However, starting this year, I'm going to provide a few prompts over the course of the program to encourage additional discussion. 

How do I get involved?

All conference attendees with more than 3 years of experience are invited to become mentors and attendees with less than 3 years of experience, mentees.  Advisors who'd like to participate should respond to e-mail that was sent out about the program earlier this week or contact Bruce at bnorris@wcupa.edu.

What's the best part for participants?

Being able to expand your personal network is always a plus.  Mentors and mentees usually tell me they've become better professionals because of their participation in the program and everyone seems to really enjoy the reception during the conference.

What you most looking forward to at the conference?

The professional networking opportunities are one of my favorite parts.  I like to see what others are up to and I especially enjoy hearing about advisors who work with programs similar to mine [professional studies degree programs].

---

 Bruce Norris is the Director of Professional Studies at West Chester University. He has been coordinating the NACADA Region 2 Mentoring Program for about 3 years. He can be reached at bnorris@wcupa.edu

Common reading for common learning

Did you know?

• For a long time, the study of Latin and Greek was the best way for an individual to gain upward mobility.
• When it was invented, the lecture course was a delightful change of pace and students actually loved it.
• Rate my professor has been around in one form or another for over 100 years.
• Student consumerism led to some things we all regard as hallmarks of higher education.

I didn’t either until I read the Region 2 common reading article, College Students and the Curriculum: The Fantastic Voyage of Higher Education, 1636 to the Present, by John R. Thelin and Amy S. Hirsch.

Higher education will see dramatic changes in our lifetime, and by all signs, in the very near future. Thelin and Hirsch’s article puts important aspects of the current landscape of higher education into context in a down-to-earth and readable way. It made me think that having a better sense of how we got here just might help us have a better sense of where we’re going.

As an adviser, you have a unique perspective on higher education and students. Having a broader sense of how your knowledge fits within the history of this educational system will help you have a more effective voice in the conversations on our campuses and in our communities. Additionally, there is strong evidence that practitioners who engage in self-directed professional development, like reading and discussing with colleagues, raises their energy, self-confidence, and awareness of possibilities.

Joining the common reading discussion gives you the opportunity to bring your knowledge and expertise to the table, share perspectives with others, and learn from others as they share their expertise and experience. It’s instant gratification with a shot of revitalization. Who couldn’t use a little of both lately?

I hope to see you at the table Friday morning. Give yourself permission to indulge in a good read and a good conversation. You’ll be better for it!

Janet Schulenberg
Academic Adviser
jks142@psu.edu

Community Service Project

The community service project for the Region 2 conference will be for the Salvation Army of Charlottesville. They organize a Homeless Intervention Program (HIP) which “seeks to prevent the displacement of individuals and families from their homes as a result of eviction or foreclosure, assist homeless families or individuals in securing permanent housing, and provide a training and education component to secure self-sufficiency”.

The Salvation Army of Charlottesville, Virginia administers the program for Planning District 10, which consists of the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Luisa and Nelson.
All NACADA conference participants are asked to bring non-perishable food items, personal care items and travel size toiletries that will be distributed to those who are in need. We will have a collection box located at the hospitality table to gather items that will be delivered at the end of the conference. Your support in the community service project is greatly appreciated.

A couple of quick updates

We're so excited about the upcoming conference which Jameela (one of the conference co-chairs) reminded me was only 14 days away. I can't believe I'll soon be networking with over 300 of my new Region 2 colleagues. I'm sure to learn a lot. We hope you've enjoyed reading this blog as much as we've enjoyed producing it for you and the best is yet to come. We're averaging about 150 readers each work day (yay!) and believe it or not, our blog is global with readers from South Korea, Russia, United Kingdom, Brazil, Kenya and Canada.

Just a few quick updates today as we countdown to the conference.

Blog updates

If you haven't explored the blog in a while, I invite you take another look. The conference schedule as well as information about all of the presentations (including abstracts) is available under "The Conference" heading. As I'm sure you're aware, everyone was so excited about the conference that the Doubletree Charlottesville is completely full. We've put information about the alternate hotel sites under the "Getting There" heading. Melinda and Edna Renee have done an excellent job of introducing you to Charlottesville highlights. They've even come up with a few extended stay opportunities under the "On Location: Charlottesville" heading. Also, under that same heading, Art found this great interactive map of Charlottesville that lists shops and restaurants in the area.

Volunteers still needed

Sherese is still in need of volunteers and she knows that there are "...a plethora of individuals that would love to volunteer their time, talents and treasured expertise because you have emailed me personally." Volunteering is a great way to give back to the region. Also, in my experience, I've always met a number of people volunteering that I probably wouldn't have met otherwise at the conference and have really enjoyed this chance to see what others are up to. So, if you'd like to volunteer, just take a few minutes to complete this online form. Don't worry about your info; what goes into the conference blog stays in the conference blog. =0)

State baskets

We're still on the look-out for great stuff to put in our state baskets which are raffled off during the conference. I think we should get a little friendly competition going between the states to see who can produce the largest/best gift basket from donated items. This is all about bragging rights, isn't it? Personally, I hope Pennsylvania's is so large, it has to be carried by two people (not that I have bias or anything =0). If you can bring something to help your state's basket be the best, please do. We'll be accepting donations at the check-in table.

I think that's it. As always, if you have questions about the conference, leave us a comment on the blog or e-mail us at nacadaregion2@gmail.com.

Who's Who in Region 2

Did you know that we have some incredible people doing amazing things in Region 2?  Each year, Region 2 recognizes members that exemplify what great advising is, demonstrate how important advising is to the success of our students and our campuses, and model best practices for advising and student success. This year, we're proud to recognize these great colleagues:

Mark Rohland, Ph.D, Outstanding Academic Advising-Primary role

Academic Advisor and Advisor for Study Abroad
College of Liberal Arts Academic Advising Center
Temple University

I think I owe the award largely to my work in promoting study abroad in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and in Temple generally. I'm the lead study abroad advisor for the college, and I coordinate events, encourage students to go abroad, and approve their study plans. I'm also a co-chair of a university-wide group of academic advisors who meet to share and disseminate information about all things advisory at Temple, and I'm involved in CLA curriculum review, graduate school event planning, and other special projects to improve the quality of advising in CLA and at Temple.

Morgan Morrison, Outstanding New Advisor

Student Success Advisor
University College
Old Dominion University.

I’m in my third year of advising and I’m thrilled and honored to be recognized with this award! I work with freshmen students intending to major in an Arts & Letters discipline and provide success advising for all of the first year Arts & Letters majors. I also teach the UNIV 110: Academic Success class that students placed on Academic Warning are required to complete. I’ve taken on several projects such as an academic success recognition program in the residence halls, like working with our Residence Life team to post paw prints (our mascot is Leo the Lion) on the doors of those students earning the Dean’s List for the previous semester. My biggest project thus far has been a major exploration video project-the creation of student-friendly interviews with the head advisor for each major posted online in a short YouTube-style clip. Students can view the videos for majors they’re considering, get the basic information about the program, and actually see the person that they will need to contact if they are still interested .

John Bader, Ph.D, Outstanding Advising Administrator

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Johns Hopkins University

For a decade, I have been committed to improving the undergraduate experience at Hopkins by building better programs, supporting great staff, and caring for students. I am deeply honored and touched to be recognized by my peers in Region 2, all of whom work hard every day for their students and colleges. In addition, I have recently authored "Dean's List: 11 Habits of Highly Successful College Students." (See http://www.johnbader.net/ for more info)


Linda Bradbury, Service to Region 2

Professional Services Specialist
EEO/EOF Program/Pre-Freshman Services
Kean University

As a long-time NACADA member and participant in a number of NACADA activities, it is both an honor and privilege to be recognized for my contribution in working with such a wonderful, supportive group of colleagues! I worked as an Academic Advisor for 23 years, 21 of which have been at Kean University. For the last five years, I have been working at Kean with the Educational Opportunity Fund Program (EOF) , a state-funded program for educationally and financially disadvantaged students. I handle a myriad of responsibilities with regard to pre-freshman services for special admission programs, for which I have found that my years of experience working as a professional academic advisor have proved to be invaluable. My recent involvement in NACADA has spanned a wide variety of activities, including serving as the 2010 Region 2 Conference Co-Chair, Region 2 Steering Committee 2009-2010 and 2007-2009 and New Jersey state liaison for Region 2007-2009, chairing the New Jersey drive-in conference in 2006, writing a book review for NACADA, and activiely publicizing NACADA events to my university.

Ann Gioia, RN, MSN, Outstanding Faculty Advisor

Assistant Professor of Nursing
Salem Community College

For the past 2 years I have been 1 of 3 faculty members to sit on an ad hoc Advising Committee at SCC. We have been diligently working to develop and implement a campus-wide advising model. I advise approximately 100 students each semester and also mentor SCC nursing graduates through the pursuit of their BSN degree. I am honored to have been selected for the NACADA Faculty Advising Award for 2011. It means a great deal to me that others believe in the work that my fellow colleagues and I have been doing to make advising a more positive experience on SCC's campus. I would like to credit my fellow colleagues for their hard work and support.

Dr. Carol Simpson, Ph.D, Outstanding Advising Advocate

Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Old Dominion University

I am honored and humbled to receive this award, as it is really ODU's dedicated advisors who are the ones most deserving of an award. I applaude their early and accurate advising, which is one of the most effective ways to help our students succeed toward timely graduation. To emphasize the importance of good advising to student success, I have encouraged our ODU professional advisors in their development of a Master Advisor workshop for faculty and staff and I will be increasing the number of advisors througout the University next year. I have also emphasized that advising should be considered as part of a faculty member's teaching assignment rather than as a service activity.

Bursting at the seams

Over 230 people are registered for the conference...how exciting?! Personally, I can't wait to get to Charlottesville and begin networking, socializing and learning from all of those 230 Region 2 colleagues. This amount of enthusiasm and interest in the conference has left us with a bit of a problem--the Doubletree Charlottesville is full. We can't even put people under the stairs. =0)

Have no fear, however as we've secured conference rooms at 2 additional hotels and they're just minutes away from the Doubletree Charlottesville. We want to make sure that everyone who wants to come to the conference will have a place to stay. Don't you want to come and join in the advising fun with 230 Region 2 folks?

Hampton Inn

2035 India Road, Charlottesville, VA 22901
Just 3 miles south of the Doubletree down 29 (if you've been keeping up with the blog and read this post, you'll know what I'm talking about)

For reservations call 434-978-7888 and ask for National Academic Advising Association rate of $119/night. Rooms must be booked by March 23.


View Larger Map

Marriott Courtyard

638 Hillsdale Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22901
Just 2 miles south of the Doubletree down 29 (if you've been keeping up with the blog and read this post, you'll know what I'm talking about)

For reservations call 434-973-7100 and ask for National Academic Advising Association rate of $128/night for King rooms or reserve your room online. Rooms must be booked by March 16.


View Larger Map

Depending on the number of people staying at these hotels, we MAY be able to arrange shuttle service to the Doubletree. We will know that closer to the dates of the conference.

NOTE: All meetings will be held at the Doubletree Charlottesville.

Parking at the Doubletree Charlottesville is self-parking and free.

Have We Mentioned Blazing-Fast Internet?

Greetings, all.

I just returned from the Region 1 conference and I couldn't be more energized about our event in April. Region 1 was a fantastic host, their conference planning committee really outdid itself, and the available wireless Internet was a huge boon to social media support and dissemination of ideas throughout the event. I'm really excited to say that we'll have the same support from our conference hotel.

I've been on-site at the Doubletree Charlottesville with my laptop twice now, and both times found the wireless signal to be really strong and easy to access. The most exciting part about this, from perhaps a slightly selfish perspective, is that it will make the applied technology sessions I'm leading (a Pre-conference workshop and applied follow-up sessions on both days) really effective. This would be a great conference to which to bring your laptop so you can get online in real time during these sessions to create content, share observations with your social media connections throughout the conference, or venture into the spaces we're talking about to simply get a "hands-on" level of experience with tools you're considering for your personal or office-wide advising plans.

So, bring your computing devices and get ready to get down to business in real-time. See you all in C-ville!

Æ

Volunteers Accepted!

Greetings, Region 2 NACADA members!
I am confident in knowing that you all are in full swing at your respective institutions and I hope the semester/quarter is going well. We, the Region 2 Conference Planning Committee, are working diligently to make this an outstanding conference for all and would like to remind you of the opportunity to volunteer. If you will be in attendance at the conference (Charlottesville, VA--April 6-8) and are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please complete the form below.

I look forward to your support in making this a successful conference.

Sherese Parker
Region 2 Conference Planning Committee
Volunteer Coordinator
snparker@nsu.edu

Quick & easy registration

Have you registered for the NACADA Region 2 conference in beautiful Charlottesville, VA yet?  I registered just last week and it couldn't have been easier!  Just a quick login to MyNACADA, a check box here and a text box there and I was done.  And I'm so happy that I did it early so I could take advantage of the early registration discount.  You know the one I'm talking about, right?  The one where I get to save $35 off the regular $175 price of the conference if I register by March 11.  With all of the great sessions we're going to have at the conference, it's a steal at $140.  So, if you haven't registered, what are you waiting for?  You've seen just a sneak peak on this blog of what's going to be offered at the conference.  Plus, C-Ville in the springtime...I can't think of a nicer place to be during the month of April, especially considering all of the exciting things you've learned about it over the past few weeks.

After you complete the registration process, don't forget to reserve your room at the conference hotel, the Doubletree Charlottesville.  In order to take advantage of the $119/night conference rate, you have to book using the "NAC" conference block by March 11.  There are a couple of different ways to book your room; click here to learn more.  Don't delay in reserving your room; at last check, the NAC block was getting close to filled. 

We hope you're enjoying the blog and you've found it to be a great way to learn more about the upcoming NACADA Region 2 conference in Charlottesville, VA from April 6-8.  And, of course, we truly hope to see all of you at the conference!

Early Bird Registration Deadline!

Don’t miss your chance to save. Register for the Region Conference before March 11, 2011 to enjoy our Early Bird rate!

We're really looking forward to April 6-8 in historic Charlottesville, VA. Not only is Charlottesville providing us the perfect setting to reflect on 30 years of NACADA -- "Looking Back to Move Forward" -- but with any luck, the trees will be in bloom, and spring will be all around us triggering a feeling of renewal and our "Move Forward!" Register now! (or as soon as your departments give you approval;)

On the topic of approval from your department, if the Early Bird special isn't incentive enough, check out this document from NACADA -- it's chock full o' strategies to make your case for attendance and support.

Hotel Registration:

Our conference will be held at the beautiful Doubletree Hotel Charlottesville. Book your room and use the code NAC to get the special conference rate. Click here to access the hotel’s website and make your reservation.

Returning this year to the conference? Bring your Bag! Attendees are encouraged to bring bags from past NACADA conferences; a prize will be given to the oldest relic!

A Shout Out From Your Registration Chair

Region 2 – don’t miss your chance to save. Register for the Region Conference before March 11 to enjoy our Early Bird rate!

I hope you've enjoyed the many posts about historic Charlottesville, VA. Charlottesville provides us the perfect setting to reflect on 30 years of NACADA and our theme – Looking Back to Move Forward – will allow us to make connections between the lessons from our collective past as we take steps to improve our practice as academic advisors. Register now!

Our conference will be held at the beautiful Doubletree Hotel Charlottesville. Book your room and use the code NAC to get the special conference rate. Click here to access the hotel’s website and make your reservation.

If you haven't subscribed to this blog yet, you really should. In the weeks leading up to the conference, we’ll continue to blog about conference plans, highlight some sessions, and introduce you to a sampling of the technology that will be used before and during the conference to provide you with a more rich and rewarding experience.

Returning this year? Bring your Bag! Attendees are encouraged to bring bags from past NACADA conferences; a prize will be given to the oldest relic!

We look forward to seeing you in Charlottesville!

Stephanie

Student Conference Grant Information

The Region 2 Student Conference Grant information and application packet is now available on-line!

As NACADA Mid Atlantic Region 2 Membership Coordinator, I am reaching out to you regarding an opportunity for professional development for a graduate or undergraduate student working in your department who aspires to a career in higher education. Please encourage that person to apply for the Region 2 Student Conference Grant to attend the Region 2 NACADA Conference in April. Typically the grant covers the student’s regional conference registration fee and student NACADA membership for a year.

Deadline is February 28, 2011. Winners will be announced early March. Questions may be directed to warnas@temple.edu.

Best regards,
Janine C. Warnas

Calling all Region 2 Members (and beyond!) -- A Message From The Region Chair

I am really excited about this year’s Region 2 Conference in Charlottesville! Besides being able to enjoy Charlottesville when all the trees are budding, it’s just a wonderful opportunity to meet together with colleagues who all have the same mission in mind---professional development! The conference chairs, Art Esposito and Jameela Anderson, have a super conference committee which has seen to every detail of the hotel, the food, wonderful concurrent sessions, and plenty of opportunities for networking and fun. You won’t want to miss this conference “Looking Back to Move Forward” as we explore our roots and plan for the future.

Check out the many opportunities in our preconference lineup! With our scheduling it’s possible that you may find two of your choice! There really is a wide array of topics that will be explored in-depth in workshop format.

There is a special emphasis this year on technology of all types. Art Esposito is leading the charge, beginning with a preconference workshop on technology applications of all kinds and how you can understand and use these applications on your campus. There will be follow-up throughout the conference, so we hope you’ll be a part of this exciting design of our conference. Another highlight is for graduate students looking to transition from student to first-year advisor. The follow-up and discussion for this group of attendees will indeed be so valuable!

Besides the preconference workshops, we’ll have the conference sessions up soon, and announce our keynote! Be prepared for this conference to ROCK!

Let me encourage you to pre-register for the conference now to secure the early bird rate.  It’s simple to begin the registration process online. There are plenty of good reasons listed on that website to convince your boss to let you come! Hotel rooms are a bargain at $119 a night for double accommodations. You must book through the hotel website in order for our region to get credit for your room, and it is indeed the best price—so get the details online. If booking online, make sure you use NAC as the convention code. Or just call the hotel directly at 1-(434)-973-2121 and mention the NACADA Region 2 Conference to get the $119 rate. Do this by March 11 to secure your room. It’s important for our planning to be hearing from you now! It always makes conference chairs nervous when people procrastinate!

Region 2 has had a special emphasis this year on bringing new faculty members to NACADA. We were able to award 25 complimentary one-year memberships for faculty advisors this year. Take a moment and encourage faculty members at your institution to consider attending a conference. It can be such a rewarding experience for them to be a part of our association. I always get outstanding feedback from faculty when they attend. For them, it is a nice change to attend a conference outside of their discipline. We are such a nurturing, friendly environment! Plus we have our own philosophy and theory of advising. Share a copy of your latest NACADA journal with a faculty member you know!

Hope to see you in Charlottesville, April 6-8! We’ll have a great time together. We’ll share meals, have a wonderful hospitality room (with entertainment!) and look back as we anticipate the future of advising together.

Cordially,

Paula Dollarhide
Region 2 Chair

Calling all blogs!

Hi Region 2! So far, you've only heard from Allen, my tech co-chair, but soon you'll be hearing a lot from me too. Let's get to know each other by sharing our blogs. You may have noticed the Region 2 Blogs section of the left side menu. We've started by posting the two advising-oriented blogs we've found in Region 2, but I know there must be more out there! So here's my challenge for you: if you have, or know of, a blog in Region 2 that addresses advising, academic support, and other relevent topics, email the link to nacadaregion2+myblog@gmail.com and we'll add it to the list. It's OK if the bloggers aren't active in NACADA (maybe this will get them interested) and we want them all, whether they're designed to connect with students, other advisors, or both.  

May I have Your Attention Please! "Group/Convention Code" Update

OK folks, there appears to have been some mis-communication about the "Group/Conference Code" we're meant to be using when we register for the hotel via the Doubletree Web page. The code you must use to get into the NACADA Room Block (and for us to receive credit for your booking) is:

NAC

If you've booked your reservation already using the previously reported "NACADA" code, we'll need to have your reservation moved into the NACADA block. Please contact me or Jameela at:

Art: ajesposito@vcu.edu

Jameela: Jameela.Anderson@marymount.edu

Thanks you in advance for your patience as we work this out

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Region 2 Blog Excitement

Gooooood Morning, Region Twooooooo!

We had a bunch of hits in the first few hours after our blog went live, so we’re a little giddy that all of you felt compelled to check us out. It’s our sincere hope that you have subscribed to the blog and will receive all of our updates (check out the “About” page for instructions on how to do so if you’re uncertain). And speaking of updates…

Proposals

We had a tremendous response to our call for proposals (over one hundred with room for only 56) so the assessment process has been challenging. The Proposals Committee chairs have (finally ;) made their decisions and will be alerting you (hopefully) by tomorrow. We had so many great proposals that we’re certain the slate of Pre-conference Workshops and Concurrent Sessions will be informative and energizing.

Registration

Conference Registration is open, so have at it!

Hotel Booking

This is the important one—the conference rate of $119 only be achieved by calling the hotel directly or booking online at the Doubletree site directly (this is also the best way to assure we receive credit for your booking) so please call 1-434-973-2121 or go online to the link below before MARCH 12. On this date, Doubletree will begin to release the hold we have on rooms. When booking online, you need to enter “NAC” in the “Group/Convention Code” box in order to get the $119 rate:

I think that’s all for now…looking forward to “Moving Forward” with you all in April
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