2015 AAA Conference


Welcome to the 2015 Academic Advising Conference Page! We're excited to be coordinating this conference this year and our ability to invite our advising colleagues from our sister campuses: University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. This year's conference theme is focused on assisting the "Hidden Student". The Hidden Student can be anyone: the student with a 2.5-3.0 gpa; a first-generation student; the LGBTQA student; a transfer student; and the list goes on.
Below you will find information on how to submit a proposal, how to register for the conference, the tentative conference schedule, and information on our keynote speaker. We hope you will join us on Monday, February 23rd from 9:00am-4:00pm in the Nebraska East Campus Union for our second annual association conference. If you have any questions about the conference, feel free to contact Britta Osborne at britta.osborne@unl.edu or the 2015 conference chair, Tony Fucci at afucci2@unl.edu.   

We are excited to partner with the following colleges and departments who have contributed resources to make this event possible:
  • Office of Academic Affairs
  • Department of Athletics
  • College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • College of Education and Human Sciences
  • Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts

Registration for the Conference

Featured Keynote Speaker- Kathleen Shea Smith, Ph.D.

Registration for the 2015 conference is now closed.

Scroll down to get information on this years sessions and schedule.

To see information on last year's conference, click here.

The Academic Advising Association is pleased to announce that Kathleen Shea Smith, Ph.D., Director of Advising First at Florida State University, will be the 2015 conference keynote speaker. Having worked for 25 years in the field, Shea Smith coordinates the Advising First program at FSU, which is the campus center for exploratory (undecided) students.  Shea Smith coordinates the program's efforts in advising research, professional development of advisers/ coaches, and programming/ fundraising initiatives. Prior to this role, Shea Smith was the Associate and Assistant Director of Advising First and served as the founder and program director of the Advising First Center for Exploratory Students. She helped the program receive the national award for Outstanding Advising Program, which is given by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).

Shea Smith received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Kenyon College, her Master's degree in Education from Temple University and her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University. She received the 2006 National Academic Advising Association's Student Research Award for her dissertation: Perceptions of Academic Advising and Freshman Student Retention: an Application of Tinto's Model. She has presented at both regional and national conferences on a wide range of topics including student retention, advising assessment, major selection process, and the inner student.

The title of the Keynote is Advising Greatly: Shame, Vulnerability, and the 'Hidden Student'. The theme, 'the hidden student', recognizes that for many of our advisees, private struggles with identity, suboptimal performance, and the absence of meaningful social connections pose serious threats to college success. Research in higher education reveals that it may not be these experiences in and of themselves, rather it's the manner in which students perceive themselves in light of these challenges that may be of greater concern. Studies exploring shame among college students identify a set of specific behaviors that serve as an emotional early alert system and signal to advisors a call for sensitivity and additional support. 

Dr. Shea Smith's keynote address will explore shame and its antidotes, vulnerability, hope, and resilience. Attendees will be inspired to dare greatly in their work with advisees and in their own life journeys.

Conference Session Details and Handouts

Tentative Conference Schedule

The call for proposals has closed for the 2015 Academic Advising Association conference. You may see the session details and materials by clicking here.