DISARM - TRIO

Below are some photos of our office before and after we decided to make it more welcoming. We did this at the end of 2013.  We opened up the space.  Students seem to really like it.

Before:

After:

DISARM CHALLENGE

The DISARM PHASE  is critical to productive relationships with colleagues because it lays the groundwork for dialogue and for exchanges of genuine care and concern for others. The Disarm phase involves four key features that help allay student suspicion and fear, establish rapport, and create a climate that bolsters advisors and advisee productivity:

• Warm welcome
• Safe and comfortable environment
• Appropriate self-disclosure
• Positive non-verbal behavior

(Bloom, J.L., Hutson, B.L., & He, Ye. (2008). The appreciative advising revolution. Champaign, IL: Stipes.)

Possible questions and prompts to consider in the Disarm Challenge:

• How do you greet or introduce yourself to students in ways that communicate care and concern?
• Send a picture and tell us how you have disarmed your office.
• Have you ever sat in the seat provided for students who meet with you? If you have, what did you learn?
• What disarming strategies do you use when you are emailing students? Or when you cannot meet with students face to face?
• Tell us one of your favorite disarming strategies that your colleagues employ.
• Have you ever miscommunicated with a student because of unintentional non-verbal messages? How has your advising practice changed since this discovery?
• What advice do you have for other advisors about how disarming practices have helped your advising practice? 

For more ideas about how to incorporate Appreciative Advising into your professional practice, check out The Appreciative Advising Revolution Training Workbook: Translating Theory to Practice by Bloom, Hutson & He (2014).

APPRECIATIVE ADVISING CHALLENGE!!

APPRECIATIVE ADVISING CHALLENGE!!

Starting January 2015, the Appreciative Advising subcommittee of UAAC will facilitate a 6-month challenge for

academic advisors across campus.  Each month, we will focus on one of the 6 phases of the Appreciative Advising 

model.  

If you decide to accept this challenge, you will spend the month implementing the particular phase and/or sharing 

your experiences, challenges and/or interesting insights concerning the phase.

Each month, we will announce at UAAC the challenge of the month and send a message through the UAAC listserv 

to give you more information about the phase and prompt you to share your experiences and challenges with the 

Appreciative Advising subcommittee members. We will collect your thoughts and share a few of them as part of our 

report at UAAC the following month.  We will also post your responses here, on the UAAC Blog. 

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

UAAC Appreciative Advising Subcommittee Members:

Ashley Glenn

Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin 

Jen Wozab 

Lisa Shaw

Liz Leckie 

Maria Baldwin 

Martina Stewart 

Rachel Osterman 

Samantha Davis 

Stephanie Shiver 

Martina Stewart's Reflection on the UAAC Campus- Wide Inservice: MUSE

I attended the March Campus-wide In-service presented by Patrick McShane of MUSE.  I had known about MUSE primarily as a portal for students to explore involvement and engagement opportunities on campus.  This was a helpful session in that I learned about other exciting ways students can participate in MUSE.

First off, students (and ADVISORS !) can join MUSE to receive emails about upcoming events and programs.  Here are some of the options for engagement through MUSE:

• MUSE Lunchtime Lectures:  free lunch and faculty lecture relating to MUSE Theme Year      
• MUSE Night Out: small group of students and faculty attend a campus event, and then go out for dinner and discussion
• MUSE Discussion Groups: these are student lead, and students are trained and paid to facilitate
• MUSE Internships: paid on campus internships with a strong learning component

As soon as I returned to my office, I joined MUSE .  This will help me to be better informed about events and activities that may interest the students I advise!

And finally, Patrick promised an exciting Theme Year, book and keynote speaker for next year. We promised not to spill the beans, so you’ll have to wait to learn more about this….

UAAC Food Drive Success

In the month of December Steve Hadley, Director of Campus- Wide Advisor Education and Development,  challenged UAAC members to gather food and personal care supplies to fill the donation bin outside of the University Counseling Center.  Members from around campus brought nearly 100 food and personal care items.  

Thank you to all UAAC members that participated in this holiday drive.  The Counseling Center's bin is located outside of their office in the Student Services Building Rm. 426.  The bin remains outside of their office year round for anyone looking to donate or for students in need.

Rachel Osterman's Reflection on the 2013 NACADA Annual Conference

As a first-time attendee, I was able to soak up tons of new information at NACADA’s Annual Conference. I attended sessions that addressed topics like cultural competence, motivation, positive psychology, advising theory, retention, etc. I was also able to meet adviors from across the region and nation.

Photo courtesy of Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski

Jill Wilson's Reflection on the NACADA Annual Conference 2013

This was my first NACADA conference and I feel very fortunate that I was able to go.  I attended nine different sessions over three days.  My goal was twofold: first to learn more about specific student populations with whom I have not had much experience, and second to learn ways to be better at the day-to-day details of my job.