Allison Gatsche will be serving as our UAC Chair for the 2017-xviii academic twelvemonth.  We welcome her experiences with the UAC!  Allison was able to answer a few of our questions, please see below.

Why did yous decide to get involved in the UAC? And what type of involvement did yous take in the past with the UAC? What motivated you to become the UAC Chair?

A few months after working at UF I learned of the UAC and immediately thought it would be a corking way to connect with advising professionals beyond campus. I wanted to learn the ins and outs of the UF advising globe and how different approaches could fit both my developing professional identity and the fashion I collaborate with students. The UAC welcomed me with open artillery and dove head first into serving on the Professional Development Committee, assisting with the planning of the 2015 advising briefing. My interest with advising has only grown from there and, after leading the Professional Development Commission for two years, I felt that becoming UAC Chair would exist an invaluable experience and opportunity to expand upon my personal goal of shedding a brighter calorie-free on the importance of academic advising. I am excited to lead the UAC as we roll out the UF Quest and Compass projects – it's going to exist a decorated yr!

Can you give united states a short summary of your background & feel every bit an Bookish Advisor?

I first started advising as a graduate assistant with Preview/Higher of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2011 as a student in the Counselor Education Program. Following that I and so served as a graduate academic advisor for CLAS from 2011-2012. While my graduate studies focused on the K-12 population, these experiences made me realize my calling was in higher teaching. Subsequently graduating in May of 2013, I began working every bit an advisor at Santa Fe College for Pre-Wellness and Nursing students. I so constitute my mode back dwelling in September 2014 when the Herbert Wertheim College of Technology had an opening in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. During the summer months I go back to my roots by staying involved with Preview. As a double Gator grad (and Gainesville native!) it feels like I've come full circle. I approximate y'all can say I truly do bleed orangish and blue!

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?

Seeing my students develop beyond the classroom is 1 of the things I honey most. I run across when these students are mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially challenged as they advance through their curriculum. Higher is an opportunity to notice who yous are as an private, and nothing is more than rewarding than seeing a student succeed. I love getting "thank you" emails and cards from students and seeing where their studies tin take them.

What would you like to change at UF or in advising at UF?

I fully support UF'south mission in being a preeminent institution. Our Preeminence Task Force is working diligently with both the student and advising communities, and I look forward to seeing how our voices tin can aid in the continued development of quality advising. I would dearest to see conversations encouraging students, faculty, and staff akin to brainstorm and figure out ways all involved parties can actively help in these efforts.

Every bit our campus-wide initiatives are rolled out, information technology has become more than and more evident that advisors help profoundly in the "life bike" of our students. From recruitment to graduation, nosotros play an important role in their success. It is my own personal wish that each advisor receives departmental/college support for ongoing professional person evolution. When advisors have the opportunity to learn and execute all-time practices we can, in turn, work to all-time serve our students.

Is there anything else you would like to share in The UF Advisor?

I encourage any advisor – new and seasoned alike – to bring together us at the UAC meetings. Being involved with the UAC is a great way to know what'south coming downwards the throughway and actively voice your opinions and help direct the future of advising at UF. Whether it exist simply attending meetings or joining a commission, there are many ways to go involved. We're a welcoming bunch, so don't be shy!

Information technology's that time of year when nosotros're all finally digging out of our inboxes after accelerate registration and getting set for Preview in a few brusk weeks. Information technology's too that time of twelvemonth when we welcome new leadership to the UAC. I'm so happy to welcome Allison Gatsche as the new UAC Chair. Allison has been chair of the UAC professional development committee and a member of the steering commission for the last two years. She has washed an excellent task of organizing and executing our annual advisor conferences, and I have no incertitude she will bound right into the role as chair and continue to make progress for the UAC.

Every bit Allison transitions to her role as chair, Brittany Hoover will be replacing her every bit professional development chair. Brittany has served equally a member of the committee in previous years, and has helped tremendously with briefing planning. I look forward to seeing what she has in store for adjacent year's conference and professional development activities.

And finally, we welcome Nicole Raymond every bit chair of the communications committee. Nicole has been a member of the UAC steering committee for the past yr, and I'chiliad so glad she is willing to take on this role. She has some big shoes to fill, as Karen Bray has done an astonishing task of bringing the advising customs into the spotlight on campus and making sure we all stay upwardly to date with what's happening through our newsletters. I tin can't thank Karen enough for her time and dedication to the position.

I besides wanted to say cheers for the opportunity of assuasive me to serve as chair for this year. It'southward not a position that comes naturally for me, only I'yard glad I ventured out of my comfort zone, and I hope to continue to be involved next year in seeing some of our goals come up to fruition. I'm dedicated to making sure we get the new UAC website up and running, and so we have our own infinite online to communicate and disseminate information. I am too committed to seeing through our partnership with Human being Resources to develop a platform for the Advising Certificate, which will serve as the become-to place for advisor grooming materials that pertain to UF-wide systems and policies.

I hope, besides, that we can continue the collaborative conversations with students about what preeminent advising ways on our campus. The preeminence task force and student government have made nifty strides in exploring this from the educatee perspective, and now is the time to continue the conversation with advisors.

The side by side yr will be both challenging and heady. UF Quest will take its final shape, we will arrange to the new student record system that has been a long fourth dimension coming, and we will accept on efforts to ensure our students have what they demand to graduate in a timely fashion. Advisors will play a crucial role in these endeavors, and take the risk to contribute greatly to their success. I encourage all of you to stay engaged and become involved in the UAC, in your colleges, and on campus committees so we tin can help shape the future in a style that is best for the students nosotros serve.


Christine Richmond is an Academic Advisor in the Higher of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is the Chair of the UAC.

KevinAustinHeadshot-Square-2 If y'all've ever spent anytime near the Reitz Wedlock, chances are yous've walked by and seen students performing through the big drinking glass windows of the Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion. Or perhaps you've attended a performance at the Constans Theatre? Our next counselor interview highlights a person who has worked in the School of Theatre and Trip the light fantastic toe for ten years, and who has probable spent countless hours with the students y'all've seen perform in and effectually UF'south campus over the years. Encounter the School of Theatre and Trip the light fantastic's Bookish Advisor – Kevin Austin!


Kevin is originally from Horsham, Pennsylvania, which is a suburb of Philadelphia. At the age of 8, Kevin and his family moved to the Orlando, Florida area where he graduated high school and began his higher career at nearby Seminole State College earlier transferring to the Academy of Florida. Kevin graduated with both of his degrees from UF. The first, a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1989 and his second, a Masters of Education degree in Educational Leadership in 2005.

Kevin didn't begin his career every bit an academic advisor, but did eventually make his way back to UF where he took a position working as a Senior Clerk in the Registrar's Office in 1995. From there, he moved to the Office of Admissions before taking an undergraduate advising position in the CISE Section in the Higher of Engineering. Kevin so joined the School of Theatre and Dance in 2006 as the primary counselor for undergraduate students. His experiences in the Registrar, Office of Admissions, and as a non-traditional graduate student who was earning a Main's degree while working have all helped him better propose his students. Additionally, his background as a History major and CLAS graduate have helped him relate to many of his students who are trying to make that transition from educatee to professional following graduation. Ane of the things he enjoys about is helping students figure out the opportunities available to students with degrees in Theatre and Trip the light fantastic toe or even a Humanities-based major like the i he earned. He wishes equally a fresh History graduate someone would take helped him market himself more than effectively, or in his ain words, "I wish I would have known then what I know at present." As a result, those experiences have made him a more effective advocate for his students equally they embark on their next steps in life.

This is probably why and then many of his Theatre and Dance students have kept in touch with him over the years. When I asked him how he wanted his advisees and students to remember him, he responded, "As the advisor they desire to come dorsum to come across!" As an instance, he replayed a voicemail 3 of his former Theatre advisees left i mean solar day while he was out of the function to but say "Hello!" Think Broadway musical – definitely something only the counselor for Theatre and Dance might notice on his voicemail!

Another perks to being the counselor in Theatre and Dance include the small, tight-knit community of the department and its students. Unlike other departments at other schools across the Usa, Kevin explains that UF's Schoolhouse of Theatre and Dance does a great job of facilitating a community surround where students support 1 some other and so it doesn't seem cutthroat as they try out for various roles in productions. He really enjoys how working in a smaller major (there are approximately 220 undergraduates majoring in Theatre and Dance) makes the department feel like family where faculty and students know each other on a outset-proper name footing. This helps a lot of students brand that transition to UF easier, and I'1000 sure the Ice Cream Ritual between incoming freshmen and graduating seniors helps besides!

As we wrapped up the interview, I asked Kevin to share some random fun facts with us, starting with his three favorite songs of all fourth dimension. Absolutely hard, Kevin narrowed it down to "I am the Walrus" past The Beatles as number three; "A 24-hour interval in the Life" by The Beatles (tin you tell he's a Beatles fan?) every bit number two; and "Stairway to Heaven" past Led Zeppelin as number one.

Kevin'south dream vacation includes a trip to Europe – primarily England, French republic and Federal republic of germany. He'd also honey to visit Melbourne, Australia, which is where his girlfriend is from.

Lastly, I asked him if he could fourth dimension travel, would he get to the past or future? This 1 was besides easy for a History major – by! If possible, he'd take a trip to the Civil War era, and he'd love to study the presidents, particularly Lincoln and Jefferson.

AmieImler

Interviewed by Aime Imler, Academic Advisor in Animate being Sciences, Higher of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and UAC Communications Committee member.

Exciting developments are brewing in the world of UF Online and PaCE! While only some advisors work with these students on a regular basis, many of you will come across these students, and may not fifty-fifty realize that they are part of these programs.

UF Online is having a imprint year, non only in terms of increasing enrollment, only in terms of graduating students as well. This yr, 151 UF Online students accept applied to graduate for Leap, our highest total yet, including the programme's beginning FTIC graduate. I of the most dynamic components of a fully online degree program is the ability to increase access to higher pedagogy for all students, including not-traditional students. This semester'south UF online graduating class comes from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, with the ages of graduates ranging from 21 to 61 years quondam.

We're besides excited to host our first ever graduation reception at the F Club. UF Online has a dedicated Student Success and Engagement team, led past Dr. Jeannie Starobin and Meredith Beaupre, and they continue to create opportunities to engage the UF Online student trunk, and connect them with UF as a whole. To foster that connection, UF Online is rolling out the UF Plaza, which will serve every bit the bridge for UF Online students to interact, connect, and create community; current UF Online students take already been added to the Plaza, and we'll go along to add new students as they matriculate!

The Stride program has also seen tremendous evolution in its curt life span. Entering its three rd year, the plan continues to grow and offer more qualified students the opportunity to become Gators. From anecdotal experience, I can tell you that these are some of the most involved and active students on campus- as they should be, since they don't have to wake upward for 8 AM classes!

The PaCE program does have a limited list of majors (53 in full, including Exploratory); so far, nosotros've found that the happiest students are students excited about pursuing an bachelor major. If you lot see any prospective students, it always helps to remind them of this, as students wanting to pursue majors outside of the program tend to experience more frustration.

The PaCE program grew exponentially from Year 1 to Yr ii; not only did our student population increment, but in Year ii nosotros offered Preview sessions geared specifically towards these students, and an optional fee package to allow them to feel more campus resource. We're excited to run across what Year 3 of the program has in shop!

Ultimately, our UF Online and Stride students are especially excited to be Gators, and we're excited to continue to aggrandize the program so we can increase access to our great university!

nraymond

Commodity written by Nicole Raymond, Academic Advisor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and UAC steering committee fellow member-at-large.

Robin 1

What majors do yous advise in your college/department? All teacher prep programs including graduate, undergraduate, and pocket-size options.

What led yous to your current position of Advising? Serendipity. I took an entry-level position in Pupil Services in 1995 just every bit UF decided to motion lower-partitioning students – and advising responsibilities – to the colleges.  My supervisor took me with her to UAC meetings (when its membership was the deans and directors of advising offices) and that was so helpful to my understanding of policies…and grey areas to exploit when necessary.

What challenges exercise you feel you accept when advising students in this major? Probably the biggest claiming is when a student wants to change to an education major – and information technology's clearly what they're most passionate well-nigh – but there is resistance from family members who don'ts back up that conclusion. Negotiating family politics while trying to justify/defend the educatee'due south choice can exist tricky.

Can you give us an example of one of your success stories? My favorite success stories involve students who completely flop, get away, abound up, and make up one's mind they want to come back. The most recent returned iii years agone afterwards a successful retroactive withdrawal, and will be graduating this semester with her main'south degree. The success story is entirely hers; my part was to convince her that she could practice information technology.  She's going to be a astounding instructor!Robin 3

What'south your favorite matter well-nigh interacting with students as an Bookish Advisor? Being the only undergraduate advisor, I have the luxury of getting to know my students while they're hither. I like that they find me a reliable resource they can trust to aid them navigate through the commotion.

What practise you practise to proceed motivated during high stress times at work (drib/add week, advanced registration, etc.)? Wait, you mean there are low-stress times? As if!  A day in the life of an counselor is a serial of random encounters, interrupted past ongoing projects and meetings, interrupted past another series of random encounters.  I striking the reset button every ii weeks with an hour-long massage.  Highly recommended!

If you experience comfortable, tell usa your story. I was admitted to UF as a freshman in Robin 2Summer 1983 (cease doing the math…yeah I'yard that onetime…burke) fresh from Umatilla High School. Wow was I underprepared.  I completely bombed, went abroad, grew upwards, and was determined to come back.  I completed my bachelor's degree part-fourth dimension while working total-fourth dimension and graduated with honors.  I learned every dominion/regulation/policy and every grayness area to exploit.  My feel helps inform my interactions with students.

openhouse2

On February 13 th , the Academic Advising Eye (AAC) in the Higher of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) held an open business firm to welcome campus partners to see the newly reconstructed space.   After a vii month remodeling project advising services returned to the first and second floors of Farrior Hall.

They're excited to accept additional lobby space that allows students to piece of work and written report while they wait. While there'southward still some decorating to practise, feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive so far. If you didn't get a chance to come to the open house, stop past one-time and see the new infinite.

openhouse3

openhouse4

rknicker

Photos and article by Bobbi Knickerbocker, Academic Advisor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a UAC Communications Commission Member.

Thank yous to the UAC Communications Committee for all of their efforts this bookish twelvemonth, 2016-2017!

Taken from an April 27, 2017 electronic mail:

Highlights on work of particular interest to the university customs this month include:

  • Admissions: Much of the focus of the offset release Aug. 7, 2017, is on rolling out new services and systems for campus admissions professionals, and the team has been working difficult to finalize the details and prepare core offices for the transition. A customized Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) organization based on Salesforce software volition be included in the new functionality, and will provide a "360 degree" tape of applicants and their interactions with UF. Training is not expected to be needed outside Admissions units.
  • ONE.UF: This major student data portal will be updated this summer with a new public splash page and updated workspace layout and menu. The navigation changes are expected to exist obvious and intuitive for users.
  • Website and roadshow resources: The COMPASS website is existence rebranded and reorganized to serve every bit a campus resource for information and support as we motion forward, and is expected to replace the current site by mid-May. (The URL will remain https://compass.ufl.edu.) The site volition include a request form for topical, area and/or experiential "roadshows" for those wishing to learn more than about COMPASS and its elements. The squad encourages you to continue to e-mail them your feedback and suggestions to help ensure all members of the campus community are informed, engaged and prepared for new systems and methodologies.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Faculty and staff across campus have been taking reward of the beta version of the new reporting toolset, "Enterprise Analytics," and using their ain data to hands analyze information and create visually exciting reports and dashboards. Learn more than
  • Preparation: Training resource, including guides, online toolkits, and group and/or online courses, volition be offered equally needed prior to each release (run across schedule below) in a Pupil Information System toolkit that will eventually reside aslope HR and Financials toolkits besides as in a Pupil Information Section.We will notify you in this newsletter and on the COMPASS website as resources get available. Instruction guides and small grouping training sessions for Release 1 are expected to become bachelor in early July 2017.

Release Schedule:

Release Functionality Go-Alive Appointment
i Academic Structure, Biographical/Demographic Data, Prospecting and Recruiting (College of Engineering), Awarding for Admissions Aug. 7, 2017
2 Schedule of Courses, Transfer Credit Evaluation, Form Catalog, ISIR Loads Nov. half dozen, 2017
3 Career, Program Plan Stack, ISIR Processing Jan. 16, 2018
four Caste Audit, Academic Advising, Award Assist March 5, 2018
five Registration, Enrollment Verification March 26, 2018
6 Tuition Adding, Student Billing, Admissions Processing Aug. six, 2018
7 Grades, Transcripts, Help Disbursement, Graduation Aug. 20, 2018

compass An excerpt of an e-mail from the UF COMPASS OCM/Communications Team was sent out on 3/12/2017:

"In an try to provide y'all with a secure, convenient and mobile-responsive COMPASS Update newsletter, nosotros are migrating the Update and its associated subscription list form Mailchimp to Outlook. Moving frontwards we will exist mailing the Update via the CORE=Information technology Listserv likewise as a not-IT COMPASS Listserv."

"Further more, we would greatly appreciate your input now and on an ongoing ground so we can brand the COMPASS Update as helpful as possible for you and others. If y'all have suggestions, questions or comments in mind to help u.s.a. better serve your needs, please electronic mail UF-compass@ufl.edu.  Nosotros greatly appreciate  your participation and support."

Benjamin Markus, Advice Specialist for UF COMPASS: contact e-mail is: BenMarkus@ufl.edu. 352-294-0594.

uf-advisor-conference-1-2017-christine-richmond
 
Photograph credit: Bobbi Knickerbocker

The UAC is off to a great start this year! In January, the Professional Development Commission was decorated planning what was a very successful and engaging UF Advising Conference. We were so glad to see and then many of y'all there. Information technology'due south e'er nice to have at least one twenty-four hours a year when we can get together together to learn, meet new people, and connect once more. I can't thank Allison Gatche and the committee plenty for all of the hard work they put in.

We likewise have some exciting things on the horizon. In February I volition be putting out the call for nominations for the upcoming UAC elections in March. We volition accept openings for the UAC chair and chairs of the Professional Evolution and Communications Committees, so recall about getting more involved, if not equally a chair, so perhaps as a committee member.

We're also working on a long-awaited UAC website. With the much-appreciated help of Cheryl Gater, nosotros hope to have the site up and running past summertime. This will be a place where we tin can all go to see announcements, share resources, and view upcoming events.

Later this month, we program to brainstorm "Advisor Field Trips" which will permit small groups of advisors to visit diverse offices on campus so we can run into the spaces first-manus. We hope this will be a fun style for advisors to learn more about where they refer their students, and meet some of the professionals who work in those offices. Thanks to Sophie Spratley for arranging these, nosotros'll keep you lot posted on dates and times.

Finally, later this semester, nosotros'll be opening applications for NACADA scholarships, so if you lot're planning to go to St. Louis this twelvemonth, be certain to go along an eye out for the application. We're hoping we can once once more send 1 of the largest contingents of advisors to the national conference.

As ever, if you lot have any suggestions or feedback, feel complimentary to contact me at crichmond@advising.ufl.edu . Have a great Spring!