“Looking to the Future: The Importance of the Academic Adviser in Higher Education” is the theme of the 14th annual professional development conference on academic advising, scheduled to take place Friday, Sept. 11, at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on the University Park campus. Details and registration fees are provided at https://dus.psu.edu/2015-fall-conference. Reduced rates for early registration are available through Aug. 21.
Robert Pangborn, vice president and dean for undergraduate education, will welcome attendees, who typically represent Penn State units across the system as well as institutions throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Keynote speaker, Marc Lowenstein, will challenge the advising community to envision the future of the field, consider the impact advisers can have on institutional priorities, and discuss the importance of developing a comprehensive philosophy of advising.
Numerous concurrent sessions listed at https://dus.psu.edu/2015-fall-conference-schedule will address the breadth and depth of the academic adviser's role in higher education and the importance of diverse and intentional measures that support, uplift, challenge, develop, and analyze the adviser's work, dreams and growth.
Sponsoring the 2015 conference are the Division of Undergraduate Studies, Office of Undergraduate Education, University Faculty Senate, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, and The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal.
The Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), a unit within the Office of Undergraduate Education, is Penn State’s largest unit of enrollment for first-year students. DUS leads the development of advising policies and practices, manages the University-wide academic information network and provides general academic advising for current and prospective Penn State students.