An S&T faculty member and three academic advisors gave a talk titled “A Metamorphosis from Faculty to Professional Advisors in the First-year Advising Experience” on Feb. 28 at an academic advising conference in Springfield, Missouri.

The Global Community for Academic Advising (NACADA) hosted the South Central Region VII conference. “Leap into advising” was the theme of the three-day event.

Presenters included:

• Dr. Douglas Ludlow, co-director of the S&T Advising Center and professor of chemical and biochemical engineering
• Amy McMillen, senior academic advisor
• Amanda Kossuth, academic advisor
• Jeanelle Hemenway, academic advisor

The presenters talked about how S&T’s first-year experience program has evolved from primarily faculty advising to primarily professional advising.

In fall 2015, faculty advised 90% of first-year engineering students at S&T; by fall 2018, 90% of those students were advised by professional advisors. The speakers discussed the resources that enabled the S&T Advising Center to create a successful environment for students in the critical first year. Previously, students moved into their degree-granting departments in four to five semesters. As a result of the new process, S&T students are now moving into their degree-granting departments in two to three semesters.