Learning and Development from the Office of Academic Advising
- Mason Advising Symposium: Our largest annual event for the undergraduate academic advising community! This event is in-person and takes place in May.
- Early Career Advisor Workshop: A half-day in-person career development and networking event for those who have been academic advising for about three years or less. (Link coming soon!)
- Advisor Refresh Sesh: This virtual series aims to provide new and updated information to the George Mason academic advising community from other advisors and our constituents.
- Advisor Con Virtual Mini Series: An opportunity for advisors to share their expertise with other advisors throughout the semester. (Link coming soon!)
- Monthly Advisor Roundtable: Conversations in Advising: This virtual series provides advisors an opportunity to connect and discuss a topic relevant to advisors in a casual forum.
- Advisor Support Groups: These groups are for undergraduate academic advisors to connect and support each other based on shared goals or identities.
- Book a Meeting with the Academic Advisor Coordinator whenever you want to discuss your professional development, how to get more involved, or anything career related. Think of it like advising for advisors!
Mason Academic Advisor Network (MAAN)
The Mason Academic Advisor Network (MAAN) was formed to help promote advisor collaboration, advisor development, and disseminate information to all undergraduate academic advisors in a timely fashion. In principle the Network includes all academic advisors at Mason and is governed by a Steering Committee that represents all schools and colleges concerned with academic advising. MAAN is committed to implementing ideas and programs to strengthen undergraduate advising at Mason.
All new advisors are added to the MAAN listserv after they submit the new advisor form. If for any reason you are not on the listserv, there is a form to join on the MAAN website.
MAAN offers several professional development opportunities and programs throughout the year including their Developing Advising Practice (DAP) Certificate Program, which is the second tier of training for academic advisors at Mason after completion of the Fundamentals of Advising at Mason training.
Other Mason Opportunities for Professional Development
Mason offers many opportunities for training and professional development. Below is a list of opportunities to be on the look out for, but keep in mind, this list is not exhaustive, and there are always new opportunities offered every semester, many of which are advertised and promoted on the Mason Academic Advisor Network (MAAN) list serve. A brief description and link to more information is provided below.
- Career Influencers Network Training – The Mason Career Influencers Network is a nationally recognized model for providing career development support to students through their relationships with professors, advisors, success coaches, supervisors, community directors, and many other roles at the university.
- Safe Zone+ Program – This program is offered by the LGBTQ+ Resources Center multiple times a semester as well as asynchronously.
- UndocuAlly Training – This program was created by the First-Gen+ Center in collaboration with UndocuMason and is offered multiple times a semester.
- University Life Student Success Symposium – Learn the latest information and programming for all of the University Life units/departments. Offered in the spring every year.
NACADA: the Global Community for Academic Advising
The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) is an association of professional advisors, counselors, faculty, administrators, and students working to enhance the educational development of students. NACADA programs and events include annual conferences (international, national, and regional), drive-ins, symposiums, workshops, webinars, and more. There are many leadership opportunities and other ways to get involved. You can also find resources and articles on their website.
George Mason University is a part of NACADA Region 2, which consists of Virginia, DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.
NACADA Clearinghouse websites bring together resources in specific academic advising areas. This website is dedicated to academic advisor professional development, where you will find relevant articles and other helpful resources.
More Professional Associations for Academic Advisors
In addition to NACADA, here are more professional associations that academic advisors may want to join:
