Conference Welcome & Opening Remarks

- Conference theme, purpose and objectives
- Statewide alignment and strategic partners

Mobile Area Education Foundation
Complete College Alabama Alliance
University of South Alabama
Lumina Foundation

Advancing Student Success through Advising and Game Changer Strategies

During this interactive session, participants will learn about how CCA’s Game Changer strategies have significantly moved the needle with on-time graduation rates and student success. Participants will gain an understanding of CCA’s mission and beliefs, how we do our work, the strategies we champion, and provide clear path for how to engage with the college completion movement.

Complete College America
NACADA

CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS  I 

15 to FINISH

This session will focus specifically on the role of academic advising in the planning, promotion, and implementation of 15 to Finish. During the presentation, CCA will debunk myths, provide best practices, and highlight early results from different types of institutions

Who Should Attend: High school senior counselors, IHE faculty/staff

Financial Aid Supports

Removing barriers to college access begins with financial literacy; however, using data is key to identifying the tools and strategies to equipping students with financial resources.

Who Should Attend: High school senior counselors

Alabama Commission on Higher Education
Mobile Area Education Foundation

NACADA: Using Academic Advising to Close Achievement Gap

Closing the achievement gap is crucial, not only in terms of graduating rates, but more importantly to provide students with higher earnings, higher standards of living, and an enhanced quality of life. Find out how academic advising can help support your institutional goal towards equity.

Who Should Attend: High school senior counselors, IHE faculty/staff

NACADA

NACADA: Delivery System Models: (Advising Center, Centralized vs Decentralized, Faculty vs Professional)

There is no one model of advising that fits every institution; however, different structures might provide specific benefits. This session will address the pros and cons of various organizational models.

Who Should Attend: IHE faculty/staff

NACADA

LUNCH 
Panel discussion of successes, challenges & lessons learned moderated by Lumina Foundation

Alabama Community College Association, Bishop State Community College, Lawson State, University of South Alabama, Coastal Alabama Community College

CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS II

Purpose First 

As more institutions consider guided pathways, greater emphasis is being placed on career outcomes. Too few students are beginning their college experience with an understanding of majors and associated careers.

Complete College America is working to develop a purpose-driven approach to student onboarding and major choice that includes labor market data, return on investment, and academic/personal assessment.

Who Should Attend: High school senior counselors, IHE faculty/staff

Complete College Alabama Alliance
(Invitation Only)

NACADA: Proactive Advising 

Too often, students who need the most help are the least likely to ask for it. Or worse, some students don’t realize that they are on the wrong path until it’s too late. This session will focus on tools and strategies that academic advisors can use to identify and connect with students just in time to prevent them from veering off track from graduating on time.

Who Should Attend: High school senior counselors, IHE faculty/staff

NACADA: Transfer Advising and Articulation

Advisors frequently encounter students with undistributed credit or transfer credit that need to be evaluated. The session will explore policies and processes to facilitate the articulation of such credits.

Who Should Attend: IHE faculty/staff

Closing Reflection & Next Steps

Complete College America
Mobile Area Education Foundation

Complete College America
Lumina Foundation