Advising Community Dialogues

Advising Community Dialogues

In 2020, "Coffee Talks" transitioned to "Advising Community Dialogues." The shift in title reflects the goal to create a space for collective dialogue that increases advisor competencies, specifically related to equity. These sessions will provide an opportunity for the advising community to connect regularly in a virtual space. The format usually includes an informational/large group discussion session followed by a relational/small group discussion session in the following week. We encourage the advising community to engage as fully as possible and prioritize attendance at these virtual events.

Past Sessions:

Access recordings and materials from past Advising Community Dialogues here.

  • November 15, 2022 | 10:00am-11:15am 
    Becoming HSI and Centering Student Success

  • This in-person (not recorded) session continues the dialogue about how the advising community can be partners in the continued goal of providing Chicanx and Latinx students with holistic support during their time at UC Davis to truly be a Hispanic Serving Institution not just a Hispanic Enrolling Institution. 

  • November 8, 2022 | 10:00am-11:15am
    Becoming HSI and Centering Student Success

  • Learn about what it means to be an emerging HSI at UC Davis and the resources available to support Chicanx and Latinx Student Success. In this session we will discuss some of the challenges faced by the Chicanx and Latinx students and ways to implement strategies and practices that support their success.

  • July 21, 2022 | 10:00am-11:15am
    Equitable Academic Access for Students with Disabilities (Session 2)

  • Join the conversation to fully support an inclusive, thriving community for disabled students. Small breakout groups will work with common academic scenarios, practice effective communication/referral strategies, and discuss best practices to support students with apparent and invisible disabilities.

  • July 14, 2022 | 10:00am-11:15am

    Equitable Academic Access for Students with Disabilities (Session 1)

  • Enhance your understanding of the impact of disability on higher education students. In this session you will learn the basics of academic accommodation, how the experiences of students with disabilities may differ from their peers, and how you play a critical role in creating equitable academic access. 

  • March 15, 2021 | 10:45am-12pm
    Advisor Burnout: Where Do We Go From Here?

  • In this dialogue, the advising community watched and discussed concepts from a video interview with Amelia and Emily Nagoski, authors of the recent best-selling book “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle” about chronic stressors in our roles as advisors and what resources we need individually and collectively to help combat burnout and sustain ourselves professionally.

  • November 4, 2021 | 9am-10:15am
    Inclusive Language Ideologies (Session 2)
  • This interactive session included breakout groups to discuss and identify programs, services, policies, and spaces that model exclusionary and inclusionary language ideologies, with our primary focus on inclusionary ideologies. Participants addressed questions like: What does inclusive language look and feel like in the work that we do and in exchanges that we have with students, colleagues, and campus partners? What campus spaces can we identify as fostering inclusivity? What are examples of inclusive language ideologies in practice that we can identify? What are areas of growth for us as advisors, student support staff, and campus partners? Where is work already being done on campus to increase inclusivity as it relates to language and student academic experiences? What resources and campus partners can we tap into to contribute to elevating inclusive work and communities?
  • October 28, 2021 | 9am-10:15am
    Inclusive Language Ideologies (Session 1)
  • This informational session introduced concepts and frameworks that center on the role language plays in student academic experiences, particularly among URM students. Participants learned about exclusive and inclusive language ideologies, examining what they are, how they manifest in academia, and the role of space.
  • August 10, 2021 | 10am-11:15am
    Inclusive Spaces for LGBTQIA+ Students (Session 2)
  • Join the LGBTQIA+RC and the WRRC to discuss what advisors can do to make LGBTQIA+ students feel safe and respected in their offices. We will be going over common LGBTQIA+ student concerns, practicing pronouns, and making your office more inclusive at all levels.
  • August 3, 2021 | 10am-11:15am
    Inclusive Spaces for LGBTQIA+ Students (Session 1)
  • Join the UCD LGBTQIA+RC and WRRC for an engaging dialogue on supporting LGBTQIA+ students and creating and sustaining inclusive advising spaces. Participants in this session will connect on topics of inclusive language, pronouns, student experience and be able to critically self-reflect. Tangible action planning and resources will be shared during the second session. 
  • April 20, 2021 | 9:00am-10:15am
    Social Justice: Emotional Strategies for Changemaking (Session 2)
  • Continuing from session 1, participants will engage in activities and reflections related to the emotional components of effective social justice advocacy in advising.
  • April 13, 2021 | 9:00am-10:15am
    Social Justice: Emotional Strategies for Changemaking (Session 1)
  • The field of academic advising regularly shows its commitment to social justice as a key part of working with students. Still, doing this work brings daily challenges. In addition to knowledge of foundational concepts like privilege, oppression, identity and power, academic advisors need additional strategies to do this daily social justice work. This session focuses on emotional components of social justice work to empower advisors to meet these challenges using mindfulness, emotional awareness and self-compassion. When we place our attention in the present moment with compassion and without judgement, we expand our ability to intentionally choose how to engage. From this point, we can more easily begin to deconstruct oppressive systems. Participants will engage in interactive exercises and self-reflection that enable them to be more effective social justice advocates.
  • March 18, 2021 | 9:00am-10:15am
    Advising Community Dialogue: Unpacking the AAPI Student Experience

  • Following the informational session on March 11, advisors will have an opportunity to engage in small group discussions around the AAPI student experience.

  • March 11, 2021 | 9:00am-10:15am
    Advising Community Dialogue: The AAPI Student Experience

  • The recent rise in AAPI hate and hate crimes are weighing heavily on us. Within the last year, crimes against the AAPI community have increased dramatically and yet go unaddressed by media outlets until it is too late. These are our families and the rise in these incidents is taking a toll on students, faculty, & staff.  UC Davis AAPI students account for 37% of the total population, the largest of the group, and the climate of today is impacting their studies.  Join us in a community dialogue to discuss the recent attacks and how it affects our students’ performance.  Learn about the resources available to you to support your advising practice.

  • January 28, 2021 | 9:00am-10:15am
    Advising Community Dialogue: Unpacking the Hidden Dangers of Empathy
  • Following the informational session on January 21, College of Letters & Science Assistant Director of International Advising Letia Graening and Social Science Yellow Cluster Academic Advisor Stacie Jenkins will lead an interactive discussion on empathy.  Participants will have an opportunity to engage in small group discussions to examine, reflect, and reconsider the role of empathy in advising.
  • January 21, 2021 | 9:00am-10:15am
    Advising Community Dialogue: The Hidden Dangers of Empathy
  • As advisors, empathy is an integral part of our work with students, because some say our empathy is what allows us to serve and advocate for our students. What if, along the way, our empathy caused harm, too? Join College of Letters & Science Assistant Director of International Advising Letia Graening and Social Science Yellow Cluster Academic Advisor Stacie Jenkins to discuss the hidden dangers of empathy as it relates to equity and bias.
  • December 10, 2020 | 9:00am-10:15am
    Advising Community Dialogue: Caught In The Murky-middle: Black Men; America’s College Students

  • Kayton Carter, Executive Director of Student Affairs Retention Initiatives and Director of the African American Strategic Retention Initiative in the Center for African Diaspora Student Success, will steer the group through a historical overview in framing the Black male experience in higher education, with specific campus data around Black male students and retention at UC Davis.  The session will include virtual activities, videos, student testimonials, and small group discussions.  Please join us for an engaging and interactive dialogue session.

  • December 3, 2020 | 9:00am-10:15am
    Advising Community Dialogue: Advising Black Male Students in 2020 and Beyond NACADA Webinar Viewing Session

  • Join us for a screening of NACADA’s webinar Advising Black Male Students in 2020 and Beyond that took place virtually in late October. This webinar showcases Black male intersectionality and provides an informational basis for further discussion, learning, and reflection in our follow-up Advising Community Dialogue session. Executive Director of Student Affairs Retention Initiatives and Director of the African American Strategic Retention Initiative, Kayton Carter will lead the group through the viewing session.

  • November 6, 2020 | 9:00am-10:15am 
    Advising Community Dialogue: Unpacking Student Trauma and the News Cycle
  • This will be a space for our advising community to dive deeper in small groups to discuss tangible ways to integrate trauma-informed strategies in advising. Christal West, a community advisor at the Student Recruitment and Retention Center, will share her insights on co-creating programming and spaces for students to connect at the beginning of the session and the majority of the time will be spent in breakout rooms in small groups.   
  • October 28, 2020 | 9:00am-10:15am 
    Advising Community Dialogue: Student Trauma and the News Cycle
  • The prevalence of trauma among college students has been steadily rising and now has been exacerbated with the COVID crisis, economic instability, ongoing anti-Black violence, and uncertainty during election season.  Join us for a timely discussion about student populations at elevated risk of trauma as well as an introduction to trauma-informed practices as we help students navigate these tumultuous times.  Undergraduate Education Interim Vice Provost and Dean Cynthia Carter Ching will begin the conversation, followed by a panel discussion with Student Health & Counseling Services College Counselor Megan Brown, Community Resource & Retention Centers Executive Director Mayra Llamas, and Student Health & Counseling Services Community Counselor Tracy Thomas.
Contact Nicole Wood for Zoom connection details.