Academic Advising Council Newsletter

Spring Semester 2025

Mission AI’s initial results – retention and outreach impact

Submitted by Brandon Lagana

In Fall 2024, the Mission AI chatbot and campaigns identified 302 undergraduate students who indicated stopping out or facing challenges. Of those students, 74% enrolled for Spring 2025. Mission’s analytics enabled us to identify students and create actionable interventions.

Examples included:
  • 52 students received financial guidance, with 67% remaining enrolled.
  • Students referred for basic needs assistance saw a 75% response rate to outreach.

Initial results also indicate that students who tell Mission AI that they will not return to NIU for the next term have solidified their intentions; only one of nine students flagged for drop-out risks remained enrolled from fall to spring.

95% of students on the platform are opted into receiving texts from Mission AI. Nearly 23,000 student texts have been received since launching Mission AI in November 2024.

Learn more about Mission AI and check out this video for how we connect Mission AI feedback to Navigate Staff via tags. Contact edsights@niu.edu with questions.

New HASC/Financial Aid Office program for students on SAP plans

Submitted by Nichole Knutson

Academic Recovery Program:

Historically, 40% of students meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) plan requirements once plan appeals are approved. The Academic Recovery Plan was created in Spring 2024. A program framework and case study were developed in partnership with the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office and the Huskie Academic Success Center (HASC). A pilot (N=5) began in Fall 2024.

Of students who were required to participate in Academic Coaching in HASC, 80% met the goals of their plan. In Spring 2025, the Academic Recovery Program will be scaled up. On average, 130 students are placed on an SAP plan each semester.

As part of the process, the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office shares a file with the HASC, identifying students who have received an SAP appeal approval. Up to March 1, 2025 (approximately the 8th week of the semester) all students who are being placed on a new SAP plan will be required to participate in the Academic Recovery Program.

The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office will communicate SAP plan requirements and Academic Recovery Plan intake form (embedded in a letter) with the students. Students who do not actively participate in the Academic Recovery Program will not be eligible to extend their plan for the following term. HASC will utilize Navigate appointments and a campaign using a student list.

Students will receive a notification in Navigate to complete their first academic coaching appointment. During the appointment, HASC academic coaches will get to know the students and answer any questions they have. The academic coaches will create an academic success plan tailored to each student, to help them succeed.

A website for this program is currently in development and will be housed on the HASC website.

Academic Coaching Procedures:

To create a framework for university academic coaching, these general phases need to be implemented:
  1. Assessment/Diagnostic Phase
    1. Identify the needs and goals of the students seeking academic coaching.
    2. Assess the student's strengths, weaknesses, learning style and academic challenges.
  2. Goal Setting
    1. Collaborate with the student to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) academic goals.
    2. Ensure the goals are tailored to the students’ needs and aspirations.
  3. Action Planning
    1. Develop a personalized action plan with the student to outline the steps needed to achieve the set academic goals.
    2. Break down the plan into smaller, manageable tasks and set deadlines for each task.
  4. Skill Development
    1. Provide guidance and resources to help students improve study skills, time management, note-taking, exam preparation and other key academic skills.
    2. Offer workshops, resources and strategies to enhance academic performance.
  5. Monitoring and Feedback
    1. Regularly monitor the student's progress towards their academic goals
    2. Provide constructive feedback, encouragement and support to keep the student motivated and on track.
  6. Adjustment and Review
    1. Review the student’s progress periodically and adjust the action plan as needed.
    2. Celebrate successes and address any challenges that may arise during the coaching process.
  7. Evaluation
    1. Evaluate the effectiveness of the academic coaching framework by assessing the student's academic performance and feedback.
    2. Use this evaluation to continuously improve and tailor the coaching process to meet the student’s needs.

Academic Advising Council Updates

The Advising Council has had an eventful first few months, focusing on fostering community, enhancing advisor development and providing valuable feedback to campus leadership. Here’s a quick overview:
  • Fall social: The council kicked off the year with a small but successful fall social, providing an opportunity for those who attended to network, share experiences and reconnect with colleagues after a busy start to the academic year.
  • December holiday appreciation event: In December, the council hosted a holiday appreciation event to express gratitude for the hard work and dedication of advisors across campus. Advisors got a chance to hang out as we wound down the semester, share in some great snacks, relax while coloring fun advising focused sheets and win some prizes. The council was impressed by both the creativity of everyone’s coloring but also the ingenuity of those striving to win prizes!
  • Advising ladder: The council has been discussing and providing feedback on the current advising ladder and will be participating in a task force that will further review the ladder. This review will focus on its role in both hiring practices and as a mechanism for advisors’ professional growth, looking at criteria and opportunities for career advancement within advising roles.
  • Upcoming training events: The council has been focused on working with campus partners to enhance advisors' skills and knowledge and are looking to host events that include workshops on new advising technologies, best practices for student engagement and strategies for supporting diverse student populations.
  • Spring social: The council is planning a spring social to bring together advisors for another round of networking and community building. We encourage you to join us for some fun and relaxation.
  • Newsletter: To keep the advising community informed and engaged, the council has established this newsletter. If you have newsletter suggestions, articles to share or want to help write something, please email jbroomerobinson@niu.edu.
  • Providing feedback: Lastly, the council has been actively working to provide valuable feedback to the Office of the Provost on advising-related issues, ensuring that the voice of the advising community is heard in decision-making processes. As you have issues you feel need addressing, please continue to work with your council representative so we can discuss them in a future meeting. You can also fill out the advisor feedback survey

Upcoming Events

We will be hosting another spring advisor appreciation event! Keep an eye on your email for date, time and location details. Hope to see you there!

Professional Development

NACADA Region 5 conference to be held in Chicago

The 2025 NACADA Region 5 Conference will be held April 22-24 in Chicago. Learn more about this year’s conference, “Building Skyscrapers: The Architecture of Advising” on the conference website.

Announcing the NACADA 2025 scholarship recipients

Congratulations to David Leija, Tracy Jones, and Jennifer Fife, who will be awarded $1,000 each to attend the 2025 NACADA conference in Chicago. Keep an eye out for their future contributions to the NIU advising community!

Working with challenging individuals and situations

Submitted by Alex Blake, College of Health and Human Sciences

As an academic advisor, situations may arise that are challenging to navigate. These types of situations often lead both parties to become frustrated and disengaged. Below are some tips to help you navigate these situations in a way that will hopefully lead to resolution:
  • Keep your cool and communicate respectfully, professionally and responsibly.
  • It is a reciprocal relationship. You have the right to be treated respectfully, professionally and responsibly.
    • End non-productive conversations.
      • “We seem to be having some challenges communicating in a productive way. I am going to suggest that we revisit this conversation at a later date and time when things have de-escalated a bit. Do you have some time tomorrow?”
      • If you do not foresee a positive outcome in rescheduling, refer the case to your supervisor.
  • If you are unsure of how to respond to a request, it is acceptable to say:
    • “I am not sure but will look into that and get back to you as soon as possible.”
    • “I am not comfortable answering that question at this time, but I will check in with our department and get back to you as soon as possible.”
    • Do not make assumptions or overstep to appease the individual. Make sure the information you share is accurate. It is OK to admit you don’t know something.
      • Examples of what not to say:
        • “With your grades, there is no way you won’t be admitted to that program.”
        • “It doesn’t look like you will lose your scholarship.”
  • If dealing with a parent/loved one or external organization requesting information about a student:
    • Attain a signed FERPA form from student prior to releasing any confidential information.
    • You may share general, public information that is readily available on the NIU website.
      • “I cannot discuss your student’s grades with you, but students can access their unofficial transcript at any time through the MyNIU portal.”
  • Pass any exceptionally challenging cases on to your supervisor.
    • Disengage in the conversation.
    • Reach out to your supervisor.
      • Copy or blind copy them on any emails if you feel a situation escalating.
  • If college or university leadership or taking “legal action” are mentioned, contact your supervisor.
  • Document all communication and take quality notes.
    • You may be asked to create a timeline of action for your supervisor for exceptional cases.
    • Do not include your opinions/assumptions in communications.
  • If you suspect an intense meeting may occur based on previous experiences:
    • Do not meet face-to-face without someone else in the office space with you.
      • Make that individual and/or your supervisor aware of your concerns prior to the meeting and let them know you may need support during the meeting.
    • You may invite another appropriate party to attend the meeting:
      • DRC representative, CHANCE counselor, ombudsperson, chair, supervisor
      • Be sure to let the individual know you are inviting another party to ensure a productive conversation.
  • If you feel you are or may be in danger, alert your supervisor immediately. You may also feel the need to call the campus police. The non-emergency phone number is 815-753-1212.

Reporting responsibilities:
  • For any extremely concerning behavior, you may consider submitting a “Student of Concern” report.
  • Remember, you are a mandated reporter.

Health and Wellbeing

The June 2024 NACADA Journal featured an article describing a concerning trend in the mental health of academic advisors – significantly higher rates of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) compared to national averages. The authors of the article propose numerous solutions, including targeted efforts to improve resilience and protect against burnout among advisors.

Another article from NACADA’s publication, “Academic Advising Today” shares one tool for combatting burnout. BRIGHT is an acronym that can help advisors “shift their mindsets and find revitalization in work life.”
  • Boundaries
  • Reframing
  • Intuition
  • Goal Setting
  • Help-Seeking
  • Time Management

Check out the article for detailed descriptions of each category. Remember, NIU’s Employee Well-being Office offers individual counseling, coaching services and other resources to support all NIU employees.

Communication and Feedback

While the Academic Advising Council is not an official voting body within the university governance, our goal is to help serve as a direct voice on advising issues to both the Office of the Provost and the advising directors. Current Academic Advising Council representatives are:
  • Megan Woodruff: College of Business (Chair)
  • Rachel Lower: College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (Vice Chair)
  • Julia Broome-Robinson: Academic Advising Center (Secretary)
  • Alex Blake: College of Health and Human Sciences
  • Melissa Burlingame Greenhagen: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Bethany Geiseman: College of Visual and Performing Arts
  • Alex Owens: College of Education
  • Tracy Ash: program advisors
  • Virginia Naples: faculty academic advisors

We encourage you to speak directly with your council representative regarding any issues or suggestions you may have. We also invite you to fill out the advising feedback survey. Some issues, like direct personnel concerns, may not be appropriate for this survey and may be better addressed to Human Resources or the Office of the Ombudsperson.

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