Please make plans to attend Academic Advisor Forums this semester. All sessions except the Kathy J. Davis Master Advisor Reception count toward the three hours needed for annual renewal of the Master Advisor designation. The forums are available to the advising community, so please encourage colleagues to participate. Registration is strongly encouraged.
Forum Schedule
Spring 2026 Academic Advisor Forum Series
Sessions coordinated by Ross Hawkins, Director, Academic Advising and Transfer Center
Advising for Graduate School Pathways: Practical Tools for Undergraduate Advisors
Presenter: Dr. Carrisa Hoelscher, Associate Dean, Graduate College
Academic advisors play a critical role in helping students envision and prepare for what comes next. This session is designed for advisors who work with students interested in graduate school—whether those students are certain about their plans or just beginning to explore the possibility. You’ll gain practical tools to help students understand why graduate school may be a strong option, how to prepare early, and what pathways Missouri State offers to make graduate education more accessible. We’ll focus on advising strategies related to accelerated graduate programs and policies that allow undergraduates to take graduate credit, highlighting how these options can save time, reduce cost, and strengthen student outcomes. Advisors will leave with concrete talking points, policy guidance, and referral strategies to confidently support students who are considering graduate school at Missouri State and beyond.
Wednesday, February 18, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Zoom LinkEnrollment Management Updates
Presenters: Dr. Dawn Medley, Vice President Enrollment Management
Jeremy Dickerson, Assistant Vice President Enrollment Management-Admissions and Outreach
Dawn and Jeremy will provide updates on new initiatives in Enrollment Management. In addition to describing work to recruit more traditionally aged students, they will also discuss adult, transfer, and non-traditional student efforts. In addition, they will share important changes to scholarship awards that will support student success. Finally, they will provide concrete examples of how you can contribute to recruitment.
Wednesday, February 25, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union, room 313
Curriculum and Catalog Insights
Presenter: Katrina Chavez, Director, Curriculum Planning and Management, Office of the Provost
When will the catalog be published? When will a new program be available to students?
What new programs are faculty proposing?
These are common questions advisors face as curriculum changes move through the approval
process and begin to affect students. This presentation will include a brief Q&A on
modality updates, with primary emphasis on reviewing curriculum and catalog resources,
including how effective terms impact students.
Thursday, March 5, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union, room 313Registration is strongly Encouraged
Partnering in First-Generation Student Success: An Advisor's Guide to CAST
Presenters: Dr. Tracey Glaessgen, Associate Director of CAST, Director of First-Year Programs
Dr. Kelly Wood, Associate Provost, Student Success
Christina Bowles, Coordinator, Student Success Coaches
Jack Baumgart, Student Success Coach
This presentation is designed to deepen academic advisors’ understanding and support of first-generation college students at Missouri State University. It will provide an overview of the characteristics, strengths, and common challenges of our first-generation student population. Advisors will also receive a summary of the recently completed university’s Title III grant and how it supported initiatives aimed at improving access, persistence, and completion for first-generation students as well as set the foundation for continuing support. Finally, we will highlight key resources and services available through the Center for Academic Success and Transition/First-Year Programs that advisors can utilize in their work with students.
Monday, March 23, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union, room 308
Registrar Sponsored-Kahoot!
Presenters: Office of the Registrar Staff
Join the Office of the Registrar for a fun, interactive review of information that the Office of the Registrar thinks it’s important to have in your advisor toolkit. This session will be presented through Kahoot, which is an interactive learning platform where you will be able to test your knowledge in a fun and non-threatening way. A variety of topics will be covered with information that should be helpful for all advisors at all levels of experience. Please bring your phones with you as you will use them to participate in this session.
Thursday, March 26, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union, Ballroom East
Kathy J. Davis Master Advisor Reception
Coordinated by the Academic Advising and Transfer Center
Come celebrate the 2026 Curtis P. Lawrence Excellence in Advising Award Winners. Dr. Clarenda Phillips, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Kelly Wood, Associate Provost for Student Success, and Ross Hawkins, Director of the Academic Advising and Transfer Center, will give remarks on academic advising and the Master Advisor Program at Missouri State University. We will also recognize the recipient of the Excellence in Graduate Advising Award. This celebration is open to all advisors.
Monday, April 6, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union, Union Club
Registration is Encouraged: 2026 Kathy J. Davis Master Advisor Reception – Fill out form
A Career Dedicated to Student Success: Reflections from Dr. Kelly Wood
Presenter: Dr. Kelly Wood, Associate Provost for Student Success
Dr. Kelly Wood began working at Missouri State University 31 years ago as an assistant professor in the Department of Communication. She has served in multiple capacities including professor, executive director, associate dean, and associate provost. Although the positions changed, Kelly always stayed connected to students through academic advising. Kelly will retire on June 1. Please join us at this special academic advisor forum to reflect on a career dedicated to academic advising, teaching, and student success.
Thursday, April 30, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Advising Resources in Action
Presenters: Kimmy Walker, Director, Darr College of Agriculture Student Success and Advisement
Center
Katy Seery, Senior Academic Advisor, School of Hospitality and Agriculture Leadership
Heidi Culbertson, Director, Business Advisement Center
Sophia Raithel, Academic Advisor I, College of Natural and Applied Sciences
This is a collaborative forum focused on the practical resources advisors use to support effective student appointments. Facilitators from a variety of colleges will share checklists, how‑to guides, workflows, and other tools developed across offices. The session emphasizes what’s working, how resources are implemented in real advising conversations, and ways tools can be adapted or shared more broadly. The goal is to spark ideas, reduce duplication, and strengthen advising support campus‑wide.
Monday, May 4, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union, room 313