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Cornell University

Undergraduate Education

Professional Development

Opportunities for Growth and Education

Throughout the academic year, the Professional Academic Advising Leaders coordinate professional development opportunities for the advising community that focus on advisor skills development, evolving knowledge of the profession, and current trends and research in student development. These sessions nurture community by providing opportunities for advisors to learn together and share ideas that enhance advising practices and student support services.

Hallmark professional growth opportunity 

Offered to both new and experienced advisors is the Intergroup Dialogue Project's Advising Across Difference: Course for Advisors.  During this meaningful, year-long engagement for 12-15 advisors, participants:

  • Learn tools and skills for advising, collaborating, and leading across difference
  • Practice ways to foster human connection in their role as educators, colleagues, and leaders
  • Explore the ways in which social identities and lived experiences inform advising and educational processes
  • Explore their role as an advisor and culture navigator in an uncertain, changing, and challenging reality
  • Prepare themselves to engage in diversity, equity, and inclusion processes in their unit and on campus
  • Build a professional network of academic advisors interested in enacting systemic change past the completion of this course

Other professional education and network offerings

  • New advisor onboarding - Be welcomed by Vice Provost Nishii and PAAL co-chairs and learn more about Cornell's advisor resources such as the our practice framework, the Advising Support Network, the Salesforce-supported Advising Portal, and FERPA
  • Biennial PAAC Advising Conference - The 2024 conference was a great success with sessions for close to 100 attendees on topics such as developmental advising, advising strategies for first generation and low-income students, inclusive advising for students with disabilities, high impact learning strategies, and more!  
  • Volunteer for PAAC committees - go to the PAAC MS Teams/website hub to see what's new and where help is needed