Building Your Professional Network For Academic Advisors

Developing strong professional relationships within and beyond Michigan State University can help academic advisors expand your network, increase collaboration opportunities, and gain valuable support for future career advancement, including external letters. Below are ways to expand your network both on campus and outside of MSU, along with relationship-building strategies.

On-Campus (Outside Your MAU)

Engage in Campuswide Committees and Groups

• Get involved in cross-college working groups or task forces, such as:
  • Academic Specialist Advisory Committee (ASAC)
  • Campus Student Success Group (CSSG)
  • Coalition of Racial and Ethnic Minorities (COREM)
  • Employee Pride and Inclusion Coalition (EPIC)
  • President’s Advisor Committee on Disability Issues (PACDI)
  • Women of Color Community

Collaborate on Student Success and Development

• Co-create student success programs across colleges (e.g., “Advising for Transfer Students in STEM and Arts & Letters”).
• Develop joint orientation or transition programs for shared student populations (first-gen, undecided, returning students, etc.).
• Work with advisors in other colleges to analyze retention data or assess advising outcomes.
• Start a cross-college resource group focused on special populations (e.g., military-connected, international, or probation students).
• Partner on advising videos or digital resources (e.g., co-branded “how-to” guides or student success videos).
  

Share Expertise and Learning

• Co-facilitate workshops or training sessions with advisors outside your college.
• Attend advisor development or networking sessions, such as those hosted by the Undergraduate Academic Advisor Resources and Engagement (UAARE) Team.
• Collaborate with UAARE on professional development workshops for the MSU advising community.
• Invite advisors from other colleges to guest-present at your meetings or training sessions.
• Offer to host brown-bag discussions on the major or program you advise for (i.e., pre-health updates for academic advisors)
• Engage with or create professional learning communities (PLCs) focused on advising, first-generation students, or wellbeing.
  

Mentoring, Affinity, and Recognition

• Serve as a mentor or mentee in MSU’s advisor mentoring programs (coming soon!).
• Shadow or exchange advising experiences with another college’s advising team.
• Nominate colleagues for an award and attend a recognition event to show support. A few options include:
  • The Academic Advising Recognition and Awards
  • Five Opportunity Areas of Student Success Recognition Program
  • NACADA Global Awards Program
  • MIACADA Advising Awards
• Send a shoutout in the Thank An Advisor Form
• Invite advisors from other colleges to participate in panels or serve as respondents to your presentations.
• Publish or contribute to internal newsletters or spotlights highlighting cross-campus collaborations.
  

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Outside of MSU

Join and Engage in Professional Associations

• Become active in national or regional organizations:
  • National Academic Advising Association (NACADA)
  • Michigan Academic Advising Association (MIACADA)
  • American College Personnel Association (ACPA)
  • American College Personnel Association-Michigan (ACPA-Michigan)
  • National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)
  • National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP)
  • National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS)
  • Appreciative Education

• Don’t just join, engage! Volunteer for committees, task forces, or leadership roles (see more ideas below)
  

Collaborate and Contribute Professionally

• Attend and present at national, regional, or virtual conferences.
• Serve on committees or review boards (e.g., NACADA regional steering committees, MIACADA conference planning committee).
• Publish or co-author articles in advising journals, newsletters, or blogs.
• Volunteer as a peer reviewer for conference proposals or journal submissions.
• Collaborate on inter-institutional research or presentations on advising, equity, or student success.
• Participate in webinars as an attendee and follow up with presenters or participants.
• Apply for advising-related awards or grants that connect you with reviewers from other institutions.
• Reach out to advisors at peer institutions that are advising student populations similar to yours to discuss best practices.
  

Relationship-Building Tips

• Follow up with new contacts after conferences, meetings, or collaborations with a brief thank-you email.
• Stay visible by sharing your work and engaging thoughtfully
• Offer collaboration first:  volunteer to share materials, co-present, or provide peer feedback.
• Keep a contact list of professionals who know your work well for future letter requests.
• Sustain engagement over time: authentic, ongoing relationships build trust and credibility.

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What Ideas Do You Have?

We’d love to hear from you! What other ways have you found to build meaningful professional connections or collaborations, either within MSU or beyond? Please email our team at UAARE-info@msu.edu to share your ideas, experiences, or examples so we can continue learning from one another and expanding our collective network.