11/11/24

By University Communications

HAYS, Kan. - Professional academic advisors from FHSU were recognized during the Kansas Academic Advising Network (KAAN) annual advising conference at the University of Kansas in September.

Becky Newell, a professional advisor at the Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, was selected for the 2024 KAAN Supportive Advisor Award. The award winner exemplifies a commitment to advising and advocates for students and advisors. Newell, who has served as a professional advisor since 2017, has also been recognized at FHSU with the Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics Advisor Award and the 2024 FHSU Edmund Shearer Advisor Award.

At the conference, Ashley Wetzel, a professional advisor in the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, and Whitney Whitaker, Chair of Psychology, presented on Centralized Advising and Faculty Mentoring at FHSU: Benefits, Challenges, and Future Direction.

Ashley Wetzel was elected as the new treasurer for the KAAN Steering Committee for 2024-2026. She joins Nikki Brown and six other advisors from across higher education in Kansas.

Brown, assistant director of the Academic Advising and Career Exploration Center, completed her term as KAAN Chair, moved into the Past Chair role, and will host the 2025 Kansas Academic Advising Network Conference at FHSU. In October, Brown, together with Patricia Griffin, director of AACE, presented a two-hour pre-conference workshop at the NACADA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Penn.

FHSU currently has 23 undergraduate professional advisors and four graduate professional advisors. It began its transition to college-based professional advising for undergraduate students in 2021. FHSU’s advising program was reviewed by NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising in January of 2024. The review found the program to have a strong ethos of care and coordinated support for student success.

“The transition to undergraduate professional advisors has paired well with the addition of faculty mentoring students,” Griffin said. “Students can benefit from more support and access to opportunities as a FHSU student. This ties into Goal Theme 2 Student Success of the Strategic Plan to ‘create opportunities for all students and empower them to identify, evaluate, and achieve their goals while becoming engaged global citizens.’”

More information about academic advising at FHSU is available at: https://www.fhsu.edu/academic-advising/

For additional news and information about Fort Hays State University, go to https://www.fhsu.edu/university-communications/