Committee Members From This Past Year

• Jacquelyn Abeyta (Co-Chair)
• Gabe Peña (Co-Chair)
• Elizabeth Brand (Member)
• Jason Cronkite (Member)
• Justin Sims (CSAL Graduate Student Member)

Vacancies for F21/W22

CSAL Graduate Student Position (1 year term)

As the inaugural committee, what things did you learn as a group?

As a group, we spent most of our time working on the development of the LAAN website. This website’s purpose is to be a one-stop shop for advisors to find all of the necessary information they would need when working with a student. During design of the site we discovered how important it was for us to make sure we included resources that benefitted all advisors, regardless of the college they worked in. At the same time, we also had to make sure to not flood the site with every resource that is available to advisors so as not to overcrowd the site. We did create a Qualtrics survey and made data informed decisions on the needs and resources necessary to provide advisors with resources to contribute to consistent advising strategies and information regardless of academic unit.

What accomplishments did your committee achieve during this past academic year? Projects and initiatives worked on?

During this year we were able to accomplish the creation of the LAAN website. We are moving forward with a soft opening for the site on May 10th, 2021, and enhancements will be made as needed and appropriate. We also established the official LAAN email as well as a CMS form for people to request outreach via the LAAN email.

What work will you carry over that was unfinished to the next academic year?

Future projects include redesigning the current site found at gvsu.edu/advising and using that as a site designed for students to find all the resources they need. In August 2021, at the Provosts Advisor Kick Off event, the site will be unveiled to the broader audience with a more intentional overview. Presented by co-chairs.

How did COVID-19 impact your committee work this year?

COVID impacted us as a committee primarily by requiring us to meet remotely. Fortunately for us we were able to divide projects up among committee members and ultimately working remotely did not negatively impact our ability to work. We recognized the efficiencies that Zoom collaboration provided and will likely continue in some form into the future to ensure access and participation for all regardless of where you are geographically based.