Cal Poly Pomona will recognize advisors and the work they do to support student success during an all-day event.

The inaugural Day of the Advisor, which is set for Friday, Jan. 29, will recognize the value of advising as a form of teaching, provide professional development opportunities and help with the creation of ways to further enhance both the faculty and professional advisor role, according to Selyna Beverly, university academic advising coordinator.

"The Day of the Advisor is a way to celebrate and recognize all of the people who are a part of the advising community," Beverly says.

Many of the day's activities are designated for advisors, but the keynote address is open to faculty and staff, she says. Charlie Nutt, executive director of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) will speak on the importance of integrating developmental advising into daily practice.

Developmental advising involves getting to know the whole student, a practice that goes much deeper than just advising them on what classes to take. The key is to find out what students need, help connect them to resources and empower them to take ownership of their education, Beverly says.

"We want students to have a seamless advising experience," she says. "The moment they walk in the door, they should be getting good information. The only way to move towards student success is having everyone understand the role of advising in leading to that success."

Nutt, who was appointed to executive director of NACADA in October 2007, is a longtime educator. Prior to being named executive director, he served as associate director of the organization for five years. Before that, he spent nine years as the vice president for Student Development Services at Georgia Community College and six years as assistant professor of English/director of advisement and orientation. He currently teaches graduate courses in the College of Education in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Kansas State University.

His visit to campus comes at a key time for advising at Cal Poly Pomona, says Beverly, who was named to her new post in March 2015. She was selected to coordinate advising on campus, as the university added 10 college-based advisors. Nutt also has experience with semester conversion, a transition the university is undergoing.

"Because advising is changing a lot on our campus, we wanted to have somebody who could come in and let us know how to move forward, especially with semester conversion," she said.

The keynote address, which is open to the entire campus community, is from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Ursa Minor. To RSVP to the event, visit https://cpp.formstack.com/forms/charlie_nutt_keynote.