Committee for Advising Excellence
Mission
The mission of the Committee for Advising Excellence (CAE) is the support and training of excellent academic advising on the West Chester University (WCU) campus. To further this goal, the Committee will engage in assessment of academic advising, regular training sessions, and will solicit applications for and confer an advising award each academic year. In addition, the Committee will maintain online sites to support its assessment, training, and information dissemination efforts. The Committee will flexibly respond to changes in advising demands on campus.
Purpose and Functions
- The Committee is charged with improving and advocating for undergraduate advising on West Chester University campuses.
- The functions of the Committee shall be the following:
- Promote a mission, vision, and values statement for academic advising at WCU, seeking input from various campus constituencies and developing ways to build support for effective advising across the University.
- Develop, coordinate, and implement data collection tools for academic advising that would include an assessment of: Effectiveness of infrastructures and delivery systems at the College/Department level; student needs, expectations, and satisfaction with services; advising processes for first-year students (during summer/August and into the first year), and college/department advising effectiveness.
- To close the loop of collecting data and use the results, the Committee will review academic advising assessment information on an ongoing basis to make recommendations to senior-level administrators (e.g. Provost, Associate Provost, College Deans, President) and appropriate campus groups (e.g. Retention Committee, CAPC, APSCUF, Faculty Senate) on best practices and strategies to improve academic advising.
- Provide professional development opportunities for faculty on academic advising with an emphasis on best practices. These will include advisor training and the administration of an annual advising award.
- Organize, produce, and provide access to information and resources important for academic advising.
Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Members
Co-Chairs
Michelle DaSilva and Courtney Lloyd
Past-Chair: Susan Gans
| College / Unit | Representatives |
|---|---|
| College of Arts and Humanities (CAH) | Megan Corbin, Roger Gatchet |
| College of Health Sciences (CHS) | Michelle DaSilva, Melissa Whidden |
| College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) | Liu Cui, Linh Ngo, Barbara Swartz |
| School of Music | Nicholas Provenzale, Ralph Sorrentino |
| University College (UC) | Marie Bunner, Courtney Lloyd |
| College of Business and Public Management (CBPM) | Jennifer Bozeman, Yanan Chen |
| College of Education and Social Work (CESW) | Mary Houser, Karen Johnson |
Ad hoc Members:
| Office / Unit | Representatives |
|---|---|
| Academic Support & Advocacy (ASA) | Amanda Corsi, Frank Stern, Johny Tadros, Nicole Young |
| Athletics | Deidre Bertotti |
| DCAP | Cherie Fishbaugh |
| Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) | David Thomas |
Advising Awards
The Committee for Advising Excellence invites academic advisors to apply for the West Chester University Outstanding Advisor Award and College Advising Excellence Awards. One candidate will be awarded the West Chester University Outstanding Advisor Award. The recipient of this award will receive a framed certificate, $1,000 toward professional development, and recognition at commencement.
Multiple candidates may be awarded the College Advising Excellence Award. Recipients of this award will receive a framed certificate and recognition in the following year’s Faculty Awards Ceremony in November.
The CAE will send a call for applications in September via email. Please review the criteria, timeline, and required forms for these awards. Applications are accepted in the fall semester.
Past Award Recipients
West Chester University Outstanding Advisor Award
| Year | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Dr. Jacki Zalewski, Sociology |
| 2021 | Dara Dirhan, Nutrition |
| 2023 | Dr. Colleen Commisso, Special Education |
| 2024 | Dr. David Barry, Early & Middle Grades Education |
| 2025 | Dr. Cheryl Wanko, English |
College Advising Excellence Award Recipients
| Year | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Dr. Liam Lair, Women and Gender Studies; Dr. Nancy Barker, Nursing |
| 2023 | Dr. David Barry, Early & Middle Grades Education; Teresa Donze-Reiner |
| 2024 | Dr. Colleen Commisso, Special Education; Casey Schmitt, Interdisciplinary Studies; Dr. Wei Du, Economics & Finance |
| 2025 | Dr. Colleen Commisso, Special Education; Dr. Heather Schugar, Educational Leadership and Higher Education Administration; Dr. Yanan Chen, Economics & Finance |
Advisor Development Opportunities
The Committee for Advising Excellence (CAE) provides a variety of professional development opportunities designed to help faculty and professional advisors enhance their advising knowledge, skills, and effectiveness. Whether you are new to advising or an experienced advisor seeking to expand your expertise, CAE offers resources and support to help you succeed.
Workshops
Attend semester workshops focused on advising best practices, student success initiatives,
university resources, and advising technologies such as Navigate and RamPortal.
Recent topics have included:
- Navigate and student success technologies
- RamPortal and university resources
- Academic policies and procedures
- Supporting students in academic difficulty
- Inclusive and student-centered advising practices
- Career development and major exploration
- Advising for student success and retention
- Effective communication and coaching strategies
Department Training
CAE offers customized presentations and training sessions for departments, colleges,
and advising teams. Topics can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your faculty
and advisors.
Individual Consultations: Meet with CAE representatives to discuss advising strategies,
student support challenges, advising technologies, and effective practices for promoting
student success.
Online Advising Training
Access self-paced D2L training modules covering advising fundamentals, student development, university resources, referral practices, advising technology, and ethical advising practices.
Advising Community of Practice
Connect with colleagues across the university through workshops, collaborative discussions, and advising-focused events that foster a culture of advising excellence.
Interested in participating or requesting training? Contact CAE @ cae@wcupa.edu to learn more.
Why Participate?
- Strengthen advising knowledge and skills
- Learn effective strategies for supporting students
- Stay current on advising resources, policies, and technologies
- Connect with advisors across campus
- Demonstrate a commitment to advising excellence