More than 100 academic advisors from across the UC Davis campus attended the Advisor Fall Welcome hosted by Academic Advising Enrichment to kick off the new year and recognize annual award winners.

According to Kayton Carter, the executive director for Academic Advising Enrichment, approximately 140 advisors serve the UC Davis campus’ 31,000 students. The unit works to support advisors to ensure the best educational experiences for undergraduate students.

“Academic Advisors are really the frontline to supporting students,” Carter said. “Our support of advisors directly translates to improving student experience.”

In addition to supporting students plan their course enrollments and meet their degree requirements, UC Davis advisors provide a variety of support roles ensuring a high-quality student experience.

“This means providing the right resources at the right times,” Carter said. “A diverse student community also means diverse needs.”

The Fall Welcome provided Academic Advising Enrichment an opportunity to outline the resources available to campus advisors – including workshops, certification, mentoring and an annual conference. Intentional community building activities brought the advisors – who are spread across colleges and departments – together.

The annual meeting also included the campus advising awards program. The campus awards are timed to align with the National Association for Academic Advising: The Global Community for Academic Advising, NACADA, regional and association awards program. Both the campus and regional awards advance awareness and recognition of the role of academic advisors in higher education.

The UC Davis Academic Advising Awards launched in 2015. Since then, 34 UC Davis advisors were recognized with regional awards and 22 advisors received global awards.

As the meeting wrapped up, Carter inspired the team of advisors to be change agents for the cultural transformation of the advising profession.

"Advisors help students maximize their academic experience and shape a future aligned with individualized goals,” he said. “It’s this direct impact on the trajectory of students’ lives that makes such a difference."

Academic Advising Enrichment is a unit within UC Davis Undergraduate Education, which supports undergraduate students, faculty and advisors to foster diverse, innovative and transformative educational experiences.

2023 UC Davis Academic Advising Awards

Outstanding New Advisor - Alyssa Parsons Outstanding Campus Collaborator - Vanessa Talavera Outstanding Advising Mentor - Emma Martinez Outstanding Faculty Advisor - Enoch Baldwin Outstanding Advising Equity Champion - Mayra Llamas Outstanding Peer Advisor - Katherine Fierro Outstanding Advising Administrator - Sam Arcement Outstanding Staff Advisor - Erica Cefalo

Watch Kayton Carter go Face to Face with Chancellor May and discuss their role in increasing advising opportunities for undergraduate Aggies to equip them for their futures.