Adviser Central

Welcome, advisers, to ProCon 25 – where you’re outnumbered by students 5 to 1. But here are some better odds: We bet you can learn a lot yourself.

Many sessions are presented by media pros who are only too happy to chat with you individually. There’s also a New Adviser Certificate, available by attending sessions in Gilbert on the fourth floor, which we’ve designated Adviser Central. Only adviser sessions happen there.

But it’s not all education. Join us for the Adviser Mixer for free drinks and free food on Thursday, Feb. 27, from 6-8 p.m. Our adviser education team, led by Bill DiNome and Katie Baxter, would love to meet you.

If you need a quiet spot to rest during ProCon 25, look for the Adviser/Speaker Lounge on the fifth floor. Rumor has it there might be free coffee and tea sporadically throughout the convention…

Sessions

Advising 101: Introduction to advising

Whether you’ve been advising for six months or six years, you likely have been asked the question, what does an adviser do? This session will help you better understand your role so you can help others better understand what you do and what you don’t do. Topics include the role of the adviser, its ethical boundaries, and the basics of advising.

Katie Baxter, Georgia Highlands College
Bill DiNome, University of North Carolina Wilmington

9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27

Advising 102: Policies and procedures

Written policies and procedures provide an essential foundation for organizational management that is equitable and effective. This session will highlight the rationales and essential elements of policies and procedures that can guide your student staff and operations to success.

Bill DiNome, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Philip A. S. Todd, University of Southern Indiana

10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27

Sink or Swim: Advising students when the pressure is on

When deadlines loom and pressure is on students, this is the moment for the adviser to find the balance between losing the show and losing the lesson. This session will give real-life examples of supporting students in the thick of it while keeping student control.

Steven Sandberg, Oregon State University

1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27

Advising 103: Budgets and revenue

College media advisers often start out knowing plenty about journalism or related technologies but too little about running the business side, the side that keeps the lights on. This session will address key topics including establishing ad rates, managing expenses, and ways to find additional revenue. This is a required session in the New Adviser Certification track.

John Mullen, Hofstra University
Valerie Turco, SUNY New Paltz

2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27

The adviser’s P.R. toolkit: promoting, protecting and elevating student media

Student media advisers face growing challenges, including navigating bureaucracy, advocating for resources, and managing crises. A former adviser and current dean shares strategies to promote programs, support student journalists, and collaborate with administrators, equipping advisers with tools to address these issues and strengthen the impact of student media in today’s dynamic environment.

Jason Shepard, California State University, Fullerton

3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27

Advising 201: Recruiting, training and retraining

It isn’t student media without students, but it can be a struggle to recruit talented, dedicated students every year. This session will present tips on staff recruitment and retention, leadership development, and staff training. This is a required session in the New Adviser Certification track.

Jessica Clary, Virginia Commonwealth University
Adam Webster, Wilbur Wright College
Sara Bauknecht, Chatham University

4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27

Advising 202: Relationships on campus

Advisers are often stuck between a rock and a hard place – between your students and your administration. In this session, veteran advisers discuss how to manage your program’s image on campus, navigate campus politics, and leverage professional relationships to support your students’ success. This is a required session in the New Adviser Certification track.

Rita Fernandez-Sterling, Miami Dade College, Kendall
Will Heath, Samford University

9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28

Advising 203: Connecting with resources

It can be difficult to know where to turn when you need help with contest entries, applying for awards, designing training, defending your students, even defending yourself. This session will point you in the right direction by supplying a boatload of CMA resources and affiliated professional contacts – support that every adviser can’t live without. This session is required for New Adviser Certification.

Katie Baxter, Georgia Highlands College
Bill DiNome, University of North Carolina Wilmington

10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28

Give me a good title for AI in the journalism classroom

In this interactive session, we will examine how AI tools can enhance reporting and storytelling and support student learning, while also addressing ethical considerations and challenges. Learn strategies for integrating AI into journalism pedagogy to prepare students for a rapidly evolving media landscape.

Jenny Spinner, Saint Joseph’s University
Dhrumil Mehta, Deputy Director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, Columbia University
Aarushi Sahejpal, American University

1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28

Law 101 for advisers

In this first of a two-part session, learn the rights and responsibilities that accrue to your media students and to yourself as their adviser. Presented by legal experts from the Student Press Law Center, this fast-paced tour of legal basics will present ways to protect yourself and your students and suggest resources for getting legal help should you need it. This session is required for New Adviser Certification.

Jonathan Gaston-Falk, Student Press Law Center

2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28

Law 102 for advisers

This session extends the legal guidance in Law 101 on issues affecting students and advisers, and will avail attendees the opportunity to have a legal expert answer their questions. This session is required for New Adviser Certification.

Jonathan Gaston-Falk, Student Press Law Center

3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28

New advisers forum

This open forum for new advisers presents CMA veterans who can answer your questions, provide much-needed perspective on the work, and help you process the information gleaned over the course of the convention in advance of the certification test. This session is required for New Adviser Certification.

Bill DiNome, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Lori Dann, Tarrant County College
Adam Webster, Wilbur Wright College
Will Heath, Samford University
Jermaine Proshee, Southern University

4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28

Running it back: Review College Media Review

College Media Review, the flagship journal of the College Media Association and the leading research journal for student media everywhere, is looking for contributors in every way possible. Meet with your CMR Editor in Chief, and let’s chat.

Will Heath, Samford University

9 a.m. Saturday, March 1