Information and Resources for Academic Advisors

What is secondary trauma? What is it about our work that exposes us to it? How prevalent is it? How can we prevent it and what can we do as individuals and in our organizations to raise awareness of this workplace injury? Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is defined as: ‘‘the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person.” Kyle’s recent dissertation explored the secondary trauma experience of Canadian Student Affairs professionals finding that certain groups within the field experienced higher levels of secondary trauma. Triggering content will be minimal and warnings will be provided.

Kyle Baillie holds an Ed.D. from the University of Kansas in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and is currently the Executive Director of Student Affairs at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, BC. He has worked in the Student Affairs field for 20 years in Canada and the US, and in various types of institutions.

Download the Secondary Trauma for Student Affairs Professionals Scale »

Keynote Session Slides

First generation students are the first in their family to go to post-secondary. These students often lack the knowledge of navigating the higher education system that is passed down through family connections, and often face other social, economic, and personal barriers to accessing and succeeding in post- secondary. As advisors, we can develop an understanding of the unique barriers these students may face, and the intersectionality with other barriers, in order to help them succeed in their studies.

Supporting Needs of First Generation Students Presentation Slides

Financial empowerment is at the core of the financial services offered at Bow Valley College. Our approach is to provide wholistic financial wellness services and interventions that support learners at different stages of need.

• Scholarships & Awards: Financial Need Emergency Bursary: Honor-based system to reduce barriers for accessing assistance, focused on maintaining learners dignity
• Financial Education: Support and interventions offered to learners at different stages of need
• Accelerate Your Success presentations in collaboration with RISE Advisors
• Financial Fitness workshops in collaboration with Scholarships & Awards
• Matched Saving Bursary programs
• Financial Coaching

Student-Athletes are a unique group of students because of the multi-layered demands on their schedules, the multiple eligibility standards they must adhere to, and the pressure of competing and representing their university. An unusual factor that has been added on student- athletes in the past 2 years has been the lockdowns of the pandemic, the sports shutdowns, and the lack of their team's support that they were used to in the past. Going back to in-person training/learning was another struggle as they now faced increased coaches demands as well as high injury rates. How can advisors best support student- athletes as they navigate and juggle these multiple issues, and guide them towards academic, athletic, and personal success?

Let's Talk Advising First-Year Students: Trends, Challenges and Best Practices

What trends or challenges are you noticing regarding the academic readiness of the first-year students you advise? Bring your thoughts and experiences to this discussion-based session, where we will consider themes that are coming up in our advising of first-year students, and share suggestions and best practices for helping them find academic success despite modality changes and ongoing uncertainty.

Let's Talk Advising First-Year Students Presentation Slides

ADHD students often come in smart, scattered and struggling. Using the latest brain research, we will look at best practices for supporting these students and their diverse needs.

Helping ADHD Students Thrive Presentation Slides

The goal of creating a community of care on our campuses addresses the intersectionality of mental health (both student and advisor), the pandemic, indigenization and EDI, best practices, and cross-department communication. This session will address that intersectionality as a foundation for and the values underpinning post secondary institutions as communities of care. You will leave the session with tools and steps for how to foster this on your own campuses.

Post-Secondary Campuses as Communities of Care Presentation Slides