ADVISING & STUDENT SUCCESS CONFERENCE 20 26
READY FOR 2030 DESIGNING THE NEXT ERA OF ADVISING & STUDENT SUCCESS
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
SEPTEMBER 8 2:30 pm
Check-In*
3:00 - 4:30 pm
Cultivating the Volunteer Experience: Building a Strengths-Based Campus Where Every Student Has the Opportunity to Thrive
In front of Student Union, Room 362 A
Student Union, Room 362 A
Understanding the Student Experience Through the UT Pulse Survey Student Union, Room 362 A
4:30 - 6:00 pm
Meet & Greet with UT Advising and Student Success Leaders Student Union, Room 362 B/C
SEPTEMBER 9 8:15 - 9:00 am
Light Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00 am
Welcome Address & Keynote Introduction - Dr. Amber Williams
Student Union, Room 272 - Pilot Ballroom Food Options • Build your own yogurt parfait • Breakfast breads w/whipped cream cheese
Student Union, Room 272 - Pilot Ballroom
Opening Keynote - Dr. Fai Howard Student Union, Room 272 - Pilot Ballroom
*If you are staying at the Graduate Hotel, a staff member will meet you in the hotel lobby at 2:30 pm and walk you to the Student Union.
10:00 - 10:10 am
Break
10:10 - 11:10 am
The UT DSS Story
11:10 - 11:20 am
Break
11:20 - 11:50 am
Campus Tour
12:00 - 1:05 pm
Lunch + Fireside Chat Dr. Amber Williams and Dr. Bernie Savarese
Student Union, Room 270
Start at Student Union, Room 270
Student Union, Room 272 - Pilot Ballroom Food Options • Build your own taco bar • Cheesecake eggrolls w/chocolate and caramel sauces
1:20 - 2:10 pm
Leading Toward 2030: Institutional Readiness, Alignment & Action Student Union, Room 270
2:20 - 3:10 pm
Shared Ownership, Stronger Outcomes: Faculty Directors and the Future of Student Success Student Union, Room 270
3:15 - 3:35 pm
Closing Keynote Dr. Melissa Irvin Student Union, Room 272 - Pilot Ballroom
3:35 - 4:15 pm
Networking & Social Engagement Student Union, Room 272 - Pilot Ballroom
Session Descriptions 09/08
Cultivating the Volunteer Experience: Building a Strengths-Based Campus Where Every Student Has the Opportunity to Thrive Understanding the Student Experience Through the UTK Pulse Survey SU 362A
3:00 pm
Learn about strengths-based and data-informed practices shaping student success at UT.
Facilitators:
Dr. Virginia Stormer, Chief Strategy Officer, Division of Student Success Dr. Sean C. Basso, Director of Assessment for the Office of Student Success Analytics
09/09
Opening Keynote | Imagine What’s Possible, Create What’s Next: The Future of Advising & Student Success SU 272 - Pilot Ballroom
9:00 am
Dr. Fai Howard, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the University of South Florida, will establish the strategic framework for the conference by exploring how institutions must evolve to serve the next generation of learners while maintaining student-centered missions
09/09
The UT Division of Student Success Story SU 270
10:10 am
Explore UT’s student success journey and learn how collaboration, innovation, and a student-centered approach shaped institutional strategy.
Facilitator:
Dr. Amber Williams, Senior Vice Provost for Student Success, Division of Student Success
09/09
Campus Tour SU 270
11:20 am
Visit key student success spaces across campus and learn how services, programs, and environments support the student experience.
Facilitator:
Abby Brandau – UT Visitors Center
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS 09/09
Lunch + Fireside Chat | The Evolving Landscape of Student Success at the Modern Land-Grant Institution SU 272 - Pilot Ballroom
12:00 pm
Moderator
Raini Sizemore, Senior Advisor, College or Arts & Sciences, TennACADA President
Special Guests
Dr. Amber Williams, Senior Vice Provost for Student Success, DSS Dr. Bernie Savarese, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Research and Student Success
09/09
Leading Toward 2030: Institutional Readiness, Alignment & Action SU 270
1:20 pm
Moderated panel and conversation with senior leaders driving significant institutional change. Drawing on those experiences, panelists will reflect on what they have learned about leading change, building alignment, and navigating the complexity of a large university.
Moderator
Dr. Fai Howard, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the University of South Florida
Panelists:
Dr. Tracy Brower, Vice President of Workplace Insights, Steelcase Dr. Frank Cuevas, Vice Chancellor, Student Life Dr. Beth Foster, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs Dr. Tyvi Small, Vice Chancellor, Access & Engagement
09/09
Shared Ownership, Stronger Outcomes: Faculty Directors and the Future of Student Success SU 270
2:20 pm
Faculty Directors will share how their dual academic and DSS roles help bridge institutional silos, align priorities, and create shared ownership of student success. Attendees will learn a scalable model for strengthening collaboration across faculty and student success teams.
Moderators
Dr. Virginia Stormer, Chief Strategy Officer, Division of Student Success Dr. Krystyne Savarese, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director, Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration
09/09
Closing Keynote | Designed for this Moment: The Future of Advising is Already Here SU 272 - Pilot Ballroom
3:15 pm
Higher education is navigating rapid change — evolving student expectations, emerging technology, and mounting pressure to demonstrate impact. Yet for academic advisors and student success professionals, this moment is not a crisis. It is an invitation to shine brighter than ever before. In this closing keynote, Dr. Melissa Irvin draws on key points from Tyton Partners’ Listening to Learners 2025, and recent milestones in the advising profession to make the case that we are better positioned than ever to transform student lives. Attendees will leave energized by the big picture, grounded in the evidence, and inspired to step boldly into the next era of advising and student success.
studentsuccess.utk.edu