The following list provides a brief overview of standing committees that influence, inform, and coordinate efforts related to undergraduate academic advising on the Twin Cities campus. In addition, a map is available highlighting how these committees connect to the overall advising system.
Beyond this list of standing committees, there are also project-specific groups that can arise at any given time to advance current initiatives and efforts.
Academic Advising Network (AAN)
The Academic Advising Network (AAN) is comprised of advisors and student service professionals from across the campus. AAN fosters opportunities for professional growth, personal development, and community building.
Leadership: Megan Carmès ([email protected]), ISSS; Danielle Schnettler ([email protected]), TRIO / CEHD; Jackie Macbeth ([email protected]), Lindahl Academic Center
Advising Coordinators Group (ACG)
The Advising Coordinators Group is a community of practice made up of UMN-TC undergraduate academic advising coordinators/supervisors. The purpose of this group is to share experiences, discuss best practices, and support advising supervisor professional development.
Leadership: Hussain Bandy, [email protected], CBS; Sarah Campbell, [email protected], CLA
Advising Leaders Collaborative (ALC)
The Advising Leaders Collaborative serves as the primary advisory and coordinating body for undergraduate academic advising across the UMTC campus. ALC advances academic advising by promoting cross-campus collaboration, advancing student-centered advising practices and initiatives grounded in the advising framework, and advocating for resourcing, recognition, and development of advising professionals. The ALC operates through shared governance, ensuring advising leaders and voices shape institutional decisions on advising policy, practice, and strategy. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice principles are foundational for the committee’s decisions, initiatives, policies, and practices.
Leadership: Amy Hackett, [email protected], OUE; LeeAnn Melin, [email protected], OUE
Advisor Training Workgroup
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus is committed to providing an exemplary undergraduate advisor training program. Training supports advisors in enhancing the core advising skills and methods needed for their essential work. The Advisor Training Workgroup provides influence and direction for creating centralized training programs.
Leadership: Amy Hackett, [email protected], OUE
APAS User Group
The APAS User Group is made up of mostly advisors, but all APAS users are welcome to attend. During these meetings, participants gain helpful knowledge related to APAS, tips and tricks, and/or hear about updates or changes that impact APAS. The group meets quarterly and anyone interested in being added to the meeting invite can email [email protected].
Leadership: Matt Plachejo, [email protected], ASR
APLUS Advisory Committee
This committee is the decision-making body for work coming from the APLUS Functionality Working Group and broader APLUS community. This group appoints ad hoc working committees as needed to activate various projects.
Leadership: Amber Cellotti, [email protected], ASR; Colin Delong, [email protected], OAD
APLUS Functionality Working Group (FWG)
This group reviews new functionality in APLUS and provides feedback from constituents’ perspectives.
Leadership: Amber Cellotti, [email protected], ASR; Colin Delong, [email protected], OAD
Career Development Network (CDN)
CDN provides structure for professional staff development, collaboration, and sharing of best practices. CDN raises the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of career services and increases value to the overall student development and learning experience at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. CDN is open to any member of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus community engaged or interested in career development issues.
Leadership: CDN Executive Board, [email protected]
Change of College Committee
The Change of College Committee is composed of representatives from every undergraduate-admitting college and CAPE's Change of College coach. The committee's primary goal is to recommend improvements to the change of college process to ensure a seamless and effective process that promotes student success. While the topics discussed will be influenced by what the committee deems relevant and timely, the committee anticipates discussing: current change of college processes and identify existing gaps and/or barriers, support for advisors and students in the change of college process, areas for improved transparency and clarity around processes, and other ways to enhance the change of college experience on campus.
Leadership: Hannah Boldt, [email protected], CAPE; Carmen Kurdziel, [email protected], CLA
Council for Undergraduate Education (CUE)
The Council for Undergraduate Education was initially formed under the name Council of Undergraduate Deans as a way to communicate efficiently across undergraduate colleges. Beginning in 2008 under the new name, CUE continues to be a way to bring people together across the University, share information, and provide recommendations on University initiatives.
Leadership: Office of Undergraduate Education, [email protected]
Departmental Advisors Community of Practice
The goal of this group is to provide a space for reflection, development, learning, and sharing of resources among advisors on campus who have responsibilities in academic departments. We are focusing on creating connections among departmental advisors, providing professional development specific to topics faced by this population, ensuring the voice of departmental advisors is heard by advising leadership on campus, and creating resources to support individuals who supervise departmental advisors.
Leadership: Kate Lewis, [email protected], Mathematics; Tiffany Murphy, [email protected], Economics; Liza Pierre, [email protected], Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development
International Student Liaison Committee
To develop effective communication strategies, best practices and key resources within the colleges and departments for assisting undergraduate international students in; (1) successfully accomplishing their academic and professional goals and (2) actively engaging in their university community.
Leadership: Beth Isensee, [email protected], ISSS
New Advisor Group
The New Advisor Group is an informal way to meet other new and new-ish advisors while learning more about the UMNTC campus. They meet monthly and their approach is to include both group discussion and connection time, in addition to visiting many of the offices across campus to which we often refer our students.
Leadership: Phuong Geiger, [email protected], CEHD; Kyle Kunzmann, [email protected], CSE; and Grant McCormack, [email protected], CFANS
Orientation Advisory Committee (OAC)
This committee represents the colleges and key departments who work to help new students have a successful transition to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Leadership: Orientation & Transition Experiences, [email protected]
Registrar’s Advisory Committee (RAC)
The Registrar's Advisory Committee (RAC) serves as a consultative body to the director of Academic Support Resources (ASR). RAC members collaborate with ASR to improve critical services for students, faculty, and staff including: process improvement, policy clarification and recommendations, and system enhancements and reporting features. A virtual meeting is held quarterly; this is an open meeting and all interested parties are encouraged to attend.
Leadership: Amber Cellotti, Deputy Registrar & Director, Office of the Registrar, ASR
Contact info: Dani Rustad, [email protected], ASR
Transfer Student Advisory Committee (TSAC)
The goal of the TSAC is to coordinate the University’s support of undergraduate transfer students. The Transfer Student Advisory Committee is composed of University staff and administrators from across the Twin Cities campus.
Leadership: Sarah Ihrig, [email protected], OUE
UMN Twin Cities Working Group on Undergraduate Academic Policy Implementation (UAPI)
An advisory group made up of collegiate advisors and staff from the Office of Undergraduate Education. The group collaborates to identify standards and effective practices on matters of academic policy in practice. The group makes recommendations for improvements to policy language, practices, and processes to benefit student success and vets them with their units.
Leadership: Agnes Chagani, [email protected], CDES
Undergraduate Student Equity & Success Committee
The Undergraduate Student Equity & Success Committee (USES) serves as an advisory and strategic group tasked with identifying and recommending improvements to the undergraduate experience to intentionally eliminate inequitable student success outcomes. The committee consists of key leaders across UMTC student services and academic support units.
Leadership: LeeAnn Melin, [email protected], OUE