Advising Circles

Advising Circles are small groups of 8 - 10 advising and student services staff who gather via Zoom for a single session of collaborative brainstorming and discussion. In a Circle, you will be invited to share your ideas, talk about what has worked and what hasn't, discuss what additional tools or knowledge you are seeking, and more. Some Advising Circles will feature a co-facilitator with experience or skills in the topic of discussion to help guide the conversation and act as a resource for the attendees. We hope the Circles are a great opportunity to bounce ideas around and learn from each other! 

RSVP today for one or more of our Spring 2023 sessions:

Personal/Professional Development

  • Finding Community as First-Gen Professionals | Wednesday, January 25, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.: Join us to discuss being a first generation professional working at UC Berkeley! We’ll discuss challenges, build community, and learn from each other.
  • New to Berkeley with with Colin Gerker-Junsay (People and Culture) | February 16, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.Welcome to Berkeley! Join us to discuss your challenges and opportunities so far, build community with other new colleagues, and ask any burning questions!
  • Anti-Racism Initiatives in Your Work with Katrina Pantig Naval | March 7, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.Join us to discuss how departments are embedding anti-racism initiatives into your work. Share what’s working well, what needs improvement and exchange notes on how other units are taking action on the matter.
  • Self-Care, Self-Preservation, and Wellness for Staff with Liza Schlosser-Olroyd | April 5, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.: Join us to reflect on our self-care and wellness. We’ll discuss the tools we lean on, what resources are available, and how we can support each other in our wellness journeys. 
  • Finding a Mentor with Jeremy Brooks | May 2, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.Share your experience with finding a mentor on campus. Discuss what programs are working and what improvements can be made to better connect mentees to mentors.

Special Interest Groups

  • Supporting First-Gen Students | Monday, January 30, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.Join us for an intentional discussion about serving first generation students, undergraduate and graduate. We’lll discuss trends, resources, successes, lessons learned and more.
  • Supporting Transfer Students with Lucille Molina | Tuesday, February 21, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.Transfer students can sometimes feel siloed, alone in their experience and in survival mode. Join us to discuss how we service transfer students to help them not only survive, but thrive at Berkeley.
  • Supporting Grad Students | Wednesday, March 15, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.Share your current practices with advising graduate students, reflect on challenges with this student population, and learn from others in the graduate advising community.
  • Supporting International Students | Monday, April 17, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.Join our conversation about supporting Berkeley’s international students - share what has been working so far, ask questions, and reflect on how we can better advise international students.
  • Advising Staff in Small Departments | Wednesday, May 3, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.Share your successes and challenges as a one-person office. Come prepared to discuss your own experience, and learn about others’ experiences in small departments.