Graduate school is a time of ambition and momentum, though it naturally comes with a demanding workload. Many graduate students navigate coursework and research while balancing careers, family and other responsibilities. In such a fast-paced environment, establishing a sense of belonging requires intentional effort. That is where graduate advising plays a pivotal role, moving beyond course registration and degree checklists to serve as a key support system that fosters connection, community and student success.
That philosophy guided Kat Vito, graduate and doctoral student advisor, and Nick Adams, graduate student advisor, as they represented Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at this year’s NACADA Annual Conference. Their presentation, Graduate Student Success: A Professional Staff Approach to Advising, highlighted CEHD’s graduate advising model while inviting a broader conversation about how institutions can better support graduate students.
The advising model in place today, first launched in 2022, has been years in the making. CEHD advising staff have continued to develop and refine the model to better meet the evolving needs of graduate students. Vito and Adams shared that their leadership team was instrumental in encouraging them to submit a presentation.
After several years of implementation and modifications, they felt ready to showcase the model to colleagues across the country, particularly because graduate advising models with professional staff are not yet very common.
Similarly, since many conference sessions focused primarily on undergraduate student experiences, they found it especially valuable to exchange ideas with professionals who understood the unique realities of graduate advising.
Their session centered on an advising approach that parallels the structure traditionally associated with undergraduate advising while remaining tailored to graduate students’ experiences. Rather than focusing solely on academic milestones, the model follows students from matriculation through graduation, providing consistent support throughout their time at Temple. Just as importantly, Vito and Adams hoped conference attendees would leave not only with practical ideas to adapt within their own institutions, but also with a sense of collaboration among graduate advisors.
In addition to sharing CEHD’s work, the conference also gave them an opportunity to reflect on the importance of helping students feel like they belong.
Graduate students often face additional barriers to building community because some students may be fully online or may be coming to campus once a week after work. Yet throughout the conference, they noticed the same message emerging across sessions about the importance of building connections and creating that sense of belonging and support for students.
That message resonated because it mirrors the way they define success for the students they work with every day. While academic achievement remains important, they believe success extends well beyond the classroom.
“Beyond academics, student success is that sense of belonging. It is knowing you have a built-in network at the university and utilizing it, whether for academic progress or professional development outside the classroom. That sense of belonging empowers students in and out of the classroom to follow their passions and reach their full potential,” Vito said.
Another takeaway came from a session focused on communication. It prompted them to reconsider something as simple as an email or a Canvas page, recognizing that students can quickly become overwhelmed by jargon or information overload. That perspective now influences their day-to-day work.
“We have been keeping this session in mind ever since,” Vito said. “Even when sending a quick email reply, we ensure that our use of certain words or phrases isn’t creating more questions than answers,” Adams added.
The lessons they brought back from NACADA also reinforced challenges they encounter regularly with students.
Financial concerns continue to be one of the most significant barriers to graduate education. While advisors cannot directly influence financial aid decisions or scholarship opportunities, they play an important role in helping students explore practical solutions that allow them to continue making progress toward their degrees.
Whether that means adjusting schedules to maintain eligibility requirements or discussing options such as a leave of absence during periods of financial hardship. To them, advising often means helping students navigate circumstances that extend well beyond academics.
Vito and Adams agree that advising is about listening first, understanding each student's circumstances and helping them identify the next step, even when the solution falls outside the advisor's office.
“Don’t be afraid to reach out. We are in these roles because we love working with students and supporting students,” Vito said.