Advising Network Conference 2026

Advising in the Age of AI

The Notre Dame Advising Network seeks proposals for its spring 2026 conference titled "Advising in the Age of AI."

As colleges and universities work frantically to create policies and develop pedagogies aimed at stemming the tide of academic dishonesty driven by AI, institutions are also looking for ways to harness its power and appeal.

Many universities now offer students access to chatbots that give speedy answers to questions about curricular requirements and advice as to which courses to take based on future career plans. But the convenience of such a tool is arguably offset by the loss of personalized, “high touch” advising through which advisees build a personal relationship with a human advisor who is interested in getting to know them and invest in their personal development.

The theme of this year’s conference is focused on this tension between the powerful ease of technology and the messy, sometimes emotional, give and take of face-to-face advising conversations.

Advising professionals are encouraged to submit proposals focused on how academic advisors and advising programs are navigating, embracing, and/or resisting the disruptiveness of AI and other computer-based tools.

Proposals may explore tech-assisted advising strategies, plans for institution-wide or discipline specific implementation of technologies, as well as approaches that resist technology. For example, how are individual advisors and programs addressing the downstream impacts of technology, such as ideological divisions, feelings of disconnection from the broader campus community, and loneliness?

Group and individual proposals are accepted. Possible formats include:

• Presentation (20-45 minutes; shorter presentations may be grouped with other presenters)
• Lightning Talk (limited to 5 slides in 5 minutes)
• Roundtable Discussion (Presenter to facilitate the proposed topic)
• Workshop (45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes)

Submit your proposal here. The deadline is 5:00 p.m., Sunday, February 15, 2026.

Registration

"Advising in the Age of AI " will take place on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in McKenna Conference Center at the University of Notre Dame. There is no registration fee for the conference. All are welcome!

Please register here by Friday, February 27.