Sue Saunders

Camarillo, Calif., – CSU Channel Islands (CI) announced an award received by CI’s Director of Academic Advising and Learning Support Services, Sue Saunders.

Saunders was the founding member of the Advising Center at CI in 2000, bringing with her the experience of more than 20 years’ work in the educational field.

In March 2009, Saunders attended the Pacific Region 9 conference of her professional group, the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). During the conference Saunders presented, “The Student Advising Guide from Orientation and Beyond.” The presentation was chosen as the “Best of the Region” by her peers. This award is presented by NACADA to one session at each of the ten regional conferences.

Saunders was awarded a stipend to attend the NACADA Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, at which time she was presented with the award before a large national audience of academic advisors and administrators.

Saunders was also the recipient of the “Best of Region” award for a previous presentation at the 2006 regional NACADA conference and is the only presenter who has received the award twice during the last nine years. She has also been chosen as Conference Chair for the 2010 Pacific Region Conference.

Saunders stated, “Presenting at NACADA has provided me with a valuable opportunity to share advising tools and strategies implemented at CSU Channel Islands, and it’s rewarding to have advising professionals express their appreciation for providing them with new tools or innovative strategies that they can adapt to their own advising programs.”

While at CI she has been committed to assisting students in achieving their academic and career goals and to providing accurate and timely academic resources, materials and information to the campus community. Saunders affirms that, “Through NACADA conference participation, we are able to bring back innovative ideas to our campuses to expand or improve our own advising programs, ultimately providing improved services to our students and the campus community.”