The History of NACADA: An Amazing Journey
In this article, we trace the history of NACADA from many perspectives. The NACADA mission, organization, programming, and services throughout the past 30 years provide a story of innovation and change. The effect of technology on NACADA's growth, especially in the last decade, has created enumerable opportunities for more comprehensive programming, services, sharing of expertise and resources, and support to members. NACADA has had a phenomenal impact on the perceptions of advising, the redefined the role of advisors, and the means by which students have benefited directly and indirectly from the professionalism it has engendered.
Contributor Notes
Tom Grites (tom.grites@stockton.edu) has served as Director of Academic Advising, Interim Director of Teacher Education, Interim Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and currently as Assistant to the Provost in his 32 years at Stockton. He currently has responsibilities for academic orientation programming, first-year experience efforts, and transfer student initiatives, is liaison with the Division of Student Affairs, and leads various other projects. He also teaches regularly, most recently piloting a seminar course for new transfer students.
He was one of the founding members of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) and served as its president for two terms. He currently serves as a Senior Editor of the NACADA Journal and regularly provides other services to NACADA.
Dr. Grites has written over 50 journal articles, book chapters, and professional reports; he has delivered more than 70 conference presentations; and he has conducted faculty development workshops and academic advising program reviews on over 100 campuses. He has served on the Absecon Board of Education for over 20 years. He is the only person who has attended all 32 National Conferences.
He earned his BS and MS degrees from Illinois State University and his PhD from the University of Maryland. Both institutions have awarded him their Distinguished Alumni Awards, and he was inducted into the College of Education Hall of Fame at Illinois State in October 2007.
Virginia N. Gordon (gordon.9@osu.edu) is Dean Emeritus and adjunct associate professor at The Ohio State University. She has extensive experience in teaching, administration, advising, and counseling in higher education settings. Her bibliography includes books, monographs, book chapters, and journal articles on many topics associated with higher education. Her latest publications are Selecting A College Major: Exploration and Decision Making (2009) and Foundations—A Reader for New Students (2010).
Dr. Gordon was a charter member of NACADA and its third president. She is the founder and first Director of the National Clearinghouse on Academic Advising. Dr. Gordon has received national acclaim and numerous awards, the most fitting of which is NACADA's naming of its award for outstanding contributions to the field of academic advising the Virginia N. Gordon Award.
