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Maura Reynolds Elected to Lead
National Advising Commission

Posted March 27, 2002

HOLLAND -- Maura Reynolds of the Hope College faculty has been elected to chair the Small Colleges and Universities Commission of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).

Reynolds is director of advising and associate professor of Latin at Hope. Her three-year term as the commission's chair will begin in October.

NACADA was chartered as a non-profit organization in 1979 to promote quality academic advising and professional development of its membership to ensure the educational development of students. The organization has since grown to more than 6,600 members consisting of faculty members, professional advisors, administrators, counselors, and others in academic and student affairs concerned with the intellectual, personal and vocational needs of students. In addition, NACADA is the representative and advocate of academic advising and those providing that service to higher education.

NACADA hosts an annual national conference each October that attracts more than 2,000 attendees, as well as 10 regional conferences, and intensive study of advising through an Academic Advising Summer Institute. NACADA publishes a scholarly journal, a quarterly newsletter and occasional special publications, including the text "Academic Advising: A Comprehensive Handbook" and "The 'e' Factor in Delivering Advising and Student Services." NACADA offers an advising training video, manages a consultants bureau, offers a placement service, funds research grants, sponsors an awards program, grants scholarships and supports commissions to address important academic advising issues.

The Small Colleges and Universities Commission provides smaller institutions with networking and resource assistance geared toward their needs. The commission's activities include sponsoring topics at the national conference designed to be of special interest to such schools, and maintaining an e-mail network for sharing information.

Reynolds joined the college in 1974 as director of the Academic Support Center, a position she held for four years, also teaching introductory expository writing. She began teaching Latin at Hope in 1980.

She was appointed director of advising in 1988. She also served as coordinator for pilot sections of Hope's "First-Year Seminar" program. She delivered the college's Commencement address in May of 2001, and Opening Convocation address in August of 1998.

Reynolds has helped plan and implement New Student Orientation at Hope since 1987. Since 1989, she has been a member of the staff of the college's Teaching Enhancement Workshop, which is geared toward faculty members about to begin their first year at Hope.

She has made several presentations at professional conferences, discussing advising and teaching, including during multiple years at the NACADA National Conference and the American Classical League Conference.

Reynolds holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Latin from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to coming to Hope, she had taught Latin at West Ottawa High School and at Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Ill.

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