Cal State East Bay Advising Program Honored Among Nation’s Best

Cal State East Bay is earning national recognition for its commitment to helping students navigate college and stay on the path to graduation. The university's Advising Resource Center and three university advisors were honored by NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising in 2026.

The recognition comes as Cal State East Bay has transformed its approach to advising, moving from a more centralized model to a coordinated, college-based system designed around students. Today, undergraduate students are supported by advising teams within their colleges and programs, while ARC serves as a central hub connecting students with the right resources and support.

This model emphasizes consistent, holistic advising, stronger relationships between students and advisors and guidance aligned with students' academic and career goals. Because of this, Cal State East Bay reports that term-to-term retention is 6 percent higher among students who engage with academic advising. In a university advising survey, 92 percent of students also reported that their advisors respected their identity and cultural background, and 90 percent said they received clear and accurate information about degree requirements and academic policies.

The national program award is one of several NACADA honors for Cal State East Bay this year.

KJ Palmer received NACADA Region 9's Advising Excellence Award - New Advisor. Lara Dungan received a Certificate of Merit for the Advising Excellence Award - Advisor, and Jennifer Aure, executive director of the Advising Resource Center and Career Empowerment Center, received a Certificate of Merit for the Advising Excellence Award - Advising Administrator.

Together, the honors recognize both the university's broader approach to advising and the people who work directly with students to help them make informed decisions, overcome challenges and progress toward their degrees.

The Advising Resource Center will be recognized at NACADA's Annual Conference in Oklahoma City on Oct. 5. Palmer will be recognized at the NACADA regional conference in May.