Academic Advising
Our Advisors and Staff
Mike Dial
| Title: | Senior Program Manager, Advising Technology Innovation and Assessment |
| Academic Advising | |
| Email: | mdial@mailbox.sc.edu |
| Phone: | 803-576-8318 |
| Office: | Close-Hipp, Office 361 |
| LinkedIn: | My LinkedIn profile |
| Resources: | Book a meeting with Mike on Bookings |
Mike Dial serves as Senior Program Manager for Advising Technology Innovation and Assessment at the University of South Carolina's University Advising Center, where he supports more than 120 academic advisors serving the full undergraduate population. A self-described funky tech data humanist, Mike works at the intersection of advising practice, technology systems, and assessment.
In his current role, Mike provides strategic and leadership for CRM Advise (Ellucian) and the broader student data ecosystem that supports day-to-day advising operations across the institution. He oversees the implementation, governance, and continuous improvement of advising technology platforms; designs the assessment infrastructure that documents advising's contribution to student success; and partners with advisors, campus partners, and university leaders to translate complex systems into tools that genuinely serve students.
An active scholar and practitioner in academic advising administration, Mike is co-editor of Academic Advising Administration: Essential Knowledge and Skills for the 21st Century, Second Edition (Routledge, 2023), and editor of Academic Recovery: Supporting Students on Academic Probation (National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, 2022). His writing has appeared in NACADA's Academic Advising Today, E-Source for College Transitions, the Journal of Appreciative Education, and eCampus News. His programs have been recognized with the 2020 NACADA Certificate of Merit, the 2018 NASPA Gold Award, and the 2015 University Business Model of Excellence Award.
Outside of work, Mike enjoys spending time with his family, women's basketball, reading and writing, and camping in South Carolina State Parks.
Education
M.Ed. Higher Education and Student Affairs, University of South Carolina
B.S. Recreation Administration, Eastern Illinois University
Hometown
Springfield, IL
Selected Publications
Campbell, S., Dial, M., & Taylor, C. (2023). Academic Advising Administration: Essential Knowledge & Skills for the 21st Century, 2nd Edition.
Dial, M. T. (2022). Academic Recovery: Supporting Students on Academic Probation. University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.
Dial, M., & Stephens, A. (2025). First-year early alert and intervention programs. In J. Johnson (Ed.), 2023 National Survey on the First-Year Experience: Contemporary strategies to support student success. Volume 3: Monitoring and guiding for success. University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition. [Link]
Campbell, S. M., Stevens Taylor, C., & Dial, M. (2024). Concluding thoughts and future thoughts for research and scholarship. In S. M. Campbell, C. Stevens Taylor, & M. Dial (Eds.), Academic Advising Administration: Essential Knowledge and Skills for the 21st Century (2nd ed., pp. 359-366). Routledge.
Morris, C., McKeown, P., & Dial, M. (2024). Leading and creating a culture of authenticity. In S. M. Campbell, C. Stevens Taylor, & M. Dial (Eds.), Academic Advising Administration: Essential Knowledge and Skills for the 21st Century (2nd ed., pp. 345-358). Routledge.
Robinson, C., & Dial, M. (2024). Advisor retention and intentional career paths. In S. M. Campbell, C. Stevens Taylor, & M. Dial (Eds.), Academic Advising Administration: Essential Knowledge and Skills for the 21st Century (2nd ed., pp. 318-331). Routledge.
Campbell, S. M., Stevens Taylor, C., & Dial, M. (2024). Introduction. In S. M. Campbell, C. Stevens Taylor, & M. Dial (Eds.), Academic Advising Administration: Essential Knowledge and Skills for the 21st Century (2nd ed., pp. 1-8). Routledge.
Dial, M. T. (2022). What we know about students on probation and supporting them. In M. T. Dial (Ed). Academic Recovery: Supporting Students on Academic Probation (pp. 1-14). University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.
Dial, M. T. & McKeown, P. (2022). Early alert and academic intervention. In M. T. Dial (Ed). Academic Recovery: Supporting Students on Academic Probation (pp. 83-102). University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.
Gebauer, R. & Dial, M. T. (2022). Intentionality and integration within academic probation. In M. T. Dial (Ed). Academic Recovery: Supporting Students on Academic Probation (pp. 161-170). University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.
Robinson, C., Dial, M., & Bouknight J. (2021). Organizational Restructure Toward Improved Equity for All Undergraduates. In Fountain, C. (Ed.). (2021). Academic advising as a tool for student success and educational equity. University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.
Newton, D., Bouknight, J., & Dial, M. (2020) Academic planning and advisement. In Van Haren, C. & Friedman, D. B. (Eds.). Transitions (pp. 83-89). Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina.
Dial, M., Estrada, S. M., & Young, D. G. (2019). Discussion and implications. In D. G. Young (Ed.), 2017 National Survey on The First-Year Experience: Structures for Supporting Student Success (Research Report on College Transitions No. 9). Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.
Dial, M., Bouknight, J., & McKeown, P. (2021) Appreciative onboarding and professional development of academic advisors. Journal of Appreciative Education, 2(1), 47-61
Moschella, E., Bouknight, J., Dial M., & Winfield, J. (2015) Connecting students to success: A comprehensive approach to retention and persistence. In S. Whalen (Ed.), Proceedings of the 11th National Symposium on Student Retention, Orlando, Florida. (pp. 160 – 171). Norman, OK: The University of Oklahoma
Dial, M. T. (2015). Success Connect: An appreciative approach to early alert at a large flagship university. Journal of Appreciative Education, 2(2), 24-33
Dial, M. (2024) Without governance, there is no vision: The case for leadership in student success. eCampusNews.
Dial, M. (2024) Why digital literacy is critical for academic advisors in 2024. eCampusNews.
Dial, M. (2023). On cruelty-free advising: An organizational philosophy. Academic Advising Today, 46(3)
Dial, M., & McKeown, P. (2020, December). Academic early alert and intervention: Why academic advisors are best suited to intervene at at-risk students. Academic Advising Today, 43(4).
Dial, M., & McKeown, P. (2019) Beyond faculty referrals: Advisor facilitated early intervention. Academic Advising Today, 42(4)
Dial, M. (2019). Academic recovery: The First-year seminar for students on probation. E-Source for College Transitions, 16(3), 10-12.
Dial, M., & Stuart J. (2018) Training first-year seminar peer leaders through extended orientation. E-Source for College Transitions, 15(2).
Dial, M., & Winfield, J. (2016). Digitally connecting students to success: Engaging first-year students through intrusive email outreach. E-Source for College Transitions, 13(2).