NDSU students and alumni are encouraged to nominate a faculty member or professional advisor for the Awards for Excellence in Academic Advising of Undergraduates. Nominations are open Oct. 15 to Nov. 15, with a nomination form available at www.ndsu.edu/accreditation/advising.
Nominees must be current NDSU employees who have been advising at NDSU for at least two full years. Full-time faculty, instructors and lecturers who actively advise undergraduates are eligible for the Outstanding Faculty Advising Award. Professional advisers are eligible for the Outstanding Professional Adviser Award.
The Office of the Provost established the two awards in 2012 to highlight the importance of academic advising at NDSU by recognizing and rewarding outstanding advising of individual undergraduates by faculty and professional advisors who are committed to assisting students to reach their full potential. The first two recipients were Linda Fricker, professional adviser in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and Janice Haggart, instructor of veterinary and microbiological sciences.
Larry Peterson, director of the Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Academic Advising, said the awards recognize the excellent work advisors already are doing. He also said it raises the profile of advising as an important activity on campus.
“High-quality advising is crucial to student success,” Peterson said. “Advisers who are caring and knowledgeable help them find a pathway through the campus. Not only do students need to have the correct courses scheduled, but also they need to have personal and career goals in mind. Advising plays an important role in students being successful in their personal lives and careers.”
Award recipients are determined in a two-stage process. During the first stage, students and alumni nominate deserving candidates by providing specific examples of the nominees’ exemplary advising. In stage two, nominees are contacted by the selection committee and asked to provide a statement about their advising philosophies and activities.
Each recipient will receive an honorarium of $1,000, be recognized with a plaque in the Memorial Union and be nominated for the National Academic Advising Association, known as NACADA, Outstanding Advising Award.
Nominations will be accepted Oct. 15 to Nov. 15. Nominees then have until Jan. 15 to submit materials to the selection committee, which will make its decision by Feb. 15.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.