The Outstanding Academic Advisor Award

The Outstanding Academic Advisor Award is given to one faculty advisor and one professional advisor annually. Each award recipient will receive an award plaque.

Eligibility for Nomination

• Any faculty or staff member who serves as an academic advisor to students is eligible to receive this award.
• Nominee must have a minimum of two years of service to Southeast Missouri State University at the time of nomination as a full-time employee with ongoing academic advising responsibilities and currently assigned advisees.
• The nominee must be a current Master Advisor at Southeast Missouri State University.
• The nominee must not have received the award in the previous three years. 

To inquire about whether an advisor is qualified for nomination, please contact Amanda Eller, (573) 651-2007 or aeller@semo.edu.

Nominations

• All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to submit award nominations
• Complete the nomination form with supporting statement by the first Friday in December
• Nominators must include a supporting statement (two-three paragraphs) that describes how the nominee possesses one or more of the distinguishing characteristics of an outstanding academic advisor listed below. The supporting statement should comment on as many of the characteristics listed below as practical.
• Nominees will be notified by Winter break of their nomination.
• Nominees’ supporting documentation is due by the first Friday in February.

Characteristics of an Outstanding Academic Advisor

• Strong interpersonal skills
• Monitoring of student progress toward academic and career goals
• Availability to advisees, faculty, or staff
• Mastery of institutional regulations, policies, and procedures
• Frequency of contact with advisees
• Appropriate referral activity
• Use and dissemination of appropriate information sources
• Evidence of student success rate, by advisor or department
• Advisee or unit evaluations (summary data)
• Caring, helpful attitude toward advisees, faculty, and staff
• Meeting advisees in informal settings
• Participation in and support of intrusive advising to build strong relationships with advisees
• Ability to engage in, promote, and support developmental advising
• Participation in and support of advisor development programs
• Perception by colleagues of the nominee's advising or advising administration skills
• Institutional recognition of the nominee for outstanding advising or advising administration

After the nomination is received, the advisor will be notified and asked to submit application materials that will be due by the first Friday in February. The requested application materials may include the nominee’s advising philosophy, signed letters of recommendation, narrative of how the nominee meets the award criteria, and other supporting materials.

Selection Committee

The selection committee will include a representative from the Dean of Students' office and the past two years' award recipients. 

Timeline

• Nominations are due by the first Friday in December to the director of advising.
• Nominees will be notified by winter break of their nomination.
• Nominees’ supporting documentation is due by the first Friday in February.
• The selection committee will select recipients, and they will be recognized during the spring semester.
• Award recipients will be nominated for the National Academic Advising Association’s (NACADA) Outstanding Advising Award.