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 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 additional requested materials will be a description of the nominee’s advising philosophy, the number of advisees for whom they are responsible, their academic advising related experiences which should include a curriculum vita highlighting only advising related activities (faculty nominees) or resume and job description with responsibilities (professional advisor).

Selection Committee

The selection committee will include staff members designated by the Office of the Provost. The past year’s recipients will also serve on the selection committee for the year following the receipt of their award.

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.
• Selection committee will select recipients and they will be recognized during the spring semester.
• Award recipients will automatically be nominated for the National Academic Advising Association’s (NACADA) Outstanding Advising Award.