Washington State University’s Academic Advising Association [WSU ACADA] is now accepting letters of nomination for Outstanding Achievements in Academic Advising by WSU faculty and professional advisors. WSU ACADA is the primary organized group of professional and faculty advisors and student support personnel at WSU. One of the main purposes of our organization is to increase advising effectiveness at WSU by strengthening communication on academic advising issues within the academic community among faculty and professional advisors.
WSU ACADA would like to be the first to recognize outstanding advisors within our university by presenting a plaque to the recipient of each category at an awards ceremony next spring. WSU ACADA Awards will be given in the following categories:
New Advisor category (advising for 3 or fewer years)
- Academic Advising Primary Role – Individuals whose primary role at Washington State University is the direct delivery of academic advising services to students.
- Faculty Academic Advising – Individuals whose primary responsibility is teaching and who spend a portion of their time at Washington State University providing academic advising/mentoring/support services to students.
Advising category (advising for more than 3 years)
- Academic Advising Primary Role – Individuals whose primary role at Washington State University is the direct delivery of academic advising services to students.
- Faculty Academic Advising – Individuals whose primary responsibility is teaching and who spend a portion of their time at Washington State University providing academic advising/mentoring/support services to students. Must have faculty status at Washington State University.
- Academic Advising Administrator — Individuals who may provide direct academic advising services but whose primary responsibility is as an administrator or director, and is responsible for an academic advising program at Washington State University.
The criteria used by the NACADA Awards Committee when evaluating applications are:
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Availability to advisees, faculty, or staff
- Frequency of contact with advisees
- Appropriate referral activity
- Use and dissemination of appropriate information sources
- Evidence of student success rate, by advisor or department
- 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
- Monitoring of student progress toward academic and career goals
- Mastery of institutional regulations, policies, and procedures
- Ability to engage in, promote, and support developmental advising
- Evidence of administering an academic advising program that supports NACADA’s Core Values
- Evidence that the advising program reflects the standards of good practice in the CAS Standards and Guidelines for Academic Advising
- Participation in and support of advisor development programs
- Perception by colleagues of nominee’s advising or advising administration skills
- Institutional recognition of nominee for outstanding advising or advising administration
Anyone can nominate a WSU employee for an award! To nominate an advisor/administrator for one of the above categories, the nomination process will require a 1-2 page letter of nomination (support) addressing and providing examples of the applicant’s use of developmental advising, involvement in and use of the university network in advising students, and encouraging student responsibility for his/her education. Include the name, college, department and contact email and phone number of the person being nominated. The nomination deadline is August 15, 2014 and letters should be sent to Yung-Hwa Anna Chow, Chair, WSU ACADA Awards Committee, ZIP 2421 or ychow@wsu.edu.
WSU award recipients will be entered to compete for regional (October 2014 deadline) and national (March 2015 deadline) level advising awards as well. Thank you for your support to recognize outstanding advisors at Washington State University.
Yung-Hwa Anna Chow, Chair
WSU ACADA Awards Committee