During the 2007-2008 academic year, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Gayle Davis authorized an annual Outstanding Academic Advising and Student Services Award. The guidelines for nomination and selection of candidates for this award are as follows:

The Laker Academic Advising Network’s (LAAN) Training and Development Committee will select and recommend one faculty member and one administrative professional as recipients to the Provost. 

• Nominations for the award may come from any member of the University community. 
• Self-nominations are not accepted.
• Members of the Committee may not nominate candidates for the award, nor are they eligible for the award if nominated while serving.
• Only tenure track faculty or affiliate faculty are eligible. 
• All administrative professional staff at the University are eligible.
• An individual may not receive the award more than once every ten years.

For Faculty nominations, nominators should contact their college dean’s office to inquire about internal deadlines for nominations and materials to be submitted to the college dean’s office for review. The Nomination Form and all supporting materials are due by email to [email protected] by November 21st

For Administrative Professional nominations, nominators should contact their appointing officer/dean’s office to inquire about internal deadlines for nominations and materials to be submitted to the appointing officer/dean’s office for review. The Nomination Form and all supporting materials are due by email to [email protected] by November 21st

It is the responsibility of the nominator to assemble and submit the following material by email to Tami DeFouw, [email protected], Attention Chair of the Advising Awards Committee. Submit materials in the following order:

1. Completed nomination form. Nomination Form signed by the nominator and the direct supervisor of the nominee.
2. Curriculum vitae.
3. Three letters of support from colleagues, who are not committee members, who have knowledge of the nominee’s ability of advising and serving students. One letter may come from the nominator. The letters should address the criteria for the award.
4. Three letters of support from current students or alumni. The letters should address the criteria for the award.
5. Nominator’s written Summary of Nominee’s Qualifications. The nominator should summarize the extent to which the nominee meets the award criteria, citing letters of support, data, or other materials illustrative of exemplary performance as an advisor or student services provider.

Award Criteria:

The Selection Committee will evaluate nominations on the evidence of qualities and practices that distinguish the nominee as an outstanding academic advisor or student services provider. We encourage the nominator to clearly provide evidence and support of each of these categories. Such evidence may include: 

• Strong interpersonal skills
• Availability to advisees/students, faculty, or staff
• Frequency of contact with advisees/students
• Appropriate referral activity
• Use and dissemination of appropriate information sources
• Caring, helpful attitude toward advisees/students, faculty, and staff
• Meeting advisees/students in informal settings
• Participation in and support of Freshman Summer Orientation and/or Transfer Student Orientation sessions, and/or the Transitions Academic Modules
• 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 academic advising that supports the GVSU Advising Mission
• Participation in and support of outreach efforts beyond the major program.  Such as mentoring, scholarship and research, and freshman and transfer Orientation
• Perception by colleagues of nominee's advising skills

The faculty member who wins the Outstanding Academic Advising and Student Services Award will receive recognition at the annual Faculty Awards Convocation held in February and receive $500 to apply to research or attendance at an academic conference. The administrative professional staff member who wins the Outstanding Academic Advising and Student Services Award will receive recognition at the annual Administrative Professional Awards Luncheon held in April and receive $500 to apply to research or attendance at an academic conference. There will be only one award of $500 for a faculty member and one award of $500 for an administrative professional made each year. The unit head or supervisor will monitor use of the $500 award.