Advisers from across campus gathered on Sept. 21 at the Kellogg Center to honor four of their colleagues at the inaugural Michigan State University Advising Excellence Awards recognition event.
Over the years, various academic units established academic advising awards, yet university-level recognition of the tremendous contribution that academic advisers make in support of student success had never been established.
R. Sekhar Chivukula, associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of undergraduate studies, and Deb Dotterer, assistant dean of university advising, made the establishment of these awards a top priority as recognition of the significant contributions advisers have made to the undergraduate experience at MSU.
“At MSU, we believe all our students have the ability to learn, persist and graduate,” Chivukula said. “In many cases, however, our incoming students have no idea in what field they will be able to find their calling. Others come in believing there is only one true path to success, and become disillusioned if that first path becomes untenable. In these cases, most often advising is the difference between persistence and graduation, on the one hand, and disappointment and a departure with debt on the other. Advisers empower students to make life-altering decisions for themselves, armed with the best possible information.”
Awards were given in four categories: New Academic Adviser, Established Adviser, Faculty Adviser and Advising Administrator.
The Outstanding New Academic Adviser Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of an academic adviser who has been in the field for three years or less, was given to Erika Crews, academic adviser for the Honors College.
The Outstanding Established Adviser Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of an academic adviser who has been in the field for more than three years, was given to Jonglim Han Yoo, academic adviser for the Dow STEM Scholars program.
The Outstanding Faculty Adviser Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of a faculty member whose primary role is teaching, but who spends a portion of their time performing duties as an academic adviser, was given to Gary Schnakenberg, academic adviser and instructor for the Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences.
The Outstanding Adviser Administrator Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of an administrator who serves and an administrator or director of advising, was given to Dorcia Chaison, director of academic advising and undergraduate programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.