Advising Awards
ON THIS PAGE
Recognizing excellence in academic advising
At UC Santa Cruz, advisors make a profound difference in students’ academic journeys and personal growth. The Advisor Recognition Program highlights this impact by honoring colleagues who demonstrate creativity, collaboration, leadership, excellence in student service, and outstanding academic advising.
UC Santa Cruz Advisor Recognition Program
The University of California, Santa Cruz, is committed to providing high-quality academic advising as a key component of student success. The UCSC Advisor Recognition Program recognizes members of the advising community whose efforts make this possible. We believe an award system is a tangible way to enhance student-centered, equity-minded, innovative advising practices on our campus. We encourage the advising community to nominate new and seasoned professional advisors to recognize the invaluable work they do on a daily basis.
Nominations are accepted April 1 through July 1 and reviewed by a campus-wide committee. Each year, multiple Advising Community Recognitions are awarded, and one advisor may be selected for each Outstanding Academic Advising category. Awardees are celebrated at the annual Advising Forum, with top recipients also considered for NACADA regional and global recognition.
Advising Community Recognitions
UCSC’s advising community includes many inspirational people! Advising Community Recognitions give us an avenue to recognize some of those people, and to let them know that their work has a positive impact. For the Advising Community Recognition categories listed below, please include your nominee’s name and department/work unit, along with specific information about their achievements in this area and why you feel they should be recognized. Multiple individuals can be awarded these recognitions. Academic advisors, counselors, and staff in other units that support students may be nominated for these recognitions.
- Excellence in Student Service
- Creativity and Innovation
- Collaboration and Teamwork
- Leadership and Inspiration
Outstanding Academic Advising Awards
The academic advisor who is selected for an Outstanding Academic Advising award demonstrates a commitment to the professional field of academic advising as defined by the NACADA Pillars of Academic Advising. The following Outstanding Academic Advising awards require additional supporting documentation. The recipients of these awards may be eligible for NACADA Region 9 or Global Association awards.
- Outstanding Academic Advising – Advisor Primary Role: Recognizes individuals whose primary role at the institution is the direct delivery of academic advising to students.
- Outstanding Academic Advising – New Advisor: Recognizes individuals who have demonstrated qualities associated with outstanding academic advising of students and who have served as an academic advisor for a period of three (3) or fewer years.
One UCSC academic advisor may be selected for each of these categories. With the awardee’s permission, the Office of Campus Advising Coordination will submit the winning academic advisor’s application on their behalf to NACADA for further consideration in regional and global awards. Outstanding Academic Advising award recipients must be NACADA members to move forward with the Region 9 and Global award nomination process.
Outstanding Academic Advising: Required Documents
All documents will be submitted in PDF format.
- Nomination/Application Letter: This letter should summarize the nominee/applicant’s qualifications and why the individual is being nominated for the award. This document should provide the evidence and specific examples that demonstrate excellent performance. Input from others is encouraged as the nomination letter is composed and may include quotes or comments from others. The letter SHOULD NOT exceed three pages single spaced.
- Letter(s) of Support: Two additional letters of support. These letters may come from colleagues, supervisors, or current or former students – anyone who might augment the selection committee’s understanding of the nominee. The letters SHOULD NOT exceed two pages single spaced.
- Nominee Resume or Curriculum Vita– Please limit entries to material that pertains directly to academic advising, presenting relevant information from the nominee’s overall resume/vita. Please include the current job with either a position description or a list of job responsibilities.
- Personal Philosophy of Advising Statement (optional but encouraged) – Please provide a personal philosophy statement written by the nominee describing their approach to advising. This document SHOULD NOT exceed two pages single spaced.
Outstanding Academic Advising: Award Criteria
The selection committee will evaluate nominations on evidence of strong:
- interpersonal/human relations skills,
- exceptional professional practice (as defined by the NACADA Pillars of Academic Advising),
- documented student or program success, and
- commitment to academic advising professional development.
Individuals who have received an award within the last three years are not eligible for the same award again.