Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising

The Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising is granted biennially to an advising center, academic department, program, or unit in recognition of the collective responsibility of faculty and staff members for maintaining high-quality undergraduate academic advising. The award is intended to recognize sustained efforts that assist students to achieve their educational and lifelong learning goals. The monetary award can be used at the discretion of the recipient unit for any purpose authorized for state appropriations. A permanent plaque is given each year to the recipient unit in recognition of the award.

Nomination and Award Process

Each Dean and Associate Provost may submit one nomination of an advising center, department, program or unit that has, through its collective actions, demonstrated a positive impact on students’ educational and lifelong learning goals. The Dean of the College of Arts & Liberal Sciences may submit two nominations due to the higher number of advising centers, departments, programs and units eligible for the award in this college.

Each college or unit should develop its own mechanism for nomination.

Nominations to the Provost should consist of a letter from the Dean or Associate Provost not to exceed three pages. This must be accompanied by supporting documentation of no more than ten pages. Emphasis should be on the collective work of faculty and staff with the advising center, department, program or unit rather than the compilation of the accomplishments of individuals. The nomination letter and supporting materials should include the following sections:

  • Philosophical Statement on Advising Excellence
  • Undergraduate Academic Advising Program/Process Narrative
  • Goals and objectives of the center, department, program or unit
  • Description of the advising program/process
  • Examples of collective work of faculty and staff in undergraduate academic advising
  • Procedures used in advising evaluation
  • Results/outcomes of advising evaluations
  • Potential adaptations to other centers, departments, programs or units

After receiving the nominations, the Provost will seek assistance as needed to evaluate the nominations. A final decision will then be made by the Provost who will notify the center, department, program or unit concerned.

Award Criteria

All University departments and programs are expected to maintain ongoing methods for enhancing and evaluating academic advising performance to encourage and support effective students’ educational progress. The Provost’s Award, therefore, is given to a center, department, program or unit with a documented record of sustained accomplishment, commitment, and innovation in undergraduate academic advising. The award acknowledges unusual efforts on the part of a center, department or unit to promote collaborative efforts of faculty and staff to deliver academic advising of the highest quality that impacts students’ educational progress.

The nomination period is currently closed. Nominations were due January 31, 2024.

Recipients

Note: Until 2018-2019, the award was granted annually. Beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, it was awarded biennially.

  • 2022-2023: Belk College of Business Academic and Career Coaching
  • 2020-2021: Office of Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEAL)
  • 2018-2019: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Office of Advising and Student Services
  • 2017-2018: College of Computing and Informatics Advising Team
  • 2016-2017: College of Arts + Architecture Advising Team
  • 2015-2016: Office of Adult Students and Evening Services (OASES)
  • 2014-2015: Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
  • 2013-2014: University Advising Center (UAC)
  • 2012-2013: Office of Teacher Education Advising, Licensure, and Recruitment (TEALR)
  • 2011-2012: Belk College of Business Advising Center
  • 2010-2011: One-System Online Tool for Advising Task Force
  • 2009-2010: Psychology Advising for Student Success Center (PASS)