Academic Advising

Two students on WMU's campus making the W sign with their hands

2025 WMU Academic Advising Awards

Western Michigan University is pleased to offer the 3rd Annual Academic Advisor Awards for 2025. These awards are designed to honor staff who make significant contributions to the practice of professional academic advising.

Merze Tate College
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5204 USA
(269) 387-0282

WMU is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Academic Advisor Awards for 2025. These awards are designed to honor staff who make significant contributions to the practice of professional academic advising in four categories: Excellence in Academic Advising, Outstanding New Advisor, Service in Academic Advising and the Students' Choice Award.

Nominations are now closed. An awards presentation ceremony will take place on Wednesday, April 16, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the College of Health and Human Services, Room 4010.

The awards

This award is presented to an outstanding academic advising professional with five or more years of service to Western Michigan University. Selection is based on the follow criteria: 

  • Proficiency in institutional regulations, policies, and procedures and recognized excellence in overall job performance. 

  • Outstanding service and contributions to their specific department or division (e.g., presentations, committee work, projects). 

  • Willingness to assist beyond normal expectations. 

  • Demonstrate dedication, initiative, creativity and leadership to colleagues, the university, and the academic advising profession. 

  • Demonstrate dedication to student success, retention, and graduation of all students. 

This award is presented to an outstanding academic advising professional with three or more years of service to Western Michigan University. Selection is based on the following criteria: 

  • Contributions to the advising mission that lead to efficiency, effectiveness, or other improvements 
  • Contributions to the university (e.g., committees, outreach, projects, or other efforts). 
  • Contributions to the field of academic advising (e.g., research/assessment, publications, presentations) 
  • Recognized excellence in overall job performance 
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills and working relationships 
  • Demonstrate dedication to student success, retention, and graduation of all students 

This award is presented to an outstanding academic advising professional with fewer than five years of service to Western Michigan University. Selection is based on the following criteria: 

  • Recognized excellence in overall job performance. 

  • Outstanding service to their specific department or division. 

  • Contributions to department or division (e.g., presentations, committee work, projects). 

  • Willingness to assist beyond normal expectations. 

  • Dedication to the profession. 

  • Shows initiative or creativity. 

  • Demonstrate dedication to student success, retention, and graduation of all students. 

This award is presented to an academic advising professional who shows a commitment to student success beyond their normal professional responsibilities and regardless of their professional role. Nominations are accepted only from current students. Selection will be based on the following criteria: 

  • Recognized excellence in overall job performance. 
  • Provide outstanding advising, advocacy, referrals, listening, and motivation to students. 
  • Embodies values of integrity, respect, compassion, and inclusiveness.
  • Any staff serving as an academic advisor or advising administrator whose primary role is to deliver professional advising services to students. Please contact Tomika Griffin-Brown, Assistant Dean of Academic Advising, with questions regarding eligibility.
  • Current members of the Advising Awards committee are eligible for consideration for these advising awards and will recuse themselves from voting in any category for which they are nominated.
  • Previous award winners are not eligible for the same award for a period of five years. 
  • Self‐nominations are welcome, except for the Students’ Choice Award.
  • If there are no nominations for a particular award in one year, the committee reserves the right to not select a recipient for that category but four awards in total will be selected annually. 

To submit a nomination for the Excellence in Academic Advising Award, the Outstanding New Advisor Award, the Service in Academic Advising Award, the Students’ Choice Award, the following are required:  

  1. Complete the nomination form. 
  1. Include supporting documentation (letters, resume/cv, publications, etc.) 

Please give specific examples of why your nominee deserves to receive the award. Selection is based on the information you, the nominator, provide for the committee.

Nominate an advisor today

Past Recipients

2024 Academic Advising Awards Recipients

Outstanding New Advisor - McKenzie Vliek, College of Arts and Science
Service in Academic Advising - Colleen Stano, Haworth College of Business
Students' Choice - Alyshia Garrett, Haworth College of Business
Excellence in Academic Advising - Jessica Parker, Merze Tate College

2023 Academic Advising Awards Recipients 

Excellence in Academic Advising - Melinda Lockett, Director of Academic Advising for the College of Health and Human Services
Outstanding New Advisor - Amyre Dennis, Academic Advisor for the Haworth College of Business
Service in Academic Advising - Lenore Yaeger, Assistant Director of Academic Advising for the College of Engineering and Applied Science
Students' Choice - Nick Gauthier, Director of Academic Advising for the College of Fine Arts