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| Advisers are honored during the 2002-03 Outstanding Adviser Awards Reception on May 29. |
Academic advisers spend countless hours assisting students in choosing career paths, creating class schedules and filling out the proper registration forms. These duties require an enormous amount of dedication and responsibility. Ten faculty and staff members were honored for their devotion to students with a reception on May 29 during the 2002-03 Outstanding Adviser Awards ceremony at the CLA Building?s Heritage Conference Center.
This year?s outstanding advisers are:
- Flint G. Freeman, College of Agriculture
- Rochelle A. Kellner, College of Business Administration
- Stephen H. Bryant, College of Education & Integrative Studies
- Gerald K. Herder, College of Engineering
- Kenneth S. Nakaba, College of Environmental Design
- Laurie A. Roades, College of Letters, Arts & Social Sciences
- David P. Campbell, College of Science
- Michael Godfrey, Collins School of Hospitality Management
- Maria Ruiz, Student Affairs
In addition, Nora J. Babinski received an award as the adviser for the Mathematics Intensive Learning Program that was selected Outstanding Advising Program of the Year.
?The students who I take under my wing have many, many layers that we have to go through before we can get to what is keeping them from learning math,? Babinski said. ?When you finally see a breakthrough and then they come back and thank you for getting them through, it makes all the work worthwhile.?
Elhami Ibrahim, associate vice president for Academic Programs, welcomed the honorees to the list of Outstanding Advisers, which has grown over the past 12 years to nearly 100.
?Congratulations to all of you. You are the pride of this campus,? he said.
President Bob Suzuki, who hosted the reception, thanked the advisers for their very important work.
?All the research shows that good academic advisement does indeed increase retention and graduation rates,? he said. ?There?s a tremendous waste of human potential when a student drops out, and we can really increase the retention rate and reduce the drop out rate by good academic advisement.?
Suzuki said he still remembers his days serving as an academic adviser.
?I know how much work it is and how much homework you have to do in order to really understand all the rules and policies,? he said. ?But I also know it can be a lot of fun as well because you really do get to know the students.?