Outstanding Practitioner Awards (Administrator, Advisor, New Advisor)

The Outstanding Practitioner Awards recognize professionals in direct advising or administrative roles who demonstrate a command of the core competencies of advising and model UIC's mission in their daily work.

7 Outstanding Practitioner Awards Annually: Heading link

One: $500 cash award plus a professional association membership up to $250 awarded annually to a recipient that meets the below requirements

Eligibility:

  1. Individuals who may provide direct advising services but whose primary responsibility is as an administrator or director (associate or assistant) of an advising or coaching program.
  2. At least 50% of their duties dedicated to advising administration
  3. Previous Outstanding Administrator Award winners may be selected for the award no more than once every 3 years
  4. Previous Outstanding New Advisor Award and Outstanding Advisor Award winners may be considered

Criteria:

  • Nomination
  • Nominee’s Resume/CV
  • 3 letters of support: one of the three must be the nominee’s supervisor
    • The initial nomination
    • Reference one
    • Reference two
The Selection Committee evaluates on the evidence of qualities and practices that distinguish the nominee as an outstanding advising administrator including:
1) Demonstrates commitment to UIC’s Core Mission in their administrative duties. (A commitment to supporting an increasingly diverse student population; manages the challenges and opportunities of Chicago). 6) Evidence of successful initiatives, implementations, or enhancements brought forth under the direction of the administrator
2) Colleague recognition of nominee's advising administration skills and/or performance 7) Engages in, promotes, and supports advising grounded in sound theory, research, and educational practice
3) Institutional or departmental recognition (or other awards) of nominee for outstanding advising or advising administration 8) Participates in and supports advisor development programs
4) Collaborates with other academic or student support units on campus 9) Evidence of improved student success rate, by an advisor, coach, or by department, within the purview of the administrator
5) Provides leadership and/or direction to ensure staff engagement 10) Participates in a larger campus or higher education initiatives related to the efficacy of academic advising

Five: $500 cash awards, plus a professional association membership up to $250 awarded annually to five recipients that meet the below requirements

Eligibility:

  1. Individuals whose primary role at the institution is the direct delivery of advising services to students
  2. Nominees must spend at least 50% of their time on direct delivery of advising to students
  3. Applicants must be in at least their 3rd year as a professional advisor or coach (regardless of institution) and at least one full semester of direct advising service at UIC
  4. Any individual currently serving as a professional academic advisor or success coach (non-faculty)
  5. Previous Outstanding Advisor Award winners may be selected for the award no more than once every 3 years
  6. Previous Outstanding New Advisor Award winners are eligible, but not in consecutive years (at least one year in between)

Criteria:

  • Nomination
  • Nominee’s Resume/CV
  • 3 letters of support: one of the three must be the nominee’s supervisor
    • The initial nomination
    • Reference one
    • Reference two
The Selection Committee evaluates on the evidence of qualities and practices that distinguish the nominee as an outstanding advisor including:
1) Contributes to student success (one student, or a small group, or a cohort, or a body of people) 6) Promotes student progress toward goals through degree planning, goal setting, and/or career exploration
2) Participates in and supports proactive advising to build strong relationships with advisees 7) Demonstrates mastery of institutional/departmental regulations, policies, and procedures
3) Is available for meaningful interactions with advisees, faculty, or staff 8) Engages in, promotes and supports developmental advising
4) Refers appropriately and ensures students have knowledge of campus resources 9) Serves as peer mentor, trainer, or models exemplary practices for other advisors
5) Collaborates with other advisors, success units, resources, and support programs 10) Recognition of nominee's contribution to outstanding advising (AOF, any Inst. award, publication, etc)

One: $500 cash award plus a professional association membership up to $250 awarded annually to a recipient that meets the below requirements

Eligibility:

  1. Individuals whose primary role at the institution is the direct delivery of advising services to students
  2. Nominees must spend at least 50% of their time on direct delivery of advising to students
  3. Any individual currently serving as a professional academic advisor or success coach (non-faculty)
  4. Fewer than 2 full years of experience in direct delivery of advising to students (at any college or university) prior to the application deadline
  5. Previous Outstanding New Advisor Award winners are not eligible – recipients may only be selected once

Criteria

  • Nomination
  • Nominee’s Resume/CV
  • 3 letters of support: one of the three must be the nominee’s supervisor
    • The initial nomination
    • Reference one
    • Reference two
The Selection Committee evaluates on the evidence of qualities and practices that distinguish the nominee as an outstanding new advisor including:
1) Contributes to student success (one student, or a small group, or a cohort, or a body of people) 6) Promotes student progress toward goals through degree planning, goal setting, and/or career exploration
2) Participates in and supports proactive advising to build strong relationships with advisees 7) Demonstrates mastery of institutional/departmental regulations, policies, and procedures
3) Is available for meaningful interactions with advisees, faculty, or staff 8) Engages in, promotes and supports developmental advising
4) Refers appropriately and ensures students have knowledge of campus resources 1 - strongly disagree 9) Serves as peer mentor, trainer, or models exemplary practices for other advisors
5) Collaborates with other advisors, success units, resources, and support programs 10) Recognition of nominee's contribution to outstanding advising (AOF, any Inst. award, publication, etc)

Nomination Process: Heading link

Nominations can be made by students, colleagues, supervisors, faculty/staff, or collaborating departments and units.

Please use the following link to submit a nomination. In doing such you will launch a workflow: 1) the nominator fills out the first portion and attaches a letter and any supporting documentation; 2) the nominee is alerted, they accept or deny the nomination, upload their resume and any supporting documentation they want to include, and provide the NetIDs of two references; 3) emails are sent to the references, each reference fills out their portion, uploads their letter and any supporting documents they want to include; 4) notification is sent to the committee the submission is complete.

  • March 28, 2025: Last day to initiate a new nomination
  • April 4, 2025: Last opportunity for a nominee to accept nomination
    • Nominees can accept any time after the nomination is initiated up until this date
  • April 18, 2025: All Reference materials and supplemental materials are due

 

*For technical help with the nomination forms, please email oad@uic.edu

Accepting Nominations NOW through March 28, 2025