CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR PROGRAMS and DEPARTMENTS

On behalf of the Board of Regents, the USG Office of Academic Affairs is pleased to announce and invite nominations for the Regents’ Momentum Awards for Excellence in Advising.

The Momentum Advising Award is designed to honor institutional advising that creates trajectory toward student success and completion. Using current baseline Momentum Institutional Data, this award is designed to recognize advising and other related activities that improve institutional outcomes related to Momentum (making and deepening purposeful choices, creating and cultivating productive academic mindsets, building and maintaining fuller schedules along a clear pathway, heightening academic engagement and increasing success in critical courses and meeting key milestones). Student success and innovative practices in achieving Momentum goals are the thrust of this Momentum Award in Advising Excellence.

Criteria

The award committee will look for persuasive evidence that nominees have:

• Fostered purposeful choices among students, whether at the start or their academic journey or at points along the way (or both), that align with students’ goals, interests, aptitudes, and potential for success.
• Fostered the development of a productive mindsets among students, supporting their understanding of intelligence as something to be developed, their perception of the purpose and value of their academic work, and their sense of belonging
• Engaged students in a program of study that provides a clear path to graduation and a career or further study (encouraged to explore and examine their stated interest during their first year, and to complete essential courses within the core curriculum that enable further development within a discipline).
• Engaged in institutional practices which promote the metrics of Momentum in the first year:
• Students attempt initial math and English requirements in the first year
• Students attempt 9 hours in an academic focus area in the first year
• Students attempt 30 hours of a clear pathway in the first year
• Engaged in the systematic examination of issues about student success and engagement which promote retention, progression, and graduation.
• Documented the use of strategies employed for advising students that encourage a strong start to the first year and/or stay strong throughout their academic careers.

Eligibility and Nomination Procedures

Each institution is invited to submit one department or program nomination for this award. Campus nomination procedures should be determined by each institution; each nomination must be approved by the institution’s chief academic officer.

Required Documentation

Nomination portfolios are limited to 15 pages, including any appendices (1” margins, minimum 12-point font for each section below). Incorporating every kind of evidence will be impossible. Instead, each nominee will want to select only the strongest and most relevant evidence. Each portfolio must include the following information. NOTE: The TOC and the nomination letter do not count toward the maximum of 15 pages.

• A Table of Contents for the portfolio. NOTE: The TOC does not count toward the maximum of 20 pages.
• A nomination letter from the institution’s chief academic officer or chief student affairs officer noting the highlights of the nomination portfolio. NOTE: The nomination letter does not count toward the maximum of 20 pages.
• A narrative that articulates goals and strategies for making a difference in the academic success of students, describing concrete modifications to previous practices and indicating a data-driven, research-based approach to evaluating success. (1-3 pages, 1” margins, minimum 12-point font)
• Data/evidence of the impact of their innovative advising techniques/practices on student advising and success. (1” margins, minimum 12-point font)
• One or two letters of support from colleagues or students qualified to comment on the value and quality of the nominee’s advising activities, and its impact in improving undergraduate retention, progression/persistence. These letters should describe how the nominee’s activities have contributed to institutional success (Momentum Results/Measures).

Award Committee

A special Regents committee, composed of faculty and administrators from across the USG who are experienced in teaching and learning practices, will review the nomination portfolios and recommend finalists for each award.

Note: All documents must be combined into a SINGLE pdf file and uploaded through the Regents Portfolio Submission System. Portfolios that exceed 15 pages or do not meet formatting requirements will not be accepted.