Excellence in Advising & Student Services

Excellence in Advising & Student Services Awards Program 

The Excellence in Advising and Student Services Awards program recognizes outstanding work and innovation in advising and student support. Awards will be made to individuals and teams who have been nominated for their significant positive impact on students, student support programs, and/or the student services community as a whole. Student support plays a critical role in student engagement, belonging, and success, and because advising matters at Berkeley, we believe significant contribution deserves campus-wide recognition. Award recipients will be celebrated at our December 2, 2024 event on campus; registration details to follow.

We encourage nominations of advising and student services staff from throughout our Berkeley community, including Student Affairs, Equity & Inclusion, Graduate Division, Undergraduate Education, Schools & Colleges, Study Abroad/Summer Sessions/Extension, Berkeley International Office, and beyond!

Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 27. This deadline is firm, as there is a short window of time for the volunteer readers to review and score nominations. Please review the following answers to some of our most frequently asked questions as you consider submitting your nomination:

  • Eligible nominees do not have to have the term “advisor” in their title. All advising and student support staff at UC Berkeley may be nominated. 

  • This submission deadline is firm, as there is a short window of time for the volunteer readers to review nominations. 

  • Nominations can be made by anyone in the campus community including students. We accept self-nominations, including for team awards. The key to nominations is quality, not quantity - group nominations are appreciated. 

  • Staff can be nominated for more than one category. A nomination for each category must be submitted separately, and the nominee will not be selected for more than one award. 

  • Previous winners are not eligible to receive the same award within the past three award years (2021, 2022, 2023). If membership of a team has substantially changed (at least 50% new members) since that team won a category, the team may be considered for the same category it won in the past. See this document for a list of previous winners

  • Staff, faculty, and administrators who have left the University within one academic year are eligible to be nominated.

  • Entries within each category will be independently reviewed by a group of judges using the criteria outlined below using the 2024 Advising & Student Services Awards Scoring Rubric. Quotes from colleagues and students are heavily weighted in the scoring rubric.

  • Once nominations are reviewed, the committee may move a nomination to a different category if it is determined to be a better fit. 

  • Send an email to advising-strategy-and-training@berkeley.edu if there are accommodations we can provide that would make this nomination process more accessible for you.

We encourage you to attend a virtual information session about the nomination process and/or office hours session to learn more about what our nomination reviewers are looking for, and to ask any questions you may have before submitting your nomination:

Information Sessions

Office Hours

If you are unable to attend an information session or office hours session, please direct questions to advising-strategy-and-training@berkeley.edu.

Descriptions of Award Categories

  • Advising Innovation (Staff; Individual or Team)
  • Equity Champion (Staff; Individual or Team)
  • Excellence in Data and/or Research-Driven Student Services (Staff; Individual or Team)
  • Service to the Advising and Student Services Community (Staff; Individual or Team)
  • Outstanding New Advisor or Student Services Staff (Staff; Individual)
  • Outstanding Advisor or Student Services Staff (Staff; Individual)
  • Outstanding Advising or Student Services Administrator, Director, or Manager (Staff/Supervisor; Individual)
  • Outstanding Peer Advisor, Mentor, Counselor, or Ambassador (Student; Individual or Team)
  • Outstanding Faculty Advisor (Faculty; Individual)
  • Advising Champion (Administrator; Individual)

Award for Special Performance and Contributions (Staff; Individual)

Nomination Process

Please completely fill out the nomination form, linked below, paying particular attention to the award categories and the nomination scoring rubric

The nomination form requests the following in order to successfully submit your nomination:

  • Information about the nominee

  • Information about the nominator(s)

  • In 750 words (4000 characters) or less, address how the individual or team meets the criteria for the specific category. Within the context of that category, ensure you give specific examples and quotes illustrating how the individual or team demonstrates:

    • A positive impact on individuals and/or communities (students and/or staff) and an authentically student-centered, caring, and connected approach to advising and student service;

    • Innovation (e.g., in methods, approaches, tools, programs, resources, etc.);

    • Alignment with Berkeley’s Advising & Student Services Goals and Principles

  • In 250 words (1500 characters) or fewer, summarize the key points of your nomination in a paragraph that will be published on the awards website, should your nominee be selected. The summary should include the nominee's name, title, and department/unit/office.

  • Additional question for Mary Slakey Howell Award nominations: The Mary Slakey Howell Award is the most prestigious advising and student services award. In 2000 characters or fewer (including spaces), please elaborate on why you think your nominee's service rises to this level.  This nomination also requires 1-2 letters of support from individuals who are well-informed with the nominee's work, highlighting their visionary leadership and exceptional contributions and dedication to the advising community. 

If you prefer to submit a nomination in an alternative format, please email advising-strategy-and-training@berkeley.edu for format-specific nomination guidelines.

Nominations Closed on September 27, 2024

2024 Nomination Cycle

  • August 12: Nominations open

  • September 27: Deadline to submit nominations

  • October: Committee reviews nominations

  • Early November: Award recipient notification

  • December 2: Community celebration

Recognition Event

We are looking forward to hosting an in-person celebration to be held on December 2, 2024 that recognizes the award winners and the advising and student services community’s positive impact on students and our profession. Save the date - registration details to follow!

2024 Awards Committee

Sarah Acosta, Assistant Director, Office for Graduate Diversity, Graduate Division

Mel Barbers, Undergraduate Advisor, College of Environmental Design

Paige Corey, Academic Records Evaluator, Office of the Registrar

Jahzeel Flores Morales, College Advisor, College of Chemistry

Cassy Huang, Associate Director, Public Service Center

Emily Hutter, Student Services Advisor, Cal Student Central

​​Lauren Krupa, Director of Student Services, School of Public Health

Isela Peña-Rager, Assistant Director, Office of Undergraduate Advising, College of Letters & Science 

Mayra Rivera, Associate Director, Advising and Policy, Engineering Student Services

Liza Schlosser-Olroyd, Advising Strategy + Training Program Manager

Donna Vivar, Senior Advisor on Equity & Belonging, Division of Student Affairs

Other Campus Staff Awards

Check out other campus staff awards for which your nominee(s) may qualify.