ARC's Lindsay Oliver named Outstanding New Adviser by NACADA

OU's Lindsay Oliver has been selected as an Outstanding New Advisor for 2010.

Lindsay Oliver of Oakland University’s Advising Resource Center (ARC) has been selected as an Outstanding New Adviser for 2010 by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).

“I’m honored to receive the award – it’s really wonderful,” said Oliver, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from OU. “The work I do in the ARC really allows me to connect with students. Some of the students contributed letters of support for the award – seeing them support me was really nice.”

NACADA has more than 10,000 members across the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and other countries, with a mission to promote and support quality academic advising in higher education. It presents the Outstanding New Adviser Award to individuals who demonstrate qualities associated with outstanding academic advising of students, and who have served as an adviser for three years or less.

“This award speaks to Lindsay’s dedication to her students, enthusiasm and responsiveness to the unique needs of each individual,” said Kim Schultz, director of the ARC. “Lindsay’s goal is to establish a strong relationship with her advisees, one that fosters growth, independence and empowerment.”

Oliver was nominated for the national award last fall by OU’s Professional Advisers Council (PAC). The NACADA honor isn’t her first, however.

She was recognized in September 2009 by the PAC as Adviser of the Month for her leadership in making Advising Week a success for students and staff. She also has been nominated for the past two years for the university’s Professional Academic Adviser of the Year award.

Schultz noted that in the less than two years Oliver has been with the department, she created a large-scale event to assist OU undergraduates in exploring majors entitled, “The OU Degrees and Majors Fair: Speed Dating Style.” She also developed the ARC’s first online workshop, “What Can I Do With This Major?” Schultz said that under Oliver’s direction, the ARC saw attendance at its workshops grow by 36 percent.

Oliver will be honored at NACADA’s annual conference in fall 2010.

For more information on the ARC, visit its website at oakland.edu/arc.