OU's Steve Shablin, registrar, named 2011 Outstanding AP of the Year

By Katie Land, news editor

Oakland University’s AP Assembly has chosen Steve Shablin, registrar, for the 2011 Outstanding Administrative Professional. Shablin’s continued dedication and exceptional work ethic have combined to make him worthy of this honor.

To mark the occassion, a reception will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14, in the Oakland Center's Banquet Room A. The entire university community is invited to attend.

Shablin is well-known on campus, as someone always able and willing to help, according to Jennifer Gilroy, senior associate registrar and previous recipient of the AP award.

“His door is always open, and he makes himself available to faculty, staff and students. In difficult periods, he brings people together to find a solution,” Gilroy said. “His solutions always make a positive impact.”

Since joining the OU community 13 years ago, Shablin has been active not only in his own department, but across campus as well. He is known for being easily accessible to faculty and students throughout the year, advocates for APs on campus, and takes care to stay informed and actively participate in the university community.

Over the years, Shablin has overseen a number of changes, and his list of professional accomplishments is long and varied. He has worked to implement a variety of improvements such as priority registration services, the redesign of the schedule of classes, implementation of the Grizzly id, consolidation of registrar services and many more.

Notably, Shablin recently worked to smoothly implement the full year registration process, collaborating with different department offices and anticipating and solving any registration issues.

Shablin is very active in the Oakland community, and is constantly interacting with students and taking their suggestions into account. He is also a Golden Grizzlies fan, rarely missing a home game.

“Steve can tell you a thousand things that are great about OU, said Tricia Westergaard, associate registrar. “He raves about OU’s academic programs, athletic teams, student services, the campus and the AP community. He never misses an opportunity to plug OU to anybody.”

Shablin is a member of the Michigan Associate of Collegiate Registrars, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars, and the AP Assembly here at Oakland, where he serves as a senator on the University Senate.

The Outstanding Administrative Professional Award was established in 1984, and is designed to recognize the contributions and outstanding achievements of professionals in the administration professional community.