Collegiate Times

In a presentation at The Inn at Virginia Tech, the University Exemplary Department Awards were presented to various departments of the university.

Departments were recognized for advising, this year's theme.  The College of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and the University Academic Advising Center were awarded.

Among the departments awarded was the department of apparel, housing, and resource management.  LuAnn Gaskill, head of the department, said they were very pleased to receive the honor.

"It's a very uplifting experience that the department is being recognized for something that we feel is very important to us: student advising," Gaskill said.

For the University Academic Advising Center, the recognition came as a surprise.

"At this point we're in shock about the award. We are very honored and humbled by it," said Kimberly Brown, director of the University Academic Advising Center.  "We realize we're not a typical department here, and it makes the award even more special."

 Each of the departments worked diligently to secure the awards.

"What we've been doing is learning from students to help them, and we think that students are gaining a lot of knowledge on how to succeed inside and outside of the classroom," Gaskill said.

For award winners, putting in extra effort for students was critical for success.

"We went above and beyond some of the requirements for our program to help students. We created several learning communities for students to develop in," Brown said.  "We're very unique with our approach and philosophy in dealing with students."  

Along with the praise and recognition the award brings,  also comes a substantial cash prize. The Grado Department of industrial and systems engineering took home $20,000, while the department of apparel, housing, and resource management and the University Academic Advising Center was given $10,000. The winning departments are now seeking ways to apply the funds to their work.

"We are going to be using the funds for several purposes," Gaskill said.  "We are going to be working on developing the best Web site for both students and prospective students."

High on the list of improvements is staff training.

"We're working on creating an adviser training program, as advising is defined differently by different people and there have been some gaps that we have noticed," Brown said.  

Students can also benefit from the increased funding in staff training.

"We're working on faculty and staff development so we can maintain a high level of advising experience," Gaskill said.

Winning departments also hope the awards will help to increase their prominence in the academic community.

"We're working to bring as much national and international attention to the program as possible," Gaskill said.