SOSU Academic Advising Center receives national award.
Press Release Date: 07–22–2004
Durant, Oklahoma – The Academic Advising and Outreach Center at Southeastern Oklahoma State University will receive a national award in the 2004 Retention Excellence Awards Program sponsored by Noel–Levitz.
Southeastern is one of just four colleges and universities chosen to receive awards, joining the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Georgia Tech, and the State University of New York at Paltz. The awards will be presented at the 2004 National Conference on Student Retention, scheduled for July 14–17 in New Orleans.
From Southeastern, President Dr. Glen D. Johnson, assistant vice president Dr. Jeff Hale, and advising center director Tim Boatmun will be present to accept the award and will also present a workshop at the conference on student retention. Some 1,000 educators from across the country will attend the event to share state–of–the–art practices in student retention.
“This is a very significant honor for Southeastern Oklahoma State University,” said President Dr. Glen D. Johnson. “Our selection reinforces the fact that our students’ academic needs are our top priority. We will continue to provide our students with the tools they need to succeed academically. Congratulations are in order to Director Tim Boatmun and his staff.”
The SOSU Academic Advising and Outreach Center opened its doors in August 2001. Dr. Hale and the enrollment management staff developed the advising center idea and generated support for the project through the university’s strategic planning process. During the first year, the center staff provided nearly 500 advising sessions. This past academic year, Southeastern students participated in more than 2,300 advising sessions. First–year retention rates and student satisfaction have increased each year since the center opened.
“Tim Boatmun and his staff are absolutely deserving of this national honor,” Hale said. “Their efforts to work with student, faculty and academic departments are directly related to improved student outcomes. I know the staff is honored, but they also know that there’s much more work to be done.”
The center is staffed by Boatmun; Shari Williams, academic advisor; Ann McCullough, academic advisor; Clay Patterson graduate assistant; Betty Andrews, secretary; and Sara Bland and Jennifer Peritz, student workers.
Boatmun has been recognized as the Oklahoma Academic Advisor of the year and Williams was recently recognized as the Outstanding Native American Advisor for a six–state region.
