Faculty & Advisor Resources
As MSU Faculty and Advisors, you play an essential role in the awards process. As you come into contact with high achieving students, please feel free to refer students to the Distinguished Student Awards Office (DSAO) and we will take it from there.
To assist you in those efforts, the DSAO has created these resources for you – from handouts and calendars to video testimonials. Please let us know if you have ideas for additional ways to reach students. Feel free to contact the DSAO at studentawards@msu.edu or call 517-884-7650.
Resources
If you have an exceptional student that would be competitive and well-suited to any of these awards, consider referring them to the DSAO. Referring students is easy! You can send an e-mail to studentawards@msu.edu with the student’s name, email, and as much information as you have and we will reach out to the student. You can also refer students to our office and have them contact us at studentawards@msu.edu or stop in to our office in Bessey Hall, room 186.
One of the most crucial ways faculty and advisors can support applicants is through mentorship before the application process even begins. The most successful applicants have had a faculty mentor with whom they have worked and have supported their development. Mentors help students refine research interests, understand their field and think about career goals, identify graduate programs, and provide feedback on application drafts.
Faculty also play an important role in the nomination process. We are always interested in faculty who are willing to serve on mock interview committees and nomination committees for awards that require an institutional nomination. If you are interested in serving on a committee, please contact the DSAO at studentawards@msu.edu and we will follow up with you.
Most prestigious awards require at least four letters of recommendation, or reference letters, from faculty who have supervised a student’s research and/or have had a student in a course. Letters of reference for prestigious awards have some unique features that set them apart from other types of letters of recommendation. It is important that letters of recommendation are tailored for each award. Below are some resources for writing a strong letter of recommendation. (Selecting these links will open a new window)
Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award
The Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award annually recognizes faculty who have mentored undergraduate or graduate students who applied for awards through the Distinguished Student Awards Office (DSAO).
Nominations can be submitted by students, staff, and faculty. Self-nominations are welcome. Nominations should describe the mentoring provided by the faculty member, discuss the effects of the experience on student learning, and indicate the importance of the experience for the student’s long-term goals. Nominators should also discuss how the faculty member’s interactions with students demonstrate and model effective and caring mentorship.
One award will be given each year at the DSAO spring reception. The recipient will receive $1,000.00 to support mentoring activities.
Nominations are due to studentawards@msu.edu by April 1.
Application Materials
- 1,000 word statement describing how the faculty member has mentored students applying for DSAO awards and the impact. Please be specific.
- Include on top of nomination the nominator’s full name, email, and position (or level, if a student).