By Noah Neeley —
On Friday, May 2nd, Miami University Academic Support and Advising Association (MUASAA) held its 9th annual symposium on the Hamilton Campus. MUASAA is an organization of dedicated staff who work in advising, academic planning, and community building, designed to increase familiarity between members of different departments. The symposium is a yearly conference held to discuss professional development and strategies for strengthening student relationships. It also features an awards ceremony to highlight the outstanding staff members at both Oxford and the Regionals.
Though many of the winners were not able to attend in person, Dr. Genesis Ross and Keisha Norris were present to receive their awards. The award speaker and organizer of the conference, Connor Goodpaster, presented the awards with readings of their nomination letters.
Dr. Ross received the Love and Honor Award for her contributions to academic advising. Covering several academic departments, she has supported students by adapting to assist students who might be unable to see their advisors during critical times. “Dr. Ross does thankless work supporting Miami’s students and has provided care to students in need of the bare essentials of life,” said Goodpaster. Without a doubt, Ross has exceeded expectations by helping not only students, but her fellow advisors and other faculty members as well.
MUASSA President Conor Burns presents Dr. Genesis Ross with the Love and Honor Award
Keisha Norris won the Outstanding Community Builder Award. While presenting the award, Goodpaster stated that “Miss Norris’s commitment to student development is unmatched, regularly working with students well into the evening hours.” Norris succeeds as a unifying force, not only between faculty departments, but also between students and staff. She works to connect students with advisors and staff members who can help them achieve their goals, no matter how daunting they might be.
Keisha Norris receiving the Outstanding Community Builder Award
In addition, the Outstanding Advising Program Award was presented to the Major Exploration Conference. Rather than being presented to an individual, this award was received by the organizers of the Major Exploration Conference. The conference is a collaborative effort between alumni, faculty, and advising staff to provide a variety of perspectives and create a valuable program.
Though many of the award winners were not present to receive their accolades, the symposium, Goodpaster said, was a success. “The thing I like about this space [Wilks Conference Center] more than where we normally are is that everything is right here. We’ve been able to get more networking between departments,” he stated. For an association with a goal of unifying different departments, having a space that promotes conversation is a great boon.
The event couldn’t have been organized successfully without the help of the staff members who worked to prepare and present the presentation that made the symposium so valuable for MUASAA members. It featured ten different presentations regarding strategies for improving communication with students and enhancing advising. Goodpaster explained, “We always have a huge number of folks in the community who want to present … Running this event, you’ve gotta figure out the logistics, but the hard part is on them to make their presentations.”