Illinois State's Maureen Smith is Herb Sanders Advising Award Recipient

Illinois State University's Maureen Smith, advisor for the Curriculum and Instruction department, is the 2010 recipient of the Herb Sanders Award for Outstanding Academic Advisement.

The award was established by friends of Herb Sanders, a member of the faculty from 1949 until his death in 1980, to recognize advisors who demonstrate a caring attitude for students, who are assertive in their contacts with students and who support campus wide academic advisement.

Smith came to Illinois State University as a graduate student in the mid 1980s and started in Curriculum and Instruction in 1994.  She holds her master's degree from the University.  For the past 16 years she has worked with students in the enrolled in elementary, early childhood, middle level and bilingual education.  Smith teaches in the secondary education sequence and assists on secondary sequence related issues and assists students through their certification and endorsement issues.  She has been working on new ways of disseminating information and teaching students to be more responsible for their choices while maintaining a friendly and student-centered atmosphere. 

Smith has been involved with Major Fair, Administrative/Professional (A/P) Council, A/P Grievance Council, A/P Awards Committee, and was part of the Academic Advisor Advisory Council (AAAC) Steering Committee.  She is involved with the A/P Scholarship Committee, the AAAC Sub-Committee on Technology (co-chair 2008/09), the Preview Committee, Passages Welcome Weekend, Transfer Day Program and currently she serves as the president of the Departmental and School Advisor Council. Smith is a member of the National Academic Advising Association.

Smith was part of the team of advisors, which won the Illinois State Team Excellence Award in 2007 for the It's Not a Major, It's a Mission Conference. She also worked on the planning committee for the Assisting Students in Transitions Conference held at Illinois State in 2008.  Smith has presented to students and advisors throughout the state in the areas of transfer issues and education requirements. She is active in assisting community college advisors with issues related to their student transfers to Illinois State.