Professional News

UK Advising Network Now Accepting Nominations for Advising Awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 5, 2020) — The University of Kentucky Advising Network is now accepting nominations for the Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Award. This award recognizes outstanding service in the field of undergraduate academic advising for both faculty and professional advisors. 

The Ken Freedman Awards have been awarded annually since 1995. Named after UK advisor Ken Freedman, a founder of the UK Advising Network in 1986, the award helps to shine a light on the hardworking faculty and staff who help students navigate the university, ensuring that all students have the tools they need to succeed at UK and beyond. 

“When I first entered the advising world in 2002, I was fortunate enough to have co-workers who worked directly alongside Ken,” said Stephen Erena, chair for the Advising Network. “From the stories they recalled and shared, it was abundantly clear that Ken had a passion for each of the advisees with whom he worked- and indeed, for all students he encountered. He routinely went above and beyond what was required to give students their best shot at succeeding.” 

At UK, academic advising plays an integral role in overall student success, guiding students toward their personal and educational goals. The importance of academic advisors cannot be stressed enough.  

“We take one day each year to simply recognize the vital roles that each advisor on campus plays to those we serve and to publicly acknowledge the outstanding work of the award recipients, Erena said. “The number of advisors that (even) get nominated is pretty impressive.” 

Nominations for the Ken Freedmen Outstanding Advisor Awards are due Tuesday, March 31. 

Two award recipients are selected for the Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Award, one professional advisor and one faculty advisor. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to participate in the nominating process. Nominees are not limited to colleges. Any faculty or staff member who plays a role in advising are eligible. 

In 2018, the UK Advising Network became an institutional member of NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising and expanded the awards to align with their national awards. 

In addition to the Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Awards, four NACADA aligned awards will be presented. These awards will include:

  • Outstanding New Advisor
  • Empowering Leadership in Administration
  • Innovative Advising Award
  • Advocate in Advising- Friend to the Community 

The recipients of the Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Awards will be recognized at the Ken Freedman Day of Recognition in May 2020.  Recipients will also be nominated by the UK Advising Network for the NACADA Region 3 Excellence in Advising Award and National Academic Advising Association Outstanding Advisor Award.

To make a nomination for the Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Awards, click here. Nominations will close March 31, 2020.

To see the full list of previous Ken Freedman awardees, click here.

Advisor and student.
Mark Cornelison | UK Photo.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.