Marsha Schneider, program assistant in the Undergraduate Advising Resource Center (UARC), has been named the recipient of the January STAR Award.
She was nominated by Liz Whalley, director of UARC.
Portions of Schneider’s nomination follow:
“Marsha Schneider began her position in the UARC a little over a year ago, during the busiest time of the year in advising. She learned very quickly and has contributed a great deal in the short time she has been here. What sets her apart is her desire to keep learning and her seemingly never-ending stock pile of great ideas.
“Not one to shy away from a challenge, Marsha jumped right in, learning side-by-side with our PALs while supervising them at the same time. She prides herself on providing the most accurate information to students in the most professional and caring manner and does not tolerate giving students the run around, frequently calling referral offices to confirm information before sending the student over. This has been her mode of operation from day one, never using “I’m new here, I didn’t know” as an excuse to get it wrong. She just doesn’t get it wrong, which is incredibly critical in advising.
“She eagerly volunteers to plan “morale” boosting activities for both professional and student staff in the office. It is important to her that the staff in the office have what they need to do their best work and that students feel welcome and satisfied with the help they received and it shows. She pays attention to the little things; mints at the front desk, homecoming decorations, more visible nametags for our student workers, etc, etc, etc.
“With the implementation of the USP this fall the Student Success Center has received requests from faculty for tours of the five units in the building. Marsha agreed to be the point person for these requests. Coordinating tours for 70+ courses for five different offices in no small task, but she approaches it with a positive and solution focused attitude because she knows and values the benefit it will bring to first year students. In addition, she has had really good ideas about information to share and how to share it when the students visit our space.
“Probably most impressive has been her willingness to learn new technology such as Plone to develop online forms for the UARC. This is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, but never seemed to have the time or expertise to get it done. Marsha volunteered to attend the training and create an online appointment request form for incoming transfer students. This has significantly improved the process making it more efficient and effective for all involved, most importantly the students.
“I am proud that Marsha Schneider is the first person many faculty, staff and students encounter when they contact the UARC. She is a consummate professional, student-centered and a team player in every sense of the word. I hope you will seriously consider Marsha for the STAR award, she is most deserving!”
The CSAC Awards & Recognition Committee submitted this announcement. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to contribute calendar items, campus announcements and other good news to UW Oshkosh Today.