Sandy Crigger receives 2009 Provost Award for Excellence in Advising

Sandy Crigger, senior program support technician for the Department of Management in the Pamplin College of Business, received the university's 2009 Provost Award for Excellence in Advising.

The Provost’s Award for Excellence in Advising is given annually to a Virginia Tech faculty or staff member who serves undergraduate advisees in exemplary ways. Awardees receive a $2,000 prize and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Advising Excellence.

An administrative assistant, fiscal manager, and office manager, Crigger became the Department of Management’s main academic advisor in 2005 after performing this duty in an unofficial capacity since the early 1990s.

“I cannot ask for a more accomplished, knowledgeable, and gracious ambassador for us, and take great comfort that the department’s, college’s, and university’s reputation for teaching excellence and service to students is not just preserved, but is enhanced by Sandy’s every encounter with our students,” said Anju Seth, professor and head of the Department of Management.

According to Seth, Crigger takes a high level of initiative while managing to accomplish her wide portfolio of responsibilities. She has made a number of improvements to the Department of Management’s advising function in recent years, including developing a list of frequently asked questions for the departmental website, implementing a new online force-add system that eliminated long lines of students during registration week, providing a forum every semester for students to ask questions and raise concerns, and reviewing records of graduating seniors to ensure that they graduate on time.

“Every time I came in she is incredibly helpful and always knows all the answers to any questions I have about the coursework or administrative questions,” said Matt Berrang, senior management major. “She is always very friendly and willing to help out all students in need despite being such a busy person. Sandy has done a great job running the administrative duties of the management department while also being a great advisor for students and faculty.”

Steven Markham, Digges Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Department of Management, noted, “In her very quiet and unassuming manner, she has been able to deal with a wide range of people, from the overwhelming crush of students during registration to the typical faculty prima-donna who simply must have everything done yesterday. There is no doubt that her strong interpersonal skills have made a tremendous difference in the daily functioning of the department with respect to advising.”

Crigger also received the President’s Award for Excellence in 1997 for her outstanding abilities and exceptional performance.