Jeff Citty Wins NACADA Certificate for Outstanding Advising

by Jill Lingard

A hearty congratulations is also due to engineering advisor Jeff Citty, who won a 2009 NACADA Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit. Jeff will be presented with this award in San Antonio, Texas during the 2009 NACADA Annual Conference this fall.

The award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated qualities associated with outstanding academic advising of students or outstanding academic advising administration. Jeff is one of 12 academic advisors honored with this award in this category in the nation-wide competition this year. To learn more about NACADA advising awards, refer to the Outstanding Advising Awards Program website.

Jeff’s responsibilities within UF’s College of Engineering include advising prospective, undecided, and probationary students. He also coordinates the University Scholars and Engineering Freshman Transition Programs. He teaches success workshops on time management and First Year Florida for engineering students. He has worked in the College of Engineering for the past five years as an advisor. Prior to that, he spent two years in UF’s Office for Student Financial Affairs as a coordinator for verification and the return of Title IV funds.

“I am humbled and honored by this award and I would like to thank all of my colleagues in the College of Engineering and across campus for their ongoing advice which has shaped my development,” says Jeff. “I get the greatest satisfaction watching the transformation that takes place as students develop over their time with us and then watching them walk across the stage at graduation.”

This year, Jeff also became the chair of the Undergraduate Advising Council’s (UAC) Campus Affairs Committee, which was formed to address the need for an advising voice to be present across campus on a variety of student-related issues. The committee plans to move into strategic areas across campus to heighten the visibility of advising and offer expertise where it is most valuable. “This year we are doing some inquiry and planning to move this mission forward,” states Jeff. “We are always looking to include more advisors who are willing to represent the advising community as a whole.”