Telander Receives John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising

Authored By: mknutson 03/04/2019

Parry Telander, Director of Student Success Coaching at the University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR), is one of four recipients of the John Tate Award for ExcellenceParry Telander in Undergraduate Advising across the five University of Minnesota system campuses. 

Telander, who started at UMR as the sole Student Success Coach with the first cohort of enrolled students in 2009, currently supervises a team of six student success coaches while supporting their growth within the professional field of academic/pre-health advising. UMR students and alumni consistently identify the Student Success Coach as one of the most significant contributors to their success at UMR, and colleagues recognize Telander’s contributions as paramount by paving the way for other coaches.

“Parry has contributed greatly to the advancement of student success coaches,” says Julie Thornton, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Engagement and Success at UMR. “In many cases, he single-handedly created processes for smoother delivery of services; developed memorandums of understanding within the system and with other programs and institutions; identified more productive and efficient ways to communicate with faculty and document student statuses; all the while, gathering relevant information for assessment and research purposes.”

The John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising is named in honor of John Tate, Professor of Physics and first Dean of University College (1930-41). The Tate Awards serve to recognize and financially reward high-quality academic advising calling attention to the contribution academic advising makes to helping students formulate and achieve intellectual, career and personal goals. By highlighting examples of outstanding advising, the Tate Awards identify professional models and celebrate the role that academic advising plays in the University’s educational mission.

As the only Student Success Coach to be present for the entire history of UMR’s campus, Telander has contributed significantly to the construction of UMR’s student-centered approach to advising, both as a model in practice and as a formal leader. Telander advised the first two classes of students from the first year through their graduation. While doing so, he created the standard for personalized concern and guidance in UMR’s advising process.

“This award is not just the reflection of my work, but it is also the reflection of all who have contributed to the Student Success Coaching model and to all in the UMR community who work to support student success,” said Telander.

The awards will be presented during a luncheon of the Tate Advising Conference on Thursday, March 14 at the McNamara Alumni Center.