Griffin receives Outstanding Advising Administrator Award

Joyce Griffin, CADC’s Director of Student Services, received the Auburn University Outstanding Advising Administrator Award at the annual Advisors’ Luncheon on January 31. The university recognized what Dean Vini Nation says the CADC students, faculty and staff have long valued about Ms. Joyce, “Joyce’s administrative service and leadership have had significant impact at multiple levels and are worthy of highest recognition and honor.” Nathan explains, “Whether it is mentoring a junior colleague, appeasing a concerned parent, or recruiting a prospective student, Joyce has embraced her administrative role with remarkable finesse and grace. She is an asset to the CADC and to Auburn University. She is an outstanding student advisor, an effective leader, a well-respected university colleague, and a visible role model for our students.”

Nominations for the Outstanding Advising Administrator were evaluated on the evidence of qualities and practices that distinguish the nominee’s performance, which include interpersonal/human relations skills, professional practices, and documented success from letters of support from campus colleagues, student evaluations, and alumni testimonials. As one of her campus colleagues described Griffin’s distinguishing qualities in his nomination letter, “Joyce Griffin has an amazing ability to keep in mind both the big-picture and detail issues simultaneously. Because of her careful monitoring and her eye for detail, the CADC has been able to respond quickly and nimbly to rapidly changing needs including the development of a recruiting program, and rebalancing the staff assignments without a loss in service or advising quality.”

In her note informing Griffin that she had been selected, Constance Relihan, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Director of University College wrote, “The Awards Committee was extremely impressed by the strength of your nomination packet, your record of achievement, and the strong support you have garnered from your students and colleagues. There was a very strong pool of applications this year, making the committee’s responsibilities very difficult. You should be very proud of your achievement “

Griffin has been at Auburn University for more than twenty-eight years. She has worked as Assistant Director of Admissions, Associate Registrar, and University Registrar. She joined the CADC in 2003 as Director of Student Services. She also has been an adjunct instructor for the Mathematics Department since 2001. Griffin began her career in Student Affairs as the Director of University Housing and Panhellenic Advisor at Troy State University in 1978. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Troy State University, where she received a B.S. and M.S. in Education.

“It is so very rewarding to work with our students, to share in their growth and development as they matriculate through their respective programs,” says Griffin. She goes on to say, “I am very grateful to receive such recognition for what I consider to be doing my job. I consider myself very fortunate for having the support of my dean and my associate deals and for having such a conscientious staff of advisors who work with me. Thus, I share this award with these special people, because together, we are a team.”