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The “Best Director of Graduate Studies Assistant” Award
A recognition program for DGS Assistants, sponsored by The Graduate School
The Role of the DGS Assistant
Each graduate program has a faculty DGS, whose office is responsible for coordinating all graduate student activities in the program – recruitment, admissions, financial aid, degree progress tracking, fellowship nominations, and so forth. Consequently, the DGS’s office, staffed by the DGS Assistant, becomes the center of activity for most communication between the graduate program and prospective and currently enrolled students, and the Graduate School. Many DGS Assistants are often the graduate students’ first line of contact in dealing with milestone events, such as scheduling exams. Therefore, the day-to-day smooth functioning of the office, and the quality of the assistance given to a program’s students, depends greatly on the organizational and communication skills of the DGS Assistant.
The “Best DGS Assistant” Award Program
The Graduate School established the “Best DGS Assistant” award program in 2003 to recognize and reward the University’s most outstanding DGS Assistants. The Dean of The Graduate School extends a call for nominations, every other year, during the fall term. Up to two recipients of the “Best DGS Assistant” Award are chosen. Recipients, announced in the spring, receive a $1000 honorarium and a special plaque at a reception in their honor.
The Selection Procedure
The selection committee, appointed by the Dean of The Graduate School, comprises representatives from the graduate faculty, the graduate student body, and The Graduate School. Selection of the strongest nominees, whatever their field, will be based on the following: the effectiveness of the nominee’s organizational and communication skills; the quality of support to the program’s graduate students; and/or the extent to which students have benefited from the DGS Assistant’s efforts.
Nomination Instructions for 2008 Best DGS Assistant Award (pdf)
View list of recipients
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