Mark on Meredith Program Recognizes Faculty and Staff

Meredith College Director of Academic Advising Alex Davis launched “Mark on Meredith” three years ago to recognize the impact faculty and staff have on Meredith students. The original goal was to have something that would acknowledge and encourage great academic advising, but over the years, it has morphed into so much more.

“While it started as a way to acknowledge the impact of academic advising, I never wanted it limited to simply academic advising, and I did not word it in such a way,” said Davis.

“Mark on Meredith” starts with a short survey that is emailed to all graduating undergraduate students each spring asking if there is one person who has made a lasting positive impact on them during their time at Meredith. Students respond with a name and a short statement about why they’re acknowledging that person.

Davis takes the responses, merges them into a small postcard that he creates each year, prints them at the Campus Copy Center, and hand delivers the cards to each recipient.

“These have been very well received by the recipients, the administration, and human resources,” said Davis. “I now copy and record these acknowledgements for HR and supervisors so that the acknowledgement goes even further.”

Students have acknowledged faculty and staff from all over campus including advisors, the Dean of Students office, StrongPoints, facilities, and housekeeping, to name a few.

“From the beginning more than 25% of the graduating class has responded, and we were already at that mark this year with four more days left,” said Davis. “It is one of the highlights of the year for me. It is a fun job to be the purveyor of happy vibes and it is such a little thing that makes a big difference.”

Davis hopes to transition “Mark on Meredith” to an award that will be given annually at the Faculty and Staff Awards event in the future, where they can recognize a particularly acclaimed faculty or staff member for the previous four years of collective recognition.