Meggie Metcalf Receives NACADA Advising Administrator Award

Meggie Metcalf, the associate director of academic services at the Wilson College of Textiles, has received the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Advising Administrator Award for Region 3. 

The award recognizes outstanding advising and dedication to the improvement of existing advising programs while promoting NACADA’s seven core values: caring, commitment, empowerment, inclusivity, integrity, professionalism and respect. 

In-depth, personalized advising 

As a former teacher with a history of advising, Metcalf has always worked closely with students. In her current role at the Wilson College, she teaches a T101 orientation course, supervises a group of advisors and works one-on-one with first and second-year students. 

In a letter of recommendation, Jeff Joines, associate dean for academic programs, faculty excellence and student success, highlights the impact of Metcalf’s advising on both students and faculty. 

“The students and faculty are fortunate to have her as a leader, advisor, mentor, and resource. She positively impacts our students and the entire college community, including staff and faculty. The students are succeeding because of the start she directly and indirectly gives them,” Joines writes. 

Empathy is at the center of Metcalf’s personal advising philosophy.   

“Establishing rapport requires a foundation of trust and empathy. I strive to approach my interactions with curiosity rather than judgment, creating a safe space where students feel comfortable sharing their concerns and aspirations,” Metcalf writes.

Metcalf believes another important part of being an advisor is promoting students’ self confidence in the academic and professional world.  

“It’s important to teach students how to build their confidence and figure out how they can answer their own questions or solve their own problems that they might be facing,” Metcalf says. 

Dedication to improvement

In addition to high quality advising, NACADA seeks out nominees who actively work to improve existing programs. According to Heather Lyerly, senior director of academic services, professional growth and improvement are some of Metcalf’s top priorities. 

“When she first became a manager, she wanted to learn all she could about being a good leader, so she earned three management certificates through our campus HR office. With each, she became more confident in her skills and continued to seek out other professional development opportunities, like the NACADA Advising Administrator Institute,” Lyerly writes in her letter of recommendation. 

One of Metcalf’s goals is to always make sure advisor caseloads are manageable to provide students with the attention they deserve.

When Metcalf and her colleagues heard the incoming class was the largest in ten years, Metcalf created a proposal suggesting the dean add a temporary advisor. 

Metcalf was also a key member in implementing a new advising model in 2022 which allowed full-time advisors to work with students for two years as opposed to just one. After two years of advising, students are assigned to a faculty advisor to help prepare for their future careers. 

“Since the implementation of our new advising model, advising satisfaction has increased significantly and is much higher in our college than in other departments across NC State’s campus,” Lyerly writes. 

While the data shows the positive impact of Metcalf’s work as an advisor, she says one of the job’s greatest rewards is seeing students grow into confident individuals.

“I just enjoy seeing the students grow, working with them as a new first-year student and then seeing them two or three or four years later as they get closer to graduation and seeing all the things that they’ve accomplished,” Metcalf says.