LeSuer receives outstanding advising award

Will LeSuer

Dr. Will LeSuer, University of Wisconsin-Platteville associate professor and interim chair of the Criminal Justice and Social Sciences Department, has always enjoyed working with students, especially at UW-Platteville, where they say they’re encouraged to spend time and energy helping students succeed.

Described by their colleagues as consistently demonstrating an unwavering commitment to student success and well-being, LeSuer is being honored with the 2022 Outstanding Faculty/Instructional Staff Advisor Award.

LeSuer supports 25-35 assigned advisees each year in making decisions about coursework, creating an academic plan and tracking the progress of their advisees. They also assist upper-class students in finding internships and full-time employment, helping them to create resumes, salary negotiation, mock interviews and interview tips and connecting students with companies and recruiters. Their colleagues have noted this willingness to assist so broadly as one of the many things that make LeSuer such as an excellent advisor who really cares about their students’ academic and personal success.

LeSuer believes that the most important advising encounters are the non-academic ones when students trust them enough to share their feelings or ask for help. They strive to be the faculty member they needed as a student. Through this approach, advisees have described them as the faculty member whom most students trust and go to with questions. 

“I am honored to receive this award, because it means a student thought me deserving of it,” said LeSuer. “Normally it is our job to provide such letters of support and recommendations without any expectations of reciprocity, so when students go out of their way to recognize us, it means a great deal.”

LeSuer will be recognized at the university’s convocation on Thursday, Sept. 1.