There is little in the way of rewards or recognition currently attached to the successful delivery of academic advising. This is a mistake, because good advising, like good teaching, or publication or research, needs to be recognized”. Institutions should applaud their accomplished authors and principal investigators, and so too should they praise their high-achieving advisers. According to Thomas Kerr, “extrinsic rewards are important for both the individual adviser and the institution, because they make visible the importance of academic advising as an integral component of the infrastructure of the institution” . As an advocate and voice for the academic advising profession, we recommend that institutions provide wider support and recognition for academic advising, because, ultimately, the outcome of such reinforcement will be improved advising services for students. Jayne Drake supports this notion, stating that such recognition “signals the value an institution places on advising services, and it helps to improve overall delivery of such services by motivating advisers to reach a higher level of performance”.
There are arguments against academic excellence. Some opinion has this to say, ‘Academic excellence is overrated. Being on top of your class does not necessarily guarantee that you will be at the top of life. You could graduate as the best student in Finance but it doesn’t mean you will make more money than everybody else. The best graduating Law student does not necessarily become the best lawyer. The fact is life requires more than the ability to understand a concept, memorize it and reproduce it in an exam. School rewards people for their memory. Life rewards people for their imagination. School rewards caution, life rewards daring. School hails those who live by the rules. Life exalts those who break the rules and set new ones. So do I mean people shouldn’t study hard in school? Oh, no, you should. But don’t sacrifice every other thing on the altar of First Class. Don’t limit yourself to the classroom. Do something practical. Take a leadership position. Start a business and fail. That’s a better Entrepreneurship. Join or start a club, contest an election and lose. It will teach you something Political Science will not teach you. Attend a seminar. Read books outside the scope of your course, and so on. Do something you believe in! Think less of becoming an excellent student but think more of becoming an excellent person. Make the world your classroom’.
Much as they may be right in their presumption, there is nothing that stops a man from being on top of his class and top of career and life as a whole.
Some argument pointed that academic excellence is not the only way to success. There are a few people who didn’t achieve success in academics but their life skills were great so they knew how to overcome their failure and turn them around into success.
It is also important to note that academic excellence may not be the only way to achieve success in life, since some illiterates have navigated their way to success, but their success is incomplete.
ENCOURAGING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Stakeholders have posited that one of the reasons students seem to be losing interest in academics is because the society no longer appreciates and rewards academic excellence.
To encourage academic excellence, students who do exceptionally well in academics should be highly rewarded more than individuals who do well in other sectors of the economy. This is because education is the foundation on which other professions rest.
The reward system of our academic institutions are faulty. During the Award the presentation of awards, the cash award given to students that made first class was ridiculous enough to discourage other students from being studious.
Paltry sum of money re usually given out. Some first class students usually gets N10,000. As reward for academic excellence. Other may get N250,000 and N100,000. This is discouraging to undergraduates.
if our graduates must achieve their God’s given talents as individuals and as a nation, handiwork must be rewarded and given its due place or we will keep having graduates who went to universities to fulfill all righteousness.
To state the fact right now, there are no organizations that contribute to reward academic excellence in our society, he said that since our government at various levels has shown lack of interest and political will towards academic improvements in Nigeria, churches, civil and social organizations, and individuals should rally round to balance the deficits in rewarding academic excellence.
The poor reward of education or academic excellence also trickles down to teachers and lecturers. You don’t see teachers or lecturers getting awards of excellence that is televised. This poor reward system is why you find lecturers and teachers struggling to make ends meet, as such their commitment level is low, so is their performance level.
Higher education institutions are struggling to elevate the value and status of academics at times like this, when is schooling is said to be a scam in Nigeria.
Rewards and recognition for excellence in teaching is common but undervalued. Types of reward range from fellowships, prizes and titles, to schemes integrated in institutional or national systems for quality improvement, promotion and appointment. Teaching reward systems typically share some overarching objectives, namely enhancing student learning and educational quality, giving individual academic students and teachers recognition for a scholarly practice, and strengthening the status of teaching in higher education
CONCLUSION
Now more than ever, quality academic excellence rewarding is lauded as essential to undergraduate student success. Considering this, it is not surprising that many institutions purport to value the work of academic advisers. Unfortunately, few institutions actually formally recognize the achievements of these professionals. When they do, too many offer only trite or meaningless rewards. This lack of substantive recognition of excellence within the field does a great disservice to the professionals serving within it, as well as to the students they advise.
Teachers and institutions play a crucial role in cultivating academic excellence as well as government and non governmental organizations to create a fantastic learning environment where students experience motivation, value, and support is essential and encourage open discourse, present upbeat notes, and maintain a lecture room environment that fosters curiosity, creativity, and vital thinking.
Quality education and resources are the instructional equivalent of superpowers, therefore, teachers and institutions must strive to provide students with the necessary equipment to excel. These are updated textbooks, access to substance analysis, modern times, and opportunities for practical study. The better prepared you are, the more empowered you will be.
Teachers and institutions can inspire greatness in students by developing their passions and talents. Encouragement and reputation go a long way in igniting the educational spark within. Celebrate achievements, showcase success stories, and provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their abilities. With the right motivation, college students can push themselves to new heights of excellence.
Academic excellence ultimately serves as a pathway to personal and
professional boom. By pursuing academic excellence, individuals expand their critical thinking skills, benefit from valuable information, and cultivate a mind of constant knowledge acquisition. It empowers individuals to overcome challenges, opens doors to future opportunities, and equips them with the tools required for success. Furthermore, the role of teachers and academic institutions in promoting teaching excellence cannot be underestimated. By developing a supportive environment and presenting quality education, they play a crucial role in shaping the path toward academic excellence. Embracing excellence in education is not just about achieving actual grades; it includes a lifelong dedication to acquiring knowledge, flourishing, and striving for excellence in all lifestyle components.
