Patrick Collier is not only an outstanding adviser and mentor to individual students, but he uses his position as director of undergraduate programs in the Department of English to make his colleagues better advisers as well. For example, all tenure-line faculty in English advise the large number of students studying in a complicated list of majors, including degree programs in education.

One of the first actions Collier took was to work up a detailed advising sheet especially produced for education students. It laid out in simple detail what courses to take at different points in the program and suggested the right mix of English and education courses for each semester.

He has also been the department's key person to implement the decision points for education majors. Again, he issued helpful worksheets to explain to students the artifacts to assemble from a flock of English courses, the rubrics that would be used to assess them and the steps needed to navigate each decision point. In addition, he began posting upcoming courses on the department's Web site and conveying important information through an accurate student e-mail list.

The students truly appreciate his mentorship. A graduate writes: "I have friends at larger universities who have never even spoken with their professors or advisers. They are impressed and even jealous that I have such a mentor and friend in a professor. Well, they should be, because Dr. Collier is a great teacher and adviser and a big reason why my time at Ball State was so successful."

According to colleagues, his service to both students and colleagues has made the department a better place to work and study.