Faculty Awards Policies, Procedures, and Award Descriptions
I. Overview
Columbus State University (CSU) values the contributions of its faculty to the University, their professions and the community; to the development of an effective inclusive and engaging learning environment; and to the promotion of the advancement of their academic discipline. It is important that their accomplishments in these areas be rewarded and recognized publicly. The Faculty Awards Committee develops and manages the professional recognition process of the University’s faculty.
II. Faculty Awards Committee Structure and Duties
A. Structure
The Faculty Awards Committee (the Committee) is chaired by the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Academic Innovation or current designee who is a non-voting member. There are three representatives from each degree-granting college. Two representatives from each college who serve two-year staggered terms and an alternate member who serves a one-year term. New members are selected during the spring committee nomination process along with the other institutional committees. The Director of the Faculty Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and a representative from University Advancement serve as non-voting, ex-officio members.
B. Duties
The duties of the Committee are to:
- Consider nominees for receipt of faculty awards
- Advise the Office of the Provost on the award nomination and selection procedures awards
- Recommend to the Office of the Provost the creation of new awards
C. General Principles
The Committee is responsible for select awards that recognize members of the faculty. Unit specific awards (departmental, college, etc.) will be the purview of the respective units. All award recipients will receive the same recognition in terms of monetary and commemorative recognition, unless approved in advance by the Provost and Executive Vice President.
Final selection of awards that are the purview of the Committee will be made by the Committee.
Selection of award recipients will be based upon review of the candidate’s documentation of their attainment of the published criteria for the award.
All Committee votes will pass by a simple majority of those present at the meeting. Calling for a vote requires a quorum. A quorum is defined as five (5) voting members. Votes may be called through alternate means that do not require a physical presence of the committee (e.g. electronic ballot).
III. University Awards
All awards that are available to any member of the faculty are the purview of the Committee. Some awards are area specific. Nomination packets are peer-reviewed within the identified area. The award decision is made by the area committee and the recipients are shared with the chair of the Faculty Awards Committee for dissemination. Other awards (†) are coupled with University System awards. CSU’s recipients of these awards are submitted as nominees for those awards. Award criteria for each recognition is provided later in this document.
A. Awards Selected by the Faculty Awards Committee (7):
- CSU Creative Endeavors Award
- CSU Excellence in Online Teaching† (USG Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award for Online Learning)
- CSU Faculty Research and Scholarship Award
- CSU Faculty Service Award
- CSU Scholarship of Teaching and Learning† USG Regents’ Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award)
- CSU Teaching Excellence Award† (USG-Regents’ Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Award)
- CSU Teaching Innovation Award
B. Area Specific Awards
- CSU Chappell Graduate Faculty Award (Selected by the Graduate Council)
- CSU International Educator of the Year Award (Selected by the International Education Committee)
- USG Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award for Department/Program (Selected by the Faculty Center)
IV. Nomination Process for Faculty Awards
There will be an open call for nominations for the faculty awards November 1st of each year.
A. Award Qualifications
- Any full-time or part-time faculty member who has taught at Columbus State University for at least one full year is eligible.
- The recipient of an award from the previous year is not eligible for the same award but is eligible for any of the other faculty awards.
- Candidates who were nominated, yet not selected during the previous year may resubmit an updated nomination packet.
B. College Nominees
Colleges are limited in the number of nominations they may submit for each of the university awards. The number of nominees is determined on a proportional basis. The number of nominees for each award is determined by the number of faculty representatives on the Faculty Senate divided by three then rounded up to the nearest whole number. (For example: if a college had 5 representatives on the Senate, then the number of nominations allowed would be 2 for each award [5÷3=1.67 rounds up to 2]).
- College of the Arts - 2 nominees
- College of Education and Health Professions - 2 nominees
- College of Letters and Sciences - 3 nominees
- Turner College of Business & Technology - 2 nominees
- Library – 1 nominee
Each College will have a published procedure for selecting their [current-year] nominees that is consistent with the University’s commitment to shared governance. The colleges are encouraged to have awards administered through their college that match each of the university faculty awards.
V. Submission Process, Required Materials and Timeline for Nominated Faculty
A. Submission Process
Faculty who believe they meet the award criteria or who have been nominated for an award by a colleague should prepare their nomination materials, and submit the materials to the departmental chairperson/school director. To resubmit, prior-year candidates must contact their departmental chairperson/school director and dean to request an updated letter of support to accompany their updated submission. Deans or their designee will submit nomination materials to the Office of the Provost.
B. Required Materials
The required documents for university-level consideration by the Faculty Awards Committee includes:
- An abbreviated curriculum vitae highlighting accomplishments associated with the award being sought (no more than 3 pages)
- Narrative statement (no more than2 pages) detailing the accomplishments relevant to the award
- Letter of Support from the departmental chairperson/school director that states the accomplishments of the nominee relevant to the award (no more than 2 pages)
- Cover Letter of Endorsement from the dean of the college that includes a statement about the nominee’s accomplishments relevant to the award
- Maximum of 3 additional letters of support from internal or external supporters knowledgeable about the nominee’s achievements relevant to the award
- Documented evidence relevant to the award.
University-level awards that are considered for Regents’ awards should follow the criteria outlined by the system. Following the Regent’s award requirements limits the duplication of efforts for faculty when preparing materials. Utilize the links below to access the portfolio requirements.
- Regents’ Teaching Excellence Awards for Department or Program
- Regents’ Teaching Excellence Awards for Online Teaching
- Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Awards
- Regents’ Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Awards
C. Award Timeline*
November 1st - Open call for nominations
First Friday in December - Submission of nomination packet to department chair/director
First Friday in February - Nomination packets sent to the dean
First Friday in March - Dean packets sent to the Office of the Provost Faculty Awards Committee Review Packets (approximately two weeks later, prior to spring break)
Last Monday of the March - Award recipients shared with the Awards Day Planning Committee
*This timeline presents university deadlines. Colleges and departments my institute deadlines within these dates. The dean of each college or their designee will send written notice to the faculty announcing deadlines for award nominations and the procedures for selecting the college’s nominees. Each college will then submit its nominations to the Office of the Provost.
VI. Final Selection Process
A. General Awards
- Deans will submit the college award recipient’s nomination portfolio along with a brief bio to the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs.
- Nominees from the colleges will be equally considered for each of the awards.
- Finalists for each award will be selected by the Faculty Awards Committee based on the award criteria.
- The nominee with the greatest number of votes will be considered the finalist for the award. If there is no clear recipient, the committee will discuss the category finalists and implement a second vote.
- A simple majority will be used to select the recipient of the award.
- The Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs shares the information with the Awards Day Planning Committee
B. Area Specific Awards
- The Department Chair or College Dean reviews applicant nomination portfolios and identifies a recipient utilizing a voting method similar to the Faculty Awards Committee’s selection process.
- Deans will submit the college award recipient’s nomination portfolio along with a brief bio to the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs.
VII. Announcement and Presentation
Recipients of the awards are announced at the annual Faculty and Staff Recognition Ceremony held at the end of the spring semester.
A. Rescinding an Award for Cause
The president of the University, with the recommendation of the Awards Committee, may at any time remove any faculty member or other employee’s award or honor for cause. Cause shall include, but is not limited to, willful or intentional violation of the policies of the Board of Regents of the approved bylaws and statutes of the institution.
VIII. Recommendation for the Creation for New Award(s)
A recommendation for the creation of a new award is submitted to the chair of the Faculty Awards Committee and must include:
- The name of the award.
- A detailed description of the award to including award
- the type of award (e.g., general or area specific)
- award criteria
- the selection procedures
- required documents for faculty to be used for evaluation, and
- a suggested evaluation rubric
- Recommended source of funding for the monetary award,
- Letter of support from the Provost and Executive Vice President indicating that the recommended funding source has a sufficient reoccurring annual balance to support the funding of the proposed new award.
New award requests must be submitted to the Office of the Provost by November 1st of the prior year of dissemination. Notification of acceptance will be provided by January 30th for spring implementation.
Appendix A
Awards Descriptions and Selection Criteria
Awards Selected by the Faculty Awards Committee
CSU Creative Endeavors Award
Overview
The purpose of this award is to recognize faculty members who have engaged in creative expression in their field that has resulted in exemplary results. The award celebrates the value of these activities, and particularly acknowledges recipients for their role in contributing to the students’ and faculty members’ intellectual and creative growth. Though the award will be given without regard to the nominee's teaching or service talents, it implicitly recognizes the role of creative endeavors in the enhancement of a faculty member's teaching and service capabilities. The award also recognizes faculty members’ contributions to the creation, extension, or growth of knowledge or skills, or aesthetic products.
Creative endeavors can be so variously defined by the many disciplines of the university. Therefore, this award will be based on the broad criteria (outlined below) rather than on a single definition of what constitutes a creative product. However, the award should recognize efforts that result in tangible products or artifacts (publications, grants, performances, works of art, etc.)
The committee is tasked with selecting the recipient of the award can decide whether to choose faculty whose achievements are wide and various or those whose achievements are narrowly focused. Priority should be given to faculty members whose products are related to their discipline and recognized as valuable according to their standards of excellence and other professionals in their discipline.
The Faculty Creative Endeavors Award will be presented to a single recipient chosen from among the candidates. The recipient will receive an honor medallion and monetary award at the annual Faculty and Staff Recognition Ceremony.
Criteria
Creation, performance, or presentation of creative works
For all creative works, there should be documentation of exhibitions, "hosting" of artistic events, publications in art journals, inclusion of CDs, program brochures, posters and flyers, visual documentation such as photographs, articles about the candidate's work, grant awards, commissions/freelance activities, artworks acquired by major gallery, museum or other significant collector, recorded performances of new and original creative work in the field of music or theatre, scores of musical works, invited and juried exhibits and activities, honors and awards
Results which receive international/national attention or audiences should be given higher priority than those which receive regional, state, or local audiences only. Also, work generated principally during the faculty member's tenure at Columbus State University is preferred.
CSU Excellence in Online Teaching Award Regents' Teaching Excellence Award for Online Teaching (USG Iteration)
Overview
This award recognizes individual faculty and staff for a strong commitment to engaged, online teaching and student success.
Criteria
Significant commitment to quality online teaching and learning as evidenced by teaching, service and scholarly activities designed to advance the quality of online teaching and learning
Use effective and innovative online teaching practices that result in student engagement, student satisfaction, and effectiveness in achieving desired learning outcomes
Evidence of an extraordinary commitment to fostering the academic success of online students through the development of rapport with individual learners in and beyond the virtual classroom
Examine methods of assessment of student learning to inform teaching practices and reshape online courses based on an on-going and data-driven process
Utilize interactive strategies to promote collaboration among students
Exhibit a high level of instruction by using standards set by the USG such as Quality Matters.
Additional Award Information
USG Full award description and criteria:
www.usg.edu/faculty_affairs/awards
Faculty should provide supporting evidence that addresses methods of assessing student learning and achievement that go beyond student evaluations.
The CSU Faculty Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning will assist the award recipient with the completion of the portfolio prior to the USG submission deadline.
CSU Faculty Research and Scholarship Award
Overview
The purpose of this award is to recognize faculty members who have engaged in research and scholarship that has resulted in exemplary results. The award celebrates the value of these activities, and particularly acknowledges recipients for their role in contributing to the faculty's intellectual growth. Though the award will be given without regard to the nominee's teaching or service talents, it implicitly recognizes the role of research and scholarship in the enhancement of a faculty member's teaching and service capabilities. The award also recognizes faculty members’ contributions to the creation, extension, or growth of knowledge or skills.
The award will recognize scholarly or research efforts that result in tangible products or artifacts (publications, grants, etc.). Work generated principally during the faculty member's tenure at Columbus State University is preferred. Also, priority is given to faculty members whose products are related to their discipline and recognized as valuable according to their adopted standards of excellence and other professionals in their discipline.
The committee tasked with selecting the recipient of the award can decide whether to choose faculty whose achievements are wide and various or those whose achievements are narrowly focused. Results which receive international/national attention or audiences are given higher scores than those which receive regional, state, or local audiences only.
The Faculty Research and Scholarship Award will be presented to a single recipient chosen from among the candidates.
Criteria
Research and scholarship can be so variously defined by the many disciplines of the university. Therefore, this award will be based on a list of criteria indicated below, rather than on a single definition of either research or scholarship. Criteria should remain flexible so as to include the achievements of faculty from the university's many disciplines.
Primary criteria for the award include the following, though not necessarily in the order listed:
- publication of papers and books in refereed journals or presses
- presentations of papers to academic conferences or professional societies
- research or scholarly proposals which receive external funding
- research that incorporates teaching methods or interests or that involves students in research
Secondary criteria like the following could be used as supporting data:
- publication in non-refereed outlets
- attendance at conferences, workshops, or professional meetings
- reviewing for journals or professional societies
- published book reviews
CSU Faculty Service Award
Overview
The purpose of this award is to recognize members of the faculty who have contributed outstanding professional service to the university and/or the community during a recent period including the current academic year.
Service is defined as the contribution of faculty members’ expertise in their discipline to efforts of the university, community, educational, environmental, business, and economic life of the community.
Service may also be defined as enrichment of the intellectual life of the university community and as improvement in the quality of the educational environment for the faculty, staff, and students.
Though teaching excellence and scholarly and creative activity are important roles of faculty, the Awards Committee does not directly consider those areas in making its selection.
Examples of outstanding service include, but are not limited to,
- service to students in academic advisement,
- leadership roles on committees at departmental, college and university levels,
- furtherance of the objectives of faculty and student governance bodies,
- contribution of professional expertise to the work of community boards, organizations, and other public agencies and private sector enterprises,
- delivery of exemplary continuing education programs, and
- combinations of the above activities
The Faculty Service Award will be presented to a single recipient chosen from among the candidates.
CSU Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award Regents' Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Awards (USG Iteration)
Overview
CSU acknowledges the value of scholarship of teaching and learning. This award encourages and supports the work of faculty members whose scholarship focuses on the instructional mission of the institution.
Criteria
- Engaged in the systematic examination of issues about student learning and instructional conditions which promote the learning, building on previous scholarship
- Documented the use of strategies for investigating and evaluating the impact of teaching practice on student learning, anchored in the research literature
- Engaged in scholarship that is public, peer reviewed and critiqued
- Produced scholarly work which contributes new questions and knowledge about teaching and learning
- Developed a well-articulated teaching philosophy that drives research questions.
- Documented the dissemination of their scholarship results
- Served in a formal or informal leadership role to promote and support SoTL on their campus or beyond
Additional Award Information
USG Full award description and criteria:
www.usg.edu/faculty_affairs/awards
Faculty should provide supporting evidence that addresses methods of assessing student learning and achievement that go beyond student evaluations.
The CSU Faculty Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning will assist the award recipient with the completion of the portfolio prior to the USG submission deadline.
CSU Teaching Excellence Award/Regents Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Award (USG Iteration)
Overview
This award recognizes individual faculty who have a significant commitment to teaching excellence and student success.
Criteria
- Demonstrable commitment to teaching and learning through activities designed to advance the quality and practice of teaching and learning, to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and/or global and multicultural understanding
- Use effective teaching strategies to enhance student learning, including, but not limited to innovative uses of technology, active learning, learning communities, student portfolios, and assessment
- Significant commitment to fostering the academic success of students through interaction with students outside of the classroom (e.g., advising, mentoring, recruiting, etc.).
Additional Award Information
USG Full award description and criteria:
www.usg.edu/faculty_affairs/awards
Faculty should provide supporting evidence that addresses methods of assessing student learning and achievement that go beyond student evaluations.
The CSU Faculty Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning will assist the award recipient with the completion of the portfolio prior to the USG submission deadline.
CSU Teaching Innovation Award
Overview
Columbus State University strives to be a leader in innovative methods for improving student learning and in efforts to improve retention and graduation.
This award
- Recognizes and rewards the efforts of faculty members who develop and practice innovative methodologies in pedagogy
- Showcases the creative innovations of the faculty members that facilitate enhanced learning
- Focuses on the uniqueness of the “program actions” that increase student interest and drive achievement
- Recognizes the effort and documentation of outcomes by the faculty member attempting to create a new learning strategy or methodology and celebrate the faculty’s willingness to expand boundaries of traditional and established teaching strategies.
Criteria
Innovative teaching is defined broadly and may include the use of new instructional technologies, the use of traditional technologies in creative ways, novel approaches to instruction, and new ways to engage students in the learning process. The goal must have been an effort for positive impact(s) on teaching effectiveness, student learning, supporting diverse student learners, student readiness, and/or retention rates. It may address current teaching and learning trends, high impact educational practices, and/or current University initiatives in education
Area Specific Awards
Chappell Graduate Faculty Award
Overview
The purpose of the award is to recognize those full-time members of the Columbus State University Graduate Faculty who, in the tradition established by Dr. William “Bill” Chappell, have demonstrated excellence in teaching Columbus State University’s graduate students and have contributed outstanding professional service to the Graduate School, the university and the community.
Criteria
Criteria should remain flexible so as to include the achievements of graduate faculty from the university’s many disciplines. A guiding principle is a track record of continued success in teaching and service. Primary criteria for the award should include the following:
- The impact of the graduate faculty member's teaching techniques and pedagogies on student learning and the potential impact on teaching and learning in the discipline
- The congruence of the department or program goals and philosophy with the graduate faculty member's goals and strategies for making a positive difference in the academic success of graduate students
- The graduate faculty member's success in engaging graduate students in research and/or creative endeavor
- The evidence of the graduate faculty member's service to graduate students, the Graduate School, the university and the community
Recommended Documents for Departmental Nominees
Each department may nominate one graduate faculty member who teaches graduate students.
- Abbreviated CV (no more than 3 pages, with attention to items relevant to the award)
- A well-articulated teaching philosophy that is congruent with the department or program philosophy and outlines goals and strategies for making a difference in the academic success of graduate students. This statement should address the criteria for the award (1-2 pages)
- A statement (1-2 pages) about the service accomplishments of the nominee relevant to the award.
International Educator of the Year Award
Overview
Columbus State University recognizes and rewards faculty and staff members who have made significant contributions to the university’s internationalization and to the international learning outcomes of our students. Nominees must be current and active CSU faculty or staff members who have been employed at CSU during the whole of the previous calendar year. The winner will be recognized at the annual Faculty and Staff Recognition Awards.
Criteria
Nominees will be evaluated based on their contribution to internationalization, which may include any or all of the following:
- Teaching, directing or developing study abroad programs
- Developing or expanding international academic programs or internationalization of existing curricula
- Promoting greater international understanding and knowledge through lectures, programs or other activities on campus and/or in the community
- Supporting or participating in international faculty development and/or exchange
- Contributing to international education activities on campus
- Developing or supporting international cross-cultural interactions amongst students and scholars
- Directing or advising students on their international research
Application and Review Process
Nominees must submit their application to their department chair by the award’s published deadline
Application packets will include the following:
- International Educator of the Year Application Form
- Application letter
- Current CV
- Letters of support (maximum of three)
- Supporting materials (maximum of ten pages)
Each department may forward one nominee to the Center for Global Engagement.
USG Regents Teaching Excellence Award for Department/Program
Overview
This award is designed to showcase an outstanding department or program that promotes, supports, and recognizes excellence in teaching and in service to students.
Criteria
The award committee will look for persuasive evidence such as those illustrated by the following examples:
- Individual and collective faculty efforts to improve teaching and student learning.
- Methods of assessment of student learning, achievements that go beyond student evaluations, and the use of assessment results to inform teaching practices, and curriculum development and revision.
- Active support to enable faculty to use innovative and effective forms of pedagogy and technology (e.g., critical thinking, collaborative learning, cooperative learning, problem-based learning, learning communities, etc.).
- Strong links between good teaching and various rewards (e.g., compensation, promotion, tenure, grants, leaves, travel, departmental or program-based awards, etc.).
- Department/unit policies that encourage collaborative faculty efforts, including team teaching, teaching discussion groups, common assessments, interdisciplinary courses, learning communities, mentoring, etc.
- An on-going and data-driven process for reviewing and reshaping curricula so that achieving academic excellence and serving the needs of all students remain as top priorities.
- Exemplary programs for advising, mentoring, recruiting, and retaining students; co-curricular work with students; out-of-class learning.
- Success of the department’s or program’s students (e.g., graduation, job placement, acceptance in graduate school, etc.).
- Clear articulation of how quality is defined, promoted, and assessed by the department or program.
Only one department or program will receive the institutional nomination for this award.
USG Full award description and criteria:
www.usg.edu/faculty_affairs/awards
Recipients should review the complete list of portfolio components requested from the USG when preparing the submission. The CSU Faculty Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning will assist in document preparation.
