Purpose

This award recognizes staff excellence in work performance, promotion of positive morale through supportive attitude and service to others, demonstration of initiative and creativity which enhance the operating efficiency and the image of the department and/or College. The nominee must be at least a 50% time permanent civil service or academic professional staff employee of the College of Education for at least three years by the nomination deadline. Retirees may be nominated if they meet eligibility guidelines during the current academic year. Staff may only receive this award once in five years, and up to three staff members may receive this award within the academic year.

A $1,500 check will be awarded for personal use to each recipient. In addition, $1,000 will be added, on a one-time basis, to the recipients department budget the following fiscal year to be used at the discretion of the recipients for the purchase of equipment, materials, or supplemental training.

Criteria

Nominees for this award will be judged on following

Demonstrates Excellence in Overall Work Performance

• Demonstrates extensive knowledge, initiative and competence in a wide array of work related topics
• Uses knowledge and expertise to quickly troubleshoot/solve problems
• Exhibits a high degree of professionalism and serves as a checkpoint for quality control

Promotes Positive Morale by Displaying a Congenial, Supportive Attitude and by Providing Service to Others

• Interacts with others in a positive, collegial manner
• Assists others with both personal and professional challenges that impact work life
• Acts as a team player and encourages teamwork in others

Puts Forth an Effort to Improve Self; Develops and Recognizes Others

• Helps to integrate new employees or supervisors into the work environment
• Recognizes others' special events and/or accomplishments, either publicly or privately
• Takes the initiative to improve individual skills and knowledge

Exhibits Initiative and Creativity Resulting in Improved Operating Efficiency of the Department and/or the College

• Suggests/develops new work methods that increase productivity or save time and money
• Reorganizes work to increase effectiveness in delivering services

Enhances the Image of the Department and/or the College

• Serves on committees to promote the department and/or the College and its faculty, staff, and students
• Works with groups outside the department and/or the College to promote the welfare of staff, students, and clients
• Develops processes or programs that are imitated in other departments

Application Packet Requirements

• Standard nomination cover sheet
• Nomination statement on how he/she has fulfilled the criteria of the award - not to exceed one (1) page - signature and letterhead not required
• One letter of support - no restriction on length
• Current CV

Technical Guidelines

• Font size included on all materials should be 12 point font, Times New Roman
• Margins should be no smaller than 1 inch
• Nomination statement should be no longer than 1 single-spaced page

Staff Excellence Award Nomination Form

Purpose

Criteria for Selection of Distinguished Career Teacher

Purpose

This award is given annually to a tenure or non-tenure line faculty member who has demonstrated sustained excellence for six or more semesters in a) graduate teaching, and b) graduate advising. Graduate teaching is broadly understood to include all 500-level courses, as well as those 400-level courses with greater than 50% graduate enrollments. Graduate teaching also may include contributions to programs and program development (if applicable), and mentoring.

Individuals may not be nominated if they have won this award within the last 5 years. We strongly encourage nominators to put forward winners of this award to the equivalent Campus Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching in the following academic year.

Award will be $1,500 for the personal use of the recipient.

Criteria for Selection of Outstanding Graduate Teacher

Application Packet Requirements

• Standard nomination cover sheet
• Nomination statement not to exceed two (2) pages (signature and letterhead not required) - may include descriptions from teaching evaluations and other sources relevant to this award (publications; special proposals or projects; development of courses, seminars, guest lectures; advising; etc.) - Please specify the courses for which the person is being nominated.
• One letter of support from a student (past or present) - no restriction on length
• Current ICES summary report
• Faculty chart of courses - to be printed from DMI website: http://dmi.illinois.edu
• Current CV
• Self-report on teaching goals, methods, and philosophy - one (1) page

Technical Criteria/Guidelines

• All materials should be 12-point Times New Roman font 
• Margins should be no smaller than 1 inch
• Nomination statements should be no longer than 2 single-spaced pages

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award Nomination Form

Purpose

This award is designed to recognize faculty members who have consistently demonstrated exemplary public engagement at the community, state, and/or national level. The award will be $1,500 for personal use of the recipient. The following are examples of the kinds of activities through which faculty may use their expertise to contribute to the public good:

• Make research understandable and usable in specific professional and applied settings.
• Create partnerships with schools, businesses, community organizations, or campus/university units around critical issues.
• Participate in collaborative endeavors with schools, industry, civic organizations, campus/university units.
• Extend teaching activities to the public.
• Organize ways for engaging students in community and school improvement.
• Link student classroom experiences with community involvement.

Criteria for Selection of Outstanding Faculty for Public Engagement

• The Faculty and Staff Awards Committee will evaluate the nominations on the degree to which the nominees meet the following criteria in performing public engagement activities:
• Sustained involvement and/or leadership in working with the public and/or external organizations.
• Documented excellence in extending University knowledge, with impact.
• Evidence of influence and benefit on a target audience(s).

Candidates must not have received this award in the part five years. We strongly encourage nominators of previous recipients to put them forward for the Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement: http://engagement.illinois.edu/grants-awards/award-for-excellence.html

Application Packet Requirements

• Standard nomination cover sheet
• Nomination statement - not to exceed one (1) page - signature and letterhead not required
• Word document listing public engagement activities - not to exceed one (1) page
• Letter of support from an outside agency or group affected by these public engagement activities.
• Current CV

Technical Criteria/Guidelines

• All materials should be 12-point Times New Roman font
• Margins should be no smaller than 1 inch
• Nomination statements should be no longer than 1 single-spaced page

Outstanding Faculty Award for Public Engagement Nomination Form

Purpose

This award is given annually to a tenure or non-tenure line faculty or staff member who has demonstrated sustained excellence for six or more semesters in a) undergraduate teaching or b) undergraduate mentoring in research. Undergraduate teaching is broadly understood to include all 100, 200 and 300 level courses, as well as those 400-level courses with greater than 50% undergraduate enrollments. Undergraduate teaching also may include contributions to programs and program development.

Individuals may not be nominated if they have won this award within the last 5 years. We strongly encourage nominators to put forward winners of this award to the equivalent Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in the following academic year.

Award will be $1,500 for the personal use of the recipient.

Selection Criteria for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award

Application Packet Requirements

• Standard nomination cover sheet
• Nomination statement from nominator - not to exceed two (2) pages (signature and letterhead not required) - may include descriptions from teaching evaluations and other sources relevant to this award (publications; special proposals and projects; development of courses, seminars, guest lectures; advising; etc.) - Please specify the courses for which the person is being nominated.
• One letter of support, from past or present student - no restriction on length
• Current ICES summary report
• Faculty chart of courses - to be printed from DMI website: http://dmi.illinois.edu
• Current CV
• Self-report on teaching goals, methods, and philosophy – one page

Technical Criteria/Guidelines

• All materials should be 12-point Times New Roman font
• Margins should be no smaller than 1 inch
• Nomination statements should be no longer than 2 single-spaced pages

Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award Nomination Form

Purpose

This award recognizes faculty in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for excellence in teaching, research and/or applied programs that are linked to the education of or promotion of family life issues. These issues may include parenting, child abuse and neglect, family roles in caring for the elderly, lifelong learning, child and/or adolescent development, family intervention and counseling, home-schooling, and community and family partnerships. Faculty members with a current appointment in the College who teach at the graduate or undergraduate level are eligible for this award. Self-nominations are permitted. Faculty should not be nominated if they have won this award within the last 5 years.

The Spitze/Mather Faculty Award for Excellence was established in 1997 to award outstanding faculty in the College of Education at the University of Illinois. This award was created to recognize the work of Home Economics Emeritus Professors Hazel Taylor Spitze and Mary E. Mather. An endowment was implemented to honor and support College of Education faculty who teach or study in contemporary fields that relate to the traditional mission of home economics education. A $2,500 cash award is presented to a deserving faculty member to be used to fund research, travel, or program activities. Drs. Robert & Hazel Spitze continue to fund this endowment and regularly attend the spring faculty meeting to present the award.

Criteria for Selection of Spitze Mather Faculty Award for Excellence

Application Packet Requirements

• Standard nomination cover sheet
• Nomination statement from nominator addressing how the nominee's teaching, research, and/or applied program contributions to the education or promotion of family life issues - signature and letterhead required - no more than 3 single-spaced pages
• Current curriculum vitae
• Two letters of support - no restriction on length

Technical Criteria/Guidelines

• All materials should be 12-point Times New Roman font
• Margins should be no smaller than 1 inch
• Nomination statement should be no longer than 3 single-spaced pages

Spitze-Mather Faculty Award for Excellence Nomination Form

Purpose

This award is given annually to two graduate students who have demonstrated sustained commitment to and excellence in teaching, course development, and program building in undergraduate or graduate courses. Teaching assistants who have taught for two or more semesters are eligible.

This award may be received once.

Award will be $1,000 for the personal use of the recipients.

Criteria for Selection of Outstanding Teaching Assistant

Application Packet Requirements

• Standard nomination cover sheet
• Nomination statement from nominator - not to exceed two (2) pages (signature and letterhead not required) - may include descriptions from teaching evaluations and other sources relevant to this award (publications; special proposals or projects; development of courses, seminars, guest lectures; advising; etc.) - Please specify the courses for which the person is being nominated and the nominee's role: co-teaching with faculty, sole responsibility for course(s), etc.
• One letter of support - no restriction on length
• Current ICES summary report
• Faculty observation or review of teaching – one page
• Faculty chart of courses – to be printed from DMI website: http://dmi.illinois.edu
• Self-report on teaching goals, methods, and philosophy – one page
• Current CV

Technical Criteria/Guidelines

• All materials should be 12-point Times New Roman font
• Margins should be no smaller than 1 inch
• Nomination statement should be no longer than 2 single-spaced page

Outstanding Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants Nomination Form

Purpose

This new award will be given to a tenure or non-tenure line faculty member who demonstrated sustained excellence for six or more semesters in online teaching in the College of Education.

(Individuals may not be nominated if they have won this award within the last 5 years.) We strongly encourage nominators to put forward winners of this award to the equivalent Campus Award for Excellence in Online and Distance Award in the following academic year.

Award will be $1,500 for the personal use of the recipient.

Criteria for Selection of Excellence in Online Teaching Award

Application Packet Requirements

• Standard nomination cover sheet
• Nomination statement from nominator - not to exceed two (2) pages (signature and letterhead not required) - may include descriptions from teaching evaluations and other sources relevant to this award (publications; special proposals and projects; development of courses, seminars, guest lectures; advising; etc.) - Please specify the courses for which the person is being nominated.
• One letter of support, from past or present student - no restriction on length
• Current ICES summary report
• Faculty chart of courses - to be printed from DMI website: http://dmi.illinois.edu
• Current CV
• Self-report on teaching goals, methods, and philosophy – one page

Technical Criteria/Guidelines

• All materials should be 12-point Times New Roman font
• Margins should be no smaller than 1 inch
• Nomination statement should be no longer than 1 single-spaced page

Excellence in Online Teaching Award Nomination Form

Purpose

This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to faculty mentoring by actively assisting pre-tenure and mid-career faculty in developing their career(s). Exceptional mentoring can include offering advice, feedback, and guidance on research activities, coaching on work-life balance issues, providing professional opportunities for mentees, and/or assisting in development of teaching skills. The award includes an honorarium and a personalized commemorative plaque.

Purpose

A well-crafted nomination for this award would clearly address sustained excellence and innovation in guiding undergraduate research. This award is designed to foster and to reward excellence in involving and guiding undergraduate students in scholarly research for faculty and specialized faculty.

Award will be $1,500 for the personal use of the recipient.

Criteria for Selection of Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research Award

Evaluation Criteria

• Sustained excellence in involving and guiding undergraduate students in research projects
• Positive impact on student scholarship or intellectual development
• Innovative approaches to guiding undergraduate research
• Other contributions to guiding undergraduate research

Application Packet Requirements

• Standard nomination cover sheet
• Nomination letter addressing each of the Evaluation Criteria described above. The nomination letter should indicate why the nominee is exceptional as an excellent mentor of undergraduate research. Not to exceed 3 pages.
• A philosophy statement provided by the nominee. Not to exceed 2 pages.
• Two letters of support from current or past undergraduate students, preferably one current student and one alumnus. Not to exceed 2 pages each.

Technical Criteria/Guidelines

• All materials should be 12-point Times New Roman font
• Single spaced
• Margins should be no smaller than 1 inch
• Nomination statement should be no longer than 3 single-spaced pages

Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research Award Nomination Form