Overview

The SCHEV Virginia Outstanding Faculty Awards are designed to recognize faculty member excellence in teaching, research and service among Virginia's public and private colleges and universities. Outstanding Faculty Award nominees must possess a record of outstanding accomplishment as a faculty member in Virginia, reflective of the nominee's institution's mission. In addition this outstanding accomplishment must reflect four areas of scholarly endeavor: teaching, research, integration and service.

The Outstanding Faculty Awards include three separate awards:

1. Outstanding Faculty Award: A nominee in this category must demonstrate excellence in the four areas of scholarly endeavor: teaching, research, integration and service.
2. Rising Star Award: A Rising Star nominee must be in no more than his/her sixth year and no less than this/her third year of continuous service as a full-time faculty member. A nominee in this category must demonstrate excellence in the four areas of scholarly endeavor: teaching, research, integration and service.
3. Teaching with Technology Award: A Teaching with Technology nominee must possess a record of superior accomplishment in the use of innovative educational/instructional technologies for instruction. This focus on the teaching and learning process must lead to demonstrable student learning outcomes.

General Nomination Criteria

The following General Nomination Criteria apply to all three award types, Outstanding Faculty Award, Rising Star Award and Teaching with Technology Award

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1. A nomiee must possess a record of superior accomplishment in the four areas of scholarly endeavor described by Ernest Boyer: teaching, discovery, integration and service.
   • Teaching: A record of superior accomplishment in the scholarship of TEACHING should contain clear and compelling evidence related to (a) instruction and (b) student development and learning.
   • Discovery: A record of superior accomplishment in the scholarship of DISCOVERY should contain clear and compelling evidence related to (a) scholarly works (objective, subjective, and/or artistic) and (b) scholarly activities (new knowledge and research).
   • Integration: A record of superior accomplishment in the scholarship of KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION should contain clear and compelling evidence related to (a) curricular development, including placing the nominee's discipline in larger interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary contexts, and (b) meaningful connections between a nominee's discovery and teaching.
   • Service: A record of superior accomplishment in the scholarship of SERVICE should contain clear and compelling evidence related to the application of knowledge and expertise in the broader contexts of (a) institution, (b) community/society, and (c) professional service.
2. A nomiee's record of superior accomplishment must deonstrate clear and compelling evidence of the nature, level and/or degree of a nomiee's (a) involvement/participation, (b) effectiveness/success, (c) impact/achievement, and (d) recognition/acknowledgement in the areas of teaching, discovery, integration and service. The nautre, level and/or degree of this evidence must also be reflective of his/her institution's type and mission.

Specific Nomination Criteria

Beyond the general nominating criteria, nominees must also meeting the following criteria.

1. A nominee in the Outstanding Faculty Award category must possess a record of superior accomplishment that reflects strongly the mission of his/her institution. A nominee's accomplishments will be judged in relation to the nature/type of his/her nominating institution.
2. A nominee in the Rising Star category must be in no more than his/her sixth year and no less than his/her third year of continuous service as a full-time faculty member in Virginia. A nominee in this category will be judged in each of the four aforementioned areas: teachinig, discovery, integration and service.
3. A nominee in the Teaching with Technology category must possess a record of superior accomplishment in the use of innovative educational/instructional technologies for instruction. This focus on the teaching and learning process must lead to demonstrable student learning outcomes. The nominee must provide clear and compelling evidence of his/her effectiveness, and emphasize in the documentation examples of achievements in promoting and enhancing student learning outcomes via the integration and use of technology in his/her instructional activities.

Timeline

August 10	VT announcement of SCHEV OFA awards
September 18	Nomination Packets due to Peter Doolittle (pdoo@vt.edu)
September 21-23	University Honorifics Committee meets to evaluate nomination packets
September 23	Nominees to be forwarded to the SCHEV committee notified
October 2	Revised Nomination Packets due to Peter Doolittle (pdoo@vt.edu)
October 5	Nomination materials forwarded to SCHEV committee
October 7	Official due date for nomination materials to be recieved by the SCHEV committee

Nomination Materials

The SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Awards guidelines are very detailed and adherence to these guidelines is paramount. Nomination materials that do not meet these guidelines will not be accepted.

Format

1. Nomination submissions must be prepared using, (a) standard 8.5x11-in. page size, (b) standard one-inch margin, (c) at least single spacing, (d) size 11 font, and (e) Arial font style.
2. Each of the seven required sections of a Nomination Package (see below) must not exceed its prescribed maximum page limit. The maximum page limit for the entire packet is 19 pages.

Contents (19-page limit)

1. Cover Sheet: The informational Cover Sheet must be completed and submitted as the first page of the Nomination Package. (1 page limit)
2. Excerpts from Mission Statement: Excerpts from the official mission statement of the nominee's institution must appear as the second page of the Nomination Package. The five or six sentences of the institution's mission statement that most accurately (and succinctly) capture the institution's core mission should be included. Excerpts should occupy no more than one-half of a single page. (½ page limit)
3. Summary of Accomplishments: The major highlights of the nominee's record of superior accomplishments must be identified and briefly described in a summary. This document must directly address the nomination criteria (see above). The amount of space/attention given to each area of scholarship (i.e., teaching, discovery, knowledge integration, and service) should be reflective of his/her employment responsibilities and institution's mission/type. The Summary may be prepared using bulleted sections; complete sentences are not required. Third-person perspective is suggested. (6 page limit)
4. Personal Statement: The nominee must prepare a personal statement addressing (a) the distribution of his/her faculty responsibilities across Boyer's four areas of scholarship, (b) his/her educational philosophy, and (c) any other information deemed relevant by the nominee. Restating accomplishments discussed in the Summary section should be avoided as much as possible. Statement should be presented as a first-person narrative in complete sentences. (2 page limit)
5. Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae: An abbreviated vitae outlining the nominee's education, teaching experience, scholarly works and activities, public and academic service, awards, and other significant contributions must be included. (2 page limit)
6. Letters of Support (Excerpted): Excerpts of support letters from supervisors (e.g., president, CAO, dean, department chair), colleagues (e.g., institutional and/or disciplinary), students (e.g., former and/or current), and/or community leaders/members must be included. (3 page limit)
7. Additional Documentation: Additional relevant documentation and/or evaluation of the nominee's teaching (e.g., summaries of student and/or peer evaluations), scholarship, knowledge integration, and service should be submitted. Objective (quantitative) information is encouraged. This section must be typewritten (no audio or video tapes, CD-ROMs, etc.). (4 page limit)

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