COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
AWARDS COMMITTEE GUIDELINES
APPROVED 1 November 2004
I. The Awards Committee: Each department will have a representative on the Awards Committee. The term of service is two years, with one-half of the committee replaced by new members each year according to the following schedule: Anthropology, Communication, Criminal Justice Administration, Military Science, and History representatives will begin their terms in even years; Political Science, Public Policy & Administration, Psychology, Sociology, and the School of Social Work in odd numbered years. At the beginning of each fall term, the Dean will ask the appropriate departments to select their representatives. Members of the committee must be tenured or tenure-track (with the exception of Military Science). Faculty who are former award recipients should be strongly encouraged to serve on this committee. The Committee will evaluate nominations for the College of SSPA Awards in the fall of each academic year and for the Presidential Research and Scholarship Award each spring.
I. Purpose: The purpose of the Awards program is to honor faculty members in the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs who are doing outstanding work in one or more of the areas of Teaching, Research, and Professionally Related Service. Up to five awards will be given annually: three separate awards, one in each category listed above, to tenured faculty members; one award recognizing excellence in all three categories to a tenure-track member of the faculty; and one for adjunct faculty members.
II. Eligibility: Any current full-time member of the college faculty who (a) is tenured or tenure-track, (b) has held an appointment at Boise State for at least one year, (c) has accomplished outstanding work while at Boise State, and (d) has not received an Award in the area of nomination for the last five years. Any adjunct member of the college faculty who (a) has held an appointment at Boise State for a total of at least three years, (b) has accomplished outstanding work while at Boise State, and (c) has not received the Award for the last five years.
III. Nominations: Each department may nominate one faculty member for each award. A nomination will consist of a chair’s or colleague’s letter of nomination that expresses department-wide support and describes the nominee’s achievements in the area of nomination. This letter must be accompanied by a copy of the nominee’s vita that specifically focuses on achievements in that area and by award-specific documents detailed below.
A. Tenured Teaching Award: The nomination letter should explain why the nominee is considered an outstanding teacher. It must contain a list of courses taught over the last three years and should include a narrative profile of student evaluations and involvement in other teaching-related activities. A narrative summary of the nominee’s teaching that evaluates such matters as technique (preparation, organization, mastery of subject matter, innovation, clarity of presentation, and ability to present complex ideas), enthusiasm, the ability to generate student interest in the discipline, and teaching-related activities outside the classroom (e.g., student involvement in research/creative activity, independent studies, accessibility) should also be included. The nominee may also submit a representative sample of syllabi, class assignments, and student evaluations.
B. Tenured Research Award: The nomination letter should articulate why the nominee is considered outstanding in this area. In non-technical terms, the letter of nomination should describe and evaluate publications and research activities in terms of quality and significance for the discipline. Achievements in this area will be assessed according to the following criteria, with work done at international, regional, and local levels being evaluated in that order:
(1) Research published in books and refereed professional journals.
(2) Presentations of research at professional conferences.
(3) Research published in non-refereed reports.
(4) Grants awarded.
C. Tenured Service Award: The letter should evaluate the nature and scope of both on- and off-campus service in the following areas, with special emphasis on activities carried out in addition to one’s ordinary duties as an employee of the University: University service (service as committee chair or member, invited presentations/lectures, consulting/editing, etc.), community service (presentations/lectures/special classes taught, consulting/editing/reviewing, etc.), participation in professional organizations, etc. Mention should also be made of how activities are related to the nominee’s discipline, professional growth, and/or the public image of Boise State, and any pay received for such service should be explained.
D. Tenure-track Teaching/Research/Service Award: The nomination letter should describe the ways in which the faculty member excels in all three categories. The letter should include relevant supporting information such as courses taught and a student evaluation narrative, important publications or presentations, and service rendered to the college, university and community. If the nominee has been especially successful in one category, the nomination letter must evaluate the importance of those contributions and how they relate to the nominee’s overall success.
E. Adjunct Award (See BSU Policy 5306-B for the definition of adjunct faculty): The nomination letter should explain why the nominee is considered an outstanding adjunct faculty member, focusing primarily on the nominee’s teaching success. The letter must include a list of courses taught over the last three years and should include a narrative profile of student evaluations and involvement in other teaching-related activities. A narrative summary of the nominee’s teaching that evaluates such matters as technique (preparation, organization, mastery of subject matter, clarity of presentation, and ability to present complex ideas), enthusiasm, and the ability to generate student interest in the discipline should also be included. The nominee may also submit a representative sample of syllabi, class assignments, and student evaluations.
IV. Procedures: The Dean will announce to all College faculty that nominations for Awards are due in the Dean’s Office by the second Friday in October, at which time they will be forwarded to the Committee. The Committee will select award recipients by 15 November, and the Committee Chair will notify the Dean of this selection and provide a brief summary of why each recipient was considered the most outstanding in the area of selection. The committee may elect not to give an award in any one of the categories if no acceptable nominations are received. At that time, suggestions for improvements in the Guidelines may also be submitted.
A. The Dean will formally recognize each Award recipient at the spring semester College meeting.
B. Award recipients in each category will receive a $1,000.00 cash award.
C. Each recipient will also receive a certificate and have his or her name added to the College “Wall of Honor.”
I. Purpose: The award will “recognize those faculty members distinguished by sustained commitment to furthering research and scholarship efforts.”
II. Eligibility: Tenure or tenure-track faculty member. Recipients are excluded from consideration for the next three years.
III. Nominations: According to the first call for nominations (March 2003), “Evaluation criteria include but are not limited to: publications in key journals; authorship of books or other scholarly works; patents; creative works of art, music, theater; success in obtaining extramural funding; peer recognition; receipt of prestigious honorary awards and medals; invited lectureships; memberships in distinguished societies.”
IV. Procedures: Closing dates for nominations and recommendations will be provided by the President’s Office each year, but usually will fall in early March and April, respectively. The recipient will receive a $1,000 award and commemorative plaque from the President’s Office.