The Team Award for Excellence recognizes faculty members and academic professionals who, working together as a team, have made a significant contribution in teaching, research, or extension.
Each year the college presents one Team Award for Excellence to recognize outstanding contributions uniquely accomplished through a team effort. The award includes an unrestricted $6,000 gift to the team and individual certificates of recognition.
A team must be comprised of at least three faculty members and/or academic professionals engaged in a program that furthers the mission of the college. Meritorious impact within the last three years is essential. The program may identify with teaching, research, or extension, or some combination thereof. Ideally, the team will be represented cross-departmentally, with overlapping accomplishments in teaching, research, and extension.
An individual team award nominee may be considered eligible for other awards in the same year. Individual team award recipients are eligible to receive a team award once every three years. The unit head(s) must verify the nominee's eligibility. If an issue arises concerning a nominee's eligibility for the team award, the issue will be decided by a committee comprised of the associate deans for Academic Programs, Extension, and Research, or their designees.
Nominations are submitted to the secretary of the Executive Committee using the online form. If the nominee is declared eligible by the unit head(s), the original and six copies of the supporting materials listed should be submitted.
All supporting materials must be Times New Roman 12-point font with 1-inch margins and include the following:
Biographical and statistical information for each team member, including personal information, education, employment record, relevant affiliations, and awards and achievements that relate most closely to the project. (One single-spaced 8.5" by 11" page maximum.)
Program summary that frames the issue, describes the team's efforts, and states the significant impact(s) of the program within the last three years. Contributions of team members and evidence of team collaboration must be articulated. (Eight double-spaced 8.5" by 11" pages maximum.)
Letters should consist of no more than four letters or supporting statements, excluding one from the person or persons making the nomination.
Supporting materials that deviate from these guidelines will be returned to the unit for revision.
Nominees will be evaluated and award recipients selected by a six-person committee appointed from the college faculty. The chair of the selection committee, in consultation with its members, shall develop guidelines for its operation. In making its selection, the committee will consider the team's total performance and unique accomplishments.
The selection committee may decide against granting an award if no meritorious team has been nominated. The selection committee shall submit its team recommendation, plus an alternate team, to the dean. The dean shall notify each team recipient, the appropriate associate deans and department heads, and the secretary of the Executive Committee.
All copies of the supporting materials must be returned to the dean's office by the chair of the selection committee at the completion of the selection process.