Faculty Awards

Purpose

To recognize faculty members who excelled in all areas of their professional responsibilities in the last academic year and demonstrated outstanding achievement in at least one of the following categories: teaching, scholarship, or service.

Criteria

Demonstrated excellence in all areas of one’s professional responsibilities (i.e., teaching, scholarship, and/or service, as stipulated by the terms of their appointment) in the last academic year, and outstanding achievement in at least one of the three areas.

Examples of characteristics or accomplishments that may be used as evidence in each area are included below. Nominees are not expected to have all of the characteristics or accomplishments listed in each area; these are simply provided as examples of the kinds of activities that may make one a strong candidate for these awards.

Teaching

• Success in generating enthusiasm, insight, and thought in classrooms, studios, or laboratories.
• Practices that show the faculty member to be creative, stimulating, or responsive.
• Teaching that is especially collaborative, supportive, or innovative.
• Mentoring and advising that inspire academic excellence.
• Support, mentoring, and guidance of student research, scholarship, and creative activity.
• Innovative and creative pedagogical approaches in teaching style, evaluation methods, and/or course design.
• Offering courses that are intellectually and/or creatively rigorous and challenging.
• Promotion of a wide range of ideas and of a classroom climate that supports the open expression of diverse opinions.
• Responsiveness to the needs of a diverse student body.
• Maintaining an atmosphere of integrity, civility, and respect in the classroom/studio/lab.
• Accessibility in and beyond the classroom.
• Evidence of student learning achievement.
• Presentations of teaching on campus or in other settings.
• Practices that lead students to lives of purpose.

Scholarship

• Publications.
• Exhibits, performances, commissions, and artistic creations.
• Presentations at scholarly meetings or conferences.
• Research activities in private, public, or corporate settings.
• Grants.
• Recognition by the academic community beyond Butler University.
• Books, articles, performances, or exhibitions that merit public acclaim or examples of the recognition and respect the nominee has earned within her or his discipline and that merit public commendation (i.e., reviews, invitations to speak, positions in professional organizations, etc.).

Service

• Leadership in the governance of the University, in an academic department or program, in the faculty and its Senate, college, or ad hoc committees, or in other University positions.
• Leadership and service in professional or public organizations, boards, or commissions related to the faculty member’s academic field(s) or assignments.
• Specific projects and initiatives that have enhanced the quality of the University’s programs and advanced its goals.
• Public service or leadership that reflects or enhances the reputation and mission of the University.

Nominations

Nominations are invited from any member of the Butler community with faculty status; deans and department heads are especially encouraged to submit nominations. Nominators are encouraged to solicit an updated CV from the nominee in order to provide explicit, up-to-date information and examples.

In support of their nomination, nominators are expected to provide evidence that the nominee has:

• Performed meritoriously in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service in the last academic year and
• Produced outstanding outcomes (i.e., exemplary accomplishments that do not typically occur in other years) in teaching, scholarship, or service in the last academic year

Self-nominations are NOT permitted.

Access the online Outstanding Professor of the Year nomination interface.

Awardee Selection

The Provost, the Center for Facutly Excellence Director and Assistant Director, and the members of the Center for Faculty Excellence Advisory Committee will vet nominations.

Winners receive a recognition certificate and a $1,000 stipend.

The Butler University Distinguished Faculty Award celebrates the professional accomplishments of the University’s faculty, recognizing excellence in the combined areas of teaching, research, scholarship and creative work, and service/leadership. This award recognizes exemplary achievement, accomplishments and contributions across the length and breadth of the award winner’s career at Butler University.

All members of the Butler community with faculty status are invited to nominate full-time faculty members for the Butler University Distinguished Faculty Award. Awardees will be notified by the end of the spring semester.

In addition to the honor of receiving the Distinguished Faculty Award, the awardee(s) also will receive a recognition plaque and a $3,000 stipend.

Process

Nominations may be made by any member of the University community with faculty status. Nomination expectations are listed below.

The selection recommendation committee consists of faculty peers from across the University.  The Provost, the Center for Facutly Excellence Director and Assistant Director, and the members of the Center for Faculty Excellence Advisory Committee will vet nominations. will vet nominations and will select the award winner.

Because this award represents the highest accolade a Butler faculty member can achieve, the awardee may only receive the Distinguished Faculty Award once in their time at Butler.

Nominations

A faculty member with detailed knowledge of a colleague’s overall excellence, creativity, and impact in teaching, scholarship, and service over the course of his/her career at Butler may submit nomination letters and support packets that address the award criteria.

Nomination packets must be formatted as a single, comprehensive electronic file (.doc or .pdf) that includes all required elements (listed below). Incomplete or incorrectly formatted nominations will not be considered. Once compiled into a single file, nomination packets must be uploaded to the online Distinguished Faculty Award nomination interface.

Self-nominations are NOT permitted.

Access the Distinguished Faculty Award nomination interface.

Nomination packets must include each of the following four items:

1. A cover sheet identifying the nominee’s name, departmental affiliation, and number of years at Butler. Please also indicate whether you give your permission to potentially use excerpts from this nomination in press releases, public announcements, speeches, etc., should your nominee receive the award.
2. Two additional letters of support (no more than 1,000 words each) from faculty members that provide specific details about the impact of the nominee’s work throughout their career.
3. A Current CV of the nominee that includes education, professional experiences, and other information applicable to the Distinguished Faculty Award criteria.
4. A letter of nomination (three pages maximum) that provides a descriptive overview of how the nominee has improved the University or the wider community through their teaching, scholarly activity, and service.
   
   Examples in each of the three may include, where applicable:

Teaching

• The faculty member’s excellence in her or his discipline.
• The faculty member’s success in generating enthusiasm, insight, and thought in classrooms, studios, or laboratories.
• Practices that show the faculty member to be creative, stimulating, or responsive.
• Teaching that is especially collaborative, supportive, or innovative.
• Mentoring and advising that inspire academic excellence.
• Support for student research, scholarship, and creative activity.
• Innovative and creative pedagogical approaches in teaching style, evaluation methods, and/or course design.
• Ability to stimulate intellectual excitement and to motivate students.
• History of offering courses that are intellectually and/or creatively rigorous and challenging.
• Promotion of a wide range of ideas and of a classroom climate that supports the open expression of diverse opinions.
• Responsiveness to the needs of a diverse student body.
• Maintaining an atmosphere of integrity, civility, and respect in the classroom/studio/lab.
• Providing support, encouragement, and inspiration.
• Accessibility in and beyond the classroom.
• Thoughtful mentoring and guidance of student projects.
• Presentations of teaching on campus or in other settings.
• Practices that lead students to lives of purpose.

Research/Scholarship

• Research activities in private, public, or corporate settings.
• Publications.
• Presentations at scholarly meetings or conferences.
• Grants.
• Exhibits, performances, commissions, and artistic creations.
• Evidence of wide recognition by the academic community beyond Butler University.
• Evidence of a body of achievement rather than a particular piece of research, scholarship, creative work, or other achievements.  A substantial portion of the scholarly achievement shall have been accomplished as a faculty member of Butler University.

Please support the nomination with the particular books, articles, performances, or exhibitions that merit public acclaim or examples of the recognition and respect the nominee has earned within her or his discipline and that merit public commendation (i.e., reviews, invitations to speak, positions in professional organizations, etc.).

Service/Leadership

• Leadership in the governance of the University, in an academic department or program, in the faculty and its Senate, college, or ad hoc committees, or in other University positions.
• Leadership and service in professional or public organizations, boards, or commissions related to the faculty member’s academic field(s) or assignments.
• Specific projects and initiatives that have enhanced the quality of the University’s programs and advanced its goals.
• Public service that enhances the reputation of the University.
• Service and leadership that reflects and enhances the mission of the University.

The Butler University First-Year Impact Award recognizes faculty excellence in support of students’ first-year experience. The ideal candidate(s) will have positively impacted the experience of first-year students in a multi-level approach through high impact teaching, exceptional advising or mentoring, and/or initiating or advancing collaborative initiatives, scholarship, etc. Given the importance of the first-year experience for the success of Butler students’ educational paths, this award looks for faculty who have shown sustained commitment to positively impacting Butler students’ early educational experiences.

All members of the Butler community with faculty status are invited to nominate full-time faculty members for the First-Year Impact Award.

In addition to the honor of receiving the First-Year Impact Award, the awardee(s) also will receive a recognition plaque and a $1,000 stipend.

Process

Nominations may be made by any member of the University community with faculty status. Nomination expectations are listed below.

The selection recommendation committee consists of faculty peers from across the University.  The Provost, the Center for Facutly Excellence Director and Assistant Director, and the members of the Center for Faculty Excellence Advisory Committee will vet nominations and will select the award winner.

Criteria

Faculty considered for this award will have shown achievement in the criteria below over the course of several years, not simply in a single academic year.

• Demonstrates high quality performance in a variety of capacities positively impacting the experience of first-year students.
• Contributes and/or participates in innovative, sustainable high impact teaching and/or other supportive activities.
• Collaborates within and/or outside department or college to support first-year student success.
• Prioritizes activities and behaviors that support the whole student.
• Shares expertise and findings related to first-year student success with other colleagues.

Examples of characteristics or accomplishments might include:

Classroom

• Innovative and creative pedagogical approaches in teaching style, evaluation methods, and/or course design tailored to first-year student needs.
• Offering courses that are intellectually and/or creatively rigorous and challenging while maintaining awareness of the course as geared towards first-year students.
• Promotion of a wide range of ideas and of a classroom climate that supports the open expression of diverse opinions among first-year students.
• Responsiveness to the needs of a diverse student body.
• Practices that promote a strong sense of belonging in first-year students as potential contributors to a vibrant intellectual community at the university.
• Encouraging first-year students to submit high-quality intellectual work to outlets that publish undergraduate student work (e.g., The Mall).

Activities with Direct Student Engagement Outside of the Classroom

• Engaging first-year students with research outside of the context of the classroom.
• Advising that goes beyond class registration so as to think about what foundations a first-year student needs for future success.
• Participation in summer programs designed to help students find greater success in their first year.
• Participation in exploratory panels designed to help undecided students find appropriate major/minor paths.
• Participation in co-curricular activities designed to help first-year students think more thoughtfully about the liberal arts nature of their education (e.g., First Year Seminar Roundtables).
• Active partnership in mentoring programs for first-year students.

Activities that Indirectly Impact Students

• Coordinating mentoring programs for first-year students at the department/program or college level.
• Participation in conferences or conference panels focusing on the first-year experience.
• Leadership in college or university committees and/or taskforces focused on first-year students.
• Leadership on initiatives at the departmental/program, college, or university level that target first-year students.
• Conducting studies at the department/program, college, or university level designed to measure effectiveness of practices designed to enhance the first-year experience.
  

Nominations

Nominations are invited from any full-time Butler University faculty regardless of rank. Nominators may nominate another full-time Butler faculty member regardless of rank. Deans and department heads are especially encouraged to submit nominations.

Nomination packets must include a nomination statement with a minimum of 200 words (no maximum) describing how the nominee best exemplifies the stated award criteria as related to first-year student impact. The most persuasive nominations are those that cite specific examples to support general statements. The most successful nominations will speak to the nominee’s contributions to the first-year experience in a variety of capacities (i.e., not just in the classroom or outside the classroom).

Nomination packets must be formatted as a single, comprehensive electronic file (.doc or .pdf) that includes all required elements (listed above). Incomplete or incorrectly formatted nominations will not be considered. Once compiled into a single file, nomination packets must be uploaded to the online First-Year Impact Award nomination interface.

Self-nominations are NOT permitted.

Access the First-Year Impact Award nomination interface.

Call for nominations: Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Nomination deadline: Wednesday, December 3, 5:00 PM ET

All faculty awards will be announced at the Spotlight on Excellence in Teaching and Learning showcase (spring 2026 event date TBA).