Utah Tech University

Award Descriptions

Past Winners
Nominate Faculty

Nominate Faculty

Nominations can come from a department chair, dean, staff member, or colleague. Faculty can also self-nominate. Please answer the questions in the online nomination form, making sure to highlight how the nominee excels within his or her responsibilities.

Distinguished Awards

Distinguished Professor Award

Monetary Award: $2,000

Eligibility and Criteria

Tenured, Associate or Full Professor at UT (entered into at least their 7th year at UT) who has demonstrated sustained excellence across all three categories of achievement: teaching, service, and research.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter reflecting on their major achievements in: (a) creative and effective teaching; (b) service to the university, department, profession, and/or community; and (c) scholarly research and/or creative endeavors, and (d) how these activities have improved their teaching and student success.
  • The Faculty Excellence Committee will select the finalists and invite them to provide a detailed portfolio and two letters of support addressing the award criteria. The portfolio will include, at minimum:
    • Evidence of creative and effective teaching.
    • A list and evidence of major service accomplishments.
    • A list and evidence of scholarly research and/or creative endeavors and/or professional development.

Distinguished Teaching Award

Monetary Award: $1,000

Eligibility and Criteria

Full-time, tenure-track faculty or professional faculty who has passed intermediate review (entered into at least their 4th year at UT) and has demonstrated sustained excellence in teaching.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter reflecting on their major achievements in creative and effective teaching and how these activities have improved their teaching and student success.
  • The Faculty Excellence Committee will select the finalists and invite them to provide a detailed portfolio and two letters of support addressing the award criteria. The portfolio will include, at minimum:
    • Evidence of creative and effective teaching.
    • Examples of student feedback—these can comprise a short summary of comments from student evaluations and/or student emails/letters.
    • Examples of pedagogical approaches that challenge students to achieve and excel.

Distinguished Service Award

Monetary Award: $1,000

Eligibility and Criteria

Full-time, tenure track faculty who has passed intermediate review (entered into at least their 4th year at UT) and has demonstrated sustained excellence in service to the University, department, profession, and community. Their service is impactful and leads to student and community success.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter reflecting on their service experiences and how they have led to improved student success, improvements to the University, improvements in the community, etc.
  • The Faculty Excellence Committee will select the finalists and invite them to provide a detailed portfolio and two letters of support addressing the award criteria. The portfolio will include, at minimum:
    • A list and evidence of major service accomplishments and activities. Service can include service to students; the faculty member’s department, college, or profession; the university; and/or the community.
    • Evidence of service quality, quantity, and impact (can include awards, letters, articles about the service, etc.)

Distinguished Research Award

Monetary Award: $1,000

Eligibility and Criteria

Full-time, tenure track faculty who has passed intermediate review (entered into at least their 4th year at UT) and has made significant scholarly contributions to their discipline.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter reflecting on their outstanding contributions in their discipline through their research or creative/artistic activities, and how these have improved their teaching and student success.
  • The Faculty Excellence Committee will select the finalists and invite them to provide a detailed portfolio and two letters of support addressing the award criteria. The portfolio will include, at minimum:
    • A list of undergraduate and graduate students mentored in research or creative/artistic activities.
    • A list of research publications or creative/artistic achievements on which the faculty member is an author, mentor, presenter, exhibitor, etc.
    • A list of funded research or creative/artistic activity grants.

Distinguished Instructor Award

Monetary Award: $1,000

Eligibility and Criteria

Part-time instructor (entered into at least their 4th year at UT) who has demonstrated sustained excellence in teaching.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter reflecting on their major achievements in creative and effective teaching and how these activities have improved their teaching and student success.
  • The Faculty Excellence Committee will select the finalists and invite them to provide a detailed portfolio and two letters of support addressing the award criteria. The portfolio will include, at minimum:
    • Examples of student feedback—these can comprise a short summary of comments from student evaluations and/or student emails/letters.
    • Examples of pedagogical approaches that challenge students to achieve and excel.

Excellence Awards

Excellence in Online Teaching

Monetary Award: $500

Eligibility and Criteria

Full-time or part-time faculty (entered into at least their 2nd year at UT) who has demonstrated excellence in innovative online-course planning and teaching.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter detailing their major achievements in creative and effective online teaching, and how these activities have improved student success. (3) access to their online course in Canvas for review by the Committee (The course review will align with Online Teaching Best Practices, University Policy 601b).

Excellence in Active Teaching

Monetary Award: $500

Eligibility and Criteria

Full-time or Part-time faculty (entered into at least their 2nd year at UT) who has demonstrated excellence in teaching using active learning techniques and strategies.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter detailing their major achievements in active teaching, and how these activities have improved student success.

Excellence in Service Learning

Monetary Award: $500

Eligibility and Criteria

Full-time or Part-time faculty (entered into at least their 2nd year at UT) who has demonstrated significant contributions to UT students, community partners, and institutional mission through involvement in service-learning.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter detailing their major achievements in service-learning, and how these activities have improved student success.

Excellence in Classroom Technology Integration

Monetary Award: $500

Eligibility and Criteria

Full-time or Part-time faculty (entered into at least their 2nd year at UT) who has demonstrated excellence in integrating new, innovative, and effective technologies into the classroom to augment their teaching.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter detailing their major achievements in the innovative use of technology for effective teaching and student learning, and how these activities have improved student success.

Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring

Monetary Award: $500

Eligibility and Criteria

Full-time or Part-time faculty (entered into at least their 2nd year at UT) who has demonstrated outstanding commitment as mentors of undergraduate students in research or creative activities.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter detailing the mentoring and supporting of undergraduate researchers and its impact on students’ educational and career paths.

Excellence in Open Educational Resources

Monetary Award: $500

Eligibility and Criteria

Full-time or Part-time faculty (entered into at least their 2nd year at UT) who has demonstrated exceptional use of Open Education Resources, tools and practices.

Application Process

  • Nominations must be submitted electronically via the online form and should highlight how award criteria are met.
  • Nominees will be invited to provide the following: (1) an abbreviated curriculum vitae; and (2) a 2 page (maximum) letter detailing on their major achievements in developing or implementing Open Education Resources (OER) and how OER have improved student success.

Contact

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Faculty Excellence Committee.

Email: Excellence@utahtech.edu