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Nominations are now open.
This award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates exceptional online teaching and a strong commitment to student success in virtual learning environments.

Award: $1,500
Recognition: Roadrunners Who Soar Awards Ceremony – April 2, 2026
Deadline: January 9, 2026
Who Can Nominate: Faculty, staff, chairs, deans, and students. Self-nominations welcome.

Nomination form:

What We’re Looking For

Nominees should demonstrate excellence in the following areas:

• High-quality online course design that is clear, organized, accessible, and student-centered
• Innovative teaching practices that improve online engagement and learning
• Positive impact on students, shown through learning outcomes, support, or community building

Required Submission Information

1. Description of the Instructor’s Online Teaching

A narrative describing how the instructor designs and teaches their online courses, including key practices, strategies, and examples that demonstrate strong student learning or engagement.

2. Description of the Instructor’s Impact on Students

A summary of how the instructor’s online teaching supports student success, achievement, or engagement. This may include examples, outcomes, or optional evidence such as student feedback, testimonials, or observations from colleagues or supervisors.

Review Process

The Office of Online Learning leadership team will review nominations based on clarity of philosophy, innovation, and demonstrated impact on students.

Questions? Contact Allie Dirks at [email protected].

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025-2026Ìý Outstanding Professional Advisor award.

for a colleague today.

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The Outstanding Professional AdvisorÌý award recognizes aÌý full-time, undergraduate academic advisors who:

1. Delivers advising techniques and approaches that embodies the mission and vision of º£½ÇÉçÇø.

1. • Include at least one exampleÌýof how this is put into practice.
2. Are engaged in student retention.
   • This includes retention initiatives that the nominee has/is engaged in andÌýtheir use of technology,Ìýand that the nominee is tracking or has tracked results.
   • Include at least one exampleÌýof how this is/was put into practice.
3. Actively participate inÌýoptionalÌýacademic-advisor trainings and/or advising professional-development opportunities.
   • Please outline how the nominee has applied this information in advising sessions and/or outreach initiatives.
   • Include at least one exampleÌýof how this is put into practice.
4. Demonstrate appropriate student-referral activity.
   • This includes referring students to faculty and other student-support services on campus.
   • Include at least one exampleÌýof how this is put into practice.

Deadline submission: Oct. 31, 2025.

Any advisor nominated by someone will beÌýrequired to submit their own nomination to be considered for the award.Ìý A selection committee will review all submissions and decide on an award winner.Ìý All nominees will be notified via email of the decision in December 2025. The award winner will be recognized at the Roadrunners Who Soar Awards event on April 2, 2026.

Nominate a colleague for the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award by Friday, December 5 @ 5 p.m.

to recognize an outstanding faculty advisor’sÌý tremendous efforts.

Keep reading to learn more about this award and what makes a strong nomination.Ìý

The Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award recognizes one faculty member who demonstrates strong knowledge of institutional academic policies and procedures, uses advising technique(s) and approach(es) that embody the mission and vision of º£½ÇÉçÇø, participates in advising initiatives outside of advising appointments, andÌýdelivers success in student retention.

Eligibility: Any individual whose primary responsibility is teaching and who spends a portion of their time providing academic advising to students.

Nominations must:

1. Describe the nominee’s strong and demonstrated knowledge of institutional academic policies and procedures when advising students.

2. Describe how the nominee’s advising technique(s) and approach(es) embodies the mission and vision of º£½ÇÉçÇø.

3. Include examples of outreach or participation in academic-advising initiatives outside of an advising appointment. Examples include but are not limited to appointment campaigns, email outreach, phone-call outreach, workshops or department advising events, registration events, etc. Please note any use of advising technology in these efforts.

4. Describe the nominee’s practices and evidence of success in student retention with advisees or students in class. Please include the use of technology (e.g., SSC Navigate, Degree Works, or other systems) to document and/or track successes.

Nominations, not to exceed 2 pages in length, should specifically address the ways in which the nominee has achieved excellence in one or more of the four areas identified above.

Deadline: Nominations should be submitted by Friday, December 5 @ 5 p.m.

Nominee information is reviewed by the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Selection Committee, which selects one faculty member to be honored.

The recipient will be celebrated at the Roadrunners Who Soar Awards event on April 2, 2026.

Nominate a Colleague today!

Nominations will be accepted until Nov. 1, 2025.

Each year, º£½ÇÉçÇø recognizes an Outstanding Mentor for Undergraduate Research. The award is part of the Annual Roadrunner’s Who Soar Golich Awards and is open to º£½ÇÉçÇø faculty members or staff who have positively influenced undergraduate research through their own research and scholarly or creative projects with undergraduates, whether inside or outside the classroom.

In your nomination describe how your nominee demonstrates outstanding mentorship in undergraduate activities.

Contact Kristy Duran for any questions.

Open Educational Resources Champion

Eligibility: All º£½ÇÉçÇø faculty and staff with teaching responsibilities are eligible for this award.

Supporting OER use and awareness increases student access to education, one of the º£½ÇÉçÇø CADRE values, and is well aligned with the mission of º£½ÇÉçÇø to provide a high-quality, accessible, enriching education.

Criteria: This award recognizes staff who have:

• Adopted, adapted or created OER content that meaningfully impacts º£½ÇÉçÇø students AND/OR
• Created fully accessible OERs that include appropriate Creative Commons licensing

In addition to the above criteria, an OER Task Force review committee selects one robust and evidence-based case demonstrating the quality of the OER used in the course, estimated student cost savings, enhancements to the student educational experience, and evidence of innovative instructor use of OER through adoption, adaption, or creation.

Awardee: The OER Task force reviews OER grant awardees from the past few years to select the OER Champion Soar Award winner.

The Open Educational Resources Champion will be recognized at the Roadrunners Who Soar Awards event on April 2, 2026.

Nominations are now open!

The Council of Chairs & Directors and the Office of Faculty Affairs would like to announce that nominations are now open for the Department Chairs Excellence Award.

Each year, the Chair Excellence Award recognizes one chair who has demonstrated excellent leadership, curricular innovation, promotion of student success, and overall contribution towards achievement of the college/school and/or University mission in their role leading their academic department.

Nominations are due by Dec. 5, 2025.Ìý

Purpose and Guidelines
The intent of this award is to recognize one chair each year who has done demonstrably excellent work in his or her role as chair.

The nominee must currently be a department chair and must have completed one year or more as chair to be eligible.

The successful nominee is one who demonstrates success in at least one of the following areas:

1. Demonstration of outstanding leadership
2. Demonstration of curricular innovation
3. Promotion of student success
4. Overall contribution toward achievement of the College and/or University Mission

Nominations
Nominations can come from anyone. A chair may self-nominate, or a nomination can come from any student, faculty, staff member or other member of the university community. The nomination would need to address how the nominee demonstrates the areas outlined above.

Award Screening Committee

The award screening committee – Chair Excellence Selection Committee – reviews candidates and determines a winner.

The committee is be chaired by the Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs. The committee’s membership consists of a representative from the deans, along with one chair representing each college/school in the university, and at least one faculty member from any college.

The selected awardee will be recognized at the Roadrunners Who Soar Awards event on April 2, 2026.

Procedures

Nominations should be submitted electronically usingÌýthe by Friday, December 5.

Nominations, not to exceed 2 pages in length, should specifically address how the nominee has achieved excellence in one or more of the four areas identified above.

Nominate excellent staff members for a Staff Excellence Award.

Nominations are due by Dec. 12, 2025. Ìý

The is accepting nominations to highlight amazing º£½ÇÉçÇø staff members. The Staff Excellence Award recognizes outstanding work and is open to any staff member—administrative, classified and student—who has worked at º£½ÇÉçÇø for at least one semester.Ìý

Nominators should provide specific examples of how the nominee demonstrates commitment to the º£½ÇÉçÇø community and our mission. The mission of º£½ÇÉçÇø is to provide a high-quality, accessible, enriching education that prepares students for successful careers, post-graduate education and lifelong learning in a multicultural, global, and technological society. Please give examples of their excellence in action! Ìý

One winner will be selected in each of the following categories:Ìý

• AdministratorÌý
• ClassifiedÌý
• Student employeeÌý

Nominations are due by Dec. 12.

Contact Sophia DeCubellis for more information.

This award is presented to a manager who is an engaging and supportive role model for their student employees. They lead their team with accountability and create a work environment that is both inclusive and collaborative.

Deadline: Dec. 19, 2025

Eligibility: The nominee has been a manager for at least one semester. The nominee is one who demonstrates success in the following areas:

Prompt 1: How has this manager been a role model to you?

• Role Model: A manager who demonstrates confidence and leadership. Encouraging students to be unique. Their positivity and accountability for themselves and others makes them excellent managers.

Prompt 2: Please share an example of a time when your manager created an authentic and inclusive environment – either through your own experience or something you observed.

• Collaborative and Inclusive: A manager who creates a welcoming environment where students feel empowered to share their ideas. They make all student employees feel equally involved and supported in the workplace.

Prompt 3: Please provide an example of how this manager engages with their student employees and creates a supportive environment — either through your own experience or something you observed.

• Engaging and Supportive: A supervisor who is enthusiastic about the work they do and is committed to their students, employees, and their workplace. They are active listeners with their student employees and create opportunities for learning and coaching.

Nomination instructions:

Please complete the by close of business on Dec. 19.

Nominations for the Faculty Awards of Excellence are now being accepted until Oct. 15, 2025.

To submit a nomination, visit the Faculty Awards of Excellence website.

The Faculty Awards of Excellence recognize faculty members who demonstrate excellence in teaching by showing enthusiasm for their subject matter and imparting that enthusiasm to students, demonstrating innovative and inclusive teaching practices, and cultivating accessibility and open rapport with students.

There are four (4) categories:

1. Excellence in Teaching – Tenured Faculty
2. Excellence in Teaching – Tenure Track Faculty
3. Excellence in Teaching – Full Time Non-Tenure Track (Category II)
4. Excellence in Teaching – Affiliate (part-time)

There are also two specialty awards:

Excellence in Scholarly or Creative Activities Award

This award honors one (1) faculty member who has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to their scholarship and/or creative endeavors; provided significant contributions to their discipline, profession, or community; innovated in their field; advanced the mission of º£½ÇÉçÇø; and involved students in scholarly or creative work.

Faculty Excellence in Service Award

This award recognizes one (1) faculty member who has shown an unwavering commitment to service within their department, college/school, university, profession, or community. This dedication can be demonstrated through substantial contributions to governance, curriculum development, committee leadership, mentorship programs, community engagement initiatives, or other service activities outlined in the Faculty Employment Handbook.

To learn more about these awards and see last year’s honorees, visit the Faculty Awards of Excellence website.