The campus community has the chance to nominate faculty who have had a positive influence in their lives for a major award.
The Outstanding Faculty Award committee is accepting nominations from the student body, staff and other faculty members commending teachers who have made an impact in their lives during the academic year.
The selection committee is made up by the last five winners of the Outstanding Faculty Award.
The eighth Annual Faculty Awards ceremony will be April 8 and will honor six faculty members in different areas of achievement.
One award will honor outstanding work in service learning, and the next will recognize distinguished achievement in scholarship of discovery (academic research).
An award will be given for a faculty member’s distinguished service to the OCU campus community, and one for mentoring of undergraduate students. The final two awards will honor excellence in teaching for full time and for adjunct faculty.
Students’ nominations are especially important for these last two awards. Based on the student nominations, the committee will choose the faculty members most frequently nominated. They will then narrow these nominations through investigation of the nominee’s work at the school and with students.
The award’s ceremony is sponsored and organized by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, whose goal is to recognize faculty member’s outstanding achievements within their own departments and on the broader campus. The center was established as a support organization for faculty members looking for professional development opportunities and seeking academic support.
Part of this process involves the recognition of outstanding work, said Paul Gebb, director of CETL and associate professor of dance.
“This is a very clear recognition of excellence at OCU, and it’s very good for morale,” Gebb said.
Gebb invites students of the honored faculty to speak at the awards ceremony each year. He thinks this is the most meaningful part of the ceremony.
“Students are invited to come and speak about the professors who have influenced them, and hand them the awards themselves,” Gebb said. “That’s probably one of the biggest pieces of feedback: the faculty so appreciates students speaking about what their teachers do, and how they’re grateful, because they don’t always hear it.”
Emma Foroutan, music theater sophomore, said more students should vote in the process.
“I think it’s important to let the teachers know we care,” Foroutan said. “It’s such an easy process. It would be silly not to do it.”
Emails allowing students to nominate faculty for these awards will be sent by advisors during the week of January 26th.
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