The purpose of the distinguished Faculty Award is to encourage and reward outstanding professional dedication by faculty members of Black Hills State University. Nominees should show continued excellence in teaching; active research, scholarship, and other creative endeavors; their ongoing contributions to the community and society; and their continued exceptional service to students. One award shall be given each school year when there is a qualified nominee. Previous winners of the award are not eligible.

Eligibility

·         The nominee shall be a faculty member whose primary assignment is teaching, and shall have taught a minimum of 36 hours during the past three years. Department chairs are eligible for the award if the above requirement is met in the school year when nominated.

Nomination Process

• Request for nominations will be sent out to the BHSU faculty by the Faculty Senate vice president six weeks before the recommendation due date. (Current school year:  January 17, 2012).
• Nominations will be made to the faculty senate vice-president by January 31^st, 2012. This is a letter/email outlining the reasons why the nominated person is deserving and indicating the intent to acquire the required letters of support.
• A colleague from the department, school, college, or other college can nominate a person for the Distinguished Faculty Award. Henceforth this person will be referred to as the nominator.
• The nomination process will be conducted in a manner so that the award is a complete surprise to all nominees and the eventual Distinguished Faculty Award person recommended.
• The nominator is responsible for acquiring three letters of support for the Distinguished Faculty Award nominee. The letters should not exceed two typewritten pages (12-font).
  • One letter of support should primarily focus on the nominee’s continued excellence in teaching.
  • The second letter of support should address the nominee’s continued exceptional service to students, the university, and society in general.
  • The third letter of support should primarily focus on the nominee’s active contributions to research, scholarship, and other creative endeavors in his or her discipline
  • The letters may address the other two areas.
  • One of the three letters could originate from a different college but it is not a requirement.
• The nominator is responsible for acquiring the nominee’s vita from the department chair. In the case where a department chair may be nominated, the vita can be accessed from the school dean.
• The three letters of support and vita are due to the faculty senate vice president by February 15^th of the current school year. (current school year: Wednesday, February 15, 2012)

 Recommendation Process

• Previous Distinguished Award winner BHSU faculty members will comprise the recommendation committee. The faculty senate vice president will serve as non-voting chair.
• The Distinguished Faculty Committee will meet as a complete group, review the materials and select an individual to recommend to the Faculty Senate. The committee meeting will occur the third week in February of the current school year. (Current school year: Wednesday, February 22, 2012).
• A Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for February 29, 2012 so that the Faculty Senate can confirm the Distinguished Faculty Committee recommendation.
• At the conclusion of the Faculty Senate meeting on February 29, 2012, the faculty senate vice president will forward the committee’s recommendation to the Provost for review and approval.  The recommendation must be to the Provost by March 1, 2012.

RECOGNITION: 

1. Acknowledgement of the distinguished faculty member at the May University commencement with a presentation of a plaque. 
2. The Distinguished Faculty Award recipient may be excused from speaking at commencement if the recipient does not wish to speak publicly.
3. News release
4. A $500 monetary gift shall be awarded to the recipient for professional development.  An additional $500 will be awarded to the recipient to be used at his or her discretion.  The recipient will submit invoices to the BHSU Foundation.