COMMITTEE: Academic Awards Committee
MEETING DATE: October 4, 2001
PERSON PRESIDING: Karl Wuensch, Chair
REGULAR MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: Ellen Arnold, C.E. Boklage, Jeffrey Phipps, Karl Wuensch
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: Mark Taggart
OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: Lori Lee, Clayton Sessoms, Dot Clayton
ACTIONS OF MEETING
Agenda Item: Announcements
Discussion: Karl Wuensch announced a change in committee membership: Lewis Eckstein has resigned from the committee, and Jessica Christy from the Art Dept. will be taking his place. However, she was unable to attend today’s meeting
Action Taken:
Assigned additional duties to:
Agenda Item: Approval of September 6 minutes
Discussion:
Action Taken: Minutes approved
Assigned additional duties to:
Agenda Item: Consideration of request that the committee take over the Max Ray Joyner Award for Faculty Service Through Continuing Education
Discussion: Dr. Clayton Sessoms of Continuing Studies reviewed the history of the award, which was established at the Continuing Education 50th anniversary celebration in 1997 and funded by a contribution by Max Ray Joyner. Sessoms pointed out that the award is different from other Service Awards, being an award for “faculty service for continuing education,” and a specially arranged ceremony has been necessary to present the award, since no other place could be found. Sessoms would like to see the award “mainlined,” and more credibility and integrity provided for the selection process. At the request of Chuck Bollage, Sessoms reviewed the selection criteria and the intent of the award to reward exemplary faculty who teach off-campus, both face-to-face and Distance Education. Wuensch requested that Sessoms get descriptions and guidelines for the current awards handled by the committee from Dot Clayton and submit a written proposal. If the committee accepts the proposal, approval will also have to obtained from the Faculty Senate.
Action Taken:
Assigned additional duties to: Dot Clayton will provide Clayton Sessoms with the necessary guidelines, and Sessoms will prepare a proposal to the committee
Agenda Item: Update on nominations for Research/Creative Activity Awards
Discussion: Thanks to Taggart and Boklage, the call has been issued for nominations. There was discussion of when to begin the screening procedure.
Action Taken: A first meeting will be held in early January.
Assigned additional duties to:
Agenda Item: Question of multiple recipients of teaching awards
Discussion: There was general discussion of the issue of whether faculty may receive multiple awards.
Action Taken: Taggart made a motion to keep the current policy, enabling faculty to receive multiple awards, seconded by Phipps, and passed by unanimous vote.
Assigned additional duties to:
Agenda Item: Naming of two Teaching Awards previously funded by the Alumni Association, and the one award which continues to be funded by the Alumni Association
Discussion: There was general discussion of the future possibility of combining the two awards no longer funded by the Alumni Association into one award with a larger stipend, to increase the significance of the award, if funding is found to continue the awards.
Action Taken: Since the Chancellor has agreed to fund the awards for this year, it was decided by unanimous agreement to name the two awards Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching. The award that continues to be funded by the Alumni Association will be called the Robert L. Jones Award for Outstanding Teaching. The suggestion was made that the Chancellor seek outside funding for the award or awards, which can then be named for the donor.
Assigned additional duties to:
Agenda Item: Alumni request for changes in procedures for selection of Alumni Teaching Award
Discussion: There was discussion of the need for the current year to randomly select which of the three award recipients gets the Alumni Award, and which the two Chancellor’s Awards. Since the Alumni Association has requested to be involved in the selection of their award, the committee discussed the possibility of turning the selection process over completely to the Alumni Association, with the committee’s guidance. Lori Lee pointed out that in that case, the Faculty Senate would probably not approve the presentation of the award at the Awards Ceremony.
Action Taken: The committee will recommend to the Faculty Senate that the selection of the one remaining Alumni Association Award be turned over to the Alumni Association.
Assigned additional duties to: Wuensch will draft a resolution to go to the Faculty Senate.
Agenda Item: Suggested changes to SOIS forms for teaching award applicants
Discussion:
Action Taken: Discussion was tabled until the next meeting.
Assigned additional duties to:
NEXT MEETING: November 1, 2001
ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:
1. Approval of October minutes
2. SOIS form revisions
