Purpose

A generous gift from Dr.  Emmet F.  Pearson and his wife, Mary Pearson, has established the Pearson Faculty Awards Fund.  This gift is intended to acknowledge and support the accomplishments of faculty at UIS.  Accordingly, the Pearson Faculty Award recognizes a faculty member whose performance exemplifies our commitment to excellence in teaching.  Such a teacher both informs and inspires students, imparting to them the knowledge and values with which they may become productive and enlightened citizens.  The expertise of this faculty member contributes significantly to the curriculum of the university and reflects sound and current scholarship.  This faculty member is a role model for other faculty at UIS.  This award recognizes a cumulative record of excellence in teaching at UIS.  Therefore, this award is initiated through nomination, and not by application.

Each year, one Pearson Faculty Award of $5,000 for developmental purposes (conference attendance, research-related travel, commodities/supplies, subscriptions, equipment) is made to a faculty member whose cumulative record of teaching is deemed exemplary.  Nominees for this award will be assessed by a review committee with the expectation that the individual selected stands among the very best teachers at UIS.

Who can be nominated?

All faculty members holding full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty appointments are eligible to be nominated.  Full-time administrators holding faculty rank are not eligible.  In the event a member of the Campus Sabbatical & Awards Committee (CSAC) is nominated, they must recuse themselves from the deliberation of the particular award for which they are being considered.  The deliberations shall take place without the appointment of a replacement representative.  A nominee’s file will remain active for three years unless the nominee is selected for the award.

Who can make nominations?

All tenured and tenure-track faculty members and administrators holding faculty rank may make nominations.  There is no limit to the number of nominees from any department/ program or college.  No self-nominations are allowed.

Nomination Guidelines

  1. Nomination materials must include an up-to-date copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae and bibliography, and most importantly, a detailed statement of the justification of the award from the nominator based in significant measure on materials in the nominee’s personnel file and other materials provided by the nominator.  Criteria for assuring excellence in teaching are found in the Faculty Personnel Policy.  The nominator must make the case for a cumulative record of excellence in teaching as defined above.
  2. Each nominator must obtain written permission from the nominee to review the nominee’s personnel file to assist in preparing the nomination.  Nominees may grant permission via an email message sent to UISfacultyfiles@uis.edu.
  3. No letters of appreciation or recommendation beyond the nomination letter should be included.

Review Panel

The Campus Sabbatical and Awards Committee shall serve as the Review Panel for the Pearson Faculty Award.  Consideration by the Review Panel shall include a review of each nominee’s course evaluations, for which the Faculty Files Custodian will provide a cumulative summary report.

Processing Guidelines

  1. All nominations are due by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. The nominee’s last name should be included in the names of all nomination documents. There are two options for submitting nomination materials:
  2. The Review Panel shall make its recommendations to the Chancellor by Monday, March 6, 2023.
  3. The Chancellor shall subsequently notify the recipient of this award of her decision.  The award recipient will be recognized at a spring faculty event, and funds will be available for fiscal year 2024 beginning July 1, 2023.
  4. The Provost/VCAA shall notify nominees not selected for this award.
  5. Nomination materials shall be placed in the appropriate faculty member’s personnel file following conclusion of the selection process.

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