The California Community College System offers three respected statewide awards that recognize the excellence of our faculty colleagues and their support of our students. These awards arise from nominations from local senates in recognition of their faculty and programs that exemplify the ideals of community college service to students. Local academic senate presidents receive announcement letters, application forms, award criteria, and scoring rubrics in advance of the application deadlines. While announcement letters are sent approximately one month before the deadlines, local senates should start early in identifying potential nominees for these awards. Information about all awards, including award criteria and scoring rubrics, is available at http://asccc.org/awards, including applications for 2018 – 19 awards.
Exemplary Program Award
Application Deadline: November 5, 2018
Theme: Environmental Responsibility
This Board of Governors award is sponsored by the Foundation for California Community Colleges. The Exemplary Program Award recognizes outstanding community college programs. Each year the ASCCC Executive Committee sets a theme related to the award’s traditions and statewide trends. The theme for 2018-2019 is Environmental Responsibility. Environmental responsibility may be demonstrated in a variety of ways. Colleges are encouraged to consider faculty roles in curricular and co-curricular programs, efforts like certificate or degree programs with an emphasis on environmental responsibility and sustainability, and campus programs, efforts, campaigns, and planning efforts that promote environmental responsibility and sustainability. These areas may include but, are not limited to, biodiversity, habitat conservation, college landscaping, and creating environmentally forward learning labs.
Up to two college programs may receive the Exemplary Program Award resulting in $4,000 cash prizes and a plaque, and up to four colleges may receive an honorable mention and a plaque. The call for nominations and application materials is sent to local senate presidents in October. Members of the ASCCC Standards and Practices Committee, along with representatives of CEOs, CIOs, CSSOs, and the Student Senate, review and score the applications. Awardees are recognized by the Board of Governors each January, with the program director of each program invited to attend the Board meeting to receive the award. More information is available at http://asccc.org/events/exemplary-program-award-0.
Hayward Award
Application Deadline: December 17, 2018
This is a Board of Governors award sponsored by the Foundation for California Community Colleges. Named for former California Community College Chancellor Gerald C. Hayward, the award honors up to four outstanding community college faculty, two full-time and two part-time, who have a track record of excellence both in teaching and in professional activities and have demonstrated the highest level of commitment to their students, profession, and college. Recipients of the Hayward Award receive a plaque and a $1,250 cash award. The call for nominations and application materials is sent to local senate presidents in November.
An important change implemented in 2017 is that the Hayward Awards are no longer based on geographic area; applications will now be considered on a statewide basis. This change replaces the previous requirement that the full-time and part-time awards be rotated by area. Thus, each local academic senate can nominate two faculty, one full-time and one part-time. However, only one faculty member per college can receive the award. Applications are scored by members of the Standards and Practices Committee and additional faculty readers identified from each of the four areas. Recipients are recognized by the Board of Governors each March. The award winners are invited to attend breakfast with the ASCCC President on Monday morning before the award ceremony and to attend the Board of Governor’s meeting to receive the award. More information is available at http://asccc.org/events/hayward-award-0.
Stanback Stroud Diversity Award
Application Deadline: February 11, 2019
Proudly sponsored by the ASCCC, the Stanback Stroud Diversity Award, named for former ASCCC President and current Skyline College President Regina Stanback Stroud, honors faculty who have made special contributions addressing issues involving diversity. In the more than 15 years that this prestigious award has been given, faculty from around the state have been honored for their work teaching to diverse learning styles, working with students of color and from non-traditional backgrounds, designing inclusive curriculum academic support programs, and many more projects and programs. Winners of the Stanback Stroud Diversity Award are tireless advocates for those who may feel marginalized or overlooked in an academic setting, and the winners have demonstrated commitment to the advancement of intercultural harmony, equity, and campus diversity at their colleges. Local senates may nominate a single faculty member or a group of faculty members who exemplify the ideals of the Stanback Stroud Diversity Award. A cash award of $5,000 is given to the recipient. All faculty are eligible. The call for nominations and application materials are sent to local senate presidents in December. Members of the Standards and Practices Committee and the Equity and Diversity Action Committee review and score applications. The winners of the Stanback Stroud Diversity Award are honored at lunch at the Spring Plenary Session. More information is available at http://asccc.org/events/stanback-stroud-diversity-award-0.
Suggestions for Completing Award Applications
With all the work local senates have before them each year, they may have difficulty finding the time to nominate programs and faculty for these statewide awards. However, recognizing the valuable contributions of our faculty and their programs in their tireless service to our students is an important responsibility of faculty leaders. The following are some practices local senates may want to consider:
- Establish an awards committee or appoint individuals to ensure that faculty from your college have the opportunity to be recognized for their work.
- Establish local senate faculty awards that align with the statewide award criteria. This practice can provide the means for local senates to identify their nominees for the statewide awards.
- Use the criteria in the award rubrics as a guide in completing the application for the award. Each award has specific rubric criteria that the readers use to evaluate the applicants.
- Provide direct and demonstrated evidence—both observable and measureable—in the form of qualitative and quantitative data and provide detailed examples. This practice will help the readers to distinguish the applicants.
- Ensure opportunities for recognition of excellent part-time faculty. Part-time faculty colleagues have a profound impact on the success of our students and are a core part of the fabric of our colleges, and their efforts should be recognized.
Recognition of faculty excellence, whether through local or statewide awards, is an important means for providing motivation for professional growth while boosting faculty morale. Local senates not only can identify nominees for statewide awards but also can provide the leadership needed to recognize faculty excellence at the local level. To that end, the ASCCC strongly encourages local senates to identify and nominate faculty for statewide awards and to identify local opportunities for recognition at their colleges.