Faculty Excellence in Public Affairs Awards

Faculty Award Information

Nomination Options

Each College may submit forth one faculty nominee, including the Meyer Library and the West Plains campus. Colleges have two options for submitting their faculty nominee:  

1)  Faculty nominee submitted via Dean's discretion: 

By March 8, 2024 the Dean must submit their faculty name by email to Mary Ann Wood or Stacey Trewatha-Bach, the award's coordinators.  A nomination letter may accompany the submission, but is not required.  Follow-up will be conducted with the faculty nominee to ensure their formal application materials are completed by the April 8 deadline.    

2)  Faculty nominee submitted via College Committee:  

By April 8, 2024 the final nominee's name, along with their FULLY completed formal application materials, must be submitted to Mary Ann Wood or Stacey Trewatha-Bach at the Office of Public Affairs Support by either email or campus mail.  Please contact Stacey for questions about the application materials.  

Eligibility criteria

Nominee's may hold any rank in any academic discipline but must have at least 3 years of full-time employment at Missouri State and have a distinguished record of performance.  

Desired qualifications

Faculty recipients should be able to provide evidence of distinctive work and accomplishments in support of the University’s public affairs mission.  

Examples of distinctive work and accomplishments include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Demonstration of active engagement with the community for a sustained period of time in one or more aspects of his/her teaching, research and service. Inclusion of students in this engagement is essential.
• A successful record of working with students in enabling them to develop the motivation and skills to become responsible, informed and culturally competent citizens who are knowledgeable about public policy issues affecting our society.
• Utilization of new, creative, and imaginative approaches in making applied research and scholarship accessible to the public.  This will include a strong record of writings, presentations or other materials which have made a clear and positive impact on the community (region, state, nation, or beyond) and have expanded the public understanding of some specific problem or problems facing society and its institutions along with a record of involving students in this research.
• A sustained record of leadership in seeking solutions for important Public Affairs issues such as active involvement in addressing public policy, educational, cultural, health, economic development, or environmental issues.
• Good working relationships with community members and organizations as equal partners and in various forms of collaborations in carrying out Public Affairs initiatives.  Inclusion of students in such collaborations is expected.   
• Effective leadership within the University in support of priorities and projects that demonstrate the University’s Public Affairs Mission in action.
• Exemplification of the highest standards of citizenship, cultural competence, and ethical behavior.  Demonstration of how the faculty member serves as a role model of Public Affairs and how s/he instills the Public Affairs Mission in students.
• Effective integration of the public affairs mission into his/her coursework as well as co-curricular support of the mission.

Nominee application packets

Each nominee will need to submit a formal application packet with the following elements:

1. A personal letter of application from the nominee. The application letter should highlight the nominee's work and accomplishments in support of the University's public affairs mission.

2. A minimum of 3 letters of support. Support letters should be from those who can speak to the nominee's accomplishments in public affairs. At least one of the three support letters must be from a current or recent student.  

3. Curriculum vitae. 

• Applications should not exceed 10 pages maximum, excluding the curriculum vitae.

• Completed application packets should be delivered or emailed to Stacey Trewatha-Bach.   

Selection process