Faculty Excellence in Public Affairs Awards

Faculty 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) they may choose their nominee via a college committee or 2) the Dean may directly submit a faculty nominee, at their discretion.    

Eligibility Criteria

Nominees must be current, full-time Missouri State University faculty. They may hold rank in any academic discipline but must have a distinguished record of performance and have been employed full-time at Missouri State for at least 3 years at the time of nomination.  

Nominee Application Requirements

• The faculty application packet must include a personal letter of application from the nominee, a minimum of 3 letters of support and curriculum vitae.  The application letter should highlight the nominee's work and accomplishments in support of the University's public affairs mission.  Support letters should be from those who can speak to the nominee's accomplishments in public affairs.  

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

• At least one of the three support letters must be from a current or recent student.  

Letters of Support may be addressed to:

Dr. Rachelle Darabi

Assoc. Provost, Student Development & Public Affairs

Missouri State University

University Hall 115

901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO  65897            

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.

Selection Process

Faculty applications will be forwarded to the Board of Governors Selection Committee for final review and award determination. As available, the committee will consist of one previous award winner, current class of Citizen Scholar Award winners, Board of Governor (BOG) members from the Academic and Student Affairs committees, the current Student Governor of the BOG, and if needed the Associate Provost for Student Development and Public Affairs.