The Diversity Excellence Award recognizes individual faculty members, faculty groups, academic departments or academic units that demonstrate the highest commitment to enhancing excellence through diversity. The program recognizes efforts to enhance diversity.

Criteria

• Any department or unit within the university may demonstrate its achievements in the area of diversity by providing evidence that may include, but not be limited to, one or more of the following:
• Developing innovative programs to enhance diversity within the unit or university
• Incorporating a clear statement of the importance of diversity in department or unit mission statement
• Recruiting and retaining students, faculty, and staff from underrepresented groups
• Increasing the retention and graduation rates of students from underrepresented groups
• Providing mentoring/advising for students from underrepresented groups
• Providing mentoring for junior faculty and staff from underrepresented groups
• Developing and implementing learning activities that prepare students for a diverse and global society
• Integrating diversity into the curriculum
• Involvement with programs and activities which promote the development of multicultural understanding and cross-cultural competence
• Supporting research, service and scholarship in the area of diversity
• Providing opportunities for professional development of faculty and staff from underrepresented groups
• Developing activities that support partnerships with minority-serving institutions, visiting scholars and guest lecturers from underrepresented groups
• Implementing initiatives that create a supportive environment

Award

The recipient will receive a $2,500 honorarium and an engraved plaque in conjunction with Convocation of Scholars Week during the spring semester of the year.

Nomination

Submit a letter of nomination that addresses how the nominee has demonstrated a significant commitment to enhancing diversity through one or more of the above-listed criteria. Additionally, the nomination letter should describe creative models, strategies or best practices used to enhance diversity.

Nomination/Application Process

Any faculty or staff member, department or unit head, dean or administrator may nominate a faculty member, administrator, group of faculty members, department or academic unit. The nomination must include information on how diversity has been enhanced. The nomination will be forwarded to a screening committee appointed by the Assistant to the President for Diversity Initiatives. Normally, units that receive this award will not be eligible for a subsequent award within a three-year period. However, exceptions may be given.

Contents of Nomination Packet

• Letter of nomination from a faculty, staff, department or unit head, dean or vice president describing in detail why the nominee is deserving of the award (maximum of three pages)
• Letters of support (not more than three total) from faculty, graduate or undergraduate students, classified or non-classified staff, administrators or alumni who work extensively with the department or unit
• Description of the activities within the academic calendar year that illustrates the outstanding efforts by the department or unit to enhance diversity (three-page limit)

Individual nominations must include a cover sheet with the following information:

• Name of Nominee
• Title
• College/Department/Office
• Campus Address
• Work Telephone
• E-mail Address
• Number of years at ASU
• Number of years at current department/office
• Name of Nominator
• Title
• College/Department/Office
• Campus Address
• Work Telephone
• E-mail Address
• Working relationship to the nominee

Unit nominations must include a cover sheet with the following information:

• Name of Unit Nominated
• Lead contact person(s) of the unit
• College/Department/Office
• Campus Address
• Work Telephone (lead person)
• E-mail Address (lead person)
• Name of Nominator
• Title
• College/Department/Office
• Campus Address
• Work Telephone
• E-mail Address

Deadline

The nomination and/or application materials are to be forwarded to the Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives, Suite 202, Administration Building. Deadline: TBA.