LAS Academic Professional Award

In 1993, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences established the LAS Academic Professional Awards to identify and honor selected academic professionals for their outstanding contributions to the college. The program is sponsored by alumni and friends of the college. Up to three awards may be made annually. The LAS Awards Committee, assisted by previous winners of this award, will review and rank the nominations received. Final recipient recommendations will be approved by the dean of the college.

Criteria

Nominations will be evaluated in terms of achievement according to the following established criteria (in order of importance):

  1. Work contributions. How well the nominee advances the mission of his or her home unit, the college, and the entire campus within the context of the campus' traditional missions of teaching, research, and public service; the actual work of the individual and the impact of that work.
  2. Personal contributions. The positive impact the nominee has on others: colleagues, students, members of the public, as well as the nominee's contribution to the special demands of the workplace.
  3. Professional contributions. The contributions the nominee has made and the recognition the nominee has received in his or her professional field including publications, participation in professional societies, and committee work; nominee's impact at the regional, national, or international level where relevant or other contributions as appropriate to job description.

Distinctive achievement in all areas will constitute the strongest case for selection. The selection committee will be cognizant, however, of particularly outstanding achievement in any one area. Criteria are defined in the order of importance. Usually, nominees will excel in all three areas, but individuals may be nominated for uncommon strength(s) in one or two. The LAS Academic Professional Award is not given for instruction. Instead, please nominate those individuals for the LAS Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by Instructional Staff.

Award

Recipients will receive a $1,000 award, a $1,000 salary increment, and a commemorative plaque. The award and plaque are presented at the LAS Awards Reception in late February or early March.

Eligibility

A nominee must be a full-time or equivalent academic professional employed in his/her present position in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences for at least three years by the nomination deadline. Recipient must be employed in LAS at time of reception. A person who receives any LAS College Award will not be eligible for nomination for a second college award during the next 10-year period.

Nomination

Nominations for these awards may be made by any member of the campus community (staff, faculty, or student), but must be endorsed by the executive officer of the nominee's unit. All nominations must be submitted on the official LAS nomination form. All materials must be typed in 12 point, Times New Roman font, single-spaced. A copy of the official campus Chancellor's Academic Professional Excellence (CAPE) Award Program nomination form is also allowed if used with the LAS nomination form.

Those making a nomination for the LAS Academic Professional Awards should submit all of the following:

  1. LAS Academic Professional Awards nomination form
  2. Nominee's vitae/resume
  3. Nominee's job description (no more than one page)
  4. Narrative of approximately three pages detailing how the nominee fulfills the stated criteria listed on the reverse side (indicate specific activities or programs in which your candidate has excelled)
  5. Three letters of recommendation (at least one from a co-worker)

All re-nominations require submission of an updated narrative as well as a new nominating form.

The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. October 30, 2023. A PDF of the nomination packet should be emailed to lasdean@illinois.edu. If needed, a paper copy can be sent to: LAS AWARDS COMMITTEE, 2090 Lincoln Hall MC-448.