Awards and Titles Guidelines

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Distinguished Professor Nominations

Initial College Deadline: November 15, 2024

The Associate Provost for Faculty Success solicits nominations for the rank of Distinguished Professor each October. The call for nominations, with the final deadline for submission of completed files, is communicated each year to all main campus faculty by the Office of the Provost.

The Faculty Handbook, Section B, 2.2.5, defines Distinguished Professors as “individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and are nationally and internationally renowned as scholars". This is the highest faculty title the University bestows and is used only for a few of its most prominent faculty members.

The initial nomination file will consist of a detailed Statement by Nominator (signed); the candidate’s curriculum vitae and supplementary materials; copies of the department faculty recommendation forms; and the Chair's letter supporting the nomination, to include the faculty vote tally. Send this file to Karen Roberts by the College deadline above.

After the nomination has been reviewed by the Dean, Chairs will receive approval to solicit a minimum of six letters from distinguished external reviewers to be included in the final file. If approved, you may use this template for soliciting external letters. 

Secondary Deadline: March 14, 2025

Once all external review letters are received, departments should assemble them into a single PDF file with a clickable table of contents. Include a copy of the Dean's permission for the department to proceed. Departments will email the complete nomination packet to jenlov22@unm.edu in the Office of the Provost by no later than March 14, 2025.

Detailed information on the procedures and specific deadlines can be found in the current call for nominations from the Associate Provost for Faculty Success..

The Marshall Award For Course Development and Curriculum Enhancement

Deadline: March 1, 2025

The UNM College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to offer the Marshall Award for Course Development and Curriculum Enhancement, which honors Diane L. Marshall’s career-long commitment to improving the classroom experience of UNM students.

Marshall awards recognize the course development and revision work necessary for UNM to offer a modern curriculum that foregrounds student success. Any faculty member who has recently developed a new course or significantly revised an existing course may apply. Up to three Marshall Awards will be granted each year, with no more than one award dedicated to a course in the Humanities, the Natural Sciences, or the Social Sciences. Recipients of a Marshall Award will receive a summer stipend of up to $2,000 for their work. 

Eligibility Requirements

  • All full-time faculty members with a primary appointment in the UNM College of Arts and Sciences are eligible to apply.
  • The home unit of the course that is to be developed or enhanced must be an academic unit in the UNM College of Arts and Sciences.
  • The teaching modality of the course that is to be developed or enhanced must be Face-to-Face.
  • Awards can be used for the creation of new courses or the enhancement of an existing course.

To Apply

Any interested faculty member can email a completed Marshall Award Application Form to Alice Hollow Horn at lakotahh@unm.edu no later than March 1, 2024. The completed form must include the signatures of the Applicant and the Chair or Director of the Applicant’s home unit.

Award Selection

Awardees will be selected by a committee of no more than four members, including the A&S Associate Dean for Curriculum and at least one member of the A&S Curriculum Committee.

The award committee will focus on the level of curricular and/or instructional need that a project addresses, as well as the potential to impact the learning experience of a significant number of students. Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously been granted a Marshall Award.

Awardees will be announced during Spring semester (around the end of March, usually).

Further Reading

Arts & Sciences Teaching Excellence Award

Deadline: March 1, 2025 

The Arts & Sciences Teaching Excellence Award honors A&S faculty, lecturers, adjunct instructors, and graduate teaching assistants who have made outstanding contributions to the College’s instructional mission.

Typically, one tenured/tenure track faculty member and one lecturer are each awarded a $1000 increase to their base salary; one adjunct instructor and one teaching assistant are each awarded a stipend of $1,000.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this award, an individual must be one of the following:

  • A full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty member within an Arts & Sciences department
  • A lecturer within an Arts & Sciences department or interdisciplinary program
  • An adjunct instructor within an Arts & Sciences department or interdisciplinary program
  • A graduate teaching assistant in an Arts & Sciences department or graduate-degree granting interdisciplinary program with sole responsibility for teaching one or more courses within that department or program.

  • Previous winners are NOT excluded from additional nominations.

Evaluation

Faculty will be evaluated on the basis of the quality and breadth of their instructional contributions. Preference will be given to those who have demonstrated instructional excellence at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, through a combination of classroom instruction, mentorship, research supervision, and curricular development .

Lecturers, Adjuncts, and Teaching Assistants will be evaluated primarily on the the quality of their undergraduate teaching and contributions to their department’s instructional mission.

A college-level evaluation committee will select one award for each category.

Nomination Procedure

Each unit may nominate one tenured/tenure track faculty, one lecturer, one adjunct instructor, and one graduate student for this award. The chair or director should encourage all faculty members to be involved in evaluating and submitting nominations. A complete application--as a single PDF--must include the following:

  • A letter of support (~1-2 pages) from the Department Chair or Program Director that highlights the teaching excellence of the nominee and explains how the nominee's teaching fits into the unit's curriculum
  • A letter (~2-3 pages) from the nominee that explains their teaching philosophy and methods, and provides evidence of success in the classroom from student evaluations. Nominees might address the following:
    • What are you trying to accomplish in your teaching?
    • What methods and kinds of assignments do you use to accomplish your goals?
    • How will you know if you have succeeded?
    • How have you adopted a course over time based on student feedback?
    • What scores and comments from your evaluations show your effectiveness?
  • OPTIONAL: Up to five letters of support from students or colleagues who have evaluated the nominee's teaching.

All application materials should be combined into a single PDF and sent to Alice Hollow Horn at lakotahh@unm.edu.

A list of previous A&S Teaching Excellence Award winners can be found here. From AY1998-1999 to AY 2006-2007, the College awarded the Gunter Starkey Teaching Award. A list of those award recipients can be found here.

Weber Award for Teaching Excellence in Science or Math

Deadline:  March 1, 2025

The College of Arts and Sciences is proud to offer the annual William P. and Heather W. Weber Award for Teaching Excellence. This award honors Lecturers or Part-Time Instructors who exemplify excellence in undergraduate teaching in any science or math discipline within A&S. Funding is typically available for up to two instructors per year; awards may be up to $2,000.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Weber Award, an individual must be a lecturer or part-time instructor within an Arts & Sciences department or graduate-degree granting interdisciplinary program. Nominees must have sole responsibility for teaching one or more courses in any science or math discipline within that department or program.

Evaluation

Nominees will be evaluated on the quality and breadth of their instructional contributions. Preference will be given to those clear evidence of instructional excellence and success, including through undergraduate teaching, mentorship, or curricular development. A college-level evaluation committee, chaired by the Associate Dean for Curriculum, will select up to two awardees per year.

 

Nomination Procedure

Each unit may nominate two members. The chair or director should encourage all faculty members to be involved in choosing the nominees. A complete application--in a single PDF--must include the following:
  • A letter of support (~1-2 pages) from the Department Chair or Program Director that highlights the teaching excellence of the nominee and explains how the nominee's teaching fits into the unit's curriculum
  • A letter (~2-3 pages) from the nominee that explains their teaching philosophy and methods, and provides evidence of success in the classroom from student evaluations. Nominees might address the following:
    • What are you trying to accomplish in your teaching?
    • What methods and kinds of assignments do you use to accomplish your goals?
    • How will you know if you have succeeded?
    • How have you adopted a course over time based on student feedback?
    • What scores and comments from your evaluations show your effectiveness?
  • OPTIONAL: Up to five letters of support from students or colleagues who have evaluated the nominee's teaching.

All application materials should be combined into a single PDF and sent to Alice Hollow Horn at lakotahh@unm.edu. 

Please check out our list of previous Weber Award winners.

University Outstanding Teacher Awards

Visit the Center for Teaching & Learning's Teaching Awards page for current nomination deadlines and additional information about University-wide teaching awards.

Regents’ Professor Appointments

(To Be announced in 2026)

Regents’ Professor is a special title bestowed on selected senior faculty members who, in the judgment of the Dean and on the advice of a faculty selection committee, merit recognition of their accomplishments as teachers, scholars and leaders both in University affairs and in their national/international professional communities. These appointments will be made to full professors for terms of three years. In addition to the title "Regents’ Professor" the appointment also carries a stipend.

The Associate Dean for Faculty will send a call for nominations, with details and deadlines, to all department chairs every three years. 

A complete nomination consists of a letter from the candidate’s department chair indicating the candidate’s qualifications and the extent of departmental faculty support for the nomination; the candidate’s statement of teaching philosophy; the candidate’s statement describing their research and scholarship; and their curriculum vitae. (A complete Teaching Portfolio may be substituted for the teaching/research/scholarship statements.)

Send nominations to Alice Hollow Horn at lakotahh@unm.edu. A selection advisory committee will be formed to review nominations and recommend appointees to the Dean.

Once bestowed, the title "Regents’ Professor" may be retained during the balance of an appointee’s affiliation with the University of New Mexico. The awardee, together with his/her department administrator, must complete and submit a Regents' Professorship Awardee Form to the College within 30 days of the award announcement. Please read the complete administrative details (rev. 7.2023) for the processing of this award.

Regents’ Lecturer Appointments

Next Nomination Deadline: April, 2025

Regents’ Lecturer is a special title bestowed on selected tenured junior faculty members who, in the judgment of the Dean and on the advice of a faculty selection committee, merit recognition of their accomplishments as teachers, scholars and leaders both in university affairs and in their national/international professional communities. These appointments will be made to associate professors for terms of three years. In addition to the title "Regents’ Lecturer" the appointment also carries a stipend.

The Associate Dean for Faculty will send a call for nominations, with details and deadlines, to all department chairs every three years.

A complete nomination consists of a letter from the candidate’s department chair indicating the candidate’s qualifications and the extent of departmental faculty support for the nomination; the candidate’s statement of teaching philosophy; the candidate’s statement describing their research and scholarship; and their curriculum vitae. (A complete Teaching Portfolio may be substituted for the teaching/research/scholarship statements.) A selection advisory committee will be formed to review nominations and recommend appointees to the Dean. 

The awardee, together with his/her department administrator, must complete and submit a Regents' Lectureship Awardee Form to the College within 30 days of the award announcement. Please read the complete administrative details (rev. 7.2023) for the processing of this award.