Guidelines Released for Daniel E. Ferritor Award for Departmental Excellence in Teaching

The faculty committee charged by the Provost's Office and the Teaching Academy with developing procedures and criteria for the new Daniel E. Ferritor Award for Departmental Excellence in Teaching recently completed its work. The committee established four key questions departments must address when applying for the award:

1. How does [the] department demonstrate its sustained commitment to teaching excellence?
2. How does [the] department measure excellence in teaching and learning?
3. How does [the] department demonstrate commitment to faculty development for teaching? 
4. How does your department demonstrate commitment to student success?

A formal call for applications will be issued in fall 2016, with the first recipient department selected in spring 2017 and publicly announced during Faculty Appreciation Week. The winning department will receive $10,000 and a trophy, as well as having the unit name placed on a travelling university plaque housed in that department for a year.

The award planning committee consisted of Paul Cronan (WCOB), Norm Dennis (ENGR), Inza Fort (EDHP), Laurence Hare (A & S), Linda Jones (A&S), Mary Beth Matthews (Law), Mary Savin (AFLS), and Nan Smith-Blair (EDHP) with ex officio members Don Johnson, Teaching Academy president, and Ro Di Brezzo, vice provost for faculty development and enhancement.

"I want to express my appreciation to this committee who worked diligently on this assignment," said Di Brezzo. "The meeting discussions were thoughtful and stimulating. Of course the end product, being able to acknowledge and reward an academic department for excellence in teaching, will be a terrific byproduct of these meetings."

Di Brezzo added, "And finally, it seems so appropriate that this award will be called the Daniel E. Ferritor Award for Departmental Excellence in Teaching. Chancellor emeritus Ferritor was one of our very best faculty and a true ambassador for teaching and learning."

The award, co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Teaching Academy, is named in honor of Daniel E. Ferritor who served as chancellor of the University of Arkansas from 1986 to 1997 and again, as interim chancellor, in 2015. Additional information award can be found at facultydev.uark.edu/investing-in-our-faculty/ferritor-award/index.php.