The Office of Sustainability Initiatives recognizes one St. Thomas faculty member each year for innovation and excellence in integrating sustainability into one of their courses.
Nominations of faculty members from all disciplines and academic units are encouraged. Letters of nomination should be limited to the course for which the faculty member is nominated.
This award acknowledges the work of faculty across disciplines to advance the common good through St. Thomas’ strategic initiative to “cultivate an ethic of the care for God’s creation through curricular and cocurricular activities aimed at environmental stewardship and sustainability.”
Nomination guidelines
All part- or full-time faculty members of St. Thomas are eligible to be nominated for the award for courses taught during the current (2015-16) or previous (2014-15) academic year. Self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged.
Nominations should include the following:
1. The name and department of the faculty member being nominated;
2. The name of the course for which the faculty member is being nominated;
3. A copy of the course syllabus;
4. A description (in no more than 1,000 words) of how the faculty member’s course demonstrates the following criteria:
a. Innovation in sustainability content. This may be demonstrated by the following: integrating sustainability themes (ecological, social and/or economic dimensions) into courses that have not previously included these themes or integrating sustainability themes more cohesively throughout a course (i.e., as a driving theme for the course).
b. Student learning and engagement with sustainability content. This may take a variety of forms but must demonstrate that students engaged with sustainability content to enhance their learning. For instance, applicants could submit examples of student work or evaluations to demonstrate how students engaged with course innovations in sustainability. Nominators are encouraged to obtain relevant student work or evaluations from nominees.
Nominations are due Friday, April 15, by 5 p.m. The award amount is $1,000. Nominations will be reviewed by an ad hoc committee convened by the Office of Sustainability Initiatives.
Submit nominations or questions about the nomination process to Dr. Elise Amel.
