Eligibility

  1. Nominees must have current or recent service in the previous year as chair of an academic department or director of a school, supervising academic faculty members and reporting directly to an academic dean.
  2. Nominees must have completed service as a chair or director for at least one three-year term prior to the nomination deadline.
  3. Previous winners of this award are eligible for re-nomination after five years.

Submission Details

Electronic Form

Nominations must be submitted through the electronic nomination form. All required materials must be combined into a single PDF file for upload into the online form.

File Name

The nomination packet submitted through the online form must use the following file name convention:

LastName_FirstName_ChairAward.pdf (e.g., Doe_Jane_ChairAward.pdf).

Required Materials

Nomination packets must include the following elements:

  1. Cover sheet. The first page of the nomination packet should be a cover sheet with the nominee’s full name, job title, department/unit, college/school, and email address.
  2. Table of contents. A table of contents that lists items 3 - 5 below should follow the cover sheet.
  3. Letter of nomination by a full-time academic faculty member. The nomination letter should include the name of the department chair/academic director being nominated, the department name, and examples of excellence demonstrated by the chair/director in each of the areas listed in the selection criteria below. Leadership qualities and administrative activities highlighted in the nomination letter should reflect the individual’s service as chair or director and not to his or her teaching, research, or creative activity accomplishments.  The letter must be limited to two pages in length.
  4. Letter of support from the dean. The dean’s letter of support should provide additional examples that highlight the nominee’s performance in each of the areas listed with reference to the department’s allocation of resources (i.e., overall and PTI budgets and GA allocations). The dean’s letter should also include a statement regarding the level of confidence in which the chair/director is held by the department or unit’s academic faculty.  The letter must be limited to two pages in length.
  5. Departmental narrative provided by the nominee. Nominees are asked to submit a narrative statement describing their efforts to support student and faculty success and their achievements with respect to the selection criteria below.  The statement should contain descriptive statistics that provide a contextual basis for the narrative, including:
    1. Major headcount (both undergraduate and graduate)
    • Total number of faculty (all types) and staff
    • Average number of course assignments per faculty member
    • If applicable, applications for external funding and awards in the department (total dollars) during the last three fiscal years
    • Trends in faculty productivity, including average number of publications and grants per faculty member

Criteria Considered by Selection Committee

Criteria to be considered by the selection committee include excellence in the following areas:

Strong Leadership Skills

  • Has developed unit strategic plans that are consistent with university aspirations and goals
  • Encourages excellence in performance and productivity
  • Promotes mentorship of faculty

Effective Administration/Management

  • Takes administrative actions that are guided by professional values and goals
  • Has knowledge of and practices adherence to policies, procedures, and regulations
  • Administers the budget effectively and fairly
  • Makes logical and sound decisions
  • Supports and enables faculty governance
  • Is an effective advocate for the department or school

Outstanding Interpersonal Communication and Collegiality

  • Addresses issues promptly and effectively
  • Seeks advice, considers divergent opinions, and demonstrates respect for others
  • Conducts objective and fair evaluations of faculty and staff
  • Keeps personnel informed of plans and activities

Positive Trajectory of Department Metrics

  • Retention rate for first-year, full-time (FYFT) students in the department, including trend over the last three years
  • Six-year cohort graduation rate for the department (FYFT students in the department who graduated anywhere in UNLV), including trend over the last three years
  • Six-year cohort graduation rate for new master’s students
  • If applicable, eight-year cohort graduation rate for new doctoral students

For any questions about the application process for this award, please contact the Office of Faculty Affairs.