College of Education Distinguished Scholar Program

Nature of the Award | General Guidelines | Nominations and Selection Procedures

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Each year the College of Education awards the title of Distinguished Scholar or Distinguished Senior Scholar to select members of the faculty who have distinguished themselves in their scholarly accomplishments. Nominations are due Monday, March 30, 2009 in the Bureau of Educational Research, Rm. 38.

The Nature of the Award

Recipients of both Distinguished Scholar and Distinguished Senior Scholar Awards will receive a stipend to support their future research. Additionally, their names will be added to the Distinguished College Scholars plaque in the north lobby and they will be recognized at our College Convocation. The Scholars will also offer a college-wide lecture in the Bureau of Educational Research Seminar Series during the year in which they receive the award.

General Guidelines

Criteria

The awards are based solely upon criteria of scholarly quality, significance, and productivity. Productivity is indexed by the volume of published books, book chapters, and refereed articles in one’s field, as well as the duration and consistency of one’s scholarly performance over a period of time. Aside from sheer numbers, however, the award also recognizes the quality, influence, and significance of a candidate’s scholarship. Suitable questions to ask in evaluating quality and significance include:

• Does the individual’s work find its way into the very best outlets in the field?
• Is the work highly regarded by peers?
• How has this person’s scholarship advanced or changed the field?
• What conceptual and theoretical advances are evident in this scholarship?
• What methodological advances are evident in this scholarship?
• Is the scholarship programmatic, sustained, and cumulative?
• Has this scholarship opened up new areas of inquiry?
• How has this scholarship influenced educational practices and policy?

Eligibility

Faculty within the first 10 years of finishing their terminal degree, are eligible for the Distinguished Scholar Award. Faculty beyond 10 years of finishing their terminal degree, are eligible for the Distinguished Senior Scholar Award. Individuals who have already received the Distinguished Scholar award are also eligible for the Distinguished Senior Scholar award after they have passed the 10-year mark. The criteria for selection at these two levels are much the same, but they are calibrated against different reference groups.

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Nomination and Selection Procedures

Nominations can come from the candidate, the candidate’s department, or any colleague within the college. The letter of nomination should be written by someone who knows the candidate’s work very well and can speak in an informed way about its impact and visibility within the field.

• Letters of nomination should bear the burden of proof that a candidate's record is "distinguished" according to the criteria cited earlier.
• The curriculum vitae that accompanies an application should conform to the same basic format used for College promotion and tenure applications (i.e., those sections documenting scholarship and professional service).
• Two representative publications should be included.
• Two letters of support, one of which must be from outside the University of Illinois, from scholars in this research area who could comment on the quality and impact of the work.

Deadlines

Submit six hard copies of the nomination materials to Paige Spangler in the Bureau of Educational Research in Rm. 38 Education Building. The deadline for receipt of nomination materials is Monday, March 30, 2009.

The College Research Committee will then undertake a thorough review and selection process and make recommendations to the Dean, who, in consultation with the College Executive Committee, will make the final selection of award winners.

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