Outstanding Faculty Mentor Recognition

Description:  To assist the Office for Faculty Affairs with promoting excellence in mentoring and recognizing outstanding faculty mentors, we encourage non-tenure track, pre-tenure, and mid-career faculty members on our campus to consider acknowledging their faculty mentors.

Outstanding mentors assist their mentees with building excellence in teaching, research, and/or service while encouraging a healthy balance of work and home life. They cultivate faculty career advancement and belonging.  Outstanding mentors assist mentees in building their professional networks, advocate for their mentees, and create avenues for mentee recognition. They demonstrate commitment to fostering mentees' professional development and promote mutually beneficial mentoring relationships.

Who Can Nominate: Any faculty member currently associated with the University of Arkansas may nominate someone to be recognized as an outstanding mentor.  Self-nominations will not be accepted. 

Eligibility to be Nominated: A full-time non-tenure track or tenure-track faculty at the advanced rank (Associate or Professor rank) whose roles do not involve the expectation to mentor faculty (e.g., department chairs/heads) will be given priority.  Retired faculty members are eligible to be nominated.

Nomination: In a few sentences, please describe the nominee’s sustained and exceptional involvement in mentorship activities described above that resulted in your scholarly and professional growth, evidenced by your success at the university, professional societies, and/or at the national/international arena (limit to 300 words). 

Recognition Process: Upon nominating an outstanding faculty mentor for recognition, the faculty nominator will receive a confirmation acknowledging that the nomination has been received.  The nominee will receive a copy of the nomination. The Office for the Faculty Affairs Advisory Committee will select individuals to be featured on the Office’s website.  Selected nominees will also receive a letter of recognition from the provost and will be recognized during the annual Faculty Appreciation Week. 

Timeline: The Office for Faculty Affairs accepts nominations continuously. However, the annual recognition process concludes at 5:00 p.m. on March 1, 2025.   The Faculty Affairs Advisory Committee will select the winners of the Outstanding Mentor Awards for a given academic year.