Award Nominations

Award Nominations have been received. Click here to find out who won.

The Gulf-South Summit is proud to present five awards recognizing the hard work and dedication of outstanding people and programs in the field of service-learning and civic engagement in higher education. Please take the time to think of those especially dedicated and competent colleagues you have working around you and nominate one or more for a coveted Gulf-South Summit Award!

Outstanding Practitioner Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education

The Gulf-South Summit Award for Outstanding Practitioner Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education will be given to a practitioner (faculty member, staff member, or administrator with responsibility for administration and/or coordination of service-learning activities) who has demonstrated excellence in creating, providing and sustaining opportunities for engaging college/university students in service-learning.

Evaluation criteria are as follows:

• Advancement of a culture of engagement within his or her institution
• Promotion of a scholarship of engagement among his or her colleagues
• Demonstrated leadership in the field of civic engagement
• Advancement of the principles of effective practice
• Demonstration of program growth and sustainability over time

The award recipient will receive a plaque in recognition of his or her accomplishments in addition to a monetary award of $500.

Outstanding Community Partner Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education

The Gulf-South Summit Award for Outstanding Community Partner Contributions to Service-Learning will be given to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in creating and sustaining opportunities for engaging college/university students in service-learning. This individual should have collaborated with a service-learning program for more than one year in order to be nominated.

Evaluation criteria are as follows:

• Evidence of having an active voice in the planning and implementation of service-learning
• Evidence of benefits to students
• Demonstration of effort in sustaining the collaboration over time

The award recipient will receive a plaque in recognition of his or her accomplishments in addition to a monetary award of $500.

Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning Instruction in Higher Education

The Gulf-South Summit Award for Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning Instruction will be given to a member of the teaching faculty who has demonstrated excellence incorporating service-learning pedagogy in the college/university classroom.

Evaluation criteria are as follows:

• Demonstration of engaged teaching methodologies
• Evidence of benefits to students
• Evidence of collaboration with community partners and/or service beneficiaries in course design
• Demonstration of sustained commitment by incorporating service-learning consistently for at least three academic terms

The award recipient will receive a plaque in recognition of his or her accomplishments in addition to a monetary award of $500.

Outstanding Student Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education

The Gulf-South Summit Award for Outstanding Student Contributions to Service-Learning will be given to a full or part-time undergraduate student who has demonstrated extraordinary public or community service efforts while attending an institution of higher education.

Evaluation criteria are as follows:

• Evidence of the effects of his/her service-learning participation on the community
• Evidence of the effects of service-learning participation on his or her academic learning, civic commitment, community awareness and personal development
• Evidence of how service-learning efforts have furthered the mission of his/her institution
• Demonstrated innovative and sustained work to address an issue in the community

The award recipient will receive a plaque in recognition of his or her accomplishments in addition to a monetary award of $500.

Outstanding Service-Learning Collaboration in Higher Education

The Gulf-South Summit Award for Outstanding Service-Learning Collaboration will be given to a team of practitioners, faculty and community partners who have demonstrated success in achieving a mutually beneficial collaboration that has successfully addressed a genuine community need.

• Evidence of a formalized relationship between community organizations and a college/university. This may include a copy of a Memorandum of Understanding or a Letter of Partnership outlining the commitments of each stakeholder.
• Evidence of beneficial effects of the collaboration on local concerns
• Indication of how the collaboration advanced objectives of engaged scholarship in the college or university
• Evidence that the collaboration has been sustained for at least three years

The award recipients will each receive a plaque in recognition of their accomplishments, and the community partner organization will receive a $500 monetary contribution.

If you have any questions about the Awards nomination process please contact:

Kristin Harper, Awards Chair
Gulf South Summit Executive Committee
Director, Bunting Center for Engaged Study and Community Action
Birmingham-Southern College
(205) 226-4720
kharper@bsc.edu

Last Updated: February 5, 2014