The College of Arts and Letters (CAL) is proud of the accomplishments and commitment of its faculty. Each year, in recognition of superlative achievement in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service, the College names a Carl Harter Distinguished Teacher, a Madison Scholar, and a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. The Distinguished Teacher in the College is recognized for exemplary commitment to teaching; the Madison Scholar is recognized for a record of outstanding scholarship, research, and/or creative work and its dissemination through publication, exhibition, performance, or other means; and the Distinguished Service Award recognizes superlative achievement in service.

Candidate Requirements

To be eligible for the Carl Harter Distinguished Teacher Award, the Madison Scholar Award, and the Distinguished Service Award, nominees must meet the following criteria:

• Currently teach undergraduates and/or graduate students,
• Currently have full-time (non-retired or non-emeritus) status,
• Have completed at least five years of service at JMU at the rank of assistant professor or above, and
• Have consistently received at least satisfactory ratings in scholarly activity and service (for Distinguished Teacher); teaching and service (for Madison Scholar); or teaching and scholarly activity (for Distinguished Service).
• Carl Harter Distinguished Teacher candidates may have never received the University Distinguished Teacher Award or the Carl Harter Distinguished Teacher Award.
• Previous Madison Scholars are not eligible for the Madison Scholar award.
• Previous Distinguished Service Award recipients are not eligible for the Distinguished Service Award.

The Process

The faculty of each department/school should determine a method for selecting up to three faculty members whom they identify as the best candidates for each award. The department/school’s PAC or merit committee, in consultation with the Academic Unit Head (AUH), will select the top candidate for each award from among the nominees.

Nomination Materials and Instructions

• The AUH or PAC Chair will write a letter of nomination to the CAL Research, Awards, and Development (RAD) Committee describing the accomplishments and qualifications of the nominee. The nominating letter should address specific contributions the candidate has made to the department/school, college, and/or university, and should confirm that the nominee has consistently received at least satisfactory ratings in scholarly activity and service.
• The AUH will invite letters of recommendation from a maximum of two former students. Selection of the students should be done in consultation with the nominee. The letters should be addressed to the Research, Awards, and Development Committee. The AUH should forward the letters with the other nomination materials.
• Nominees will provide a c.v.
• Nominees will provide a brief statement that describes their teaching philosophy.
• Nomination materials should be sent as a pdf e-mail attachment to Ms. Laura Wisman wismanlb@jmu.edu by 5:00pm Monday, September 29, 2025.
• Each department/school may nominate one person for this award.

Review

• The RAD Committee will review the nominations and select the award recipient.
• Nominees for the Carl Harter Distinguished Teacher Award may be observed in their classrooms by members of the committee and/or interviewed by the committee. If the committee decides to hold interviews with finalists, the questions will be related to teaching philosophy and practice.
• Evaluation criteria include teaching practice, delivery, and assessment (including factors such as innovation and creativity, traditional teaching practices, rigor, and flexibility and remediation) and teaching impact (on students, programs, the broader community, and/or the field of study).

Award

The faculty member selected as the Carl Harter Distinguished Teacher will be notified by the Dean at the end of the fall 2025 semester. Formal recognition will occur in the spring at the Madison Day Celebration and at the CAL opening meeting. The recipient will receive a $2,500 honorarium.

Nomination Materials and Instructions

• The AUH or PAC Chair will write a letter of nomination to the Research, Awards, and Development Committee describing the accomplishments and qualifications of the nominee. The nominating letter should address the significance of the nominee’s scholarship/creative work within the discipline and should confirm that the nominee has consistently received at least satisfactory ratings in teaching and service.
• The AUH will invite letters of recommendation from a maximum of two reviewers outside of JMU. The selection of reviewers should be done in consultation with the nominee. The letters should address the quality of the scholarship/creative work as well as the nominee’s reputation in the discipline.
• Nominees will provide a c.v.
• Nominees will provide one example of their scholarship or creative work. Contact the Chair of the committee if you have questions about format.
• Nominees will provide a brief statement (no more than three pages) that situates their scholarship and/or creative work within the field of study.
• Nomination materials should be sent as a pdf e-mail attachment to Ms. Laura Wisman wismanlb@jmu.edu by 5:00pm Monday, September 29, 2025.
• Each department/school may nominate one person for this award.

Review

• The Research, Awards, and Development Committee will review the nominations and select the award recipient.
• Members of the committee may interview nominees.
• Committee members will look at the quantity, quality, and impact of scholarly/creative outputs. In terms of quantity, nominees should demonstrate a sustained scholarly record that exceeds departmental standards for tenure and promotion. Regarding quality, nominees should demonstrate that their work appears in prestigious venues (e.g., highly regarded outlets that accept work only after rigorous peer review). Receipt of competitive grants or disciplinary awards can also serve as evidence of quality. Impact is evaluated by the influence of nominees’ scholarship in the field of study and beyond.

Award

The faculty member selected as the Madison Scholar will be notified by the Dean at the end of the fall 2025 semester. Formal recognition will occur in the spring at the Madison Day Celebration and at the CAL opening meeting. The recipient will receive a $2,500 honorarium and an invitation to present their scholarship to the university community during the fall 2026 semester.

Nomination Materials and Instructions

• The AUH or PAC Chair will write a letter of nomination to the Research, Awards, and Development Committee describing the accomplishments and qualifications of the nominee. The nominating letter should address specific service contributions the candidate has made to the department/school, college, university, community, and/or profession and should confirm that the nominee has consistently received at least satisfactory ratings in scholarly activity and teaching. Nominated individuals should demonstrate depth, breadth, and impact of outstanding service at the department, college/university, community, and/or disciplinary level and should have taken on a variety of roles and responsibilities including leadership positions at these various levels.
• The AUH will invite a maximum of two additional letters of recommendation highlighting the candidate’s depth, breadth, and impact of service. The AUH should forward the letters with the other nomination materials.
• Nominees will provide a c.v.
• Nominees will provide a brief statement that describes their service contributions and impact.
• Nomination materials should be sent as a pdf e-mail attachment to Ms. Laura Wisman wismanlb@jmu.edu by 5:00pm Monday, September 29, 2025.
• Each department/school may nominate one person for this award.

Review

• The Research, Awards, and Development Committee will review the nominations and select the award recipient.
• Members of the committee may interview nominees.
• Evaluation criteria include the depth, breadth, and impact of service activities at the departmental, college/university, and/or community/disciplinary levels.

Award

The faculty member selected for the Distinguished Service Award will be notified by the Dean at the end of the fall 2025 semester. Formal recognition will occur in the spring at the Madison Day Celebration and at the CAL opening meeting. The recipient will receive a $2,500 honorarium.