Provost Award for Excellence in Part-Time Teaching

The JMU Office of the Provost and the Office of Faculty Success are pleased to announce the annual Provost Award for Excellence in Part-Time Teaching. Part-time instructors are valuable members of the JMU community and this $1,000 honorarium recognizes two JMU part-time faculty members or teaching teams for significant contributions to teaching and learning at the undergraduate and/or graduate level.

Eligibility

The following eligibility requirements must each be met

Eligible candidates may be from any discipline but must have part-time status. Part-time faculty members are those who have the classification of “part-time instructor” or those “Administrative and Professional (A&P) Faculty” with instructional responsibilities (Faculty Handbook). Nominees or nominators can verify a nominee’s status with Human Resources.
Nominees must have taught at JMU for a minimum of two semesters, with at least one of these semesters occurring during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Self-nominations are not permitted.
Several nominations from the same department or college are permitted, but must be submitted separately.
This is a three part submission process.
1. The nominator submits the nominee information by November 27, 2026.
2. Faculty Success will email the nominee the first week in December with a link to submit the requested material noted below.
3. The nominee submits their material by January 29, 2027

Nominations - Instructions for the Nominator

The nomination period is open until November 27, 2026.

Complete the Nomination Form at the link below. The following information will be collected through the form.

Nominator Information: Name, phone, JMU email, role, college, and department.
Nominee Information: Adjunct/part-time faculty name, title, JMU email, college, and department.
Upload copies of the following nominee support material.
- Compose a nominee letter of support. The nominator must address the nominee’s strengths in the area of teaching, impact on student learning, and contributions to undergraduate and/or graduate education at JMU (maximum of 3 pages, 12 pt, Times New Roman, double spaced, 1-inch margins).
- Obtain an endorsement e-mail (save as a PDF) from the nominee’s academic unit head (AUH) that includes the following message:
  - “I support the nomination of ______________________________ for the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Part-Time Teaching.
  - Name: __________
  - Title: ___________”

Nomination Form

NOTE

Students who plan to nominate a faculty member should contact Denise Cooper with the Office of Faculty Success (Rose 5100, cooperdm@jmu.edu) by Friday, November 19, 2026.
Other nominators are also encouraged to contact Denise Cooper by early November if you have questions.

Nominee's Responsibility and Instructions

The nominee submission period is open until January 29, 2026.

Complete the Nominee Form at the link below. The following information will be collected through the form.

Nominator Information (Person who nominated you): Name, phone, JMU email, role, college, department, and the survey date (if student: their major and academic year).
Nominee Information (Your information): Adjunct/part-time faculty name, title, JMU email, college, and department.
Upload copies of the following support material.
- Obtain a student's letter of support. A JMU student must address the nominee’s strengths in the area of teaching, impact on student learning, and contributions to undergraduate and/or graduate education at JMU (maximum of 3 pages, 12 pt, Times New Roman, double spaced, 1-inch margins).
- Obtain a copy of the your Curriculum Vita.
- Obtain a list of all courses taught at JMU, including the course number, full course name, semester, and year(s).
- Obtain a summary of end-of-course evaluation data for EACH course taught in the two most recent consecutive semesters for the nominee. For example, if an instructor only teaches in the spring semester, that nominee would present evaluation data from the two most recent spring semesters (spring '24 and '25).

Nominee Form

NOTE: If you have questions, please should contact Denise Cooper with the Office of Faculty Success (Rose 5100, facultysuccess@jmu.edu).

Evaluation Criteria

Nominations will be reviewed for teaching excellence, impact on student learning, and commitment to undergraduate and/or graduate education at JMU.

Review Process

The selection committee will be composed of one representative from the Office of Faculty Success, two full-time faculty members, and three part-time faculty members. The selection committee will review application materials for evidence of exceptional teaching, impact on student learning, and a commitment to undergraduate and/or graduate education at JMU.

The committee will make a recommendation to the Provost by February 26 and the award recipient will be formally notified by the Provost’s office.