General Education Award submissions now open!

Attention faculty,

This year the General Education Council is pleased to announce a call for several awards within the General Education Program. Please consider your colleagues for the following awards:

1. Provost Award for Excellence in General Education Teaching

2. General Education Award for Lifetime Achievement

3. General Education Award for Early Career Excellence

4. General Education Innovation Award

Nomination Process:

Nominations can be in the form of self-nominations, nominations of a colleague, departmental PAC/AUH nominations, or nominations by students. Please note, the nomination is a brief, informal email or letter that can either (a) identify a specific award from the list above, or (b) suggest that the nominee be considered for any award(s) for which the nominee may be eligible (formal letters of support are solicited later in the review process and are included in the nominee’s submission materials). Please address nominations to Dr. Meg Mulrooney, Assoc. Vice Provost, gened@jmu.edu, with subject line GE Award Nomination. Nominations will be accepted through Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Evaluation of nominees with span both Fall and Spring semesters.

Award eligibility:

Provost Award for Excellence in General Education Teaching

This award is open to tenured faculty, non-tenured faculty, adjunct faculty, and part-time faculty. To be eligible for the award, colleagues must have taught in GenEd at JMU for five or more years (not necessarily consecutive). They must also be teaching in GenEd at JMU during the Academic Year that they are nominated.

General Education Award for Lifetime Achievement

This award is open to tenured faculty, non-tenured faculty, adjunct faculty, and part-time faculty. To be eligible for the award, colleagues must have made substantial contributions to the General Education program for ten or more years. Contributions may be in teaching and/or service.

General Education Award for Early Career Excellence

This award is open non-tenured faculty, part-time faculty, adjunct faculty, and/or graduate students who have taught at JMU for fewer than five years and who are currently teaching in the GenEd program. To be eligible for the award, colleagues must be teaching in GenEd at JMU during the Academic Year that they are nominated.

General Education Innovation Award

The award is open to tenured faculty, non-tenured faculty, adjunct faculty, and part-time faculty. To be eligible for the award, colleagues must have taught in General Education at JMU for five or more years (not necessarily consecutive). The award is bestowed on faculty who take fresh approaches and apply novel high-impact teaching and learning practices, for example through large/small-class classes, study abroad, community-based engagement, integrative courses, and/or fostering a sense of community. Up to two General Education Innovation Awards per year may be bestowed.

Please take this opportunity to honor the excellent work of a fellow teacher!

Kethera Moore & John Scherpereel

GenEd Coordinators for the Sociocultural & Wellness Area and American & Global Perspectives

On behalf of the General Education Council