Provost's Award for Excellence in Outreach & Engagement

The Provost’s Award for Excellence in Outreach and Engagement is given to honor instructional and administrative faculty members who have made a sustained commitment to working with the community in developing mutually beneficial and reciprocal partnerships. This award recognizes the scope and impact of the partnership and its impact on both the university and the community.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has acknowledged James Madison University’s community engagement efforts by approving the university to receive its Community Engagement Classification for 2010. This honor recognizes “the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities ... for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.” JMU joins 114 other institutions across the country in securing the prestigious classification, along with 196 others recognized in the 2006 and 2008 selection processes. 

Nominations for this award will be accepted from instructional and administrative faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members. Nominations should address the following criteria:

• To what extent does the nominee show a sustained commitment to developing mutually beneficial and reciprocal community partnerships?
• How were university and community needs/goals identified? Outcomes met? Provide evidence of sustained impact on the university and the community partners.
• To what extent does the partnership engage the community, deepen students’ engaged learning, and enrich the scholarship of the institution?

Nominations and any supporting materials can be submitted to Carol Fleming (fleminca@jmu.edu, or MSC 6906).  Nominations must be received by January 15, 2021.

Past Recipients

2019

Dr. Jennifer Almjeld
Associate Professor, Writing Rhetoric and Technical Communication

2018

Dr. Steve Cesawn
Associate Professor, Biology

2017

Dr. Kerry Cresawn
Director, Center for STEM Education and Outreach

2016

Dr. Emily Akerson
Associate Director of Clinical and Interprofessional Programs, IIHHS

2015

Dr. Seán McCarthy
Assistant Professor, Writing Rhetoric and Technical Communication

2014

Dr. Kim Hartzler-Weakley
Director, Office of Children & Youth

2013

Dr. Merle Mast
Professor, Nursing

2012

Dr. Nicholas Swartz
Political Science

2011

Dominic Swayne
Coordinator, External Relations

2010

Dr. Gary R. Kirk
Public Administration