Graduate Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentoring of Graduate Students

The Graduate Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentoring of Graduate Students recognizes outstanding mentoring of graduate students by members of the OU Graduate Faculty.

Award winners receive a one-time award of $2,000 and a framed certificate. .

Nominations are due to the Graduate College by November 30, 2022 through the online application form.

CRITERIA

Recognize outstanding mentoring of graduate students by members of the OU Graduate Faculty.

NOMINATION PROCEDURES

Initiation

Each fall, the Graduate College will solicit nominations. Nominations may be submitted by department chairs or unit directors, elected members of departmental/unit Committee A, a department’s/unit's approved nomination committee, Center leaders, or a group of faculty who are familiar with the nominee's qualifications for the award. The nominating entity will be responsible for assembling the nomination packet, including supporting documentation.

The nomination materials should be written to be accessible to those unfamiliar with the specific disciplinary field. Nomination materials should address and provide specific examples of at least five of the following.

How does the mentor establish a collegial and respectful research and creative activity environment where students can flourish?
How does the mentor establish expectations and communicate those to students?
How does the mentor support the student's growth through training opportunities, professional development, and socialization within the discipline?
How does the mentor exhibit exceptional mentoring beyond the boundaries of the direction of the thesis or dissertation research?
How does the mentor provide timely feedback that includes both praise and constructive feedback?
How does the mentor take an adaptive mentoring approach to meet the differing needs of students?
How does the mentor approach career diversity and support students with career aspirations outside the academy?
How does the mentor respect the student's whole identity and the need/importance of activities outside of research and creative activity that benefit the student's overall wellbeing and productivity?

Eligibility

Members of the OU graduate faculty with authority to chair master's thesis and doctoral committees; however, faculty need not be explicitly nominated for their role as a thesis or doctoral committee chair.
In their faculty position at OU at least four years.

Nomination Materials

Graduate College online application form. The following are limited to 3 pages each (1-inch margins, 11 pt font):

Nomination letter highlighting the faculty member's mentoring efforts/activities
Mentoring statement from the nominated faculty member that provides concrete evidence of mentoring activities
Letters of support from at least two current and/or former OU graduate students (letters of support should be uploaded in a single file)
All students writing letters must have been mentored during the faculty member's time at OU

CV tailored to highlight activities related to graduate mentoring, education, and engagement

Selection Procedures

The Graduate Dean will constitute an ad hoc committee to review nominations and recommend an award recipient. The committee will be composed of faculty recognized for mentoring and engagement in enhancing the graduate student experience at OU. The committee will forward its recommendation(s) and all substantiating materials to the Graduate Dean by March 1. The Graduate Dean will make the final decision and deliver it to the provost's office.

Announcement and Perquisites

There will be one $2000 award and a framed certificate. Winners will be announced at the annual Faculty Awards and Honors ceremony in Norman.

Contact

This award is hosted by the Graduate College. For questions about this award, please contact Liz Karr (lizkarr@ou.edu).