The Jon and Kay Enslin Excellence Awards for Academic Staff honors two academic staff members each year, one from the instructional/teaching staff, for their contributions to the university. About the award The Jon and Kay Enslin Excellence Awards for Academic Staff fund was established in 2025 with a generous $25,000 lead gift from Katie and Eric Kuznacic. This endowed fund honors Jon and Kay Enslin for their lasting impact on UW-Whitewater and their mentorship, guidance, and example to generations of university colleagues. All nominees will be publicly announced and celebrated through university communication. The recipient of the award will also: <ul> <li>Receive a physical and monetary award</li> <li>Have their name and photograph displayed in the Andersen Library for one year</li> <li>Be recognized at university events</li> </ul> Eligibility and selection process There is an open call for nominations for the two Academic Staff awards. An individual, college, department, unit, or program may serve as the nominator for a candidate. Any individual nominated needs to meet the eligibility criteria listed below. The awards are limited to Academic Staff at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater who are employed 50% time or more, and who have not received the award in the past three years. Nominations The nomination materials may be presented in any form deemed appropriate by the nominator. Please limit nomination materials to five (5) pages or less (not including letters of recommendation). Up to three (3) letters of recommendations may be submitted with the nomination. If you are nominating someone, please be aware that it is appropriate and beneficial to contact the nominee for the most current and in-depth information. A complete application will include: <ol> <li>Information about the nominee: <ul> <li>Nominee's name</li> <li>Position/title</li> <li>Job description</li> <li>Years of service at UW-Whitewater</li> <li>Current department/unit</li> <li>Name of the nominator</li> </ul> </li> </ol> In addition to the above information listed, materials may include content that speaks to any or all of the following areas: <ol start="2"> <li>(For instructional staff) Explain why this individual's classroom/job performance merits consideration for this award. <ul> <li>Has the nominee edited their syllabi to reflect changes in their field and/or department assessment needs?</li> <li>Does the nominee create new assignments, modules, lecture/lab content from scratch, or modify/update their teaching materials?</li> <li>Has the nominee employed novel teaching techniques/innovations to encourage active and lifelong learning (i.e. innovative pedagogy, flipped classroom, think/pair/share, polling, etc.)?</li> <li>Does the nominee have teaching-related duties, such as serving as a coordinator for discussion/lab sections for multiple section courses?</li> <li>Does the nominee seek out additional pedagogical trainings such as CORE workshops or CATLST opportunities?</li> <li>Using student evaluation scores and informal feedback, can the nominee address their successes/failures in the classroom? How has the nominee employed student feedback to increase student learning, retention, and success?</li> <li>Does the nominee address department evaluations to /adjust teaching accordingly</li> </ul> </li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>What does this person do that is above and beyond the usual requirements of their position at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater? List any other information that you think may assist the selection committee in its deliberations regarding this individual. <ul> <li>Indicate contributions this individual has made through service on committees at the departmental, unit, college or university level.</li> <li>Indicate professional contributions this individual has made, such as leadership in professional organizations, publications, performances, advising student groups, assisting with student seminars, research, etc.</li> <li>List any professional awards earned by this individual.</li> <li>List contributions that this individual has made beyond the immediate job, including community and state service, charitable work, etc.</li> </ul> </li> </ol> Deadline: February 15 The Academic Staff Awards Committee reviews the received nominations and selects a recipient for each award. The committee consists of a minimum of four members, with at least two members from instructional/teaching staff. A member of the Academic Staff Assembly acts as the liaison/facilitator for the committee. Actions of the Awards Committee are presented to the Academic Staff Assembly for ratification. Please contact the Academic Staff Assembly Awards committee chair, <a href="https://wp.uww.edu/Search/PersonDetails/edwardsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ciera Edwards</a>, who can answer any questions.