The Distinguished Faculty Award is the highest academic honor bestowed by Mesa Community College Faculty Senate.  It recognizes full-time faculty members for exemplary teaching as well as outstanding service to the college, community, and profession. Any MCC faculty, staff member, or student may nominate an eligible faculty member.  Faculty may NOT self-nominate.

Nomination Process

Any MCC faculty or staff member or student may nominate an eligible  person. Faculty may NOT self-nominate.  Nominations must consist of:

1. A complete nomination form detailing specific examples of excellence in teaching and mentoring, i.e., teaching responsibilities manifests of distinguished teaching, innovations, publications, and special awards. Download the DFA Nomination Form above. Nomination forms will also be available in the Center for Teaching and Learning office on the Southern and Dobson Campus and the Instructional Support Office on the Red Mountain Campus.
2. A separate statement of no more than three pages describing why this person deserves to be considered for the Distinguished Faculty Award.  The statement should cite specific examples of relevant activities, publications and recognition.

Note that all of these requisites can be filled without consulting the candidate.  It is the intention of the MCC Faculty Senate that nominations be made confidentially and that the candidate, in particular, not be notified of his or her nomination.  While this intention may not be realizable in every instance, the Committee wishes to minimize the number of candidates who spend nearly a whole academic year in anticipation of an award that may not be conferred.

Nomination Criteria

1. The nominee for the Distinguished Faculty Award must:

2. Be a member of the Faculty Association.
3. Hold an appointive status (six or more years of full-time employment at MCC).
4. Be actively teaching for at least one semester of the academic year in which the nominee is applying.
5. Be an MCC employee at the time of the Fall Convocation.
6. Not have received the Distinguished Faculty Award during the previous five years.

If a nominee will be away on leave or sabbatical for spring semester following their nomination, the nomination should be postponed until such time as the nominee is in residence.

Your MCC Faculty Senate