May 28, 2025

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s newly-formed Faculty Recognition Council is seeking nominations for outstanding members of the faculty and staff to honor.  This award was created as a result of a faculty survey conducted last fall.  The first honorees will be announced during the Fall Faculty Institute. The deadline to submit nominations is July 18.

The Faculty Recognition Council was formed in March and charged by the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Senate with recognizing work, service, teaching and other exemplary achievements and contributions of faculty and staff in the NSU community.

Nominations can be submitted by using the QR code below or by visiting https://forms.microsoft.com/r/HruAzbChkK.

The first nominations will be faculty and staff from the College of Arts and Sciences.  Anyone from any college, department or discipline can submit a nomination at any time in advance of when their college comes up for recognition.  Self-nominations are accepted. Faculty of all ranks, including adjuncts, and staff from all campuses are eligible.

“Our NSU faculty and staff work tirelessly as teachers, advisors, and mentors while also pursuing their own scholarly, creative, and professional work. The FRC takes on the important, complex, and necessary task of shining light on this work,” according to the Council’s mission statement.

The mission statement continues as follows.

“The FRC is committed to fair and unbiased recognition of individuals across campuses, colleges, departments and disciplines. The Council is dedicated to regularly revisiting any/all award procedures and criteria to ensure that faculty and staff, across all campuses and disciplines, feel recognized, acknowledged, and valued.

“The FRC seeks year-round nominations for recognition via a reporting form made available to the entire NSU community. Individual faculty and staff members may self-nominate/report their own activity via this form, and/or nominate colleagues. Students will also be able to share information about faculty and/or staff they would like to nominate for recognition. The FRC will partner with other offices at the University when appropriate to publicize recognition through a series of recurring awards.

“The FRC hopes to grow its list of ways for faculty and staff to be recognized. Launching in Fall 2025, the council will offer the following means of recognition, to rotate monthly by college: spotlights in each of the areas of Teaching, Research/Creative Activity and Service; an Above and Beyond Award and a Student Shout Out, nominations for which will come from current and/or recent NSU students.

“The activities and achievements the FRC seeks to recognize include but are not limited to the following:

  • Advising of students and/or organizations
  • Artistic production
  • Classroom/Course innovation
  • Conference presentations
  • Creative programming
  • Grants
  • Program/Course creation
  • Publications
  • Service work for professional organizations

“Nominations will be discussed and voted on by the FRC and a separate elected committee prior to selecting awardees. Committee membership will include individuals from all colleges and campuses.

“Everyone is welcome to submit their accomplishments for recognition. The FRC encourages nominations of all faculty and staff regardless of rank, classification, and other factors.”

The Council currently includes Daniel Gordy, Emily Hunt Horton, Debbie Huntington (co-chair), James MacDonald, Rebecca Macijeski (co-chair) and Will Sawyer.

For more information on the Faculty Recognition Council, contact co-chairs Huntington at huntingtond@nsula.edu or Macijeski at macijeskir@nsula.edu.