Provost’s Distinguished Leadership Service Academy

Nominees must demonstrate evidence of an extraordinary commitment to service and mentoring. In addition, nominees must have excelled in their entire portfolio of professional contributions as a faculty member (i.e., in scholarship and teaching for tenured faculty, and in teaching – if relevant – and additional contributions to the academic enterprise for professional-track faculty).

The following eligibility rules apply:

• Tenure-track assistant professors are not eligible.
• Professional-track faculty are not eligible in the lowest rank of their respective title series (e.g., lecturer and assistant professor ranks).
• Tenured faculty must have already worked full-time at UT for at least three full academic years in a rank higher than the tenure-track assistant professor rank. This means that a faculty member is eligible to apply who was appointed as a tenured associate and/or full professor effective no later than September 1st of the 2020-21 academic year.
• Professional-track (professional-track) faculty must have already worked at UT for at least three years in a rank higher than the lowest professional-track rank. This means that a professional-track faculty member is eligible to apply who has been appointed in any of the following title series and ranks: senior (or distinguished senior) lecturer, associate (or full) professor of instruction or practice or research, or clinical associate (or full) professor effective no later than September 1st of the 2020-21 academic year.

Nominations must be received by the application deadline (see below). Self-nominations are encouraged. In addition, any member of the university community may nominate an individual who satisfies the eligibility requirements, although the nomination deadline for nominating a candidate is earlier to allow time for the nominee to prepare and submit their nomination package.

The DLSA Nomination and Application Process takes place in two phases, including:

1. In the first phase (the nomination phase), all applicants must submit a
   • three-page personal statement (see more detail below),
   • a curriculum vitae, and
   •  the names and email addresses of two individuals who have agreed to write letters of support on behalf of the candidate, subject to the candidate’s selection to the second phase of the nomination process.
2. In the second phase (the finalist phase), two letters of support (each no longer than three pages in length) will be requested by each nominee selected as a finalist by the DLSA Selection Committee. Each letter of support can be written by any of the following:
   • faculty colleagues (no more than one colleague external to UT Austin),
   • a UT Austin administrator (e.g., department chair, dean, etc.), and/or
   • a student (although no more than one student letter will be permitted per candidate).

For the nomination phase, the following application materials should be uploaded and submitted:

• A single PDF including:
  • A three-page personal statement from the candidate that
    • highlights the candidate’s extraordinary commitment to service and mentoring as demonstrated by their leadership and accomplishments,
    • demonstrates excellence across the candidate’s portfolio of other work including (research and teaching for tenured faculty; teaching – if relevant – and additional contributions to the academic enterprise for professional-track faculty),
    • provides the candidate’s service and mentoring philosophy, including
    • service and mentoring contributions to the candidate’s students, department, college / school, University, and beyond,
    • shares the candidate’s ideas for how they will contribute to the goals of the Distinguished Leadership Service Academy.
  • A curriculum vitae
  • The email addresses for the candidate’s two letters of support. Note that the candidate should first confirm that each letter-writer is willing to submit their letters by April 19^th if the letters are requested (by April 1^st).

The nomination portal will be live on Wednesday, February 28th.

For the finalist phase:

• Submitting the candidates’ letters of support. If the candidate is selected as a finalist, then referees (being asked to write the letters of support) will be notified via email by April 1^st, 2024. The notification will include directions to upload and submit their letter of support on the candidate’s behalf by the April 19^th, 2024 deadline. If the candidate is not selected for the second round of nominations, the referees will not be contacted.
  • Letters of support may be written by: faculty colleagues (no more than one colleague external to UT Austin), university administrators (e.g., department chair, dean), or student (no more than one student letter per candidate).
  • Each letter should not be longer than three pages.
  • Directions for uploading and submitting letters on the candidate’s behalf will be included in the email notification to referees.

In their application materials, each candidate must submit the names and email addresses for two referees who have agreed to write letters of support. Eligible referees may include any of the following with restrictions noted:

• Faculty colleague
  • Including no more than one faculty colleague from an institution external to UT Austin,
• University administrator (e.g., department chair, dean, etc.), and/or a
• Student
  • With no more than one student letter allowed per candidate.
• Note that a member of the DLSA review committee may not serve as a referee for an applicant

The request to submit letters for candidates who are selected as finalists will be received by referees no later than Monday, April 1^st.

The deadline for submission of the referee’s letters will be noon CST, on Friday, April 19^th.

Referee letters should

• not be longer than three pages in length,
• not advocate for the candidate, and
• should offer critical evidence and context supporting the candidate’s excellence in terms of their contributions and leadership with respect to service and mentoring.
• The letter should also briefly substantiate the candidate’s excellence with respect to their other professional areas of specialization (including research and teaching for tenured faculty and teaching and additional contributions to the academic enterprise for professional-track faculty).

Each faculty member appointed to the Distinguished Leadership Service Academy will receive a one-time stipend of $25,000. The stipend will not be considered a part of the faculty member’s annual salary compensation.

Members of the Distinguished Leadership Service Academy will sponsor at least one workshop or panel session per academic year and offer a series of one-on-one mentoring sessions throughout the year. DLSA members are expected to contribute to and participate in these activities.

The review committee includes the following faculty members:

• Eddie Blackwell, Senior Global Director of Snowflake, Inc., Texas Ex
• Patricia García, Associate Professor of Instruction, College of Liberal Arts
• Diane Ginsburg, Clinical Professor, College of Pharmacy, DLSA member
• Lori Holleran Steiker, Professor, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, DLSA and ADT member
• Jen Moon, Professor of Instruction, College of Natural Sciences, DLSA member
• Veronica Vargas Stidvent, Executive Director, the Center for Women in Law, UT School of Law, Texas Ex
• Sean Theriault, Professor, College of Liberal Arts, ADT Member