Joe and Bettie Branson Ward Endowed Excellence Award

About the Award

Granted once every three years by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, this award recognizes the belief that education involves positive change and is the aggregate of all processes by means of which a person, or groups of people, develop abilities, attitudes and other forms of behavior of positive value to the society in which they participate.

About the Namesake

Joe and Bettie Branson Ward were longtime Texans, lifelong Longhorns and active members of their communities. They first met at The University of Texas at Austin and spent much of their lives giving back to UT Austin, UT San Antonio and the UT System.

Learn More About the Wards and Their Legacies

Deadline

Nominations open Monday, January 6, 2025, and close Monday, March 17, 2025, at 9 a.m. Central.

Purpose

The purpose of this award is to recognize instructors whose teaching and research models and develops student’s abilities, attitudes and behaviors to participate in and bring about societal change.

Number of Nominations

No limit

Nominee Qualifications

This award is made every three years (next award to be given 2025). All areas of intellectual activities are within the scope of the award, and any administrative unit of The University of Texas at Austin may submit as many faculty nominations as it chooses. Nominees must be current faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin.

Eligible nominees must be in good standing with the University.

Nomination Materials Required

Nomination packets should be saved and submitted using the following format: “Faculty First & Last Name, College/School, Year.pdf”. Nomination packets for this award will be limited to 10 pages total, excluding the course syllabus, for each award and should include the following sections:

Section A: A cover page and evidence of minimal eligibility requirements met (1 page)

• Nominee’s name, job title and EID
• Department and college/school
• Contact information

Section B: Candidate statement (2 pages)

The candidate’s statement should address the following prompt:

• In your opening paragraph, share your story and summarize why you feel you are a candidate for this award.
• Through your teaching and research, how do you model and develop for your students the abilities, attitudes and behaviors which contribute to positive societal change? Supporting evidence should include:
  • Course learning outcomes, particularly in terms of student behaviors and attitudes, which advance the goals of this award
  • Pedagogical approaches that develop students’ awareness of, and attitudes toward, the needs of their communities or society
  • University and/or community service
  • Impacts on students and society

Section C: Supporting materials (max 6 pages)

In this section, applicants should include:

• Student feedback (max 1 page)
  • Candidates should include one page of student comments that highlight the instructor’s impact on their attitudes and behaviors that contribute to positive societal change. They can be from CES or other solicited or unsolicited sources, with each comment clearly labeled by its source.
• Brief/condensed CV that includes the following sections (max 2 pages):
  • Courses taught
  • Teaching-related service and research
  • Advising and mentorship
  • Teaching awards/honors
• Two letters of support (max 1 page each)
  • Supporters are encouraged to write letters that highlight how the candidate has nurtured the development of student skills, attitudes and behaviors that benefit society. Each supporter should also explain their connection to the candidate’s societal involvement as it pertains to this award.
  • Letters may be written by faculty colleagues, students, community partners or other people directly impacted by your teaching.
• Optional: Multimedia addendum (up to 1 page)
  • Candidates may include up to 10 minutes of multimedia, digital and other forms of content that provide additional evidence not otherwise represented. All links and provided information should be included on one page.

Section D: Course syllabus (does not contribute to page limit)

• Please provide the syllabus for one of the instructor’s courses that clearly outlines the learning outcomes related to the attitudes students are expected to develop. See the Student Learning Outcomes Visual Guide for more information.

See the Faculty Awards FAQ page for more information about eligibility and submission instructions. For support creating nomination packages, please contact the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Award Amount

A cash honorarium of $6,000* is awarded.

*Amount of honorarium varies depending on endowment income