Distinguished Faculty Scholars are tenured professors whose body of scholarship and current level of scholarly activity warrant distinction within the university community. The Center for Excellence in Scholarship and Research (CESR) and the Faculty Research Committee select up to three Distinguished Faculty Scholars annually. Once named a Distinguished Faculty Scholar, recipients maintain the distinction for the remainder of their tenure at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Distinguished Faculty Scholars are recognized on the University website and at an annual research colloquium, at which new Distinguished Scholars are named and a select number of current Distinguished Scholars present their scholarship.
Each recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award will receive a recognition plaque and $5,000 for research support and/or professional development.
Award winners will be announced in April of each year and nominees and recipients will be honored at an annual luncheon. In addition, each recipient may be invited to present a lecture, exhibition, or performance for the University community. These will typically be scheduled for the fall semester following the Award.
Eligibility
Nominees must be full–time, tenured faculty members who hold the rank of professor.
Nominees must have at least eight academic years of service at Minnesota State Mankato prior to being nominated for the Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award.
At a minimum, nominees must have national reputations in their fields. Where appropriate, they should have international reputations.
No individual may receive the award more than once. However, recipients will maintain all the rights and privileges associated with the Award for the duration of their tenure on the Minnesota State Mankato faculty.
Nominees who are not selected in their initial year of application may request that their applications remain under consideration for up to two additional years. During this time, applicants may update their materials to reflect recent scholarly accomplishments but need not submit new nomination or reference letters.
Selection Process and Criteria
The Faculty Research Committee will review nomination materials and select up to three Distinguished Faculty Scholars per year.
The Awards will be based on outstanding professional achievements. The achievements may be artistic, historical, literary, philosophical, scientific, or technical.
Wide recognition by the academic community beyond Minnesota State Mankato is essential.
The Award will usually be based on a body of achievement rather than a particular piece of research, creative work, or other achievement.
A substantial part of the achievement must have been accomplished as a faculty member of Minnesota State Mankato.
Selection criteria in order of importance to the committee:
Quality of the nominee's scholarly or creative achievements, with emphasis on originality, imagination, and innovation.
Impact on the nominee's discipline or field of study.
National and international scholarly reputation.
Contribution to undergraduate and/or graduate education.
Contributions to the university, profession, and wider community.
