Note: For the Call for Nominations for the 2009 Ralph E. Gomory Award for Quality Online Education, go here.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The Awards Selection Committee of the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) invites nominations for the Sloan-C 2009 awards for outstanding contributions to the field of online learning. The 2009 awards will be presented during the 15th Annual Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday, October 29, 2009. Individual awards consist of a commemorative plaque and a check for $2000; institutional awards consist of a commemorative plaque only. The award categories are:

Excellence in Online Teaching (Individual)
Most Outstanding Achievement in Online Learning (Individual)
Most Outstanding Online Teaching and Learning Program
Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Teaching
Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Teaching and Learning Programming

PROCEDURAL INFORMATION:

1. SUBMISSION AND DUE DATE - All nominations must be submitted by August 15, 2009. CLOSED

NOTE: Please review the submission form before preparing a nomination and note the word limit restrictions for the submission materials required. Also, please note that incomplete submissions will not be considered.

More information about past recipients of the Sloan-C Awards can be found at: http://www.sloanconsortium.org/aboutus/awards.asp

2. GENERAL INFORMATION - All nominations must include the following information: (1) award category; (2) complete contact information for organization or individual nominated (e.g., name, title, organization, address, phone, fax, e-mail); and (3) contact name and information for individual submitting the nomination. Nominations for individual awards must be made by an institutional representative other than the nominee, and each institution may only nominate one individual for each award.

3. ELIGIBILITY - Nominees for individual awards must be employed by a Sloan-C member institution. Program and institutional awards are also limited to Sloan-C member institutions and organizations. Although previous recipients of Sloan-C awards are eligible to be nominated again, it will be exceptional and unusual for an individual or institution to receive an award again in the same category.

4. DESCRIPTION OF AWARDS, REQUIRED MATERIALS, AND AWARDS CRITERIA

Excellence in Online Teaching

The purpose of this award is to recognize an outstanding individual who has creatively utilized the ALN approach to online learning. The recipient must have designed and taught one or more online courses with an imaginative approach, well-designed course materials and instructional strategies, and a demonstrated rapport with the course participants. The recipient must also document effectiveness in achieving desired learning outcomes in the online course(s).

The nomination should include the following supporting documentation:

• A general description of the online course(s) taught;
• Descriptions of the online teaching approaches utilized;
• Up to three examples of well-designed course materials which embody effective teaching strategies,
• Evidence of effectiveness in achieving desired learning outcomes in the online course(s) and demonstrated rapport with learners and other course participants; and
• Three to five letters of support, including letters from at least one student, one faculty colleague, and one administrator.

Award Criteria:
Imaginative Approach: The recipient has implemented a creative approach to one or more emerging instructional challenges.
Quality of Course Materials and Instructional Strategies: The recipient has created well-designed course materials and utilized appropriate instructional strategies.
Learner Satisfaction: The recipient has demonstrated rapport with learners as well as other course participants.
Effective Learning Outcomes: The recipient has demonstrated effectiveness in achieving desired learning outcomes in the online course(s).
Supporting Documentation: All required documentation is submitted.

Most Outstanding Achievement in Online Learning by an Individual

The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary achievements to the field of online learning. The recipient of this award should be known for scholarly research and writing, leadership activities, service, and/or contributions to advancing the field of online learning.

The nomination should include the following supporting documentation:

• The nominee's vita;
• A detailed description of his or her individual achievements related to online learning and how they fulfill the award criteria, and
• Three or more letters of support, including letters from at least one faculty colleague and one administrator.

Award Criteria:
Scholarly Research and Writing: The recipient has published work which has increased knowledge, and/or contributed to improving practice for the scholarly and/or practitioner communities within the field of online learning.
Leadership Activities: The recipient has led or participated in activities which demonstrate leadership in the field at the institutional, local, regional, national, and/or international level.
Service: The recipient has performed a significant number and variety of activities which demonstrate service to the field and its constituent community.
Contributions to Advancing the Field: The recipient has made additional contributions which have substantively contributing to the overall advancement of online learning.
Supporting Documentation: All required documentation is submitted.

Most Outstanding Online Teaching and Learning Program

The purpose of this award is to recognize an institution that offers the most outstanding individual online certificate, degree, or continuing education program. The ideal recipient of this award would be an educational program that has a proven record of excellence, as demonstrated by its success in providing expanded access, learning effectiveness, and high levels of student and faculty satisfaction, in a cost- effective manner.

The nomination should include the following supporting documentation:

• A detailed description of the program which summarizes the program and provides evidence of how the program meets the award criteria (see below);
• A URL and necessary passwords to access the program's Web site and sample courses (if passwords cannot be supplied due to security concerns, printed or electronically-submitted Web pages will be acceptable),
• Three or more letters of support, including letters from at least one student, one faculty member, and one administrator.

Award Criteria:
Access: The program has improved access to learning by expanding opportunities and/or reducing barriers.
Learning Effectiveness: The program demonstrates effectiveness in producing learning outcomes which are consistent with learner needs and representative of the distinctive quality of the institution.
Cost Effectiveness: The program is provided in a manner that is cost-effective for the institution and provides educational value for learners and other stakeholders.
Student Satisfaction: Learners who complete the program or substantial portion of it express satisfaction with their learning experience, including course rigor and fairness, instructor and peer interaction, and provision of support services.
Faculty Satisfaction: Faculty who teach in the program find the online teaching experience to be personally rewarding and professionally beneficial.
Supporting Documentation: All required documentation is submitted.

Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Teaching

The purpose of this award is to recognize an institution that has developed and delivered an outstanding program for faculty professional development in online teaching. The ideal recipient of this award would be an institution-wide program that has had a positive impact on a significant number of faculty, leading to these faculty teaching large numbers of high-quality online courses, while maintaining a high degree of faculty satisfaction.

The nomination should include the following supporting documentation:

• A detailed description of the faculty development program which summarizes the program structure and provides evidence of how the program meets the award criteria (see below).
• A URL and necessary passwords to access the program's Web site and sample courses, if any (if passwords cannot be supplied due to security concerns, printed or electronically-submitted Web pages will be acceptable).
• Faculty satisfaction survey results or other measure(s) of high degree of faculty satisfaction
• Three or more letters of support, including letters from at least one faculty member and one administrator.

Award Criteria:
Effectiveness: The program has led to faculty teaching large numbers of high-quality online courses
Scope of Impact: The program has been implemented institution-wide or within a significantly large segment of the institution.
Faculty Satisfaction: The program has maintained a high level of faculty satisfaction.
Supporting Documentation: All required documentation is submitted.

Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Teaching and Learning Programming

The purpose of this award is to recognize an organization that has designed and implemented an outstanding and comprehensive online learning curriculum. The ideal recipient would be an institution offering multiple regional or national online learning programs in diverse disciplines, including degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. The scope and scale of the online learning programs offered should be consistent with the scope and scale of the institution itself.

The nomination should include the following supporting documentation:

• A detailed description of the program which indicates its degree of comprehensiveness and provides evidence of how the program meets the award criteria (see below).
• The URL of the institution's Web site.
• Three or more letters of support, including letters from at least one student, one faculty member, and one administrator.

Award Criteria:
Scale and Scope of Offerings: The institution offers multiple online learning programs available on a regional or national scale in a proportion consistent with the institution’s scope and scale.
Diversity of Offerings: The institution offers a variety of programs in diverse disciplines which are representative of the institution’s total offerings.
Appropriateness of Offerings: The institution offers online learning programs at a variety of levels (degree, certificate, continuing education) that meet demonstrable needs.
Quality of Offerings: The institution demonstrates how its online learning offerings improve learning, access, faculty and student satisfaction in a cost-effective, affordable manner.
Supporting Documentation: All required documentation is submitted.

For additional information, please contact:

Prof. Burks Oakley II
Chair, Sloan-C Awards Selection Committee
E-mail: burks.oakley@sloanconsortium.org