Dual Enrollment Adjunct Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award

The Dual Enrollment Adjunct Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, established in 2025, is a faculty-administered award designed to honor an outstanding adjunct instructor who teaches Dual Enrollment courses for Jacksonville State University.

This award recognizes a Dual Enrollment adjunct instructor who demonstrates exceptional dedication to student learning, mentorship, and academic quality in JSU’s dual enrollment program. Dual Enrollment instructors serve as vital academic ambassadors, bridging high school and university learning environments while upholding JSU’s academic standards and mission. This award seeks to honor an instructor who exemplifies excellence through innovative pedagogy, strong student engagement, and meaningful collaboration with both JSU faculty and high school partners. These instructors exemplify excellence by maintaining the academic rigor and integrity of JSU’s curriculum, ensuring that Dual Enrollment courses reflect the same expectations and learning outcomes as those taught on campus. Additionally, the award recognizes instructors who actively support student recruitment into JSU’s Dual Enrollment program and encourage students to continue their education at Jacksonville State University following high school graduation.

The recipient of this award will receive a framed certificate and a $1,000 honorarium in recognition of this accomplishment.

Criteria and Eligibility

*Although there are no absolute criteria as to what constitutes Dual Enrollment adjunct faculty excellence in teaching, the following is a suggested list of criteria expected to be exhibited by an Adjunct awardee. 

  • Dual Enrollment faculty member who has taught both Fall and Spring semesters during the 2024-2025 Academic Year.
  • Evidence of teaching excellence beyond the classroom through innovative pedagogical methods
  • Evidence of effective teaching and student engagement through student evaluations, faculty liaison observations, and Dual Enrollment program evaluations
  • Evidence of high teaching standards and recognition for support of a program by full-time faculty, faculty liaisons, and department chairs
  • Evidence of collaboration with JSU departments, faculty liaisons, and high school administrators to ensure alignment with JSU course standards and academic rigor.
  • Evidence of mentorship or outreach that encourages students to take JSU Dual Enrollment courses and pursue higher education at Jacksonville State University.
  • An awardee is ineligible to receive the same award again for three years but remains eligible for other awards during that time.

Nomination Procedures

A selection committee composed of a representative from the JSU Dual Enrollment academic program and members of the Faculty Honors and Grants Committee, representing each academic college and Library Services, will review nomination packets.

Nominations by JSU students, colleagues, faculty liaisons, department heads and deans are encouraged. Only accomplishments during the Fall and Spring semesters of the 2024-2025 Academic Year will be considered for this award.

Nominators should inform nominees that they are being nominated and may solicit their assistance in preparing nomination materials.  

Required Nomination Documents

The nomination packet for this award will consist of the following, compiled into one single PDF file in the order indicated. Please contact Faculty Commons if you need assistance compiling documentation into a PDF file. 

  1. One official Letter of Nomination by the nominator(s) advocating the basis for the nomination (relating nominee’s JSU Dual Enrollment teaching activity to the criteria for the award)
  2. Up to three additional Letters of Support from internal or external colleagues (JSU or otherwise) and JSU students to complement the Letter of Nomination. No more than three additional Letters of Support will be considered. All Letters of Support must only pertain to the nominee’s JSU Dual Enrollment courses.
  3. Nominee’s curriculum vitae (abbreviated and concise, no more than five pages)—*Contact the nominee’s departmental Administrative Assistant to acquire a CV. The nominee’s CV may include all teaching evidence and experience, including P12 and Dual Enrollment experience.

Additional supporting documentation may include JSU student reflections, teaching evaluations from students and faculty, papers or presentations that show student engagement, articles on teaching success and effectiveness, etc. Only supporting documentation from the specified years outlined in the Nomination Procedures will be considered. All supporting documentation must only pertain to the nominee’s JSU Dual Enrollment courses.     

Nominate someone for the Dual Enrollment Adjunct Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award

*The Dual Enrollment rubric is currently under review by the 2025-2026 Faculty Honors Committee and will be published once approved.