UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (UPCEA)
CENTRAL REGION
CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAM
PURPOSE OF THE AWARDS
The UPCEA Central Region Celebration of Excellence Program is designed to serve three major purposes: (1) To provide recognition to individuals who have originated new and successful programs, or who have made a major contribution to the field of professional, continuing and online education; (2) to provide recognition to creative and innovative credit and noncredit programs in the field; and (3) to communicate ideas regarding successful programs among the member institutions.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible to receive an award, the nominated individual or department must be part of an institution that is a current member of the UPCEA Central Region.
Each nomination must include a completed nomination form and written narrative addressing the nominee’s accomplishments in meeting the award criteria.
The UPCEA Central Region awards committee encourages all award recipients to attend the 2022 Central Regional Conference. In the event the recipient is unable to attend the conference, the individual or their institution should be prepared to provide a video of the acceptance comments.
2022 AWARD CATEGORIES:
* Denotes category that serves as a pathway to a national UPCEA Association Award nomination.
DEADLINE: All award nominations and documentation must be submitted by July 29, 2022.
Click here to view UPCEA Member-Curated Resources For Submitting Awards Nominations
Click here to view Tips for UPCEA Central Region Awards Nominations
Learn more about the 2021 Central Region Award Recipients
CATEGORY 1: Outstanding Program Award
This award recognizes an outstanding credit, non-credit, alternative credential or training program offered by a Central Region member institution. Nominations are open for new and mature programs which have completed at least one cycle and have been offered within the last two years. Priority consideration will be given to programs that deal with social, diversity or educational issues.
Note: The award committee may choose to recognize and award more than one program (e.g. exemplary submissions across credit, non-credit, alternative credential or training programs).
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
- Cost Effectiveness: The program must be cost effective for the institution in a manner consistent with the stated program objectives.
- Longevity: The program must have completed at least one cycle to be considered.
- Innovation: The extent to which the program uses creative ideas in one or more areas or applies ideas in new ways, especially electronic modalities.
- Diversity: The program is intended to serve underserved populations.
- Quality: The extent to which the program has fulfilled objectives. Nomination narrative should include stated objectives, an estimate of success, and evaluation results.
- Contribution to professional, continuing and online education: The extent to which a program makes an ongoing and significant contribution to the field or can be replicated in other settings and institutions.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed nomination form.
- Written narrative of no more than three pages which addresses how the program meets the award criteria and showcases the innovative nature of the program offering and the way in which the program meets social, diversity or educational needs.
- Three supporting documents which may include letters of support or commendation for the program, letters from students of the program, letters from administrators describing the contribution of the program to institutional goals, etc.
- Each supporting document should not exceed three pages.
- Nomination and supporting documents must be submitted by July 29, 2022.
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CATEGORY 2: Excellence in Teaching Award
This award will be given to an individual who consistently demonstrates excellence in teaching credit or noncredit continuing education programs and mentoring learners in the UPCEA Central Region. Nominations will be judged on the individual’s leadership and service within the field as well as innovation in programming and use of innovative delivery methods. The nominee must have served in a teaching role for a minimum of five (5) years.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
- Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring of Students: Teaching may be defined to include work with students at any level and in a wide variety of settings. Teaching effectiveness includes the ability to meet student learning objectives and evidence of a student-centered approach. Evidence of superior student mentoring should illustrate nominee’s concern for student development beyond normal expectations of advising.
- Leadership and Service: The extent to which the nominee has provided leadership and service to the institution and to the continuing education profession.
- Innovation in Programming: The extent to which programs generated by the nominee have been new, creative, reached diverse populations, or innovative.
- Overall Contribution to the Field: The nominee’s research, publication, program development, conference presentations, etc. which contribute to the field of professional, continuing and online education.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed nomination form.
- Written narrative of no more than three pages which addresses how the nominee meets the award criteria and showcases his or her teaching innovations and outstanding mentoring of students.
- One letter of support from an administrator familiar with the nominee’s work.
- Two additional supporting documents which may include letters of support or commendation for the nominee, letters from students or letters from others familiar with the nominee’s teaching and mentoring.
- Supporting documents should not exceed three pages.
- Nomination and supporting documents must be submitted by July 29, 2022.
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CATEGORY 3: Excellence in Instructional Design Award
This award recognizes a credit or noncredit course or program which serves as a model of instructional design excellence for others. The nominated course or program should follow industry best practices and employ leading-edge, sustainable methods and tools for use by educators to provide outstanding online educational experiences for learners. In the case of a program nomination, all courses within the program must exhibit continuity of excellence in instructional design. The course or program must be offered by a UPCEA Central region institution.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
- Creativity and Best Practices: The ways in which the course or program implements innovative design and development approaches to adult learning, utilizes current best practices and pushes the envelope for innovative content delivery.
- Collaboration and Engagement: The extent to which the course or program promotes collaboration and engagement among the participant cohort and between participants and faculty/instructors.
- Outcomes: The extent to which the design of the course or program influences the ability to achieve desired learning outcomes.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed nomination form.
- Written narrative of no more than three pages which addresses how the course or program meets the award criteria and showcases high-quality, innovative instructional design.
- Three supporting documents which may include letters of support related to the instructional design aspect of the course or program or other supporting documents related to how the course or program is a model for excellence in instructional design
- Supporting documents should not exceed three pages.
- Nomination and supporting documents must be submitted by July 29, 2022.
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CATEGORY 4: Excellence in Student Support Award
Student support plays a pivotal role in the field of professional, continuing or online education. It can be defined to include work with students at any level and in a wide variety of settings. This award will be given to an individual who has provided outstanding leadership and service in a student support role, to continuing education students in the UPCEA Central Region. The nominee must have been in their role for a minimum of three years.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
- Benefit to the Institution: The extent to which the nominee provides exemplary contributions to the institution in the area of student support.
- Outstanding Service to Students: Strong evidence of superior student support should illustrate the nominee’s understanding of student needs and concern for student development that goes beyond the normal expectations.
- Effectiveness in Student Support: The extent to which the nominee utilizes a student-centered approach in their role. Items to be considered are student advocacy, a proactive and/or intrusive approach to student support beyond the basics, and a commitment to professional, continuing and online education within the member’s institution and the region.
- Innovation: The nominee demonstrates creativity and produces innovative work in support of adult and continuing education programs.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed nomination form.
- Written narrative of no more than three pages which addresses how the nominee meets the award criteria.
- One letter of support from a supervisor or administrator familiar with the nominee’s work in a student support/success role.
- Two additional letters of support addressing the nominee’s qualifications from others familiar with the nominee’s work.
- Supporting documents should not exceed three pages.
- Nomination and supporting documents must be submitted by July 29, 2022.
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CATEGORY 5: Outstanding Professional, Continuing, and/or Online Education Student Award
This award honors a credit or noncredit professional, continuing, and/or online education student for achievement of excellence in pursuit of their educational goals. The nominee must be 25 years of age or older and must have been enrolled in a credit or noncredit program at a UPCEA Central Region member institution within the past 12 months or have completed the program no more than one year prior to the time the award is granted.
The recipient of this award will be nominated by the UPCEA Central Region for the national UPCEA Outstanding Professional, Continuing, and/or Online Education Student Award.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
- Accomplishment: The nominee demonstrates achievement with an emphasis on growth while enrolled as a student.
- Excellence: The extent to which the nominee demonstrates excellence in areas such as GPA or CEUs earned, university or community involvement, job performance, etc.
- Achievement and Inspiration: The nominee must be an adult student who has met the challenge of an unconventional educational background and become an inspiration to others through the individual growth accomplished in pursuit of his/her educational goals.
- Meeting Multiple Demands: The nominee shall have managed multiple/significant commitments and responsibilities effectively while pursuing his/her education.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed nomination form.
- Written narrative of no more than three pages which addresses how the nominee meets the award criteria; the narrative should include documentation such as the student’s grade point average, student activities, university and/or community involvement and contributions employment, job performance and other relevant supporting information.
- One letter of support from an instructor, advisor or similar administrator familiar with the nominee’s achievements.
- One additional letter of support addressing the nominee’s qualifications from another individual familiar with the nominee’s achievements.
- Include documentation (no more than 3 pages) of the student's excellence in achievements, including material such as grade point average, official transcripts, CEUs, student activities, university involvement, community contributions, employment, job performance, etc.
- Supporting documents should not exceed three pages.
- Nomination and supporting documents must be submitted by July 29, 2022.
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CATEGORY 6: Engagement Award
The UPCEA Engagement Award recognizes an outstanding partnership between a member institution and one or more external constituents such as local communities, corporations, government organizations or associations. The recognized partnership will demonstrate a mutually-beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources that has resulted in a measurable and sustainable shared impact in areas such as economic development, community development, workforce training or capacity building.
The UPCEA Engagement Award will be awarded to both the UPCEA member institution/unit and the partner organization(s).
The recipient of this award will be nominated by the UPCEA Central Region for the national UPCEA Engagement Award.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
- Impact: The extent of impact of the partnership’s activities using qualitative and quantitative data provided by nomination.
- Outcomes: The extent to which the partnership’s activities resulted in outcomes that would not have otherwise happened.
- Commitment: The extent to which partners committed their own resources to the partnership’s activities.
- Expanded Partnerships: Additional points will be awarded to nominations that received additional funding from 3rd parties not involved in the original partnership (grants, contracts etc.) to sustain and/or expand the program.
- Tangible and Sustainable Impact: The extent to which the partnership impacted strategic initiatives, citizens, communities or business and industry.
- Benefits to Participants: The extent to which the outreach and engagement activities were beneficial to all participants.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed nomination form.
- Written narrative of no more than three pages which addresses how the program meets the award criteria and highlights the partnership’s specific outreach and engagement accomplishments. The narrative should document the tangible and sustainable impact of the partnership’s outreach/engagement activities on strategic initiatives, citizens, communities, or business and industry. (Provide context for evidence provided by including relevant information about the environment in which the program takes place.)
- One letter of support from an institution administrator describing how the partnership meets the award criteria and contributes to institutional goals.
- Two additional letters of support from community constituents describing how the outreach and engagement activities were mutually beneficial to all participants.
- Supporting documents should not exceed three pages.
- Nomination and supporting documents must be submitted by July 29, 2022.
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CATEGORY 7: Adelle F. Robertson Emerging Professional Continuing Educator Award
This award recognizes the scholarship, leadership, and contributions to the profession of a person who has entered the professional, continuing, online and education field in the last 5 to 10 years. The recipient also will be nominated by the UPCEA Central Region for the national UPCEA Adelle F. Robertson Professional Continuing Educator Award. Recipient must be a UPCEA member.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
- Service to the Profession: The nominee must be a UPCEA Central Region professional member who has exhibited outstanding service to the profession.
- Service to the Institution: The nominee must contribute positively through work that advances the mission of his or her department, or similar unit, and to the institution.
- Scholarship: The nominee’s contributions to the field of continuing, online and professional education.
- Leadership: The nominee’s leadership activities and accomplishments within his or her unit and institution and within the profession.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed nomination form.
- Written narrative of no more than three pages which addresses how the nominee meets the award criteria and showcases his or her contributions to the field of continuing, online and professional education.
- One letter of support from an administrator familiar with the nominee’s work.
- Two to four additional letters of support addressing the nominee’s qualifications from others familiar with the nominee’s work.
- Supporting documents should not exceed three pages.
- Nomination and supporting documents must be submitted by July 29, 2022.
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CATEGORY 8: UPCEA Central Region Sue Maes Outstanding Leadership Award
The award will be given to an UPCEA Central Region professional member who has exhibited outstanding leadership and service within the region. Items to be considered are committee activity, conference activity, promotion of UPCEA at the institutional, state and regional levels and commitment to adult and continuing education within the member’s institution and the region. Nominees for this award should exhibit these qualities and dedication to the profession. The nominee must be a current UPCEA Central Region professional member.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
- Involvement with UPCEA: Items to be considered are committee activity and conference activity.
- Promotion of UPCEA: The nominee should show commitment to promoting UPCEA at the institutional, state and regional levels.
- Commitment to Professional, Continuing and Online Education: The nominee should show a strong commitment to professional, continuing and online education within the member’s institution and the region.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed nomination form
- Written narrative of no more than three pages which addresses how the nominee meets the award criteria and showcases his or her contributions to the field of professional, continuing and online education.
- One letter of support from an administrator familiar with the nominee’s work.
- Two additional letters of support addressing the nominee’s qualifications from others familiar with the nominee’s activity and work with UPCEA.
- Supporting documents should not exceed three pages.
- Nomination and supporting documents must be submitted by July 29, 2022.
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