Purpose

The UMass Lowell Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring of River Hawk Scholars Academy (RHSA) Students recognizes the exceptional service of one faculty member who has made major contributions in the area of mentoring first-generation college students in River Hawk Scholars Academy. The mentoring of first-generation students at the University is a vital component of the impact that education can have on the social mobility of our students, especially those who are both first-generation and from low-income backgrounds and/or from underrepresented minority backgrounds.


Eligibility

  • Full-time faculty member at UMass Lowell and currently in a tenure, teaching, or clinical-track position. Adjunct faculty members at UMass Lowell teaching at least 3 credit hours during the current academic year are eligible to apply. Self-nominations are welcome.
  • The nominee must be directly working with RHSA students through an appointed RHSA service role (such as an RHSA Faculty Advocate).
  • Previous nominees are eligible, and it is hoped that they will be nominated again.
  • Previous winners are not eligible to be considered for a period of six years.

Criteria for Award

  • Approaches mentoring creatively and creates learning and research opportunities appropriately staged for students’ personal and scholarly development stages.
  • Consistently ensures all students feel welcome and can participate in the intellectual and social experiences of RHSA, their department, and/or their college.
  • Emphasizes in demonstrable ways achieving equitable outcomes for students and creating inclusive learning and engagement environments.
  • Makes a sustained and positive impact across the academic year on multiple students.
  • Champions student wellness.
  • Goes above and beyond to support the success of students.
  • Listens to students to understand their needs from their perspective and adapts their mentoring strategies accordingly to best coach students on how to maximize their college experience.

Application Process

Any full-time faculty member may nominate a colleague or themselves for this award. The deadline for applications is March 25, 2024. All submissions must be made online through InfoReady. The submission package must include in a single PDF document:

  • the applicant’s current curriculum vitae;
  • a short statement (500-1,000 words) describing the applicant’s mentoring philosophy when working with first-generation students, the impact on students, and how the applicant meets the award criteria;
  • three letters of support that contain specific examples of the applicant’s activities that are aligned with the review criteria:
    • a letter from the nominator or, in the case of a self-nomination, a letter from a colleague familiar with the nominee’s mentoring contributions.
    • two letters from students – the letters can be from current student(s) or former student(s) who graduated from UMass Lowell (UML) within the past five years.
    • Note: A single individual may write no more than one support letter for each award category.

The Faculty Excellence Committee will meet to review the nominations and make a recommendation to the Provost or designee.


Award Winners

The winner of this award will be announced in April 2024. The winner will be invited to present a lightning talk on faculty mentoring methods for first-generation students at the Fall 2024 Faculty Symposium. The winner will also receive a $1,000 award.

For questions, please email: Faculty_Success@uml.edu.

The Faculty Excellence Committee embraces and celebrates diversity in all its forms and encourages individuals from underrepresented populations to apply or to nominate others for these awards.