Faculty and Staff

Exceptional Service Support Program

The Exceptional Service Support Program acknowledges and supports assistant and associate professors who perform service activities beyond what is expected of tenure-track and tenured faculty members.

Such service allows for a broad range of perspectives and experiences to be included in committees, shared governance, and student advising. However, disproportionately heavy service responsibilities mean faculty have less time to complete the requirements for promotion and professional advancement.

Recognizing this tremendous contribution and the time commitment involved, the Exceptional Service Support Program offers flexible funding as a direct investment in the faculty member’s success. This support is designed to advance their research and teaching, ensuring their service does not impede their career progression.

Recipients will receive $10,000 in central (101) funds for use during the 2026-2027 academic year. The program is open to tenure-track assistant and associate professors. Ten awards will be given this year.

Transfer of Funds

Funds will be added to the school, college, or division FY27 budget planning allocation.

Submitting a Nomination

Nomination Criteria

Strong nominations will describe:

  1. How the nominee has advanced the mission of the university through their service
  2. Reasons why the nominee has provided service beyond what is expected from their peers

Application Process

Nominations should be submitted to the Office of the Provost. The department chair or mentor may submit the nomination.

  1. Create a single PDF file for each nomination that includes:
    1. Chair’s cover memo, if the chair is not the nominator
    2. Nomination letter from the chair or mentor
  2. Name the file “NomineeLastName-SchoolCollegeDivision-DateSubmitted” (for example, Smith-Education-2025-12-20.pdf)
  3. Upload the file to the Exceptional Service Box folder
  4. Representatives from the Office of the Provost review proposals and notify the dean, chair, and nominator of their decision.

Deadline

Applications will be accepted through January 23, 2026. We anticipate notifying award recipients in mid-February 2026.