The UA Little Rock Foundation Fund Board in 1988 instituted a series of annual awards to recognize and reward faculty excellence in three specified areas of performance: teaching, research or creative endeavors, and professional and public service. In 2022, the UA Little Rock Faculty Senate created two new award areas: rising faculty award for excellence and award for excellence in social justice.
Recognition is accorded at the college level and at the University level. College winners are recognized and University winners are announced at an annual ceremony each spring.
Teaching
This award is to recognize, encourage, and reward superior teachers – individuals whose command of their respective disciplines, teaching methodologies, communications skills, concern for student performance, and commitment to the learning process exemplify the teacher/mentor model.
The award is not intended to be a popularity contest. It is designed to distinguish those teachers who maintain high expectations of their students and who ensure academic rigor in their courses.
Research or Creative Endeavors
This award recognizes, encourages, and rewards those individuals whose research or creative endeavors have been particularly successful and are so recognized locally, regionally, and nationally. The results of these efforts should have contributed to the expansion of knowledge and/or quality of life, and/or encouraged additional research.
Public Service
This award is to recognize, encourage, and reward those individuals who have brought credit to the UA Little Rock through their successful efforts in applying the content or skills of their academic disciplines in service to the community, state, or nation in areas of public interest.
This award is designed to distinguish those persons whose achievements in serving the public interest have been particularly successful and are so recognized locally, regionally, or nationally.
Rising Faculty Award for Excellence
This award is to recognize, encourage, and reward the contribution of any full-time faculty demonstrating exceptional promise in teaching, research or creative endeavors, or public service during the first five years at UA Little Rock.
Award for Excellence in Social Justice
This award recognizes a faculty member’s commitment to the broad concept of social justice through teaching, public service, and research or creative endeavors. Social justice is the view that everyone deserves economic, political, and social rights and opportunities. Social justice workers aim to open the doors of diversity, equity, and inclusion for everyone, particularly those in greatest need.