E12.5

ISAAC L. JORDAN SR. PLURALISM AWARD

The Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Pluralism Award is a university-wide award program that recognizes faculty and staff members for their significant contributions to enhance pluralism at RIT. As RIT’s first chairperson of the Commission for Promoting Pluralism, Isaac L. Jordan, Sr. left a dramatic impact. For many on the RIT campus, he represents the best of the human spirit. This award in his name assures the continuance of his legacy and honors those who carry out his work.

1. Award Partition

One award will be given annually to a person at the Rochester Institute of Technology. All nominees will receive a certificate that honors their accomplishments.

2. The Award

The recipient will receive an artistic rendition of a flame, representing the spirit of diversity.

3. Eligibility for the Award

a. Any individual nominated for the Award must be a full-time faculty or staff member at RIT who shall have completed at least three years of continuous full-time service at the Institute.

b. No individual shall be eligible to receive the award more than once every seven years.

c. The nominee for the Award may be an individual whose position responsibilities are not focused on diversity, but who routinely and voluntarily makes diversity a priority in much of what he or she does; or the candidate may be one whose major responsibilities are implementing diversity initiatives, but who also consistently explores unique ways to go above and beyond the expectations.

d. The selection committee members shall not be eligible in the year that they serve, but they may resign if recommended for evaluation.

4. Criteria for Award

a. Each candidate shall meet the eligibility requirements detailed above.

b. The selection committee shall thoroughly investigate and establish that

-the candidate has clearly and unequivocally demonstrated superior commitment to the enhancement and development of pluralism and diversity on the RIT campus;

-the candidate has made significant contributions to the cause of pluralism and diversity on the campus;

-the candidate’s achievements have been attested to by persons, both on and off-campus, who are familiar with those achievements and who are capable of evaluating them;

-the candidate has been involved with and served the RIT community as a whole.

5. Presentation of the Award

The presentation of the Award shall be at a public ceremony to which all constituent parties of the Institute have been invited.

The ceremony shall be presided over by the Chairperson of the Commission for Promoting Pluralism, and the award shall be presented by the President of the Institute or his/her representative. A dinner will be hosted by the President of the Institute to honor the Isaac L. Jordan Award recipient and also those who were nominated for the Award.

6. Nomination Process

Nominations may be submitted by individuals who wish to be considered on their own behalf, by co-workers who wish to nominate a colleague, or by students, parents, faculty, staff or others who may benefit from, or are aware of the nominee’s efforts.

Nomination materials will be available to all campus constituents through the office of the Commission for Promoting Pluralism or the commission’s website at www.rit.edu/DIVERSITY. Completed nominations are due to the Pluralism Award Selection Committee by April 1 of each year and should be returned to the office of the Commission for Promoting Pluralism.

Charge to the Pluralism Award Selection Committee

The Pluralism Award Selection Committee shall consist of a diverse group of members from the Commission for Promoting Pluralism and one member from each of RIT’s governance groups: Academic Senate, Staff Council and Student Government.

The purpose of the committee is to seek out an outstanding individual. The search is to be an active one on the part of the selection committee. To ensure that the search is as fair and unbiased as possible, the committee shall strive to obtain its information from sources other than the candidate or sources provided by the candidate. The spirit of the search is to be as impartial as possible, with the responsibility for collecting information resting with the committee.

In its efforts to find an outstanding contributor for diversity, the committee shall:

a) Ascertain that each candidate is eligible.

b) Obtain a signed consent form from each nominee agreeing to the evaluation.

c) Enjoy discretionary power in the evaluation of the candidates. (The candidates shall have earned the respect and confidence of the RIT faculty, staff and community.)

d) Accept and evaluate recommendations from alumni, staff, students, deans, department head/directors and faculty members.

e) Be free to use a variety of procedures and evidence to investigate candidates. These procedures may include but are not limited to:

- interviews with students, faculty, staff, deans, and department heads/directors;

- interview with the candidate by two members of the committee.

f) Evaluate candidates without discrimination, including, but not limited to, discrimination based on sex, religion, race, nationality or disability.

The recipient of the award must have demonstrated outstanding leadership excellence and accomplishments in the area of diversity and pluralism and shall not be compared or ranked against other candidates. The committee reserves the prerogative of not selecting an awardee if none meet the selection criteria.

Approved February 2005