E12.5 Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Faculty and Staff Awards

This policy pertains to the Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Faculty and Staff Awards and applies to faculty and staff who are regular employees of the university.

The Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Faculty and Staff Awards are university-wide awards that recognize staff and faculty members for their significant contributions to advancing access, engagement, and success at RIT and in the surrounding community.

As RIT’s first chairperson of the Commission for Promoting Pluralism, Isaac L. Jordan, Sr.provided outstanding leadership in building community, expanding opportunity, and fostering success. He set an example for others to emulate. These awards in his name ensure the continuance of his legacy and honors those who carry out his work.

Two awards may be given annually: one to a faculty member and one to a staff member at Rochester Institute of Technology. 

1. Eligibility for the Award

   1. Individuals nominated for an award must be staff or faculty members at RIT who are regular employees of the university and have completed at least three years of continuous service. Temporary faculty, including those hired on an adjunct basis, are not eligible for nomination.  No individual shall be eligible to receive the award more than once every seven years.

   2. A nominee may be an individual whose position responsibilities are not focused on access, engagement, and success (AES), but who routinely and voluntarily makes it a priority in much of what they do.  Alternatively, the candidate may be one whose major work responsibilities at the university include the implementation of AES initiatives, but who also consistently explores unique ways to go above and beyond expectations.

   3. Members of the awards selection committee shall not be eligible for the award in the year that they serve on the committee.  However, a member may resign from the committee to be eligible for consideration.

2. Criteria for the Awards

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

   2. Candidates shall have clearly and unequivocally demonstrated superior commitment to the enhancement and development of access, engagement, and success on the RIT campus in ways that have made a quantifiable impact that can be substantiated.

   3. Faculty candidates shall have made significant contributions to the cause of AES to examine, enhance, and promote these ideals in ways including, but not necessarily limited to, the following:

      1. Developing and delivering innovative course curricula that encourage students to critically examine, discuss and engage with issues that shape opportunity and success.

      2. Creating teaching methods that foster collaboration, dialogue, and belonging in the classroom.

      3. Producing scholarly research or creative work that advances knowledge related to access, engagement, success, or equity of opportunity.

      4. Designing programs that strengthen the recruitment, retention, and graduation of students and/or the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff.

      5. Providing service to RIT and/or off-campus communities in ways that build meaningful connections and advance shared success.

      6. Mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate students outside of the classroom to support growth, leadership, and success, creating initiatives or programs that encourage open dialogue and strengthen engagement across the campus community.

   4. Staff candidates shall have made significant contributions to the cause of  access, engagement, and success to examine, enhance, and promote these ideals in ways including, but not necessarily limited to, the following: promoting awareness by encouraging students, staff, and faculty to examine, discuss, share, develop, and promote their understanding of AES. 
      1. Creating and maintaining a diverse and supportive campus climate and environment.

      2. Transforming the recruitment, retention, and graduation (or success) of students and/or the recruitment and retention of faculty.

      3. Providing service to the RIT and/or off-campus communities, especially in ways that serve to build connections between these two groups in an effort to enhance and foster community and belonging.

      4. Participating in the mentorship of students outside of the classroom in ways that serve to enhance their understanding and promote AES.

      5. Developing programs that serve to encourage an open dialogue.

   5. Each candidate’s achievements have been attested to by people either on or off campus, who are familiar with those achievements and who are capable of evaluating them.

   6. Each candidate has been involved with and served the RIT community.

1. Nomination Process

   1. 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.

   2. Nomination materials will be available to all campus constituents through the division of Access, Engagement, and Success at https://www.rit.edu/aes/. Completed nominations must be submitted according to the instructions provided.

2. Charge to the Award Selection Committee

   1. The Award Selection Committee shall consist of a diverse group of members from across the RIT Community and one member from each of RIT’s governance groups: Faculty Senate, Staff Council and Student Government.

   2. The purpose of the committee is to decide upon an outstanding individual who satisfies the various criteria for each award. The evaluation process is to be an active one on the part of the selection committee. To ensure that the selection 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.

   3. In its efforts to determine an award recipient, the committee shall:

      1. Accept and evaluate recommendations from alumni, staff, students, deans, department head/directors, faculty members, and anyone else who is familiar with the nominee’s work.

      2. Ascertain that each nominee is eligible.

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

      4. Exercise discretionary authority in the evaluation of the nominees. (The candidates shall have earned the respect and confidence of the RIT faculty, staff and community.)

      5. Use a variety of procedures and evidence to investigate nominees such as:

         1. soliciting letters of support from people familiar with the nominee’s work.

         2. soliciting a resume, personal statement, and/or any other materials from the candidate.

         3. interviewing students, faculty, staff, deans, department heads/directors, or any other persons who are familiar with the nominee’s work.

         4. interviewing the candidate

         5. observing the candidate in the classroom or other work  environment

      6. Evaluate nominees without discrimination, including, but not limited to, discrimination based on protected categories as defined by Policy C6.0.

   4. The committee may also choose not to select an award recipient if it determines that none of the nominees meets the selection criteria.

3. Presentation of the Awards
   
   Each recipient will receive an artistic rendition of a flame, representing the spirit of the award, and a monetary award.  The presentation of the awards shall be at a public ceremony to which all constituent parties of the university have been invited.  The award shall be presented by the Chair of the Award Selection Committee or by a representative of the Committee.

Responsible Office:
Division of Access, Engagement, and Success

Effective Date:
Approved February 2005

Policy History:
Edited October 2010 
Revised:  November 2, 2011

Revisions approved by the University Council Executive Committee April 1, 2024 - sections I., II.A.2, II.B.1 and II.C

Revisions approved by the University Council March 25, 2026 - sections I., II.B and II.C