2009 Hill Fellow Guidelines

DEADLINE: Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Purpose
The purpose of the Walter Barnard Hill Distinguished Public Service Fellow Award is to recognize significant extraordinary contributions to the public service and outreach programs of the University of Georgia. The award is named in honor of Chancellor Hill, who led the university from 1899 until 1905, and first articulated the university’s modern public service and outreach mission. Designation as a Walter Barnard Hill Distinguished Public Service Fellow is comparable to a distinguished professorship.

Award
One Distinguished Hill Fellow is named each academic year. The Hill Fellow receives (1) a $1,000 permanent salary increase beyond the raise provided through the normal allocation process at the unit level (until the time of retirement from UGA); (2) an annual discretionary fund of $2,000 for up to three years for use in the advancement of his/her program of work (upon approval of a work proposal to the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach); and (3) a medallion and a framed certificate to be presented at a suitable ceremony. Funds for this award come from the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach.

Eligibility
Only previous Walter Barnard Hill Award winners are eligible for consideration as a Walter Barnard Hill Distinguished Public Service Fellow.

Process
The Vice President for Public Service and Outreach will form a selection committee and appoint a chair for the committee to review the nominations and select the awardee.

Criteria
The Hill Fellow Award recognizes sustained, distinguished, and superb achievement in university public service and outreach and for contributions made to the improvement of the quality of life in Georgia or elsewhere. The selection committee considers long-term achievements, special projects having extraordinary impact, and collaborative efforts. The creativity, impact, and superb nature of a Hill Fellow’s achievements are of a magnitude that greatly exceeds the normal accomplishments of a productive faculty member.

Public service and outreach (PSO) refers to the function of applying academic expertise to the direct benefit of external audiences in support of unit missions and the university mission. PSO scholarship can include applied research, service-based instruction, program and project management, and technical assistance. A program is regarded as public service and outreach if there is utilization of the faculty member’s academic and professional expertise; there is a direct application of knowledge to, and a substantive link with, significant human needs and societal problems, issues, or concerns; the ultimate purpose is for the public or common good; new knowledge is generated for the discipline and/or the audience or clientele; and, there is a clear link/relationship between the program/activities and an appropriate unit’s mission.

Dossier
The unit head (director, department head, or dean) prepares a nomination dossier that does not exceed 25 pages (that is, including all materials, exclusive of the cover page). The dossier should focus on accomplishments since the time the candidate received the Hill Award. The dossier includes the following:

  • A cover page with the candidate’s Name, Current Title, Unit, and date of Hill Award;
  • A written statement by the unit director, department head, or dean. The written statement should include:
    • A job description that outlines the nature and scope of the nominee’s roles and responsibilities.
    • Reflective commentary on the nominee’s public service and outreach program since receiving the Hill Award (a program is a set of activities that share a common focus and depend upon a particular expertise). The commentary should describe and explain the scholarship involved in one or more public service and outreach programs that are considered to be the crowning achievements of the candidate’s efforts. Each program should include the following:
      • Description: Provide a brief overview of the needs assessment, objectives, methods, and target audience. Describe selected activities and/or products that best illustrate the candidate’s contribution to this program.
      • Mission: How was the program compatible with unit and university missions? How did the activities complement the teaching and research missions of the unit and/or university?
      • Scholarship: Describe the role of the candidate’s professional expertise in the design and execution of the program. Did the activities demonstrate or test the applicability of the candidate’s discipline to societal/human problems, require integration with other disciplines, and/or generate new knowledge for the discipline and/or audience? Explain. How was this knowledge communicated to broader audiences? Has the program led to increased recognition of the candidate’s professional expertise by external audiences? Indicators would include requests for information, invitations to make presentations, service on review panels, receipt of contracts, grants, and professional awards, etc.
      • Impact: Describe observed impacts and/or explain any unobserved impacts that are to be expected according to the discipline(s) applied. Identify the direct and indirect beneficiaries. What actions did the intended audience take as a result of this work? Evidence of impact can include both quantitative results (e.g., changes in test scores, increased production, or widespread adoption of a product or technique) and qualitative results (e.g., testimonials from clients, reviews by knowledgeable scholars/critics).
    • A condensed curriculum vitae.
    • Letters of external support (three to five letters).
    • Supporting Documentation that may include:
      • Activities and Products (This section should be concise in order to focus attention on the most important contributions since the candidate received the Hill Award): List activities and products using the categories outlined below. Numerous activities or products of the same type should be summarized to the extent possible. Brief descriptions accompanied by examples and totals will suffice. For collaborative efforts, the role of the candidate should be clearly stated.
        • Honors, awards, and special recognition for outreach activities.
        • PSO publications including books, monographs, and article-length publications (distinguish by type: book chapters, articles in refereed journals, invited articles, bulletins, proceedings, etc.).
        • Instructional activities: List the title or subject of each distinct course or presentation, the type (lecture, curriculum, course, workshop, exhibit, etc.), the duration (usually in hours), the candidate’s role in creating each (developer, presenter), the target audience, and the method of reaching the audience (conference presentation, telecommunications, site visit, etc.).
        • Technical assistance: List each type of assistance, the clientele, the contribution, and the number of times provided.
        • Outreach products:
          • Exhibitions: Distinguish between juried or invitational exhibitions; identify work(s) and juror (juries); indicate regional, national, or international exhibitions.
          • Electronic products: computer programs, web sites, GIS databases, etc.
          • Other: videos, job aids, etc.
        • Copyrights, patents, and inventions.
        • Contracts, grants, and gifts.

The nomination dossier should be prepared in the following manner:

  • The completed nomination dossier should not exceed 25 pages (including all materials, exclusive of the cover page). Dossiers exceeding this length will not be considered.
  • One-inch margins.
  • A type size no smaller than an 11-point font.
  • A type face similar to Times New Roman.
  • Nomination portfolios should not be placed in folders or binders. Each copy of the dossier should be stapled in the upper left-hand corner.
  • An original and five copies should be submitted, under a transmittal letter, to the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach no later than Tuesday, September 30, 2008.

Units submitting nominations should be prepared to provide additional documentation upon request of the selection committee.
Questions should be directed to:

Dr. L. Steven Dempsey, Associate Vice President
Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach
Treanor House - 1234 S. Lumpkin St. - Athens, GA 30602
706-542-6045

Revised June 2008