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Awards and Recognition

Service learning participants, students, and educators alike are regularly recognized for their positive impact on the community. Learn about the unique awards and recognition through the UNO Service Learning Academy (SLA). 

Faculty Service Learning Award

Application Status: Due March 1

The Faculty Service Learning Award is presented to a full or part-time faculty member with three years or more experience with service learning, who has been supportive of service learning at UNO, and who has a thorough understanding and appreciation of community issues and prioritizes developing reciprocal, collaborative relationships with community partners.

Jodi Benenson

Jodi Benenson

Assistant Professor, School of Public Administration
Recipient of the 2021 Faculty Service Learning Award

View all Faculty Service Learning Award Recipients on the Academic Affairs Faculty Honors & Awards website page.

Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Service Learning

Status: Open
Due Date: December 3, 2021

This award recognizes a student enrolled in either undergraduate or graduate service learning courses who demonstrate a thorough understanding of reflective practice techniques in coursework, provides service for a community agency in an outstanding manner, establishes and maintains an excellent relationship with the community agency, and embraces the philosophy of service learning and community service.

2021 Student Recipients

Rachel Culross Nielson

Rachel is a graduate student enrolled in the Speech-Language Pathology program at UNO. She will graduate this August. Throughout her time at UNO, she has been a member of the UNO student speech language-hearing association. In addition, she enjoys serving as a board member for the Autism Society of Nebraska.

Jessica Wooley

Jessica Wooley is working on a Bachelor of Science in biology. She has completed a service-learning project with the Nebraska Forestry Service in connection to an entomology class at UNO. She also helps with a research collaborative at Glacier Creek Preserve.

View Previous Student Recipients

James R. Schumacher Ethics Chair

Application Status: Closed

The UNO SLA accepts applications for two James R. Schumacher Chairs of Ethics. The Schumacher Chair of Ethics was established in 2008 with Dr. Joseph Brown. The James R. Schumacher Chair of Ethics is designed to recognize outstanding faculty member(s) committed to increasing knowledge, awareness, and application of the principles of ethics, tolerance, and understanding. The Schumacher Chair is awarded based on the following criteria:

  • Recipients have an established record of excellence with an instructional and scholarly focus on ethics generally and/or within their discipline (e.g. business, public administration, education, etc.)
  • Recipients will have a commitment to increasing student understanding and application of ethical principles within a service learning context.
Eligibility

The Schumacher Chair is open to associate or full professors from all UNO colleges. Two recipients each teach one Schumacher Seminar each year. The students enrolled in the Schumacher Seminar (maximum of 20) are awarded scholarships (usually $500 each). This seminar and the scholarships are specifically designed to:

  • Increase knowledge and application of ethical principles and systems;
  • Increase awareness, appreciation, and knowledge of diverse cultures, people, and ideas and foster increased inclusion and equity;
  • Engage students in their learning and community through service learning and experiential teaching and learning techniques to better understand course content.
  • Recipients may not hold another professorship or chair simultaneously.

The Schumacher Chairs include an annual supplemental salary stipend (approximately $10,000) and an annual professional and program development stipend (approximately $10,000). The stipends are used by the Schumacher Chairs to support their professional teaching, scholarly, and engagement activities as well as promote campus programming related to the goals and criteria for the chair and seminars. Specific dollar amounts are dependent upon fund availability.

Application and Review Process

Applications are reviewed by a committee constituted by Academic Affairs, led by the Director of the UNO Service Learning Academy. The Chair serves for a 3-year term and may be renewed for a second term.

Applications for the James R. Schumacher Chair should consist of the following:

  • Letter of nomination by the departmental chairperson or Director.
  • Seconding letter from a colleague in the nominee’s department or another department at UNO.
  • Letter of support from the dean.
  • Three letters from outside references knowledgeable about the applicant’s instructional and/or scholarly expertise.
  • Supplemental information prepared by the nominee as suggested below.
  • Outline of Suggested Supplemental Application Materials for the James R. Schumacher Chair of Ethics
  • Letter of application from nominee addressing teaching/instructional philosophy and focus, contextual framework for research/creative activity focused on ethics, and commitment to increasing student understanding and application of ethical principles within a service-learning context.
  • Curriculum Vitae

Narrative Summary/Highlights of Instructional Activity relevant to the criteria for the James R. Schumacher Chair of Ethics such as:

  • Curriculum Development, especially related to service learning
  • Development of innovative instructional techniques and materials
  • Achievements of present and former students
  • Student evaluations of teaching
  • Peer evaluations of teaching
  • Funded instructional grants
  • Other activities related to teaching (e.g. pedagogical presentation, publications, advising, mentoring, participation in teaching enrichment activities, etc.)
  • Honors and distinctions pertaining to teaching

Narrative Summary/Highlights of Research/Creative Activity relevant to the criteria for the James R. Schumacher Chair of Ethics such as:

  • Books, monographs, or parts thereof published or accepted for publication
  • Articles published or accepted for publication
  • Papers presented
  • Other creative activities (e.g. work of art, artistic performances, shows, etc.)
  • Funded research grants
  • Other activities related to research/creative activity (e.g., chairing professional panels, book reviews, etc.)
  • Honors and distinctions related to research/creative activity
  • Relevant community engagement/service learning-related research/creative activity

Applicants should submit materials as a single package PDF to Julie Dierberger, Paul Sather Distinguished Director, Service Learning Academy, to jdierberger@unomaha.edu.

Current and Previous Recipients

Campus-wide Awards

The following highlights major campus-wide awards that also recognize student workers, graduate assistants, staff, and faculty working with and/or for the UNO Service Learning Academy.

Student Employee of the Year

Application Timeframe: Annually during the Spring Semester

Jackson Hardin was recognized as the 2020 Student Employee of the Year. This award is coordinated and announced through UNO's Human Resources. Jackson join the UNO SLA team in 2018, demonstrating high integrity and thoughtfulness in his role. Read the full story online.

Chancellor's Awards for Outstanding Service Learning Students

Application Timeframe: Annually during the Spring Semester

This award recognizes a student enrolled in either undergraduate or graduate service learning courses who demonstrate a thorough understanding of reflective practice techniques in coursework, provides service for a community agency in an outstanding manner, establishes and maintains an excellent relationship with the community agency, and embraces the philosophy of service learning and community service.

For more information about this award please contact unosla@unomaha.edu.

2021 Student Recipients

Rachel Culross Nielsen, Graduate Student
Speech Language Pathology - College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

Jessica Wooley, Undergraduate Student
Biology - College of Arts and Science