The Academic Administrator Award recognizes outstanding performance in the fulfillment of assigned responsibilities. The Award comes with a $500 prize.

Who is eligible:
Chairs of academic departments, directors of programs, or managers within Academic Affairs.

Who may nominate:
Any member of the University community.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Award honors individuals whose important contributions advance education and employment opportunities for people with disabilities at the University of Montana-Missoula. The ADA Team recognizes that endeavors toward carrying on the spirit of the ADA require commitment and perseverance through challenges. Awardees continually set a high standard of excellence by honoring the importance of civil rights laws, using best quality practices, and creating innovative solutions that support the vision of the University of Montana to create a completely accessible campus. The award comes with a $500 prize.

Every spring, the Dennison Awards recognize distinguished faculty and staff who have brought excellence, merit, and distinction to the University of Montana. The Faculty Award is open to all tenure-track or full-time research faculty who have completed at least five years of employment with UM and whose accomplishments have brought significant recognition to the University at the regional and national levels.

Every spring, the Dennison Awards recognize distinguished faculty and staff who have brought excellence, merit, and distinction to the University of Montana. The Dennison Staff award is open to all classified staff members who have completed at least five years of employment with UM and whose work lends luster to the university.

The Distinguished Scholar Award recognizes faculty who have made outstanding contributions in the areas of research, creativity, or other scholarly activities.  The award comes with a $500 prize.

Who is eligible:
All UM faculty. Creative and scholarly activities, basic research, and applied research will be given equal consideration.

Who may nominate:
Deans, department chairs, and faculty members.

The total scholarly contributions of the individual will be considered with respect to:

• The quality and number of publications, and other forms of scholarship presentation
• Direction of graduate students' research and their accomplishments
• Honors, awards, and published comments on the validity and importance of the scholarship
• Letters of support from other scholars in the discipline
• A record of receiving outside financial support, with particular emphasis on the nature of the projects and the selection process

The Distinguished Service to International Education Award is presented to a member of the UM community who has achieved an outstanding record of distinguished service to international education at UM. The Award comes with a $500 prize.

Who is eligible:
Any member of the UM community.

Factors considered in the award process include:

• Promotion of international curriculum and awareness
• Assistance to foreign students and scholars
• International program development
• Promotion of overseas educational experiences among members of the UM campus community
• Distinguished work in international development
• Outstanding international scholarship
• Teaching

Who may nominate:
Any individual, group or organization within the UM community.

The Distinguished Teaching Award is the University of Montana’s highest teaching honor, and recognizes faculty who have exhibited a history of excellence in teaching and demonstrated exceptional impacts on student learning and success.
Who is eligible:
Any faculty member who has not previously received a Distinguished Teaching Award.  
Who may nominate:
Deans, department chairs, faculty members, and current and former students.
Areas of emphasis
Excellence in teaching and student success can be demonstrated in many ways. Some examples include:

• Development and implementation of new and varied strategies to promote student learning
• Research and scholarship on student learning or teaching approaches
• Presentations on teaching approaches and engagement with other teachers
• Evidence of exceptional student outcomes
• Impact as a mentor for student organizations and/or individual students engaged in research/creative scholarship or other experiential learning
• Teaching awards and honors received by the nominee

The J.B. Speer Award for Distinguished Administrative Service honors an administrator who has made an extraordinary commitment and contribution to The University of Montana.  The award comes with a $500 prize.

Who is eligible:

• Non-academic administrative employees (staff members, contract professionals, administrators or employees on a letter of appointment) who have served UM for five years or longer. 
• Eligible UM departments include, but are not limited to: Adams Center, Admissions, the Budget, Planning & Analysis Office, Business Services, Data Office (Institutional Research), Enrollment Scholarship and UMPD.
• Nominations for the president, provost or associate provosts, deans, academic program leaders, faculty and other academic administrators will not be considered.
  

Who may nominate:
Any member of the University community.

Selection process:
Selection is made by a committee appointed by the University of Montana President.

The Nancy Borgmann Diversity Award, named in honor of a former Director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity, recognizes contributions made by an individual who supports the University's mission on diversity. The award comes with a $500 prize.
Who is eligible:
All full-time permanent University employees who have contributed substantially to diversity, equity, and inclusion at UM. The leadership team of the Diversity Advisory Committee is not eligible.
Who may nominate:
Any member of the University community may nominate.

The $500 Outstanding Faculty Advising Award recognizes a faculty member who has contributed substantially to excellence in undergraduate academic advising.

Who is eligible:
All faculty advisers.

Nominations for this award are evaluated using guidelines developed by the National Academic Advising Association. Advising excellence includes evidence of the following characteristics:

• Current knowledge of university policies
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Demonstration of a caring attitude toward students
• Adequate time devoted to student advising
• Referral of students to appropriate sources of assistance
• Understanding of student concerns from a student point of view
• Provision of long-range educational planning and immediate problem-solving
• Willingness to share advising skills with colleagues
• Continuing to improve the style and substance of the advising role
• Advising for special populations (foreign, minority, undecided, special programs)
• Attendance at and support of adviser development programs
• Number of years as an active academic adviser

Who may nominate:
Any member of the University community

The Service to Students Award recognizes competent and courteous services, including academic, career, and personal advising by staff.
Who is eligible:
Any individual staff member, contract professional, or employee on a letter of appointment.
Staff members nominated for this award should have demonstrated:

• Commitment to making the university experience a positive one for students
• Service to students that assists in cutting through campus bureaucratic red tape
• Commitment to the development of quality programs or activities that contribute to the personal, career, and/or academic development of the student university experience
• Demonstrated commitment to "being there" for students when they encounter personal or academic problems
• Demonstrated recognition of our role as an institution of higher education and that our primary customers are the students
• Commitment to UM's Priority for Action One "Place student success at the center of all we do"

Who may nominate:
Faculty, staff, administrators or students.

The Outstanding Staff Award: Excellence in Job Performance Award is given to a staff member who excels in all aspects of their position, possesses an excellent work ethic and has an extraordinary impact on their department as a role model ― connecting with students, staff, faculty, and/or administrators

Who is eligible:
Any classified staff member with a minimum of three years' service as a permanent employee.

Who may nominate:
Any UM student or University employee, including staff, faculty, and administrators

This award focuses on a staff member who not only exceeds expectations within the department but also interacts and provides service campus-wide, creating positive interactions with others and having an impact outside of the department

Who is eligible:

Any classified staff member with a minimum of three years' service as a permanent employee.

Who may nominate:

Any UM student or University employee, including staff, faculty, and administrators

The Outstanding Teamwork Award recognizes staff from any office, unit, department, group, or staff within an office, cross-functional group of staff or committee of staff members who have worked together in an exceptional manner to perform an assigned task. The award includes a $1,500 prize to be divided equally among team members (no less than $50 per person).

Who is eligible:
Staff members who perform as a team beyond the scope of their regular day-to-day job duties and responsibilities. Members of the team must be non-temporary staff members. There is no minimum required length of employment by the University.

As a result of working as a team, the department, office, work-unit or University should have benefited in one or more of the following ways:

• Specific, identifiable improved efficiencies
• Cost savings
• Cross-training resulting in expanding job responsibilities and improving service to "customers"
• Innovative ideas or suggestions to improve methods
• Completion of special projects
• Functioning in unique (sometimes adverse) circumstances
• Improved coordination and cooperation among department

Who may nominate:
Any current UM employee or student.