OIT Award for Outstanding Excellence in Online Education
The Stephen F. Austin State University Office of Instructional Technology is pleased to
announce the OIT Award for Outstanding Excellence in Online Education. Award recipients will
be selected based on evidence of excellence in the design and delivery of nominated courses
and support of his or her department chair. Courses will be judged based on excellence in the
areas of clarity of instructions, look and feel, ease of navigation, interaction strategies, lesson
design, accessibility, innovation, and adherence to copyright and intellectual property laws.
Up to three full-time or adjunct faculty members may be awarded annually. This honorable
award includes a sponsorship covering travel and registration expenses to attend a professional
development event related to distance education. The event must be approved by the Office of
Instructional Technology and must be attended within one calendar year of the award.
To be eligible for the award, nominees must be full-time or adjunct faculty for SFA and be
certified by the Office of Instructional Technology as a Certified Online Instructor. To be
considered for the award, faculty must nominate one specific course section that they have
developed for online delivery by submitting this completed form. The course must be currently
approved by the Office of Instructional Technology for online delivery at SFA, and must have
been taught online by the course developer within the past two years. The nominating faculty
member should complete all parts of the form except the department chair signature. Faculty
must document the department chair’s support by having him or her sign the nomination form.
Nominations will be accepted between March 15th and April 15th each year. Award recipients
will be notified prior to May 1st. Awards will be presented at OIT’s commencement ceremony
for Certified Online Instructors.
The form must be submitted by April 15th to the Office of Instructional Technology,
either in person on the second floor of the Ralph W. Steen Library, by mail at P. O. Box
13038, or by fax at 468-1308.
Award for Outstanding Excellence in Online Education Nomination Form
I would like to be considered for the OIT Award for Outstanding Excellence in Online Education based on my
design and delivery of the online course identified below. I understand that in order for me to be eligible for
consideration of this award, Department Chair approval is required. Before giving such approval, my
Department Chair may require that I demonstrate the course to him or her in the format it was delivered. I also
understand that a panel from the Office of Instructional Technology will review the design of my course
materials and make the final determination of any award. Furthermore, if chosen for the award, I agree to
present and/or allow OIT to present certain elements of excellence in my course in a public forum such as
OIT's Certified Online Instructor commencement ceremony which is held annually in May. Furthermore, if I am
sponsored by OIT to attend a professional development event as a result of this award, I agree to participate in
at least one local OIT forum where I will share what I learn at that event with the SFA community.
Nominee Signature:
Today’s Date:
Nominee Printed Name:
Semester/Year Offered:
Course Number and Title:
In 100 words or less, nominee may state how the design and delivery of this course demonstrates excellence.
Department Chair Support
I understand that as Department Chair, I may ask the nominee for a demonstration of the course being
nominated. I have reviewed the student evaluations for a recent term in which the instructor taught this
nominated course and hereby verify that the student evaluations were predominately positive.
I hereby certify that this nominee is an SFA faculty or adjunct faculty and I support the nomination of the
named instructor to receive the Award for Outstanding Excellence in an Online Course and, should they be
selected, I approve of their being publicly recognized and rewarded for excellence in designing and teaching
an online course.
Department Chair Signature:
Date:
This form must be submitted by April 15th to the Office of Instructional Technology, either in person
on the second floor of the Ralph W. Steen Library, by mail at P. O. Box 13038, or by fax at 468-1308.