ADDRAN COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES

 

I.                   INTRODUCTION

 

The  Lecture series is an annual recognition and presentation that showcases excellence in scholarship and creative activity by a faculty member in AddRan College of Humanities & Social Sciences at Texas Christian University. As such, the Lecture offers both support and reward for distinguished work.

 

The Lecture honors a significant contribution, whether in the scholarship of discovery (including creative works), integration, application, or teaching. In addition, the Lecture provides an opportunity each spring for a faculty member to present that scholarship to the University community in a self-selected format. The first annual Lecture will be presented in April 2008.

 

The award consists of $2,000 to support both the presentation and continued scholarly/creative endeavor by the recipient. No portion of the award may be applied to salary.  In addition, the recipient will receive a one-course reduction in his/her teaching load to be taken (in consultation with the department chair and Dean) during the subsequent academic year.

 

II.                ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION CRITERIA

 

Any tenured or tenure-track faculty member in AddRan College is eligible to apply for the Lecture award. Applicants should have a record of achievement in scholarly work that will support the development of the proposed presentation. Appropriate supporting scholarship may take the form of original research, original synthesis, or creative endeavor. The proposed lecture should appeal to a wide audience from within and outside the College, including students, faculty, and community members.

 

Selection of the AddRan Lecture will be based on the following criteria:

 

Proposed Topic. The proposed topic for the Lecture must potentially be of interest to a variety of people, significant to educated citizens, and worthy of scholarly exploration.

 

Presentation Potential. The applicant must be capable of producing and delivering a captivating presentation.

 

Scholarly Standing. The applicant must be sufficiently engaged in the proposed topic to be able to make an authoritative presentation. Engagement in the topic will typically include on-going and/or past research, synthesis, or creative endeavor.

 

III.             APPLICATION PROCEDURES

 

Candidates for the Lecture award will be identified by application. A portfolio supporting the application of each candidate shall be submitted. The portfolio should contain the following materials:

 

• A one-page description of the proposed lecture (see “Presentation Guidelines”).

 

• A listing of those projects relevant to the proposed lecture presentation. For each project cited, a one-paragraph summary should describe the connection of the work to the proposed lecture. The applicant’s role and contribution in each should be made clear.

 

• A one-page summary of the applicant’s career and achievements.

 

• A resume of the applicant’s relevant scholarly/creative achievements.

 

• Names and contact information of three individuals to serve as references. At least one reference must be from outside TCU. Members of the selection committee may not serve as references.

 

• The selection committee is free to obtain additional evidence of scholarly/creative achievement and presentation ability of the applicant.

 

All applications should be sent to:

Dean’s Office

AddRan College of Humanities & Social Sciences Distinguished Lecture Award

Texas Christian University

TCU Box 297200 

Fort Worth, TX 76129

 

IV. SELECTION PROCESS

 

a. An ad hoc committee of AddRan faculty, appointed by the Dean shall be responsible for reviewing applications for the AddRan Lecture.

 

b. After reviewing applications, the committee will submit the name of one candidate and an alternate to the Dean as its recommendation for the Award. The Dean will announce the name of the recipient.

 

c. The award ceremony will be in April and will include recognition of the recipient followed by the award lecture.

 

d. The timeline is as follows:

Call for applications October 8

Application deadline November 1

Selection committee’s recommendation to the Dean November 30

Dean’s announcement of the recipient By December 5

Award Lecture April (date announced annually)

 

IV.              PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

 

The Lecture presentation is designed to showcase the award recipient’s scholarly/creative work, and to make both the nature of the work and its contributions to the community of scholars accessible to a wide audience. The expected audience for the Lecture includes students, faculty, staff, and members of the wider TCU and Fort Worth communities. The format of the presentation is left to the recipient’s discretion, but the following guidelines should be followed.

 

• While a discussion of the specific nature of the scholarship or creative activity is necessary and appropriate, care should be taken to discuss the impact the work has had on the larger community. For example, does the scholarship/creative activity offer a new model or vision for an old question or problem? Does the work integrate previously disparate theories, applications, media, or the like? What contributions does the scholarship/creative activity make to the discipline, to the scholarly community, and to society? Why should the audience – and particularly those who may be unfamiliar with the discipline – care about and celebrate this scholarly contribution?

 

• The presentation should communicate the recipient’s work in a format that facilitates interest and understanding on the part of those who may not be familiar with the specific discipline.

 

• The recipient should consider what presentation format(s) would be the most effective in light of the audience and topic. Presentation styles in addition to traditional lectures could include (but are not limited to) visuals, readings, posters, audio, and performances.

 

The recipient should plan a presentation of about 45 minutes, with a question and answer session to follow. At the discretion of the recipient, a portion of the monetary award is available to prepare materials for the lecture.