2025 Alvin Bynum Award for Excellence in Academic Mentoring

2025 Alvin Bynum Award for Excellence in Academic Mentoring

The Alvin Bynum Award for Excellence in Academic Mentoring is given to outstanding academic mentors who have demonstrated longstanding, extraordinary commitment to the learning process.

A $1,000 award will be given to each recipient. 

Nominations for this award are open.

Alvin Bynum Award for Excellence in Academic Mentoring
CategoryDetails
EligibilityOne faculty and one staff member, either full- or part-time, may be named to receive the award.
NominatorsAny member of the campus community may serve as a nominator. Nominations prepared jointly by faculty and students are encouraged.
CriteriaCriteria for selection include the mentor’s cumulative impact on the lives of students, commitment to student development, and the ability to project and instill enthusiasm and pride.

Emphasis will be on out-of-class mentoring activities, not in-class teaching.

The awards are designed for individuals recognized by students and colleagues as having made truly extraordinary contributions.

Nominees may include persons working with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The selection committee will prioritize undergraduate mentoring.

Nomination and support letters must speak to the candidate’s extraordinary service as an academic advisor or personal mentor to students over several years and who has demonstrated a cumulative impact on the quality of learning at IU Indianapolis.
Documentation
  • Completed online nomination form.
  • Nomination letter. A nomination letter that is concise, substantive, and specific, demonstrating why the candidate has made a distinctive contribution.
  • Letters of support: No more than six letters of support, addressed to the Bynum Mentor Selection Committee, from current and former students, faculty, and colleagues. Letters should support the nomination letter and show devotion to mentoring students beyond the expected requirements of the candidate’s job duties, an indication of a commitment to the philosophy that students “know thyself,” a demonstrated pride in IU Indianapolis, and recognition of outstanding records by students.
  • Curriculum vitae or resume.
Duration of considerationNominations will be considered for the year they are submitted.
SelectionA committee of past winners of the Bynum Mentor Award will make the selection.
Submit a nomination

Complete the electronic nomination form and upload documentation.

Only one nominator’s information can be entered as a contact. Additional nominators can be accounted for at the end of the nomination letter.

Uploaded files in Word format. If documentation is not currently available electronically, it can be scanned. The Center for Teaching and Learning, University Library Room 1125, can assist with this process.

Questions

For answers to questions about the nomination process, contact the Office of Academic Affairs. Call 317-274-4500 or send an email to ude[dot]ui[at]aao.