About the award
The intent and spirit of this award is to acknowledge individuals who are working towards building and strengthening Dr. Ryan's vision, through:
Collaboration: Acknowledging the immense value in bringing people together to share their ideas, successes, challenges, and failures.
Community: Recognition that in building community, you are creating a support structure for those working to make positive change.
Ethics and Empathy: Thinking outside the box, taking on other’s perspectives, and considering the moral and ethical dimensions and interconnectedness of education, learning, science, and society.
Thoughtful Action: Valuing experiential learning and exploration that through reflection and growth leads to thoughtful action.
Service and Support: Focus on helping others to develop, perform, and achieve as highly as possible; leading by example, but also by lifting others up to become leaders themselves; providing opportunities and helping to break the path for those who come after.
Eligibility
This award is open to current students, faculty, or staff who are engaged in an educationally focused project within or connected to the Dalhousie community.
The selection committee
- A representative from the Ryan family
- A representative from the Centre for Learning and Teaching
- At least one Faculty of Science faculty member involved in the teaching and learning community
- A staff member from Student Services
- An undergraduate or graduate student who has demonstrated interest in teaching and learning
Number of awards
Awarded annually, in spring, the number of awards distributed in any given year will depend on the number and quality of submissions, but expectations would be to deliver one award per year.
Nominations
Nominators should:
- Inform nominees of their nomination, providing nominees with enough time to assist the nominator with providing material for and contact information of community members to support the nominator’s reflection.
- Collect and collate all required materials to ensure confidentiality.
- Submit the award nomination package on or before the deadline.
- In the case of self-nominations, the self-nominator should seek a colleague to request and collect testimonials on their behalf to submit separately to Linda Ruhloff (linda.ruhloff@Dal.Ca) to ensure confidentiality.
Nomination deadline
Deadline for nominations is March 13, 2024.
Award recognition
Recipients of the Community Growth Award will be recognized through a DalNews article and have their names and/or the name of their community/group/project added to the Anne Marie Ryan Ideas Room in the Wallace McCain Learning Commons (Rm. 271). Recipients will also be recognized at the annual CLT Teaching Awards celebration and the university-wide Legacy Awards event (both events are typically held in the fall term).
Recipients may be invited to present at a lunch-n-learn through the CLT, to highlight their efforts and initiatives in developing and/or growing community at Dalhousie.
Submissions
Nominators shall provide a reflection (in writing, video, podcast, or other creative format of their choice) that highlights why they believe the nominee is a strong candidate for this award, specifically keeping the guiding principles in mind. The Award Committee values concise presentation.
Here are some guiding questions for your reflection:
- How did the nominee contribute to building this educational/socially responsive learning community?
- What actions did the nominee take as a leader to contribute to the growth of this community?
- How is this community valued by its members? What is this community’s larger social impact? How has it helped to create a better world?
Please email your complete package, including the nomination form (below) and letters of support, in a single submission (e.g., one PDF or one file with links to recordings, videos etc.) to:
Linda Ruhloff (Linda.Ruhloff@Dal.Ca)
Provost & VP academic
Henry Hicks Administration Building
6299 South Street, Room 332
PO Box 15000
Halifax, NS B3H 4R2