Faculty awards are more than acknowledgments of past success; they are strategic tools for advancing both individual careers and institutional priorities and can catalyze professional development and institutional advancement. Building on O’Meara’s work (2011), we aim to elevate the role of awards as underexplored yet powerful means of supporting career advancement, professional growth, and institutional success. We outline faculty and institutional motivations for awards, highlight strategic opportunities, and offer practical guidance to help deans and provosts align awards with faculty development and institutional success.
Beyond Programs: Leadership Lessons from Ireland’s Inclusive Universities
During a recent sabbatical studying inclusive postsecondary education in Ireland, I visited four universities—University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, and Mary Immaculate
Ashley Rodrigues
July 20, 2026
