What exactly is the HOPE award? How is it administered? How much money is it? How do I nominate a professor for it?
HOPE is an acronym for Honor for the Outstanding Progressive Educator. The award was established by the Kansas University Class of 1959 to recognize outstanding teaching and concern for students. It is the only KU award for teaching excellence bestowed exclusively by students.
Each year the senior class members select the winner by ballot and interviews. Later this year, the senior class will run an ad in the University Daily Kansan seeking nominations from seniors for the award. After nominations are received, the senior class officers will run a second ad listing the nominees and announcing a two-day election. Seniors have two days to vote for their favorite professor among the nominees. After the votes are tallied, the senior class officers and the senior advisory board (nine seniors selected by the officers and the assistant vice chancellor for student affairs) will interview the finalists and select a winner. The winner is announced at a football game. This year, the award ceremony is tentatively scheduled to be during the Oct. 30 Nebraska-KU game.
The award is for $300. The award includes an engraved plaque for the winner and each of the finalists. The winner's name also is placed on a plaque for HOPE award professors that resides in the Kansas Union.
To nominate a professor, you need to be a member of the senior class at KU and follow directions for submitting nominees offered in the advertisement that will appear later this year in the UDK.
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