Besse Award
2025 Besse Award Student Nominations:
The call for student nominations is now open for fall semester! If you are nominating more than one instructor, please fill out separate forms for each nomination. Student nominations will be accepted in both fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters. Submit your nominations here by Dec. 6, 2024.
Congratulations to our 2024 BESSE Award Winners!
2024 Full-time Faculty Winners
- Jim Funai, Plant Science Technology, Eastern Campus
- Michelle Nicopolis, Professor, Psychology, Western Campus
- Ryan Rodriguez, Assistant Professor, English, Western Campus
- Kirsten Yates-Konzen, Assistant Professor, English, Western Campus
2024 Adjunct/Faculty Winners
- Amy Chan, Adjunct Professor, Mathematics, Metropolitan Campus
- Diane Nickoson, Adjunct Professor, Mathematics, Eastern Campus
- Eric Olson, Adjunct Professor, Anthropology, Western Campus
- Kristen Reiter, Adjunct Professor, Biology, Western Campus
Award overview:
The Excellence in Teaching Award in Honor of Ralph M. Besse is presented annually for up to four full-time faculty members and up to four adjunct faculty or lecturers selected for exceptional professional competence and commitment to helping students succeed. Specifically, these award winners demonstrate a commitment to academic quality, stimulation of intellectual development, and investment with students within and beyond the classroom. Students are the initial driver of the list of nominees. The award is given in honor of Ralph M. Besse, Cleveland community leader and champion of higher education, who was instrumental in founding Tri-C.
Award highlights:
- A maximum of eight awards will be announced (four full-time faculty and four adjuncts).
- Winners are announced at Fall Convocation and receive an engraved plaque, monetary award, and support for professional development.
- Awards are College-wide and not based on campus location or discipline.
- Lecturers are eligible to receive the Adjunct Award.
- This is a two-step award process. Students are the initial driver by completing an electronic form with five questions related to teaching excellence. Those eligible faculty nominees are then sent forth for a college-wide faculty/staff nomination. Faculty must have at least one student nomination and at least one faculty/staff nomination to be eligible for final consideration.
- Review the award process overview and eligibility requirements here.
2025 award timeline:
- Information on student nominations for AY 24 - 25 is coming soon.
AY 2023-24 Award Winners:
