Civitatis Award

The Civitatis Award was established in 1997 to recognize outstanding faculty citizenship. The Civitatis Award is conferred upon a member of the faculty in recognition of dedicated and meritorious service to the University above and beyond the regular expectations of teaching, research, and writing. The award is made by the President upon the recommendation of the Faculty Council Executive Committee.

2008 Recipient

Alba Ortiz holds the President’s Chair for Education Academic Excellence at The University of Texas at Austin. She is a nationally known scholar whose work focuses on the education of bilingual students with special needs. A member of the faculty since 1980, Dr. Ortiz has served the University in many roles. As chair of the Faculty Senate in 1994, she led the complex process of merging the Faculty Senate and University Council into the Faculty Council. Then as chair of the Faculty Council in 2005-2006, she engaged the academic community in a review of the report of the Task Force on Curriculum Reform that ultimately resulted in significant changes to the core curriculum and to the creation of the School of Undergraduate Studies. She has served as chair of the Graduate Assembly and the Faculty Grievance Committee, and in other important faculty governance positions. Her administrative appointments include Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research, and chair of the Department of Special Education in the College of Education. Outside the University, she has received numerous presidential, federal commission, and gubernatorial appointments. She is a past president of the Council for Exceptional Children, the nation’s premier professional organization for special education.

Nomination Process

In the spring of each year, the Faculty Council Executive Committee, or a designated subcommittee of the FCEC, will solicit nominations. The Committee may recommend up to three candidates to the President for this honor.

The identification of appropriate candidates is important, and your participation is invited. Please refer to the information for the criteria for the award, the requirements for making a nomination, and the nature of the recognition given to the recipient(s). Also provided is a list of the past recipients.