Besse Award
2025 Besse Award Student Nominations:
The call for student nominations is now closed. The eligible nominees have been notified and will be sent forth for the faculty/staff nomination beginning April 16, 2025.
Call for Faculty/Staff Nominations:
Congratulations to these outstanding faculty who received a student nomination(s)! View the full list of eligible nominees.
To be considered for final eligibility, these faculty must also receive at least one additional faculty/staff nomination. Faculty/staff can submit nominations at tri-c.edu/bessefacultystaff by Friday, May 9, 2025.
The form has a 30 minute timer, so please draft your responses first using this Word template, which will automatically download. Copy/paste your responses into the electronic recommendation form. You may submit multiple nominations, but must complete a separate form for each.
The Selection Committees will make their final recommendations and winners will be announced at Fall 2025 Convocation.
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, Lecturer, Anthropology, Western Campus
- Kristen Reiter, Lecturer, 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:
- April 16 - May 9: Call for faculty/staff nominations
- May 16: Final candidates notified with instructions to submit their teaching statement, artifact and resume
- May 16 – June 23: Final candidates submit supporting materials
- June 25 – July 17: Selection Committees review candidate materials and meet to determine final recommendations
- July 18– July 31: Provost and Campus Presidents approve final recommendations
- August 19: Winners announced at Fall 2025 Convocation
- *These dates are subject to change, but all changes will be communicated by email
AY 2023-24 Award Winners:
