Outstanding Department Contribution to International Education

The Outstanding Department Contribution to International Education Award recognizes a department that has made significant enhancements to international education at NIU or the internationalization of campus.

The award will be presented to the selected NIU unit during International Education Week.

Please contact Sarah Lindell at 815-753-9526 or slindell@niu.edu with questions.

Eligibility and Criteria

All NIU units, including academic departments, administrative units and support units, are eligible for the award. Previous award recipients, as well as individuals and units within the Division of International Affairs, are not eligible.

Not every nominee will have done something in every category. The nominated unit should have made outstanding contributions to international education or the internationalization of campus in one or more of the following ways:

• Supporting NIU-sponsored Study Abroad Programs benefiting NIU students and or faculty
• Offering or supporting international courses in the curriculum or inclusion of international issues in the courses
• Recruiting international faculty, staff and/or students
• Co-sponsoring/implementing international professional development programs (e.g. short-term training programs, organizing international conferences)
• Supporting faculty in international work (e.g. research, technical assistance, conference participation)
• Supporting international students (e.g. tuition waivers, assistantships, financial aid, support for international travel, support for conference participation)
• Hosting visiting international scholars and exchanges
• Receiving external funding for international projects (of any type, such as research, programmatic, curricular; federal, foundation, donor)
• Administering NIU-sponsored international events to promote international understanding (e.g. international conferences/lectures, educational exhibits with an international focus)
• Collaborating with other campus units on international activities or projects or programs
• Any other contributions related to the International Affairs mission statement

Nomination Process

We encourage individuals to nominate deserving colleagues and units for awards. Once a nomination is received, the nominee, whether an individual or unit, will be notified and invited to collaborate with the nominator in preparing and submitting the supporting materials required for committee review and consideration.

• Outstanding International Award Nomination Form
• An InfoReady link will be supplied to complete the submission process.
• Up to three supporting attachments that describe the department’s contributions to international education.

The nomination deadline is 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

Selection Procedure

Nominations will be reviewed on the above-mentioned criteria by the selection committee. Specific attention will be given to outstanding contributions where a department has developed a new special project or a new particular initiative focused on internationalization. A Selection committee established by the Division of International Affairs will review the nominations and select award recipients.

Past Award Recipients

Year	Recipient
2025	Center for Burma Studies
2024	University Libraries
2023	Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language and Literacy
2022	not awarded
2021	not awarded
2020	Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment
2019	Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education
2018	Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
2017	College of Education Office of External and Global Programs
2016	not awarded
2015	Department of English
2014	University Honors Program
2013	Division of Public Administration
2012	Department of Literacy Education
2011	School of Music
2010	Special Award: Office of the Ombudsman
2010	Department of Chemistry
2009	Department of Marketing
2008	Department of Mechanical Engineering
2008	School of Art
2007	Department of Political Science
2006	Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center