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Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University

Award for Excellence in Interculturalization

TRU recognizes up to two individuals and one group of TRU employees who represent the best qualities of interculturalization including internationalization and/or indigenization. This award is designed to increase awareness of efforts to interculturalize TRU, as well as recognize individuals who through their teaching, scholarly activity, and/or service are assisting to operationalize the strategic vision of interculturalization and increasing intercultural understanding through internationalization or indigenization.

Consideration is given to faculty and staff who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary effort, either through their ongoing commitment to interculturalization or a specific event, project, service or program. In addition, we seek to recognize individuals and teams that have prioritized building relationships and working collaboratively with community, non-profit organizations, government, other post-secondary institutions, or other relevant stakeholders.

The Awards for Excellence recognize individual’s and team’s extraordinary efforts, which go above and beyond their professional obligations. Eligible candidates demonstrate valuing of diversity, recognition of privilege and power, and commitment to social justice and inclusion. Their efforts contribute to transforming themselves, their communities, and the world, through their teaching, service, or research. Their efforts demonstrate impacts in terms of attitudes, knowledge, skills, and praxis. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

  • demonstrate respect, awareness, openness, curiosity, and creativity
  • demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures and ways of knowing and being
  • demonstrate cultural self-awareness
  • interrogate power, privilege, and structures of colonization
  • engage respectfully with others
  • collaborate and seek to build relationships
  • practice effective conflict resolution
  • recognize and celebrate diversity and inclusion
  • commit to anti-racist and anti-oppressive processes
  • empower transformation

Candidates’ actions impact the TRU community, locally, within the region or beyond, in positive ways; therefore, we are seeking to award individuals and teams that have empowered transformation within the TRU community and beyond.

Individual nominees for the Award for Excellence in Interculturalization may be fulltime or part-time employees and must have been employed at TRU for at least five (5) continuous years. Group nominees must consist of TRU employees, a majority of whom must have been employed at TRU for at least five (5) continuous years.

Award recipients are not eligible for nomination in future years.

Award winners will receive an engraved plaque plus the opportunity to attend a conference or professional development activity of their choice (to a maximum of $2,000). Recipients must use this award within a two-year period from the date of the award. TRU is not obligated to offer the award annually.

Awards will be presented at the President's Annual Merit and Service Award reception.

The awards process has two Stages:

Stage 1: Members of the campus community are invited to nominate staff and faculty members who demonstrate the best qualities of interculturalization including internationalization and/or indigenization. Anyone is permitted to nominate an employee or group of employees, and all completed nomination forms will be accepted.

Nominations will close on Thursday, December 21, 2023

Sample Nomination Form

Submit a Nomination

Stage 2: Nominees who meet the eligibility criteria will be asked if they would like to accept the nomination and submit a full award portfolio. Supporting documentation must be uploaded before the February deadline. People and groups who are not nominated in Stage 1 are still encouraged to self-nominate and are welcome to submit portfolios.

Deadline to upload full portfolio is Wednesday, February 14, 2024 

Description and Criteria

Portfolio Upload Link

Previous Winners

Year Recipient
2023 Jenna Goddard
Amy Tucker
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) Team
(new team award)
2022  Sheila Blackstock
Cara Cadre
2021 No Award
2020  Kyra Garson
2019  Nicole Schabus
Craig Campbell
2017 Robin Reid
2016 Noawarat (Ann) Cheeptham
2014 Emma Bourassa
2013 Warveni Jap
2012 David Scheffel
2011 Ross Nelson
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