Eligibility Requirements
- Applicant programs that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) and can demonstrate that initiatives that can assist minority students must have been ongoing for at least three (3) years
- Physical therapist professional education or physical therapist assistant education programs that are directed by members of the Board of Directors, the chair of the Awards Committee, or members of the Education Subcommittee of the Awards Committee, are not eligible for nomination or consideration for this award
Criteria for selection include the following:
- Planned, comprehensive initiatives have been developed by the program that can assist in the recruitment, admission, retention, and graduation of minority students that demonstrate effectiveness, achievement, and a sustained level or increase in the number of minority students, over a period of at least three (3) years; and/or planned, comprehensive initiatives have been developed by the program that can sustain or increase the number of minority faculty recruited, employed, and retained, over a period of at least three (3) years.
- Initiatives have been developed that provide services that can assist students and/or faculty from racial and ethnic minority groups.
- Institutional support is demonstrated for the initiatives and efforts put forth by the physical therapist professional education program or physical therapist assistant education program.
What Recipients Receive
A tower award and a monetary award of $2,500 will be presented to the awardee(s) by APTA's Board of Directors at the association's annual conference and an official announcement will appear in an association publication.
Submission Requirements
During the online process, the following documents will be required for upload:
1. A letter of nomination that provides a narrative description of program, to include, but not be limited to:
- Name and address of the physical therapist professional education or physical therapist assistant education program and its program director
- Name(s) and qualification(s) of individual(s) involved in minority recruitment and service initiatives
- Total number of students enrolled in each class of program and total number of minority students enrolled in each class of program
- Current number and academic level of students and faculty affected by the minority recruitment and service initiatives
- Summary statement
- Rationale for program initiatives
- Initiatives for minority students including: recruitment, admissions, retention, graduation and/or initiatives for minority faculty (role models) including: recruitment, employment, and retention
- Services/resources available
- Institutional support of initiatives
- Evaluation of the program
2. Two (2) letters in support of the nomination from representatives of the student body and/or faculty members who have benefited from the program, not to exceed two (2) pages each.
Submit a Nomination
The call for nominations will begin August 2013. Please check back for updates.