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NISOD Excellence Awards DVD Guidelines
Submit Yours by March 1, 2010
Thank you for considering submitting an Excellence Awards video. Don’t let the following guidelines intimidate you. They are meant to serve as a point of reference for your short, concise video submission. Before you begin, think of how your message will help fellow staff, faculty and administrators. Still don’t know where to start? Take a look at previous years' videos. Here is an example of a humorous entry. This selection is a bit more serious but very inspirational. Ready? Let’s get started!
Excellence Award Recipient
If selected, your Excellence Award recipient video will be included in a collection of interviews from Excellence Awards recipients from NISOD-member colleges across the country to create a video intended to inspire and motivate community college faculty, staff, and administrators and to show the diversity and richness of the community college community. The video will be unveiled on the final day of the NISOD Conference at the Excellence Awards Ceremony.
After the conference, each member college receives a copy of the DVD. Many colleges use the DVD for the fall and winter in-service events to motivate returning faculty and staff and to underscore the importance of celebrating excellence to Boards of Directors and Trustees.
You might also consider posting your video on your college website or YouTube.
Student of Excellence Awards Recipient
If selected, the videos of the students of Excellence Award recipients will be included in a collection of interviews from students at NISOD-member colleges across the country. The video will be unveiled at the Excellence Awards Kick-Off on the first day of the NISOD Conference.
All Video Submissions
(Our producers make every attempt to include a well-rounded selection from the footage they receive. Please understand that it is impossible to use ALL of the footage, and videos will not be returned. Note: NISOD Excellence Awards recipients are not required to submit a video. This is optional.)
Please submit the videos on DVCAM, Mini DV (standard speed), or large QuickTime file. Include one minute of SMPTE color bars at the front of the tape, if possible.
- We encourage you to enlist the help of your college’s video production staff to produce the video, if possible. (We suggest contacting your media or public relations department to identify someone at your college that can help you to produce your video.)
- It is very important that interviewees wear a microphone during taping. (Camera microphones or microphones placed elsewhere in the room, produce poor sound quality.) The set should be as quiet as possible. (Watch out for loud air conditioning systems and nearby distracting noise. Sensitive microphones will pick up noise and make it difficult to achieve the desired quality in edited tapes.) (If you have to use a shotgun microphone mounted to the camera, the camera should be moved in as close as possible to the source of the sound.)
- Choose an interesting setting with good lighting. Actual classroom settings seem to work well. Outdoor settings can be interesting if you avoid areas with excessive background noise such as people talking, highway traffic, generators or A/C units, etc. You will want to avoid using a white, blank, or brick wall backing.
- Compose the shot head-to-chest, unless the setting requires a wider shot.
- Send us your original raw video. We cannot use submissions with graphic information keyed over the interviewee or music in the background.
Excellence Award Recipient
- The recipient should give his/her name, position, and college name at the beginning of the interview.
- The recipient name, position, and college name should also be on a graphic before the interview. Please be sure all the information is spelled correctly.
- Each recipient should briefly respond (one minute or less) to ONE of the following questions:
- Can you tell us about a favorite moment where you felt your work made a difference? OR
- What specific things have you done to really captivate your students—to pull them in and engage their interest? OR
- Why is your work important to you?
Student of the Excellence Award Recipient
A recent addition to the NISOD Excellence Awards DVD is student comments about the recipients. Please select a student whose life has been positively influenced by the recipient. Just follow the interviewing tips identified below when interviewing the student. It is important for the student to think about his/her response before the interview begins in order to provide a concise statement that gets to the heart of the message. Most students will be happy to participate but may be shy in front of the camera. Remind them to SMILE.
- The student should give his/her name, classification, area of study, and recipient name at the beginning of the interview.
- The student name, classification, area of study, and recipient name should also be on a graphic before the interview. Please be sure all the information is spelled correctly.
- The student should briefly respond (one minute or less) to ONE of the following questions:
- How has the recipient made a difference in your life? OR
- Can you please share a favorite story about the recipient? OR
- Why is the recipient deserving of the NISOD Excellence Award?
- The interviewees should be creative. Humor is always a welcome addition.
- The more unique and heartfelt the video and its presentation, the more likely it will reach the final cut.
- The producers are looking for short, motivating sound bytes. If you include a story in the interview, try to keep it concise using only essential story points.
A Talent Release Form must be signed by the Excellence Award recipient AND the student in order to be considered for the DVD. The student must be at least 18 years of age or older. Please print and complete the Talent Release Form and send with the video.
Technical questions about the video should be directed to:
Nancy Fritz Holden
Phone: 512-223-8037All other inquiries should be directed to:
Sheryl PowellLABEL each video with the following information: name and job title of each recipient; name of college; and state.
Mail to the following address:
Nancy Fritz Holden
Austin Community College, Pinnacle Campus
7748 Highway 290 West
Austin, TX 78736Thank you for taking the time to create and submit your personal video. We hope that you will be pleased with our attempt to recognize, celebrate, and represent your excellence in teaching and leading!
National Institute for Staff & Organizational Development (NISOD)
Community College Leadership Program | College of Education |
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station, D5600 |
Austin, TX 78712-0378
Ph: (512) 471-7545 | Fax: (512) 471-9426 | Email
