ACAPT Friend of PT Award

The American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) honors an individual who serves in an administrative role in higher education. This individual goes above and beyond his/her role as an administrator to support excellence and innovation in academic physical therapy.

The Friend of PT Award honors a non-physical therapist who has shown significant efforts towards promoting excellence in physical therapist education. 

Eligibility Criteria

• Any individual member of an ACAPT member institution may nominate an individual for this award.
• Nominee must hold an administrative position within the ACAPT member institution.

Selection Criteria 

• The individual uses his/her position within higher education to support and elevate physical therapist education within his/her institution and higher education in general. 
• The individual advocates for the physical therapy academic enterprise and invites leaders in physical therapist education to contribute to the conversation. 
• The individual recognizes and fosters the uniqueness of physical therapy educational programs and works collaboratively in advancing the vision, mission or goals of ACAPT.

Procedure for Nomination

Nomination packets must include: 

• Written nomination letter addressing the nominee's contributions as an advocate for physical therapy education. The letter should carefully document the ways in which the nominee fulfills the criteria noted above.
• Formal resume or curriculum vitae which includes biographical information pertaining to the nominee’s position within the institution.
• Three support letters, at least one of which is from an ACAPT member and at least one from an individual within the nominating institution. These letters should support the nomination letter by providing a personal account of how the nominee used his/her position within higher education to support and elevate physical therapist education.
• Send one PDF nomination packet to acapt@acapt.org. 

If a nomination was not selected for the award, the nominator may resubmit the same nomination packet one time only in the following calendar year with the option of updating supporting documents. Nominees will not be automatically reconsidered for successive years.

Timeline

The nomination packet must be received by ACAPT by April 30. 

Final decision(s) will be made by the ACAPT Awards & Recognition Committee with recommendations to the Board.

Submission and Review Process

One award will be given annually.

There may be years when this award is not given.

Recognition Process

A plaque will be given to the recipient at the Educational Leadership Conference (ELC).