WHEREAS, skillful, enthusiastic, and innovative teachers improve the lives of countless students by encouraging curiosity and understanding and by contributing to the development of mind and spirit; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Professors of the Year program, sponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, is the only national program for excellent undergraduate teaching; and

WHEREAS, the <state name> Professor of the Year represents the thousands of dedicated university and college instructors throughout  <state name> who serve their students, their community and their state with dedication and talent; and

WHEREAS, the state/commonwealth of <name> has long supported excellence in undergraduate teaching through competitively funding faculty salaries and other initiatives to make our system of higher education the envy of many states and other nations; and

WHEREAS, the quality of life and the scope of opportunity for many future citizens of <name> will be determined by the quality of teaching in the classroom; and therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the General Assembly of <state name> recognizes and commends <winning professor’s name>, professor of <discipline>, at <institution> upon being named the 2007 <state name> Professor of the Year.