Excellence in Teaching Award

Our faculty awards recognize outstanding experienced and new faculty at the graduate and undergraduate levels who demonstrate teaching excellence, as well as leadership and scholarship in their discipline.

  • Demonstrates teaching excellence in the classroom
  • Values innovation in teaching and learning
  • Shows support of student success toward retention, persistence, and completion
  • Demonstrates leadership in the classroom
  • Completed nomination form
  • A copy of the nominee's current CV, to include scholarly publications
  • Evidence of:
    • Nominee's interaction with a student (examples: assignments, feedback, discussion responses)
    • Nominee's classroom innovation, including a before/after analysis of the change 
    • How the nominee has helped a student be successful in a course or has helped retain a student
    • Nominee's support of the university mission (examples: helping others make connections, supports course development, shows compassion, flexibility or professional support)
    • A narrative or video of the nominee’s teaching philosophy. Should be no more than 250 words or two minutes in length
    • Statement of support from the nominee's Department Chair, Associate Dean, or Dean
  • Nominations may be made by faculty, staff, students, alumni, and those familiar with the nominee’s work
    • Nominees will be notified and asked to provide a narrative or video of their teaching philosophy. Should be no more than 250 words or two minutes in length
  • Top candidates in each academic school are presented to the Academic Awards Committee for review
  • The University Provost grants final approval
  • The award may, but will not necessarily, be awarded annually to one undergraduate and graduate faculty member per academic school 
  • Open to part-time and full-time faculty members
  • Award recipients will be honored during Commencement weekend, and should we have an in-person celebration, one-night accommodations and individual travel expenses to attend Commencement will be paid for by the University
  • Award recipients receive a crystal trophy
  • Award recipients are not required to attend Commencement to accept the award

The deadline for 2024 has passed. Nominations for the 2025 awards cycle will open in the Fall. For questions, contact [email protected].