Award Deadlines

Nomination Deadline: Friday, January 18, 2013
Application Deadline: Friday, February 8, 2013

Award Description

Up to five awards of $2,000, before tax, will be available for recognition of outstanding teaching, and one award of $2,000, before tax, will be available for recognition of outstanding advising. Award candidates will be recommended to the Provost by a selection committee comprised of previous year’s winners, and a student from each of the three colleges. The committee will only recommend individuals who have been judged to be outstanding in teaching or advising. For example, the committee should not forward any recommendations if it feels that none of the applicants are truly deserving of the award. Where feasible, the awardees for awards for teaching will include a faculty member from each of the three colleges.

Award Amount: $2,000

Award Eligibility Criteria

Awards will be made to individuals who have been judged to be distinguished in either teaching or advising. Individuals receiving the awards will be recognized for their commitment to their students, and exceptional performance in teaching or advising as shown by evaluation of those skills by both students and peers, and evidence of activities in which the individuals have been engaged in the promotion of high quality teaching or advising in the department or college.

Selection will be limited to full-time faculty and advisors in regular faculty lines (excluding visiting and adjunct faculty and workforce personnel) who have been employed in that capacity at the University for at least three years prior to the year of award. For example, a faculty member applying for the award in 2009-10 would be eligible if he/she were employed as a full-time faculty member on or before August 8, 2006. Once receiving an award, a recipient is ineligible to reapply until three full academic years have passed. For example, a faculty member who received an award in the 2005-06 academic year would be eligible to reapply for the award in the 2009-10 academic year. Eligibility will be verified by the Provost’s Office.

Application Process and Portfolio

Candidates for consideration may be identified through nomination by a second party (e.g., faculty or student) or by direct application of the individual.  All candidates will be asked to submit a full professional application portfolio, which should be contained in a 3-ring binder no larger than 3-inches deep.  The portfolio is to include the following:

1. Cover letter indicating the award for which the applicant wishes to be considered (the teaching award or the advising award), and a personal statement on the importance of teaching or advising.
2. Complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae.
3. History of the courses taught within the past three years prior to the year of application, even if the application is for the advising award.
4. Materials developed for use with the courses or advising (e.g., syllabi, handouts, student learning outcomes, academic learning compacts, academic learning plans, student assessments).
5. All student evaluations of teaching during the past three years prior to the year of application, including a statement verifying that all student evaluations are included, and indicating which written student comments are included.  Preference will be given to faculty who include all written student comments.
6. Other documentation indicating that all applicable criteria have been met (e.g., peer evaluations, evidence of attendance at workshops/seminars focusing on the improvement of teaching or advising skills, evidence of self-initiated classroom creative activities and scholarship).  Relevant documentation should cover a maximum of the past three academic years.  (For the convenience of the reviewers, if plastic page protectors are used, only one page should be inserted in each protector).

Award Criteria for Selection of Candidates

1. Criteria specific to teaching:

• Evidence that the candidate has demonstrated distinguished performance in relation to teaching requirements.
• Evidence of both short-and long-term positive impact on students.
• Degree of effective innovation in teaching activities and/or delivery.
• Degree of consistency of performance over time.
• Evidence that one’s overall system of teaching has continued to evolve and improve during the past three years.
• Incorporation of the various technical innovations applicable to the art and science of teaching.
• Incorporation of one’s own discipline-specific research and service into the teaching experience, in both the creative and transmittal stages.
• Active involvement of the students in the learning process.
• Evidence that skill in teaching extends beyond the formal classroom and includes individual and small group interaction, if such activity is appropriate.
• Indication that the individual is viewed as knowledgeable in the field and challenging to students.
• Evidence of self-initiated, formal or informal, classroom creative activities and/or innovations that lead to enhanced performance and delivery in teaching, and in enhanced student learning.

2. Criteria specific to advising:

• Evidence that the candidate has demonstrated distinguished performance in relation to advising requirements.
• Evidence of both short-and long-term positive impact on students.
• Degree of effective innovation in advising activities.
• Degree of consistency of performance over the three year period.
• Evidence of self-initiated, formal or informal, creative activities that lead to enhanced performance in advising.
• Evidence that advising is a significant portion of the individual’s duties. Such evidence can be taken directly from the equivalent FTEs/contact hours indicated on each semester’s Faculty Activity Report and verified by departmental chairs.
• Historical evidence of number of advisees and participation in advising activities (e.g., committee, student groups, etc.) and documentation of the effectiveness of the advising. Evidence showing that attention is given to career counseling and personal issues in addition to academic advising.
• Evidence showing that attention is given to career counseling and personal issues in addition to academic advising.
• Knowledge of other appropriate specialized advisors and counselors and referencing of students to them when appropriate.
• Development of special materials for use with the advising/career counseling process.
• Evidence of self-initiated, formal or informal, innovation that leads to enhanced performance and delivery in advising.
• Evidence that the candidate demonstrates excellence in advising.
• Formal advising evaluations by students if available.

Award Timeline

Nominations must be submitted to the Office of the Provost no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, January 18, 2013, so the nominee can be notified and has adequate time to prepare an application. Nominations can be submitted by mail (Bldg. 10, Room 210) or email (academicaffairs@uwf.edu).

Applications are to be submitted to the Office of the Provost no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 8, 2013. Portfolios will be reviewed by a selection committee and a recommendation forwarded to the Provost.

An award announcement will be made at the 2013 Honors Convocation

Recent Award Winners (Full List)