Jan. 7, 2015

Five key facts about the University of Calgary Teaching Awards

Nomination deadline is Monday, Jan. 26
Teaching awards
Teaching awards

The nomination deadline is fast approaching for the 2015 University of Calgary Teaching Awards.

Nomination letters and dossiers are due Monday, Jan. 26 for those wishing to participate in the second year of the teaching awards program, which recognizes exceptional contributions to student learning across the university campus.

Considering nominating a colleague? Here are five more things to know about the University of Calgary Teaching Awards program:

  1. Start local, go national
    A strong university-level teaching awards program provides important scaffolding for external awards competitions. These awards are designed to position colleagues at the University of Calgary for success in other provincial and national teaching awards, such as the 3M National Teaching Fellowships.
  2. Expansive and equitable
    The University of Calgary Teaching Awards acknowledge contributions to teaching excellence in 11 different categories. The awards recognize contributions from academic staff, sessional instructors, non-academic staff, teaching assistants, and librarians, archivists and curators, as well as excellence in curriculum development, educational leadership, team teaching, teaching in online environments, and experiential learning. All of those nominated in the 11 categories make extraordinary contributions to the quality of teaching and learning at the University of Calgary.
  3. Welcome to the academy
    The recipients of the teaching awards are part of a community of outstanding teachers at the University of Calgary. Award recipients are invited to join the Teaching Academy to share their expertise and support the teaching development of others, through mentorship and other initiatives.
  4. A night of accolades
    Recipients are recognized for their outstanding contributions at an annual Celebration of Teaching dinner. This prestigious event, including the president, provost and chair of the Board of Governors, serves to highlight and celebrate the contributions of each award recipient.
  5. It takes a community
    The nomination process for the University of Calgary Teaching Awards is a comprehensive, scholarly and rigorous one, requiring evidence from nominees, students and/or peers, and alignment across those sources of evidence. The awards are adjudicated by committees consisting of two academic staff members, a graduate student, an undergraduate student, and a representative from the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.

Support for the University of Calgary Teaching Awards is being offered by the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.

The Taylor Institute’s Educational Development Unit is offering a review session on Monday, Jan 12; the unit’s educational development consultants will be available to provide feedback on nomination packages.

More information on the awards program, including FAQs and adjudication rubrics, can be found on the Educational Development Unit’s awards website.