Provost Awards for Teaching Excellence recognize faculty who have demonstrated a commitment to exceptional teaching and student success. Multiple awards are available each year across a range of categories.

Who can receive an award?

Any faculty member is eligible to be nominated (i.e. by another colleague) or to apply directly for these awards.

What is the deadline?

To submit a nomination, please complete this form by the deadline: 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 23, 2025. EXTENDED to Friday, March 28 at 12:00 pm.

How will the award recipients be honored?

The recipients of each award will be announced during the Spring 2025 semester. This year the recipients will be honored at the Excellence in Advising & Teaching Celebration and Award Ceremony on Tuesday, April 22nd.

What are the award criteria?

The applications/nominations will be evaluated against the criteria for each award category (see below), based on the letter of support and their supervisor's endorsement.

Applications must be accompanied by a letter of support by the nominator or applicant. The letter should be no longer than two pages, and it should contain specific examples and other detailed information to support your nomination/application. The letter may be uploaded with the nomination form, or entered into the appropriate text box on the form.

Excellence in Teaching Innovation Award

Applicants should demonstrate a keen awareness of the needs of today’s learners. They should showcase how their teaching practice or course/program design effectively promotes flexible and innovative learning, providing students option in pace, place and/or mode of study.

Excellence in Experiential Teaching Award

Engaged learning occurs when faculty elevate student learning through the creation of an active learning environment within their classes, labs, or studios. The faculty employs several high-impact practices in their instruction and foster growth in students through an increased ability to learn and apply the knowledge, skills, and concepts needed for success.

Excellence in Student Mentorship Award

Faculty for the Excellence in Student Mentorship demonstrate that they have put forth extraordinary efforts to increase student success. They will demonstrate efforts that provide students opportunities to engage in meaningful academic experiences. They provide strong support for student academic achievement through mentoring students and providing student advising that goes well beyond the scheduling of courses. The faculty member participates in professional development as it relates to student success and they engage students through meaningful curriculum and regularly review and redesign their curriculum to create classes that focus on student success.

Excellence in Online Teaching Award

Applicants should be champions of online learning on campus. Award-winners should demonstrate breadth and depth of knowledge in online learning - from a global perspective down to individual online course best practices. Through his/her work in Online Teaching Academy or elsewhere, the successful applicant will show evidence of scholarship and research in the field.

Excellence in Student Recruitment Award

Candidates for this award should demonstrate extraordinary effort to attract and recruit students to apply for university admission or enroll at the university. They should exhibit ingenuity in devising novel methods and strategies to connect with prospective students or their families. Moreover, candidates should be adept at developing innovative programming initiatives that result in heightened student enrollment. Additionally, they should demonstrate active involvement in various recruiting events and activities.

Excellence in Supporting Undergraduate Research Award

Instilling an understanding and appreciation of research at the undergraduate level is critical to student success. Faculty should demonstrate that they have established a strong mentoring relationship with their undergraduate mentees and support as well as challenge them with engaging in research within their discipline. They should inspire students to pursue research and scholarly activities, ensure the students gain an understanding of the ethical responsibilities and considerations for research, and assist students in disseminating their work through professional outlets.

Excellence in Supporting Graduate Research Award

Building and developing research skills and a passion for research in students is a key outcome of graduate education. Faculty who demonstrate excellence in supporting graduate research will establishing strong mentorship relationships with students, serve as role models related to research practices and ethical conduct, and inspire students to engage in scholarship and dissemination of their work.

Excellence in Assessment of Student Learning Award

A candidate who embodies excellence in assessment of student learning will demonstrate best practices by developing meaningful assessments that lead to student success and that inform teaching practices. Ideally, the candidate’s work in assessment will reach beyond an individual course and contribute to program assessment, general education assessment, and/or institutional assessment. This candidate may also be a leader in assessment at the program, department, or college level.

Graduate Teaching Assistant Award

Graduate Teaching Assistants nominated for the award should demonstrate excellence in teaching; must be currently enrolled and have had teaching responsibilities for at least two full semesters.