President's Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student

The President's Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student will be awarded to outstanding graduate student teachers. Six awards of $1,000 each will be presented at a ceremony held in May, during commencement week, for recipients and their families. Awardees will be expected to participate in an orientation session or colloquium for new Teaching Assistants prior to the start of the following Fall semester. 

Each department or program with TAs or GAs involved in teaching may nominate two candidates. Nominations must be made by the student's Graduate Program Director (GPD).

The award is open to all full-time graduate student TAs or GAs (masters and doctoral) required to teach. They must have completed at least one academic year of teaching. (Present semester can be included).

Each nomination should include:

1. A completed Google Nomination Form.
2. A letter of nomination from the Graduate Program Director (GPD).  If there is a conflict, the Department Chair can provide this  nomination letter in lieu of the GPD.
3. Positive evidence that the candidate has performed superbly in the classroom, to include:

• a minimum of two letters of support from faculty members who have supervised or worked with the nominee in teaching a course
• quantitative  summary report from student course evaluation Note: If qualitative information is included, it will be removed prior to submission to the review committee
• no more than five letters from students attesting to the effectiveness of the candidate's teaching and concern for intellectual growth

4. The student's C.V.

Nomination materials (2 & 3) should specifically address:

• the candidate's generosity with personal time, accessibility to students and demonstration of a continual concern with the intellectual growth of individual students
• evidence regarding the candidate's high standards for encouraging academic excellence within his/her classroom and among his/her students

how the candidate exhibits innovative means of developing and modifying the course(s), if applicable.

The nomination deadline is Monday, February 22, 2021, at 5:00 pm. 

 

Past Recipients