CENTRE for TEACHING and LEARNING

Awards

Excellence in teaching is at the centre of everything we do at MacEwan University. It is our point of pride—the reason we’re here.

Each year, we recognize faculty at all stages of their careers and from across all programs through four teaching awards: Distinguished Teaching, Teaching Leadership, Early Career Teaching Excellence and Sessional Instructor Teaching Excellence.

Meet our award recipients

Awards criteria

If you know a faculty member who meets the criteria for one of our awards, we want to hear from you.

Instructional faculty members who have not previously received the Distinguished Teaching Award are eligible. (See the list of past award winners.) A maximum of four awards will be presented each year.

To be awarded a Distinguished Teaching Award, nominees must demonstrate outstanding teaching at the undergraduate level and a commitment to educational leadership and innovation.

Teaching Excellence

Teaching excellence refers to the intentional and reflective actions of an instructor to create an exceptional learning environment by engaging in pedagogical practices designed to maximize student learning. Instructors demonstrate excellence by: 

  1. Motivating students to learn and engage in the course.
  2. Creating a learning environment that acknowledges, respects and values diversity.
  3. Demonstrating involvement and support for student engagement and learning.
  4. Providing a flexible and adaptable approach to teaching.
  5. Using diverse and inclusive assessments to evaluate student learning.
  6. Seeking ways to engage in continuous improvement of teaching practice.
  7. Applying feedback received as part of the continuous improvement of teaching practice.

Teaching Leadership

Teaching leadership involves a significant transformation in teaching and learning at an institutional, disciplinary, community or societal level. Instructors demonstrate leadership by:

  1. Leading collaborative initiatives that enhance student learning.
  2. Engaging in activities that recognize and reward teaching.
  3. Inspiring teaching improvement in others through collegial support, mentorship, professional development leadership, teaching resource development and other systematic efforts.
  4. Contributing to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) within and beyond MacEwan University.
  5. Contributing teaching and learning expertise in ways that have influence beyond one’s practice, including sharing knowledge and research with others.
  6. Contributing to workshops or other opportunities about teaching and learning.
  7. Leading or making significant and identifiable contributions to creating or improving institutional policies related to teaching and learning (e.g., teaching evaluation, promotion and tenure guidelines, academic advising, accessibility and inclusion).

Educational Innovation

Educational innovation is the novel execution of practices and activities that contribute to more effective teaching and learning practices. Instructors demonstrate innovation by:

  1. Applying evidence-based practices to innovate course design.
  2. Aligning curriculum with institutional strategic priorities.
  3. Using appropriate technology to enhance the teaching and learning experience.
  4. Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness in the application of teaching modalities.

TEACHING AWARDS POLICY

Any member of the Faculty Association of Grant MacEwan University is eligible for the Teaching Leadership Award, provided that they have not received the Teaching Leadership Award previously.

A maximum of four awards will be presented each year. Nominations will be assessed based on evidence of the following criteria, which can include but are not limited to the requirements.

  1. Demonstrate contributions to the significant transformation of teaching and learning at an institutional, disciplinary, community or societal level.
  2. Develop initiatives that encourage innovative practices designed to improve student learning experiences and outcomes.
  3. Develop curricula, programs or courses that reflect and effectively advance institutional priorities.
  4. Demonstrate leadership in activities that engage or support students above and beyond the expected roles and responsibilities of faculty.
  5. Contribute to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) within and beyond MacEwan University.
  6. Contribute to workshops or other opportunities about teaching and learning.
  7. Promote a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse learning environment.
  8. Serve in leadership roles on regional, national or international organizations dedicated to the teaching of a disciplinary or general focus.

TEACHING AWARDS POLICY

Instructional faculty at the university are eligible for an Early Career Teaching Excellence Award, provided that they have:

  • Less than five years of instructional experience
  • Not received the Early Career Teaching Excellence Award previously

A maximum of four awards will be presented each year. Nominations will be assessed based on evidence of the following criteria, which can include but are not limited to the requirements.

Teaching Excellence

Teaching excellence refers to the intentional and reflective actions of an instructor to create an exceptional learning environment by engaging in pedagogical practices designed to maximize student learning. Instructors demonstrate excellence by:

  1. Motivating students to learn and engage in the course.
  2. Creating a learning environment that acknowledges, respects and values diversity.
  3. Demonstrating involvement and support for student engagement and learning.
  4. Providing a flexible and adaptable approach to teaching.
  5. Using diverse and inclusive assessments to evaluate student learning.
  6. Seeking ways to engage in continuous improvement of teaching practice.
  7. Applying feedback received as part of the continuous improvement of teaching practice.

Developing Teaching Leadership

Evidence of ongoing development and potential for excellence in educational leadership, which can include but are not limited to the requirements:

  1. Demonstrate evidence of reflective and scholarly practice in teaching.
  2. Inspire teaching improvement in others through collegial support, mentorship, professional development leadership, teaching resource development and other systematic efforts.
  3. Leadership in the design or development of an inclusive strategy, course or program of study.
  4. Leadership in teaching and learning at the department or program level.
  5. Evidence of personal ongoing professional development in teaching.

TEACHING AWARDS POLICY

All sessional instructional faculty are eligible for a Sessional Instructor Teaching Excellence Award provided that they have:

  • Taught two or more courses in the last two years
  • Not received the Sessional Instructor Teaching Excellence Award in the previous five years

A maximum of four awards will be presented each year. Nominations will be assessed based on evidence of the following criteria, which can include but are not limited to the requirements.

Teaching Excellence

Teaching excellence refers to the intentional and reflective actions of an instructor to create an exceptional learning environment through engaging in pedagogical practices designed to maximize student learning. Sessional instructors demonstrate excellence by:

  1. Motivating students to learn and engage in the course.
  2. Creating a learning environment that acknowledges, respects and values diversity.
  3. Demonstrating involvement and support for student engagement and learning.
  4. Providing a flexible and adaptable approach to teaching.
  5. Using diverse and inclusive assessments to evaluate student learning.
  6. Seeking ways to engage in continuous improvement of teaching practice.
  7. Applying feedback received as part of the continuous improvement of teaching practice.

TEACHING AWARDS POLICY

Nomination and presentation process

Nominations may be made by colleagues or students (current or former, including alumni) of faculty members at MacEwan University. Nominators must complete and submit the nomination form on or before January 31. Self-nominations are acceptable for all awards but will not be counted in the total number of faculty and staff nominations.

Each award requires a minimum number of faculty and student nominators. You must invite colleagues or students to also fill out the nomination form, or you must ask the person you are nominating to recommend colleagues or students who they believe would support your nomination and invite them to fill out the form.

Award # of Student nominators # of Faculty nominators
Distinguished Teaching 3 2
Teaching Leadership 1 3
Sessional Teaching Excellence 2 1
Early Career Excellence 2 2

Provided the nominees meet the criteria as outlined, the chair of the Teaching Awards Adjudication Committee will contact them to ensure that they wish to accept the nomination.

If nominees accept the nominations, they are responsible for submitting supporting documentation to the Adjudication Committee by March 31.

Nomination packages must be submitted to teachingawards@macewan.ca

To support their nomination, the nominees prepare a nomination package for the Adjudication Committee. 

The nomination package must be a single PDF document:

  • A maximum of 20 pages for the Distinguished Teaching Award
  • A maximum of 10 pages for the Sessional Excellence, Early Career Excellence and Teaching Leadership awards
Nomination packages may include the following:
  • An abbreviated CV
  • A statement of teaching philosophy
  • Evidence of teaching effectiveness (sample syllabi and assignments, summary of student evaluations, etc.)
  • A statement of educational leadership (maximum 500 words). Note that the Sessional Excellence award does not have this requirement.
  • Evidence of educational leadership, such as curricular or course development, program enhancement, student activities and projects, etc.

Do not include full printouts of student feedback forms unless asked to do so. 

Copies of the nomination materials are circulated to all members of the Adjudication Committee for review.

Before the selection meeting, committee members evaluate each nomination package against the published criteria. When the committee convenes after privately reviewing the files, members work toward consensus until no more than four nominees are unanimously agreed upon for each award.

The committee makes its recommendations to the Provost, who confirms the award recipients and notifies the successful candidates.

COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE

Teaching award recipients may be recognized at convocation.

 

Nominations are now closed.

Deadlines

Nominations open TBA
Nominations close January 31
Supporting documentation required March 31