President’s Graduate/Undergraduate Student Teaching Award

Award Description

Student instructors, including in the critical role of teaching assistants, make an indispensable contribution to university education: teaching in the classroom, leading seminars and tutorials, demonstrating in the laboratory, coaching, providing feedback on student work, and supporting students’ success in numerous ways. The award may be withheld if there is no suitable candidate.

The Dalhousie President's Graduate/Undergraduate Student Teaching Awards are open to all qualified graduate student instructors (currently registered Master's and Ph.D. candidates) and all qualified undergraduate student instructors (currently registered in an undergraduate degree program), including previous nominees (but not previous recipients). Up to three awards will be presented annually.

Criteria

Both nominators and evaluators should consider the following list of criteria. Please note that these two areas of criteria are weighted equally. Recognizing that student instructors play different roles and work in disciplines with different demands, nominees should:

1. Provide exceptional student learning experiences that are reflected through effective teaching practices, demonstrated in the following ways:
   • having a comprehensive knowledge of subject
   • being consistently prepared for class/TA duties
   • showing enthusiasm for the subject and encourage student interest and participation
   • setting high standards and motivate students to attain them
   • communicating effectively
   • using technology appropriately for online, blended, and face-to-face contexts
   • being available to students outside class hours, whether in-person or online
   • providing constructive feedback on student work
   • working in a collegial and inclusive manner with students, faculty supervisors and other teaching assistants
   • fostering safer spaces by implementing innovative and culturally responsive pedagogies that specifically support and enhance diverse student populations’ educational experiences
2. Demonstrate a commitment to their own professional development in teaching by:
   • participating in, and/or contributing to, workshops, conferences, and seminars on teaching or other concerns of student teachers
   • developing solutions to student teaching dilemmas (e.g., time management, classroom interaction, motivating students)
   • incorporating new teaching and learning approaches, where appropriate
   • developing teaching materials, where possible

This award shall normally be awarded once to any single recipient over the course of their career at Dalhousie.

Value of Award

$500 to each recipient

A nomination package must include

1. Letter of nomination
2. The nominee's abbreviated CV (max. 1,250 words, 12pt, single-spaced)
3. The nominee's teaching dossier, including a teaching philosophy statement and summary of Student Learning Experience Questionnaire (where possible) (max. 2,500 words, 12pt, single-spaced)
4. Two letters of support from current and/or former students
5. Two letters of support from colleagues or supervisors
6. Current Dalhousie academic transcript
7. Additional supporting materials (e.g., course or lab descriptions, descriptions of teaching innovations, publications or presentations on teaching, written comments from Student Learning Experience Questionnaire where possible, additional letters of support, etc.) (max. 5 pages)
8. 150-word biography of nominee (to be used for communication purposes should the nominee be selected to receive the award)

Nominators should inform nominees of their nomination, providing nominees with enough time to write and compile the sections of the award file that must be written by the nominee. Nominators should collect and collate all required materials including those written by the nominee and the letters of supports to ensure confidentiality. The nominator is responsible for submitting the award nomination package on or before the deadline. In the case of self-nominations, the self-nominator should seek a colleague to request, collect and submit letters of support on their behalf to ensure confidentiality. This colleague shall submit the letters as a separate electronic file to the Centre for Learning and Teaching.

Submission of Nomination

Full nomination packages must be submitted as one PDF.  Nominations may be submitted one of two ways:

1. Upload the nomination online 
2. Email the nomination to clt@dal.ca

Nominations close each year on January 31.

Selection Committee

• Faculty Senator (elected by SLTC) – who shall chair the committee
• Executive Director, CLT (or designate)
• (1) Dean or Associate Dean Academic – appointed annually
• (2) Faculty Representatives – appointed annually
• (1) Dalhousie Association of Graduate Students Representative - appointed annually