Distinguished Teaching Awards & Excellence in Teaching Awards

Each year, the University of Washington honors several members of the faculty as Distinguished Teachers. Awardees are chosen based on a variety of criteria, including mastery of the subject matter; enthusiasm and innovation in the learning/teaching process; ability to engage students both within and outside the classroom; ability to inspire independent and original thinking in students and to stimulate students to do creative work; and innovations in course and curriculum design. The Distinguished Teaching Award may be awarded to a faculty member only once in his/her lifetime and are inducted into the Teaching Academy.

In addition, two graduate teaching assistants are chosen to receive the Excellence in Teaching Award for demonstration of extraordinary ability in the teaching/learning process as a graduate TA.

Who is Eligible:
Tenure-track Faculty, Lecturers, and Instructors within the University of Washington Seattle campus are eligible to receive a Distinguished Teaching Award. Individuals whose appointment is less than 100% are eligible; though breadth and depth of achievement weigh heavily. Graduate students are eligible for an Excellence in Teaching Award.

Please note that UW Bothell and/or UW Tacoma facilitate their individual nomination process. To nominate a faculty member from either UW Bothell or Tacoma, please contact that respective campus.

UW Bothell -- For more information, visit: http://www.uwb.edu/academic/teaching/uwb_awards.xhtml
UW Tacoma -- For more information, visit: http://www.tacoma.washington.edu/academic_affairs/dta.html

Criteria:

• Extensive knowledge and mastery of the subject matter
• Innovation in course and curriculum design
• Ability to inspire, guide and mentor students through independent and creative thinking
• Ability to engage students in a variety of classroom settings
• Serves as a mentor, collaborator and consultant to other faculty and teaching assistants by helping to enrich the scholarship of teaching and learning

Nomination Procedure:
The deadline for nominations for the Distinguished Teaching and Excellence in Teaching Awards is Monday, December 12, 2011, 5pm. All members of the University community (faculty, staff, students, alumni) may submit a one-page letter nominating a faculty member and/or graduate teaching assistant. Self-nominations are not accepted. Previous recipients are ineligible.

All submissions must be done via the web, using the online nomination form provided. Hard-copy letters will not be accepted. To be directed to the online form, please click on the link below:

Selection Procedure:
Following review of the one-page letters of nomination, the Selection Committee will ask for further information on a selected number of nominations which include curricular vitae, letters of support from colleagues, current and past students and evidence of the extraordinary success of a nominee's superior ability in the teaching/learning process. The committee makes recommendations to the President, who will make the final selections. Recipients will be announced during early spring and will be honored at the Annual Recognition Reception in Meany Hall, UW Seattle campus in June.