CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR DEPARTMENT OR PROGRAM

On behalf of the Board of Regents, the USG Office of Academic Affairs is pleased to announce and invite nominations for the Regents’ Teaching Excellence Awards for Department or Program. This award is designed to showcase an outstanding department or program that promotes, supports, and recognizes excellence in teaching and innovative approaches to serving students.

Criteria

The award committee will look for persuasive evidence such as those illustrated by the following examples (please note the criteria for this award have changed slightly as of Fall 2024):

• Individual and collaborative faculty efforts to improve teaching and student learning.
• Evidence of engagement beyond individual classes, such as program alignment or collaboration with other campus units, employers, or community partners.
• Evidence of class assignments or teaching pedagogies that help students discover purpose and value in coursework, develop constructive responses to academic challenges, and/or cultivate a sense of belonging.
• Assessment methods of student learning that extend beyond traditional evaluations; evidence of the use of these assessments to inform and refine teaching practices and curriculum development, ensuring that academic excellence and the needs of all students remain top priorities.
• Active support of faculty implementing innovative and effective pedagogies (e.g., critical thinking, collaborative/cooperative learning, problem-based learning, learning communities, high-impact practices, active career exploration, etc.).
• Evidence of recognition of good teaching.
• Department/unit policies that encourage collaborative faculty efforts, including team teaching, teaching discussion groups, common assessments, interdisciplinary courses, learning communities, mentoring, etc.
• Success of the department’s or program’s students (e.g., graduation, job placement, acceptance in graduate school, etc.).
• Clear articulation of how quality is defined, promoted, and assessed by the department or program.

Eligibility and Nomination Procedures

Each institution is invited to submit one department or program nomination for this award. The nomination process should be coordinated by each institution’s academic leadership, and each submission must be endorsed by the institution’s chief academic officer.

Required Documentation

Nomination portfolios are limited to 15 pages, including any appendices (1” margins, minimum 12-point font for each section below). Incorporating every kind of evidence will be impossible. Instead, each nominee will want to select only the strongest and most relevant evidence.

Each portfolio must include the following information.

• A Table of Contents for the portfolio. (Note: The TOC does not count toward the 15-page limit.)
• A nomination letter from the institution’s chief academic officer. (Note: The nomination letter does not count toward the 15-page limit.)
• A narrative statement from the department or program that outlines its philosophy as a community of faculty, and its goals and strategies for making a difference in the academic success of students. This statement should address the criteria for the award (2-3 pages).
• A one-page fact profile for the department or program. This might include an overview of personnel involved in the program, and information (as appropriate) that shows breadth and scope of impact, partnerships, students impacted by program, recognitions, etc.
• Data showing student success such as graduation rates, student retention, job placement, acceptance to other schools, etc.
• A concise, clear, and well-organized collection of evidence that details the department’s or program’s distinctive efforts to foster good teaching and therefore student learning. Suggestions for the kinds of evidence that might be included in this collection are found in the award criteria (above). These documents should be accompanied by a brief explanation of why they are included in the dossier, i.e., how they document the excellence of the department’s teaching.
• effective in advancing student learning.

Note: All documents must be combined into a SINGLE pdf file and uploaded through the Regents Portfolio Submission System. Portfolios that exceed 15 pages or do not meet formatting requirements will not be accepted. Portfolios will be reviewed and assessed by the contents of the portfolio. Links to additional materials will not be reviewed.

Award Committee

A special committee composed of faculty and administrators from across the USG who are experienced in teaching and learning practices will review the nomination portfolios and recommend finalists for each award.

The winner of this award will be recognized at a spring meeting of the Board of Regents.