Celebration of Teaching 

2025 Excellence in Teaching Awards Eligibility and Criteria

All Stony Brook educators who have taught an in-person or online course during the academic semesters: Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Spring 2025, and have not been awarded in the same category in the past two years are eligible, except where otherwise indicated. 

Award criteria are listed below and comprise the award scoring rubrics.

Deans and Chairs can also nominate an Outstanding Lecturer. 

• Excellence in Teaching an In-Person Course
  • Criteria:

  Nominees for this award are faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching an in-person course. Criteria for excellent in-person teaching may include some or all of the following:

  • Comprehensive Syllabus and Course Design
  • Clear student learning objectives that are observable and/or measurable using identified assessments
  • Clearly defined grading schema
  • Detailed description of assignments, for example: purpose, instructions, time frame, detailed expectations and/or grading rubric
  • Strong evidence (artifacts such as student papers, projects, products) of student achievement aligned with learning objectives
  • Student-Centered Teaching and Learning 
  • Activities are designed to engage students in the course content in meaningful and rigorous ways
  • Learning is constructivist and social where students engage with and learn from each other
  • Meaningful qualitative feedback is provided on assignments and assessments that promote student learning
  • Instructor cultivates an inclusive learning environment to increase student success
  • Effective Technology Integration:
  • Appropriate educational technologies are effectively and judiciously implemented into the course to enhance student learning
  • Appropriate Assessment(s) demonstrating effective use of technology by students
• Excellence in Teaching an Online Course
  • Criteria: 

  Nominees for this award are faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching in an online course. Criteria for excellent online teaching may include some or all of the following:

  • • Comprehensive Syllabus 
      • • Clear student learning objectives that are observable and/or measurable using identified assessments
        • Clearly defined grading schema and detailed description of assignments, for example: purpose, instructions, time frame, detailed expectations and/or grading rubric
        • Strong evidence (artifacts such as student papers, projects, products) of student achievement aligned with learning objectives
    • Course Designed to Foster Community and Student Success
      • • Faculty presence and personality is present in the design of the course through use of syllabus, introductory videos, selection and organization of course materials, use of collaborative technologies
        • Instructor cultivates an inclusive learning environment to increase student success
        • Substantial instructor-student as well as student-student interaction 

  • Innovative and/or Evidence-based Online Pedagogies

  • • • • Course delivery is informed by scholarship in online pedagogical best practices including regular and substantive interaction 
        • Course is accessible and is designed with all learners in mind 
        • Demonstrates willingness to try new approaches/ take risks in their teaching in order to engage students and promote student learning (i.e. not just recreate in-person lectures in the synchronous environment)
        • Faculty incorporates variety in their approach to teaching to foster student engagement and success

  • Effective Use of Technology 

  • • Effective use of LMS to deliver asynchronous course content (content easy to find, substantial teaching presence, time management) 

  • • • Synchronous course delivery technology utilized to maximize student engagement (polls, breakout groups, chat, etc.) (If applicable) 
      • Appropriate educational technologies are effectively and judiciously implemented into the course to enhance student learning
• Excellence in Assessment Award
  • Criteria: 

  Nominees for this award are faculty who have demonstrated excellence in assessment techniques/measures (both formative and summative) in their course. Criteria for excellent assessment may include some or all of the following:

  • Course alignment 

  • • • • Course includes well-written, explicit, and measurable learning objectives 
        • Logical alignment from learning objectives, to learning activities, to  assessment of student learning
        • Uses both formative and summative assessments to provide descriptive feedback and/or scores
        • Formative assessment is used to gather real-time student feedback and modify learning activities as needed

  • Assessment design and implementation

  • • • Assessment provides meaningful feedback to students and supports student learning
      • Feedback to students is accessible and timely 
      • Scholarly research and/or best practices in assessment informed the creation and design of assessments
      • Assessments were varied (direct and indirect) and low stakes, eliminating high stakes exams and assignments
      • Assessment data was used by the instructor for educational improvement
      • Uses a variety of assessments such as authentic, summative, formative, etc., that established equity and accessibility for students.
      • Incorporates innovative assessment methods beyond exams, quizzes and papers
• Excellence in Inclusive Teaching - The David L. Ferguson Award for Inclusive Teaching

  This award was named after the late David Ferguson, who was a Distinguished Professor, former Chair of Technology and Society, and the founding director of Stony Brook’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching.

  • Criteria: 

  Nominees for this award are faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching from diverse, equitable, and inclusive perspectives in their course. 

  Criteria for instructors who are teaching from an inclusive perspective may include some or all of the following:

  • Incorporates diversity into the curriculum by including readings, case studies, and images that challenge the status quo and include often underrepresented and marginalized voices.
  • Uses critical self-reflection to examine and make explicit how identity influences and potentially biases one's outlook in the teaching and learning environment.
  • Uses an inclusive syllabus that includes language that encourages students to feel they belong and can succeed in the academic space. 
  • Solicits student feedback throughout the semester and positions student voices as integral to the process of knowledge creation.
  • Discusses disparities in race, gender, and class as it pertains to the subject matter.

  
  
• Excellence in Accessible Teaching - The Brooke Ellison Award for Accessible Teaching

  This award is named for the late Brooke Ellison, an associate professor in the School of Health Professions who was dedicated to advocating for accessibility in technology and healthcare.
  

  • Criteria: 

  Nominees for this award are faculty who have demonstrated that their instruction and course materials are accessible to all students by using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines including: multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression. Criteria for excellent accessible teaching may include some or all of the following:

  • Course is accessible and is designed with all learners in mind 
  • All communications should be clear and teachers should provide multiple ways for students to ask questions and receive feedback
  • Accommodations are addressed proactively
  • Course follows universal design principles that aim to create content and engage in communications that are usable by all students
  • Instructors request and are open to feedback about accessible course design and teaching practices
• Excellence in Teaching Innovation Award

  Nominees for this award are educators who have demonstrated innovation in their teaching methods and course design that has had a positive impact on their students.

  Criteria for instructors who have demonstrated innovation in their teaching methods and course design may include some or all of the following:

  • Demonstrates a commitment to continuously improving teaching through the application of inventive and effective instructional approaches 
  • Demonstrates adaptability in practice to address different contexts of learning as well as the needs of diverse populations of learners
  • Uses critical self-reflection to examine their approach towards teaching and learning in order to identify how to best meet student needs
  • Enhancing equity and access by providing learning opportunities and other educational content in both traditional and nontraditional learning environments
  • Collaborates with colleagues to share their experiences and best practices to further contribute to a culture of innovation within their professional learning community
  • Shows a willingness to creatively experiment with technologies to improve learning

  
  
• Excellence in Experiential Education Award
  • Eligibility: 

  All Stony Brook educators who taught an EXP+ course during the academic semesters: Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Spring 2024.

  • Criteria: 

  Nominees for this award are educators who demonstrated excellence in experiential learning implementation, according to the Society for Experiential Education (SEE) standards of experiential learning, outlined below. The Stony Brook experiential learning requirement, EXP+, follows these national standards. Successful Experiential Education includes direct/indirect experience, reflection, mentoring, feedback, critical analysis, and outcomes. Nominations will be

  1. Experience: direct/indirect, hands-on involvement, meaningful, linked to curriculum
  2. Curriculum Integration: learning outcomes, competencies, connecting experience to the academic discipline
  3. Student Outcomes: skills, knowledge and attributes, capacity to contribute, impact, increased career readiness 
  4. Reflection: ongoing and meaningful reflection integrated in a course
  5. Assessment and Evaluation: data collection on outcomes
  6. Innovation: use of innovative practices/tools/technology in incorporating ExL practices in curriculum
  7. Industry/community partnerships: collaborative approach to creating connections with industry and community organizations
• Excellence in Teaching - Teaching Assistant (TA) Award
  • Eligibility: 

  All Stony Brook graduate teaching assistants who TAd an in-person or online course during the academic semesters: Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Spring 2024.

  *Note: graduate students who have taught as instructor of record are eligible for any award. 

  • Criteria: 

  Nominees for this award are graduate teaching assistants who have demonstrated excellence in classroom teaching and other TA tasks as assigned. Criteria for TA excellence include all or some or all of the following: 

  • Demonstrates motivation, flexibility, and dedication to student success
  • Shows outstanding support for students during class, in office hours, and email or other modes of communication 
  • Provides constructive feedback to students in a timely manner
  • Implements innovative pedagogies, new technologies, or otherwise enhanced course delivery compared to previous semesters
  • Students gave positive feedback about TA