Celebration of Teaching 

2026 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 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026, 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

  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, and strong evidence of student achievement aligned with learning objectives
  • Student-Centered Teaching and Learning 
    • • Activities are intentionally designed to engage students in meaningful, rigorous learning, while the instructor fosters an inclusive environment that supports and enhances student success
      • Learning is constructivist and social, with students learning from one another and receiving meaningful qualitative feedback that supports their growth
  • 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

  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, and strong evidence 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; course design allows for substantial instructor-student as well as student-student interaction

  • • Innovative and/or Evidence-based Online Pedagogies

  • • • • Course is accessible and is designed with all learners, Course delivery is informed by scholarship in online pedagogical best practices 
        • 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)

  • • Effective Use of Technology 

  • • • • Effective use of LMS (BrightSpace) to deliver asynchronous course content (content easy to find, substantial teaching presence, time management)
        • Synchronous delivery tools (polls, breakout groups, chat) are used to maximize engagement
        • Educational technologies are applied thoughtfully to enhance student learning synchronously and/or asynchronously
• Excellence in Assessment Award

  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 

  • • • Logical alignment from learning objectives, to learning activities, to assessment of student learning
      • Uses formative assessments to gather real‑time feedback and adjust instruction, and summative assessments to measure overall student learning

  • Assessment design and implementation

  • • • Assessment provides meaningful, accessible, and timely feedback to students and supports student learning
      • Scholarly research and/or best practices in assessment informed the creation and design of assessments
      • Assessments are varied and low stakes, eliminating high stakes exams and assignments, while incorporating innovative methods beyond traditional exams, quizzes, and papers
      • Uses a variety of assessments such as authentic, summative, formative, etc., that established equity and accessibility for students
• 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.

  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 elevate underrepresented voices, while explicitly addressing disparities in race, gender, and class within the subject matter
    • 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 affirms students’ sense of belonging and success, while actively soliciting feedback throughout the semester and positioning student voices as essential to the creation of knowledge
• 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.
  

  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
      • Communication is clear and inclusive, offering multiple avenues for students to ask questions and receive feedback
      • Accommodations are addressed proactively
      • Universal design principles guide content and communication, making them usable and meaningful for all students
      • Instructors actively seek and welcome feedback to continuously improve 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
    • Adapts teaching practice to meet diverse learner needs and varied learning contexts
    • Advancing equity and access by offering learning opportunities in both traditional and non-traditional 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

  All Stony Brook educators who taught an EXP+ course during the academic semesters: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026.

  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

  • • • Experiences include direct and/or indirect, has hands-on involvement, is meaningful, and is linked to curriculum
      • Connects experiences with learning outcomes, competencies, and the academic discipline
      • Increases the capacity to contribute, impact, and increase career readiness through skill building, knowledge, and attributes
      • Provides the opportunity for ongoing and meaningful reflection integrated into the course
      • Collects data on outcomes through assessment and evaluation
      • Innovative practices/tools/technology are used incorporating ExL practices in curriculum
      • Collaborates and creates connections with industry and community organizations
• Excellence in Teaching - Teaching Assistant (TA) Award

  All Stony Brook graduate teaching assistants who TAd an in-person or online course during the academic semesters: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026.

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

  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