President's Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student
The President's Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student will be awarded
to outstanding graduate student teachers. Six awards of $1,000 each will be presented
at a ceremony held in May, during commencement week, for recipients and their families.
Awardees will be expected to participate in an orientation session or colloquium for
new Teaching Assistants prior to the start of the following Fall semester.
Each department or program with TAs or GAs involved in teaching may nominate two (2)
candidates. Nominations must be endorsed by the student's Graduate Program Director
(GPD).
The award is open to all full-time graduate student TAs or GAs (masters and doctoral)
required to teach. They must have completed at least one academic year of teaching.
(Present semester can be included).
The Google Form link above includes entry fields/document upload sections for the following:
- A letter of nomination
- GPD Endorsement checkbox
- Positive evidence that the candidate has performed superbly in the classroom, to include:
- 2-3 letters of support from faculty members who have supervised or worked with the nominee in teaching a course
- No more than five letters from students attesting to the effectiveness of the candidate's teaching and concern for intellectual growth
- The student's C.V.
The supporting documentation for the nomination should specifically address:
- the candidate's generosity with personal time, accessibility to students and demonstration of a continual concern with the intellectual growth of individual students
- evidence regarding the candidate's high standards for encouraging academic excellence within his/her classroom and among his/her students
- how the candidate exhibits innovative means of developing and modifying the course(s), if applicable.