Excellence in Teaching Awards

Nominations

Can be trigged in one of two ways:

1. The first is for Faculty, and for TAs with substantial student contact, such as lab demonstrators or tutorial leaders. A nomination is triggered by the accumulation of at least 5 letters of support from students gathered over a 4 year period. Faculty and/or TAs may encourage or coordinate students to submit letters for a nomination. TAs may write letters of support, but they must be in addition to student letters, not replacing them. All nomination documents need to be submitted to the MachForms available on the CoTL Teaching Awards website.

2. The second is for TAs who do not have substantial direct student contact, such as TA Coordinators and Marker/Graders. A Faculty Member familiar with the nominee’s undergraduate teaching contributions can nominate a TA. All nomination documents need to be submitted to the MachForms available on the CoTL Teaching Awards website.

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Packages

Complete packages for Faculty, and for TAs with substantial student contact, must containing the following (full details provided below):

1. A minimum of 5 unique student letters submitted within 4 years
2. A minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 Faculty reference letters
3. The nominee's current CV
4. A Teaching Statement by the nominee

Complete packages for TAs who do not have substantial student contact contain the following (full details provided below):

1. A minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 Faculty nomination/reference letters
2. The nominee's current CV
3. A Teaching statement by the nominee

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Faculty, and TAs with Substantial Student Contact

Students who have been taught by the nominee (and not only supervised) submit a letter of support for a TA and/or an instructor of choice through the provided MachForms via the CoTL Teaching Awards website. Letters should describe and provide evidence for teaching excellence, addressing (without being restricted to) the criteria listed in the Awards and Criteria section above. Letters will be kept for four years.

Once a minimum of five letters have been collected over a four year period, this triggers formation of a nomination package. The chair of CoTL will contact the nominated TAs/instructors to inform them of the nomination and allow for the package preparation. The full package is described above.

NOTE: *Students may not write a letter for someone who is currently teaching and/or supervising them.*

NOTE: *Students are encouraged to motivate other students to write letters so that the nomination may proceed.*

If coordinating the nomination of a Faculty, or a TA with substantial direct interaction with students, such as a Lab Demonstrator, the Faculty Member must:

• Coordinate the submission of at  least FIVE UNIQUE letters from York students/alumni (undergraduate or graduate) who have been taught by the nominee but are neither currently enrolled in courses taught by the nominee, nor being supervised by the nominee (i.e., where nominee is TA Coordinator). The letters should have been prepared within the four years preceding the nomination. In the case of instructors, TAs may write letters of support, but they must be in addition to student letters, not replacing them.
• Coordinate referral letters from a maximum of two York Faculty Members familiar with the nominee’s undergraduate teaching. Coordinating Faculty may submit a referral letter. The letters should have been prepared within the four years preceding the nomination.
• Have the nominee submit a current CV (up to 5 pages) prepared by the nominee.
• Have the nominee submit a Teaching Statement (teaching philosophy, maximum 1000 words) prepared by the nominee.

NOTE: *Letters cannot be submitted by students who are currently being taught/supervised by the instructor/TA.*

NOTE: *Student letters, Faculty letters, and the nominee’s CV and Teaching Statement should be submitted to the appropriate MachForms on the CoTL website.*

TAs Without Substantial Student Contact

If the Faculty is nominating a TA with little to no direct interaction with students, such as a TA Coordinator or Marker/Grader, the nominating Faculty Member must:

• Submit a nomination letter. The nominating Faculty may coordinate a referral letter from a second York Faculty Member or from other TAs familiar with the nominee’s undergraduate teaching. The letters should have been prepared within the four years preceding the nomination.
• Have the nominee submit a current CV (up to 5 pages) prepared by the nominee.
• Have the nominee submit a Teaching Statement (teaching philosophy, maximum 1000 words) prepared by the nominee.