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Faculty of Science Excellence in Teaching Award

Nominees must submit complete nomination packages including all required materials by November 16, 2026, 11:59 pm ET. (Deadline extended from October 31.) Please note that this deadline is for receipt of COMPLETE NOMINATION packages including information such as reference letters etc.

The Faculty of Science Excellence in Teaching Award is awarded to faculty members who have exemplified exceptional teaching skills and an unwavering commitment to student success.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NOVEMBER 16 (EXTENDED FROM OCTOBER 31) ANNUALLY.

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Award Categories

  • Senior Tenure-Stream Faculty (>7 years of Undergraduate teaching experience at York as a full-time faculty member)
  • Junior Tenure-Stream Faculty (<=7 years of Undergraduate teaching experience at York as a full-time faculty member)
  • Contract Faculty (includes contract/sessional faculty members and contractually limited appointments [CLAs])

Nomination Process

Evidence of excellence based on activities within the Faculty of Science will be the primary basis for all awards. Evidence based on activities external to the Faculty of Science will be considered supplemental. A winner in any category is not eligible for the same award in the same category within any seven-year period.

The nominee should have demonstrated continuous excellence in Teaching and Learning in the classroom, which may include any of the following (note this list is not exhaustive):

  • responds to diverse student experiences;
  • fosters intellectual growth;
  • supports the development of new insights;
  • deepens critical thinking;
  • communicates passion for the subject matter;
  • nurtures the creation of new knowledge;
  • responds to different needs of students;
  • inspires student learning;
  • uses creative forms to engage students;
  • contributes to the transformation of curriculum and teaching/learning practises on campus and beyond, both within and outside of classrooms;
  • works collaboratively with colleagues to enrich teaching practises;
  • supports the development of teaching/learning capacities and technical skills of graduate and/or undergraduate students;
  • nurtures the intellectual and scholarly growth of graduate and/or undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds;
  • provides mentorship and advising in academics, either formally or informally.

There are two pathways for completing a nomination package:

  1. A nomination is triggered by the accumulation of a minimum number of unique nomination/support letters from students over a four-year period (5 letters for faculty). The Chair of CoTL will contact the nominated teaching assistant/faculty to inform them of the nomination and invite the nominee to complete the package.
  2. A faculty member, student or staff member may initiate and coordinate the preparation and submission of a nomination package.

In both cases the nomination package must include the following:

  1. Minimum required nomination/support letters from undergraduate students taught* by the nominee (5 for faculty).
  2. A minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 faculty member letters of support
  3. The nominee's current CV (5 pages maximum)
  4. A Teaching Statement by the nominee

*Note: students must have been taught by the nominee in a course. Letters based on supervision can be submitted as supplemental to the minimum package requirements.

Letters should describe and provide evidence for teaching excellence, addressing (without being restricted to) the criteria listed above.
Students may not write a letter for someone who is currently teaching and/or supervising them. Students may wish to encourage other students to write letters to trigger a nomination.

Graduate students (teaching assistants) may also submit letters of support for faculty or teaching assistants, but such letters must be in addition to the required undergraduate student letters, not replacing them.

If the nominee does not have sufficient letters to trigger a nomination, letters will be kept for four years.

If a nominee has enough letters to trigger a nomination, but is not awarded, their nomination will automatically remain active for consideration the following academic year. CoTL will accept additional materials to the package in the second year, including additional letters of support, and/or updated files. File review in the second year may be delayed for personal leave (e.g., parental leave). The delay will be equivalent to the amount of leave taken, or the until the nominee would like to be reconsidered, whichever comes first. Following the two-year period, the nomination expires, and a new nomination process must be initiated.

Nomination Forms

Submit a nomination letter

If you are a student or teaching assistant and would like to nominate your professor, please send a nomination letter to scicotl@yorku.ca

Submit candidate materials

For faculty nominees:

If you are a faculty member and have been officially informed of your nomination, please send a current CV and teaching statement to scicotl@yorku.ca

* Please only submit if you have been informed that you have been officially nominated.

Submit referee materials

If you are a faculty member and are submitting a Letter of Support for a colleague who has been officially nominated for an award, please send your letter to scicotl@yorku.ca

Are you an alumni?

Submit a nomination by contacting the CoTL Chair at scicotl@yorku.ca.