Overview
The Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Teaching Award is bestowed annually on a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies who has displayed substantial, significant and sustained excellence, commitment and enthusiasm to the multifaceted aspects of teaching at the graduate level at York. The award recognizes teaching and supervisory excellence. Other elements which are taken into consideration include scholarly, professional and teaching development and initiatives in graduate program and curriculum development. The nominator may be any member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, including regular or adjunct faculty, graduate students or staff.
Value
The winner of the award will receive a handsome scroll and citation to be awarded at some appropriate venue.
The award is intended to be much more than a mere veneration of one or two members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies: in providing this award, the Faculty of Graduate Studies celebrates, compliments and congratulates the superior qualities that its many members provide to the advancement of academic excellence and quality in graduate studies at York University.
Eligibility
Teaching, within the context of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, encompasses all aspects of the academic enterprise at the graduate level. Nominations for this award should be based on documentary evidence which supports the nominee’s academic excellence and commitment to the mission of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The criteria for the award are described in general terms, but the selection committee will take into account the variety which arises from differences in style, content, practice and ‘culture’ among graduate programs. Areas of excellence for which a nominee would be considered for the award include, but are not necessarily limited to, teaching and supervisory excellence, initiatives in graduate program and curricula development, and professional, scholarly and teaching development of graduate students.
Teaching and supervisory excellence will be a vital criterion for the award. Excellence in classroom teaching may be demonstrated by such indices as high levels of learning and high student satisfaction. Supervisory roles may include membership on supervisory committees or principal supervision of research programs, research projects, theses, dissertations or creative works. Because the nature of supervision varies considerably from program to program, documentation of excellence should include some reference to what are normal expectations in a particular program, how the nominees’ achievements in this area are exceptional and how the judgement of excellence in supervision has been reached by the nominator.
Initiatives in graduate program and curricula development may include the development of a new program or of a new field at the Master’s or Ph.D. level; development of a sequence of courses to provide a new unit of instruction; development of an especially innovative course; or development of materials such as films, textbooks, computer programs, and any other materials that enhance the quality of graduate teaching. The nominee may have been the prime public mover, or someone working quietly but effectively in the background. Initiatives which recruit outstanding graduate students may also promote and enhance graduate program development.
Scholarly, professional and teaching development of graduate students may take the form of development and/or teaching workshops, courses or programs which help students to become more effective university teachers and maybe either discipline-specific or general. It may also include excellence in mentoring graduate students in their roles as teaching assistants. Commitment to the scholarly development of graduate students may be demonstrated by encouraging and assisting them to present their research or creative work in public fora either within York or to a wider audience.
Deadlines
- November 15 annually
How to Nominate
Nominations for the award will be received together with a letter of nomination and extensive documentary evidence, especially from present and former graduate students, in support of the nomination, by the Secretary of Council of the Faculty of Graduate Studies by November 15th each year. The nominator may be any member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, including regular and adjunct faculty, graduate students or staff. A letter from the nominator detailing the excellent accomplishments of the nominee should accompany the nomination package. A Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Teaching Award Committee will adjudicate the nominations, and may or may not recommend to the Dean that not more than two members be so honoured with a Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Teaching Award.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
The nominator is expected to provide all necessary documentation to support the candidate for the award. Documentation may include any of the following but especially should include statements from present and former graduate students.
- Nomination Form
- Letters from students, alumni and faculty members. These letters should address the criteria for the award outlined above.
- Up-to-date curriculum vitae in O.C.G.S. format. All teaching-related activities at the graduate level should be listed. Joint publication with graduate students should be placed in the context of norms for the particular graduate program. If the nominee has aided in the publication of the work of their graduate students, documentation may be provided.
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS
- Formal questionnaires for student evaluation of teaching in classrooms. It is desirable for these to include several courses, whenever possible, over several years.
- All other documentation that the nominator considers pertinent to the criteria for the award.
Adjudication
The Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Teaching Award is adjudicated by the Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Awards Committee.
Contact
Associate Dean, Academic
Email: fgsadacd@yorku.ca
Coordinator, Faculty Governance
Email: fgsgovrn@yorku.ca
Policy approved by the Council of the Faculty of Graduate Studies on June 2, 1994. Revised (deadline only) Spring 1998.