Schulich Teaching Excellence Awards

In 2012/13 the Student Governments redesigned the Annual Seymour Schulich Teaching Excellence Awards (Schulich TEA). Below is an overview of the redesigned process.

* Please note: Consistent with standard minimum enrolment requirements, only course sections with 15 or more students are eligible for the award.

What are the Seymour Schulich Teaching Excellence Awards?

• Annual awards in recognition of outstanding teaching and learning
• Presented at the Graduate Business Council (GBC) and Undergraduate Business Council (UBC) Formal at the end of the Winter term each year
• $15,000 awarded to the first place winner and $10,000 to the second place winner
• Awards are separate for Masters and undergraduate students, but the process is the same

Why were the awards redesigned?

Stakeholder feedback revealed a need for:

• Increased student participation, with user-friendly, convenient voting for students
• A fairer selection process for faculty

What is my role in the process?

• In Week 5 or 6 (for 6 week courses that run in the first half of the semester) and Week 11 or 12 (for 12 week courses), you will be asked to take the first five minutes of class to enable your students to complete the Schulich TEA rating.
• Feel free to remain in the room during the completion of the process, but refrain from speaking / engaging with your students.
• If students have a question, please refer them to their student government:
  – GBC: gbcvp@schulich.yorku.ca
  – UBC: ubc@schulich.yorku.ca

How are award winners selected?

• • The unit of evaluation for the Schulich TEA will be one course section – for example, ACTG 1000 3.00, Section A
    Determined by students through an on-line platform, completed in-class in week 5 or 6 (6 week courses) or in week 11 or 12 (12 week courses), i.e., Schulich TEA on-line portal open two weeks
  • Form comprised as follows:

In your personal opinion, based on your experience in this course, do you believe this instructor should receive the Seymour Schulich Teaching Excellence Award?  (1 to 7 level of agreement scale)
Ethics Clearance – No one attempted to bias my response to the question above. (False/True)
– Ethics question is monitored for deviations in the Top Ten
– Participation rate – minimum above 60%

• Instructors with the top ten scores will be recognized, with the top two being the Schulich TEA winners for the year in each category (Bachelors, Masters)
  Consistent with standard minimum enrolment requirements, only course sections with 15 or more students are eligible for the award

Where are the Schulich TEA Winners recognized?

• The Schulich TEA Top Ten will be recognized at the GBC/UBC Formals in the Winter Term and on the website.
• Schulich TEA winners will also be celebrated at Spring Convocation.
• Schulich TEA winners will be showcased in the newly-established Seymour Schulich Teaching Excellence Awards Hall of Fame in the Schulich building.

How is Teaching Excellence defined for the purposes of this award?

Seymour Schulich’s vision for these awards is that the winners demonstrate excellence in:

• Knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, the subject matter
• Exceptional teaching strategies and communication skills
• Positive student learning experiences
• Teaching innovation
• Responsiveness to student needs and concerns
• Question 1 – asks students to rate the instructor’s teaching based on Seymour Schulich’s vision

How is social responsibility incorporated into these awards?

• Promotion of the Schulich TEA process by students, faculty, and staff is encouraged.
• All students should submit their personal rating of their specific instructors, based on their own experience and based on their own judgement.
• Self-promotion by an instructor is not permitted.
• Promotion of a specific instructor by a student is not permitted.
• Question 2 – Ethical Clearance asks whether the student’s response was free of inappropriate bias.

Should you have any questions about Schulich TEA, please feel free to contact the Schulich Centre for Teaching Excellence at scte@schulich.yorku.ca.

York University Teaching Awards

The University-wide Teaching Awards recognize the accomplishments of York’s great instructors. The annual awards are presented in four categories:

• Members of the senior full-time faculty;
• Full-time faculty members who have been at York for less than ten years;
• Contract faculty; and
• Teaching Assistants.

National Teaching Awards

3M National Teaching Fellowship

The Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) and 3M Canada joined to reward exceptional contributions to teaching and learning at Canadian universities. The community of 3M National Teaching Fellows embodies the highest ideals of teaching excellence and scholarship with a commitment to enhance the educational experience of every learner.

OCUFA Teaching Awards and Academic Librarianship Award

Awards presented by the Ontario Confederation of Ontario University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) to recognize outstanding teachers and academic librarians in Ontario universities.

Alan Blizzard Award

Sponsored by the Society on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE), the Alan Blizzard Award was established to encourage, identify, and publicly recognize those whose exemplary collaboration in university teaching enhances student learning. The Award honours Dr. Alan Blizzard, STLHE President from 1987 to 1995, and his convictions about the effectiveness of collaboration in team teaching for student learning. From the beginning in 2000, the Award has been sponsored by McGraw-Hill Ryerson. The Award seeks to make visible and disseminate scholarship of teaching and learning, based on values and practices of collaborative teaching.

For more information visit: http://www.stlhe.ca/awards/alan-blizzard-award/