University of Houston
TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2012-2013

GROUP TEACHING

The Group Teaching Excellence Awards recognize groups of faculty in both formal and informal programs who demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching and student success. Two cash prizes of $30,000 will be available for awards to groups of faculty who have worked together collaboratively in the design, implementation and evaluation of a course or a series of courses to improve student outcomes and who demonstrate effective and innovative teaching over a three year period of time.

Criteria for Faculty Group Awards

The award committee will look for persuasive evidence that nominated programs promote, support, and recognize excellence in teaching and in service to students.

Groups must include at least 4 individuals, at least two of whom are full-time faculty members. The others may be instructors, teaching assistants or staff members with instructional duties (such as an advisor). All individuals must have worked at the University of Houston for at least 3 years.

The award must be for instructional efforts that extended over a period of at least 3 years. Applications from groups that span different academic units are encouraged but not required.

The proportions of the total award to be given to each person will be specified in the application form. No individual shall receive more than $8,000.

Nomination Process

The Teaching Excellence Committee will review applications in two stages. The Teaching Excellence Committee will review nomination files described below in December, and will choose finalists for the second stage.

Nominations for group awards may come from students, faculty, alumni, or staff. Nominations should follow the guidelines below and be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Friday, November 9, 2012.

Stage 1. (Nomination)

1. Nomination Form for Group Teaching;  
2. Letter of Nomination;  
3. Description of the course(s) covered by the award  
4. Statement of the group’s activities and accomplishments  
5. Two letters of recommendation describing the impact of the group on the award’s objectives. (One must be from a student; others may be from, faculty, administrators or alumni.)  
6. Curriculum vitae of all group members highlighting their contributions to the project.  
7. Description of why these courses were grouped and what are the targeted student outcomes as the group defines them. In addition, provide an overview of the triggers that motivated the faculty group to collaborate through this group of courses.  
8. Description of what activities were implemented to achieve targeted student outcomes and what were the results. In addition, clearly state what teaching methods and/or teaching innovations were used. Note that alignment among triggers, objectives, teaching methods, activities and outcomes will be reviewed. Quantitative and/or qualitative data must be included to support your results.

Nominations will be submitted electronically as a .pdf file. Please make a single .pdf file (named with the last name of the of the faculty group leader name) containing items 1-8 outlined above and in the order indicated on the nominator form. Submit the nomination packet to Dr. Heidi Kennedy Director of Academic Program Management via email, hkennedy@uh.edu

Download the Nomination Form
for Group Teaching - .doc

Submission deadline:
5:00 P.M., Friday, November 9, 2012

Questions should be directed to Dr. Kennedy at:  
(713) 743-9187
or via email at hkennedy@uh.edu.

In the second stage, finalists will be invited to submit additional materials as follows:

Stage 2. (Finalist)

• Four new letters of recommendation.
  (The total of the 6 letters should include at least one from an administrator, two from students, and one from a faculty member.)  
• Teaching evaluations for the relevant course(s) over at least the last 3 years  
• Summary of grade distributions over at least the last 3 years  
• Other evidence, including (but not limited to) syllabi, course materials including those on line, longitudinal data on the course(s), description of student accomplishments and student success, publications, and internal and external grants related to the group's project  
• A schedule of Spring 2013 class sections related to the award.  

Group finalists packet submission deadline is
5:00pm Friday, February 1,2013.

Download the Finalist Nomination Form
for Group Teaching - .doc

The Teaching Excellence Committee, in conjunction with the Faculty Board of the Center for Teaching Excellence, will schedule a group interview to allow the group to explain their methods and results. Both groups may schedule classroom visits as they deem appropriate. 

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