University-Wide Teaching Awards

Academy of Distinguished Teachers Award

Established to recognize and enhance teaching, particularly at the undergraduate level, through the selection of tenured faculty members who during their years on the faculty have made sustained and significant contributions to education. The selection committee is composed of the Provost or his/her designate, two representatives from UT Austin central administration, two students, three faculty members who are not members of the Academy, and three representatives of the Academy. Permanent salary increase. Academy Members

Timeline:

Early September:	The Executive Vice President and Provost Office requests nominations from Deans.
March 1:	Deadline for nominations to be submitted to the Executive Vice President and Provost Office.
Mid-May:	Recipients announced prior to graduation.
September/October:	Recipients honored at the President’s State of the University Address and at a dinner held in their honor.

Material Requested:

Designed to recognize and honor a member of the UT Austin faculty who has an outstanding record both of undergraduate teaching and of concern for undergraduates, as demonstrated through advising and general guidance given to students. Such concern for students should have occurred within the context of promoting excellence in student scholarship and high standards of student performance. A committee (the Provost or his/her designate [ex-officio with vote], five faculty members, a representative from the Dean of Students Office, and one student) reviews the materials submitted by each dean and makes the final selection. Salary supplement. Recipients

Timeline:

 

CHANCELLOR'S Council Outstanding Teaching Award

To recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching at UT Austin. A committee (five faculty members and two students) reviews the materials submitted by each dean and makes the final selection. The Provost or his/her designate [ex-officio with vote] convenes this committee. Cash honorarium. Recipients

Timeline:

Material Requested:
1. Dean's letter.
2. A statement by the nominee of his/her teaching philosophy.
3. Nomination letter that provides a summary assessment of the nominee's undergraduate teaching effectiveness.
4. Course-instructor teaching evaluations, sharp copies of all teaching evaluations for undergraduate courses taught by the nominee during the past three years. All evaluation forms which contain student comments (whether favorable or unfavorable) must be included.
5. Current curriculum vitae.
6. Three reference letters from the department chair, faculty colleagues, and/or present or former students.
7. Syllabus from a recent favorite course

DADS' Association Centennial Teaching Fellowships (No. 1 and No. 2)

Faculty members considered for appointment to these fellowships should hold regular, on-going faculty positions at UT Austin and should be actively engaged in the instruction of freshman undergraduates. The Vice Provost solicits nominations from the UT Austin Deans. All nominations are compiled and reviewed by the Vice Provost, who then makes recommendations to the Provost for final approval. Four recipients are awarded each year — two faculty members appointed for the fall semester and two for the spring semester. Salary supplement. Recipients

Timeline:

Material Requested:
1. Dean or Chair’s letter addressing the nominee’s teaching activities relating to freshman undergraduates.
2. Current curriculum vitae

FRIAR Centennial Teaching Fellowship

The Friar Society was established in 1911. It is the oldest and one of the most distinguished multi-disciplinary honor societies at the University. A selection committee made up of society members annually reviews faculty and recommends a recipient to the Provost for his approval. This award recognizes a faculty member who, first and foremost, has attained distinction in teaching undergraduates; and second, who embodies the Friar ideal in having made a significant contribution to The University of Texas at Austin beyond the duties of her or his calling. Cash honorarium. Recipients

Timeline:

Jean HOLLOWAY Award for Excellence in Teaching

This award symbolizes UT Austin's commitment to teaching excellence and provides the means to recognize and reward an outstanding tenured or tenure-track teacher from the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences. The person selected should demonstrate a warmth of spirit, a concern for society and for the individual, and the ability to impart knowledge while challenging his/her students to independent inquiry and creative thought, as well as a respect for the understanding of the permanent values of our culture. A committee of five faculty members and 10 students review the nominees submitted and make a final selection. Cash honorarium. Award is handled by Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences who recommend the recipient to the Executive Vice President and Provost. Recipients

Timeline:

PRESIDENT'S Associates Teaching Excellence Award

This award was established in the fall of 1980 to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching at UT Austin. Awardees are based upon selections received from the deans and department chairs in the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences. All selections are reviewed by the Vice Provost, who then makes recommendations to the Provost for final approval. Cash honorarium. Recipients

Timeline:

Material Requested:
1. Dean or Chair’s letter addressing the nominee’s teaching activities.
2. Current curriculum vitae.

Joe and Bettie Branson WARD Excellence Award for Research, Teaching, or Demonstration Activities that Contribute To Changes of Positive Value to Society

This endowed award is based on the belief that education involves positive change and that education is the aggregate of all processes by means of which a person, or groups of people, develop abilities, attitudes and other forms of behavior of positive value to the society in which they participate. All areas of intellectual activities are within the scope of the award. Nominees must be current faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin. Any administrative unit of The University of Texas at Austin may submit as many nominations as it chooses. A nomination, including a self-nomination, may be initiated by an individual, but that nomination must be endorsed and submitted by the head of an administrative unit. Normally, the award is presented to one person, but partners in a specific activity may share it. All nominations are compiled and reviewed by an advisory committee appointed by the Provost. The award is made every three years. The first award was made in 2001. Cash honorarium. Recipients

Honors outstanding professors dedicated to undergraduate teaching. Nominees are submitted to CASE from the current year recipients of the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor and the William David Blunk Memorial Professorship awards. Cash honorarium. Recipients

Timeline:

Material Requested:
1. One-page current curriculum vitae, a concise summary of the person’s education, teaching experience, other teaching awards, publications, service and other significant contributions. You may summarize this information using a biographical format. Keep the focus on teaching.
2. Current academic year teaching log that lists the course, titles, levels, and a brief description of each course.
3. Personal statement describing a key contribution made as an undergraduate teacher; this statement should give a clear picture of the nominee’s work with students and should be one to two pages only, typed and double-spaced.
4. No more than six letters of support, one to two pages each. At least two letters must be written by current or former undergraduate students; at least two must be written by campus colleagues, such as your president, faculty or academic dean. Letters should discuss the person’s success in and dedication to teaching and give specific examples of how you’re the nominee fulfills the program’s criteria. Letters should be recent and relevant to the criteria.

Minnie Stevens PIPER Professorship

Honors professors for outstanding academic, scientific, and scholarly achievement and for dedication to the teaching profession. A committee convened by the Provost or his/her designate, consisting of five UT faculty members reviews the materials submitted by the deans and selects nominee(s) to be forwarded to the Piper Foundation for consideration among candidates from other academic institutions across the nation. Cash honorarium. Recipients

Timeline:

Material Requested:
1. Dean's letter.
2. A statement by the nominee of his/her teaching philosophy.
3. Summary assessment of the nominee's undergraduate teaching effectiveness.
4. Current curriculum vitae.
5. No more than eight reference letters, which may come from deans, chair, faculty colleagues, professional associates, and especially from former students (only five of the letters of recommendation submitted will eventually accompany each nomination).
6. Course-instructor teaching evaluations, sharp copies only, from all courses taught over the previous three years. All evaluation forms which contain students' comments (whether favorable or unfavorable) must be included.
7. Summary statistical data for three or four courses taught in recent years.

Note: No more than two nominations should be submitted from any college or school for the Piper Professorship.

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