Terms of Reference

The Provost’s Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher Award annually recognizes graduate students who show outstanding promise as teachers.

Reward and Recognition

Award recipients will be publicly recognized at the annual Celebration of Teaching and receive a $1000 prize.

Eligibility

Graduate students at any stage in their studies who have taught or assisted teaching for at least one academic term, and are registered as students during the term in which they are nominated.

The criteria reflect Our Learning Charter’s educator commitments and should be considered with respect to the teaching context of the nominee.

A nomination letter for the Provost’s Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher Award should clearly show how the nominee demonstrates outstanding proficiency in each of the following criteria, with respect to the nominee’s teaching context.

Criterion 1: Exemplify learning

Educators should “exemplify active learning and curiosity, demonstrate broad thinking, follow ethical principles, and engage with students and peers in a respectful manner”

A strong personal commitment to the ideal of learning may be demonstrated by, for example, maintaining:

• a passion for discovery that contributes to proficiency in one’s field
• a positive attitude toward, respect for, and trust in students and peers
• consideration of broad perspectives and worldviews

Criterion 2: Strive for excellence in teaching

Educators commit to “Integrate research, scholarship, artistic work and /or professional activities with teaching; Align learning outcomes, teaching activities and assessment; and Develop respectful and inclusive learning environments that support student learning”

Striving for excellence in teaching may be demonstrated by, for example:

• developing opportunities for students to be inspired and engaged with and in the process of authentic inquiry, wherever possible, in their learning
• being aware of and select appropriate instructional strategies that are aligned with stated learning outcomes
• including all learners in the process of creating respectful and empowering spaces for learning

Criterion 3: Assess fairly

Educators commit to “Communicate and uphold clear academic expectations and standards; and Perform fair and relevant assessment for and of student learning”

Providing students with assessment as, for, and of learning, with timely and constructive feedback to fuel ongoing learning may be demonstrated by, for example, any of the following areas of assessment:

• designing or assisting to design assessments as learning, which allow students to regularly self-assess their learning
• designing or assisting to design assessments for learning, which accompany regular, objective, constructive opportunities for feedback that engenders improvement
• designing or assisting to design assessments of learning that align with course outcomes and providing students the opportunity to fairly demonstrate what they have learned

Criterion 4: Enhance continuously

Educators commit to “Solicit and reflect on feedback from students, peers and others; and Engage in lifelong learning and continuous enhancement of teaching practice”

Engagement in ongoing assessment of practice paired with reflection and continuous development as an educator may be demonstrated by, for example:

• reflecting on and continually enhancing teaching practice in response to feedback and student learning outcomes
• engaging with other educators to share and discuss their practice so they are learning with and from others

Nomination Process

Nominations should be submitted to the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning by February 15th of each year, using the submission portal:

• Submission Portal

Nomination checklist – Limited to 10 pages

All formats will be accepted, in parts or as a single document through the submission portal.

• Letter of nomination
• Teaching philosophy statement
• Evidence of teaching: This should include sample exemplar teaching materials and summarized teaching evaluations and feedback from up to the most recent two years of teaching history
• Abridged CV, focused on teaching (not counted toward 10 page limit)