Dean's Teaching Award - Contract Lecturers (CUPE 1 and 2)

Who can be nominated?

• Any CUPE 3904 Unit 1 or Unit 2 Contract Lecturer teaching in any of the seven Faculties or at the Chang School at TMU and who has taught at least one undergraduate course or graduate course in the previous academic year is eligible to be nominated for a Dean's Teaching Award - Contract Lecturers.
• Participation in the competition is by nomination or self-nomination/application.
• The nomination is valid only for the year in which it is made.
• Contract Lecturers who receive an award may not receive another Dean's Teaching Award - Contract Lecturers for the following two years. (e.g. a 2022-2023 recipient receiving an award in Winter 2023 would not be eligible to apply for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 awards.)

The number of annual awards per Faculty, listed below, is based on the number of Contract Lecturers in a Faculty:

• Any member of the TMU Community (student, faculty/contract lecturer or staff) can nominate a contract lecturer for the Dean's Teaching Award – Contract Lecturers. The committee particularly encourages nominations from Chairs and Directors. Self nominations are allowed.
• Note: Student nominators are encouraged to contact the Faculty Awards Committee (FAC) in their Faculty via the Dean's Office to get assistance from a faculty advisor with compiling the full nomination file. This is to ensure that the submission reflects a full range of the nominee's contributions that a student nominator or teaching colleague may not be fully aware of.

Continuing teaching excellence

The nomination must include evidence of outstanding teaching. Outstanding teaching integrates best practices in instruction and assessment with well-defined student learning outcomes, demonstrates effectiveness of teaching strategies, and provides evidence of student engagement. The nomination brief should address the following criteria:

1. Classroom teaching creativity and innovation;
2. Leadership in teaching;
3. Evidence of teaching effectiveness;
4. Incorporation of equity, diversity and inclusion into teaching and/or curriculum;
5. Other contributions to pedagogy and curriculum development.

In nominating or applying for this award, consider that continuing teaching excellence can be demonstrated by an outstanding and sustained record of undergraduate or graduate teaching, including one or more of the following:

• Effectiveness of teaching strategies in the classroom, studio or laboratory;
• Evidence and nature of student engagement;
• Evidence of innovative pedagogical approaches;
• Enthusiasm for teaching, use of best practices and teaching methods;
• Ability to motivate students, capacity as a role model for personal and professional development of students;
• Integration of best practices in instruction and assessment, grounded in learning theories, with well-defined student learning outcomes;
• Development and implementation of innovative teaching approaches, including their planning, execution and assessment of outcomes.
• Evidence of transformative influence on the student learning experience;
• Evidence that the nominee’s practice fits with learning theories;

Evidence in support of the criteria may include some of the following examples:

• Description of specific teaching strategies that were developed to improve student learning, including their planning, development, execution and assessment of learning outcomes; include list of courses previously/currently taught;
• Examples of impact on student learning (e.g. improved exam performance, pass rates, acceptance rates to graduate programs, success in workplace placements, increased course enrollment, student achievements (competitions that they participated in) etc.);
• Personal contact with students that go beyond the norm in classroom teaching (e.g. mentoring, advising, consultations outside of class, field trips, small-group tutoring, laboratory, studio instruction, thesis supervision, etc.);
• Descriptions of course development, management, planning and coordination;
• Descriptions of the development of innovative teaching materials;
• Memberships in professional bodies related to teaching;
• Examples of ongoing commitments to teaching through professional development;
• Letters of support that provide specific examples and describes the nominee’s teaching, innovative strategies, etc., and their impact on students’ learning.
• Any additional evidence addressing continuing teaching excellence.

Additional contributions

Additional contributions to teaching and learning at TMU that have an impact beyond one’s classroom may also be taken into consideration by the FAC. Examples include:

• Personal professional development in teaching and learning (e.g. attending conferences, participating in the Learning and Teaching Office seminars, etc.);
• Sharing one’s teaching expertise with others; delivering workshops/presentations; publications;
• Participation in initiatives to improve teaching at TMU and description of the nature of the involvement;
• Evidence of recognition received for teaching excellence by a community of peers at TMU and possibly elsewhere, including a list of awards, internal as well as external;
• Contributions to curriculum development and description of the nature of the involvement.

1. Obtain the nominee's permission (if applicable).
2. Complete the nomination  package as described below.
3. Submit the nomination package via the Online Nomination Portal on the Recognition website.
4. Nominee will receive a confirmation email with a link to provide online consent before the deadline. This step must be completed before the deadline.

The nomination file should clearly address the Award Criteria as described. The required components of the nomination for the Dean's Teaching Award – Contract Lecturers are as follows:

• Citation (100 words maximum) – highlight why the nominee deserves this award and any notable achievements. This citation will be included in related university communication should the nominee be selected.
• Supporting Statement (maximum three pages in PDF format) – outlines the nominee/applicant’s contributions and accomplishments to continuing teaching excellence according to the awards criteria (e.g. classroom teaching creativity and innovation, leadership in teaching, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and any additional contributions).
• Two Letters of Support from faculty/Contract Lecturers, students or staff (one page maximum each) that provide specific examples of why the nominee should be considered for the award. Those writing letters of support should disclose their relationship to the nominee (e.g. individual who has team taught with the nominee, chair/director, associate chair, undergraduate program director, current student, former student, etc.).

Each Faculty will strike a Faculty Award Committee (FAC). The Dean's Teaching Award - Contract Lecturers will be adjudicated by the same FAC that reviews the Dean's Teaching Award – Faculty. The Chang School will strike a separate award committee to adjudicate the Dean's Teaching Award for CUPE Unit 2 contract lecturers.

Five members are elected by and from the members of the Faculty. There may be no more than one member from each School/Department on the FAC. In a Faculty with fewer than five departments, the Faculty may, however, choose to reduce the size of the committee to include one member from each School/Department.

Nomination deadline: November 5 at noon
Recipients notified by: December 18, 2024
Award presentation: Toronto Met Awards Gala