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Teaching Awards

Nomination Procedure

1. Make your nominations online by January 11, 2008.

2. Send all departmental dossiers with letters of support from the chair to Miriam Burwasser, 120 Cohen Hall/6304 by February 8.

3. Direct all questions to teachingawards@sas.upenn.edu.

Award winners will be notified in late March. The awards ceremony will take place in early May.

Please note:  Faculty and graduate students may not receive the same award more than once. Click here to view past recipients.

Award Descriptions

Eligibility
Amount
Dossier Requirements

Ira Abrams Memorial  Award for Distinguished Teaching

This award seeks to recognize teaching that is intellectually rigorous and exceptionally coherent and that leads to an informed understanding of a discipline. Recipients of the Ira Abrams Memorial Award are expected to embody high standards of integrity and fairness, to have a strong commitment to learning, and to be open to new ideas.

SAS Standing Faculty

up to two $10,000 awards

  • • A curriculum vitae of the nominee
  • • A letter from the Department Chair or Program Director supporting the nomination
  • • At least two letters from faculty members
  • • At least four but no more than ten letters from undergraduate students who have taken courses with, or have studied under, the direction of the nominee
  • • Letters from the teaching assistants who have been associated with the courses taught by the nominee during the last four years

Note: The College Office will provide the selection committee with a listing of courses taught during the past 4 years and a summary of teaching evaluations

Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by Graduate Students: For Independent Teaching by Graduate Students as Well as Graduate Students Acting as Teaching Assistants

Presented annually to graduate students in the arts and sciences in recognition of their contributions to undergraduate teaching. In general, the Dean's Award seeks to recognize teaching that is intellectually rigorous, exceptionally coherent, and that has considerable impact upon students. Recipients of the Dean's Award are expected to embody unusually high standards of integrity, fairness and commitment to learning. Read more>>

Graduate students in the Arts and Sciences whose teaching has had considerable impact upon students

Up to ten $600 awards will be given to graduate students and teaching assistants.

  • • A curriculum vitae of the nominee
  • • A letter from the chair or program director supporting the nomination When more than one nomination is being submitted by a department, the candidates must be rank-ordered
  • • At least three letters from undergraduate students who have taken courses with the nominee
  • • Two letters from faculty
  • • A listing of all courses taught by the nominee.  Please note for which courses the student is a teaching assistant and for which the sole instructor, how many students were enrolled, and how many evaluations were collected

Dean’s Award for Innovation in Teaching

This award is presented annually to faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional innovation in their teaching. Examples could include but are not limited to: best use of technology to enhance classroom instruction; best use of student presentation/oral communication in curriculum; or most creative engagement of students in problem-oriented research and learning using the resources of the community.

SAS Standing Faculty One @ $5,000 award
  • • Curriculum vitae of nominee
  • • A letter from a chair or program director supporting the nomination
  • • Three letters from faculty
  • • Three letters from students

Note: The College Office will provide the selection committee with a listing of courses taught during the past four years and a summary of teaching evaluations

Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by Affiliated Faculty

This award is presented to affiliated faculty who show unusual promise as teachers/scholars.

SAS Adjunct Professors and Lecturers. One @ $5,000 award
  • • Curriculum vitae of nominee
  • • A letter from an undergraduate chair or program director
  • • Three letters from faculty
  • • Three letters from students

Note: The College Office will provide the selection committee with a listing of courses taught during the past four years and a summary of teaching evaluations

Dean’s Award for Mentorship of Undergraduate Research

This award is presented for meaningful engagement of undergraduate students in research due to exceptional nurturing and facilitating by faculty.

SAS Standing Faculty

One @ $5,000 award

  • • Curriculum vitae of nominee
  • • A letter from the undergraduate chair or program director
  • • Three letters from faculty
  • • Three letters from students

Note: The College Office will provide the selection committee with a listing of courses taught during the past four years and a summary of teaching evaluations

Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Award for Distinguished Teaching by an Assistant Professor

This award is given to assistant professors who show unusual promise as teachers/scholars.

SAS Assistant Professors who are not in their tenure-review year

One @ $5,000 award

  • • Curriculum vitae of nominee
  • • A letter from department chair or program director supporting the nomination
  • • Three letters from graduate or undergraduate students taught by the nominee

Note: The College Office will provide the selection committee with a listing of courses taught during the past four years and a summary of teaching evaluations

College of General Studies Distinguished Teaching Award for Standing Faculty

Exceptional teaching within the College of General Studies. Nominees must demonstrate the ability to engage non-traditional students and adult students actively in the learning process through teaching that is intellectually rigorous and innovative. Nominees must have taught at least three times in the College of General Studies at the undergraduate or the graduate level.

SAS Standing Faculty who have taught in the College of General Studies (CGS) at the undergraduate or the graduate level

One @ $2,500 award

  • • Curriculum vitae of nominee
  • • A letter from a chair or program director supporting the nomination

    At least three letters from undergraduate or graduate students taught by the nominee

    Note: The College of General Studies will provide the selection committee with a listing of courses taught during the past four years and a summary of teaching evaluations
College of General Studies Distinguished Teaching Award for Affiliated Faculty, Adjunct Faculty and Lecturers

Exceptional teaching within the College of General Studies. Nominees must demonstrate the ability to engage non-traditional students and adult students actively in the learning process through teaching that is intellectually rigorous & innovative. Nominees must have taught at least three times in the College of General Studies at the undergraduate or the graduate level.

Adjunct Faculty and Lecturers who have taught in the College of General Studies (CGS) at the undergraduate or the graduate level

One @ $2,500 award

  • • Curriculum vitae of nominee
  • • A letter from a faculty member in the nominee’s field who knows the nominee’s work
  • • At least three letters from undergraduate or graduate students taught by the nominee

Note: The College of General Studies College of General Studies will provide the selection committee with a listing of courses taught during the past four years and a summary of teaching evaluations

 

Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching by Graduate Students
Up to ten awards will be given. Awards may be for either teaching assistants or graduate students teaching their own courses. Candidates nominated must have taught in at least one undergraduate course in the School of Arts and Sciences during the current academic year and at least three courses overall, and the department must support the nomination. Each department or graduate group may nominate up to four students for this award. When more than one nomination is submitted by a department, the candidates must be rank-ordered. Graduate students should be proposed without their knowledge, if at all possible.