Appendix 12: Teaching Excellence Award

The purpose of the Teaching Excellence Award is to recognize outstanding performance in teaching at Salt Lake Community College. The award is grounded in the following principles:

• The award should reflect a cumulative body of teaching excellence rather than just a single year of fine work.
• Teaching excellence encompasses professionalism both within the classroom and in service to the department, division, College, and community.
• Nominations should include those most knowledgeable about a faculty member's professional effectiveness – students, faculty colleagues, and academic administrators.
• Nominations should reflect the support of the faculty member's department colleagues and academic administrators.
• The review process should reflect the considered involvement and judgment of faculty colleagues and academic administrators.

Eligibility

• Faculty must have at least three years teaching experience at SLCC.
• Previous award winners are not eligible.

Process

Nominations should be submitted by the announced deadline and adhere to the following process:

1. The Faculty Senate announces to the College community in Fall semester of the academic year that nominations are open and written guidelines are available.
2. All members of the College community are eligible to nominate a faculty member; faculty can also nominate themselves. Nominees are encouraged to include written support from their department colleagues, administrators, and staff. Those nominating the faculty member must submit a written nomination that speaks to the following:
   • A sound understanding of teaching and pedagogy as evidenced by successful work with the students.
   • Student evaluation scores that reflect student confidence in the faculty member as a teacher.
   • Successful curriculum development/innovation.
   • Effective collaboration and relationships with colleagues.
   • Outstanding service to the department, division, College and community.
   • Professional activities and scholarship.
3. Nominees apply through the office of Faculty Development. Faculty nominees submit a URL link to their ePortfolio Teaching tab. In the Teaching tab, faculty may include the following: 
   • Teaching Pedagogy/Philosophy
   • Teaching Practices
   • Teaching Goals
   • Evidence of Quality Teaching
   • Curricular development/innovation
   • Evaluations
   • Letters of support from students, administrators, other faculty and staff
4. A review committee comprised of five faculty representatives and two academic administrators from across the disciplines will screen all applications to ensure that they meet minimums and to document all nominations received. Applications are also reviewed by HR to make sure the faculty member is in good standing. The review committee will define a process for evaluating the ePortfolio submissions and forward finalists on to the SLCC Foundation for final selection.

Teaching Excellence Award Timeline