Outstanding University Teacher Award- Category I
(Tenured or Tenure-line Faculty)

Printable Version of Guidelines, Nomination Form and Portfolio Cover Sheet (PDF - 71 KB)

2005-2006

Purpose

The Illinois State University Outstanding Teacher Awards Program exists to recognize individuals who have achieved excellence as teachers at Illinois State University. By honoring such individuals, the University demonstrates its commitment to teaching as a scholarly endeavor, emphasizes outstanding engagement with student learning, and provides incentives for faculty members to enhance their teaching. The Outstanding University Teacher Award-Category I (OUTA-I) recognizes tenured or tenure track faculty.

Outstanding University Teacher Award-Category I

Tenured or tenure-track Illinois State University faculty whose teaching accomplishments are exceptionally significant and meritorious among their colleagues across campus, and who also have received previously the Outstanding College Teacher Award (or similar award), may be considered for the Outstanding University Teacher Award-Category I. This award may be given to three or fewer tenure track faculty members in any given year. Each recipient receives $3,000: $1,000 in salary funds and $2,000 in appropriated operating funds. Funds must be expended by the end of the fiscal year in which the award is granted.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to compete for the OUTA-I, faculty members must:

Be a full-time tenured or tenure track faculty member with at least three years of service at Illinois State University.
Meet at least one of the following conditions:
1. Be the recipient of an outstanding teacher award from an academic college or Milner Library in 2004 or before;
2. Be the recipient of the Illinois State Alumni Association’s Outstanding University Teacher Award between 1985 and 1993.
Have their names submitted to the Chair of the University Teaching Committee by April 29, 2005.
Receive support for their candidacy for the award from both their department chairperson and college dean.

Those not eligible to receive the OUTA-I are:

Faculty members who, within the last five years, have received the OUTA-I described in this document;
Faculty members who have received teaching awards from entities external to Illinois State University, or from departments or other units at the University, but who have not received an Outstanding College Teacher Award or an Illinois State University Alumni Association Outstanding University Teacher Award.
Faculty members who are current members of the University Teaching Committee (UTC).

Timetable for the selection process

March 15, 2005 - Program information and guidelines are posted to the CTLT Web site and memos outlining the time frame and any changes in the process are distributed to Chairs, Deans, and others by the University Teaching Committee.
April 29, 2005 - Names of final nominees are due from departments to the Chair of the University Teaching Committee. Departments should inform final nominees that they are, in fact, the nominees.
September 15, 2005 - Completed applications are due from departments to the offices of their respective college deans.
October 14, 2005 - Applications are due from the college offices to the University Teaching Committee. Send to Nancy Bragg, 6370 Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology [or 111 ITDC].

Procedures for Soliciting and Evaluating Applications

Chairs should facilitate a nominations process in their departments. Chairs should then submit the names of final department nominees to the University Teaching Committee by April 29, 2005. (Please use the Nomination Form, below, or a facsimile.) By September 15, 2005, chairs should forward the full application materials of candidates whom they endorse to the college dean's office.

Each college dean, in conjunction with the College Council, shall evaluate the applicants based upon the selection criteria listed below, then select candidates to forward to the university level. The dean/college selection committee may rank the applicants and/or provide written rationales. These rankings or rationales, which are optional and completed at the discretion of the dean, are advisory to the UTC. They should be forwarded along with the application materials to the UTC.

College Council members who are applicants for this award should not participate in the deliberations. Colleges need not forward the applications of candidates whom they feel do not merit further consideration for the award. There is no limit to the number of candidates each college may forward for consideration.

The UTC shall make the final selection of the OUTA-I recipients and shall notify each award recipient, as well as those candidates who were considered for the award but were not selected to receive it. In the case of portfolios of equal merit, preference shall go to candidates who have not previously won the OUTA-I.

Departments should inform candidates that they are final departmental nominees in advance of the May University Teaching Workshop, May 18-19, 2005. At this workshop CTLT will conduct a workshop on developing a teaching portfolio. Spring notification also allows nominees to work on their portfolio over the summer.

Application Materials to Document Outstanding Teacher Qualifications

All candidates must submit the following items. The first three items should be included in the portfolio binder (e.g., in a pocket or at the front) or as links in an electronic portfolio.

a completed cover sheet (see below)
an up-to-date curriculum vita
a summary statement by the department chairperson about the candidate's teaching, which includes:
- The candidate's DFSC ratings in teaching for the previous three years;
- An evaluation of the candidate's ability to incorporate academic rigor and challenge into his or her instructional and evaluative practices; and
- An evaluation of the candidate's teaching contribution to the department, to the University (especially in terms of Educating Illinois), and to the discipline as a whole.
a teaching portfolio (see below for details) with sample evidence of outstanding teaching from the past three years

The Teaching Portfolio

For the purposes of this award, the complete portfolio, including appendices, is limited to a single, two-inch, three-ring ("D" ring, not "O" ring) binder. The committee will only view two inches and will not remove and view multiple page documents in plastic sleeves. A candidate who submits a video tape as evidence, must specify in the narrative what the committee is to look for in the video.

Electronic portfolios are also allowed; these must meet all the requirements (equivalent length, format, content, required materials, etc.) of the general portfolio guidelines. The UTC recommends that electronic portfolios be turned in as a CD; alternatively, the electronic portfolio might be web-based. Contact the Director of the Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology for further guidance on electronic portfolios.

The teaching portfolio must include two major sections: the narrative and the appendices. The purpose of the Narrative is to discuss the candidate's teaching accomplishments in relation to the five selection criteria and to portray other features of the candidate's teaching. The purpose of the Appendices is to provide evidence for statements made in the Narrative. There are some required elements in both the Narrative and the Appendices, while other elements are at the candidate's discretion.

Portfolio Narrative

The narrative is written by the faculty member and is about 6 to 8 pages in length, usually divided into subsections.

The narrative must contain a statement of the candidate's teaching philosophy, a summary of the candidate's teaching responsibilities for the past three years, and a summary of the candidate's student evaluations of teaching, in relation to department norms. (Note that these last two elements are summaries only; illustrations and further evidence should come in the appendices.)
For the purposes of this teaching award, candidates are strongly encouraged to include sections that address the five major selection criteria listed below-or as many of those criteria as are appropriate.
In addition, the narrative may contain sections unique to the individual (e.g., if he/she works significantly with students outside of class, there might be a section on that; if he/she engages in the scholarship of teaching, there might be comments about that, etc.).
Generally, the reader of the Narrative should also be able to see how the candidate's teaching philosophy and practices demonstrate excellence in teaching as articulated by the selection criteria.

Appendices

Items in the appendices should match and provide evidence for statements made in the Narrative. (One way that faculty have successfully organized the Appendices is to have it contain up to five major sections, each of which corresponds to one of the selection criteria addressed in the Narrative.)

The appendices must include representative materials from at least two courses or other instructional settings.
Items may include example syllabi, tests, handouts, course Web page URLs, evidence of student outcomes, evidence of involvement with students out-of-class, copies of articles written with students, summaries of student evaluations, instructor responses to student work, classroom action research, reflective analyses of teaching, evidence of faculty development activities related to teaching, examples of honors and awards related to teaching, evidence of work in the scholarship of teaching and learning (published articles or conference papers), etc.
Any student work should have identifying information removed and the permission of the student to include it in the portfolio.
Candidates should not only include examples of materials and artifacts in their portfolios, but also demonstrate purposefully the effectiveness of their practices and activities by including information and evidence on student outcomes.

Preparing the Portfolio

Candidates are encouraged to attend the session on developing a teaching portfolio that are scheduled each May by the Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology, check out books on teaching portfolios (especially by Peter Seldin) available in the Faculty Development Resource Center (ITDC 107), look at these materials on portfolios, consult with CTLT staff, and/or have colleagues who have already completed this award process review their portfolios.

Criteria for the Outstanding University Teacher Award-Category I

The members of the UTC developed these criteria over several years and after reviewing literature on teaching effectiveness and student learning in higher education, including "Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" by Chickering and Gamson (1987). The UTC uses these criteria as guidelines to evaluate the teaching portfolios. In addition, candidates might use them to help organize their portfolios or as discussion points in their narratives.

The UTC members recognize that teaching and learning varies by discipline, instructional setting, and years of teaching experience. The UTC does not expect that candidates would have entries for, or excel in, all of the areas below; however, since the Category I award represents the highest teaching honor at Illinois State University, the strongest candidates will have significant achievements in most of them. This list is not exhaustive. The most compelling portfolios will contain not just assertions about reflections on these criteria but, also, evidence or documentation about how the candidate effectively meets them.

Instruction: This category refers to the actions of teachers that result in effective learning in the teacher-class setting. This criterion will remain foremost in the UTC's selection process. The UTC believes that exemplary instruction is a necessary, but not necessarily sufficient, characteristic that defines outstanding teachers. Exemplary instruction includes
- Encouraging cooperation among students because learning is enhanced through interaction and team efforts. (e.g., use collaborative learning tasks in class; encourage student study groups; require group work; use peer-teaching methods).
- Encouraging active learning; students must think and process through writing, applying, and doing (e.g., students present work to class; written assignments; use of simulations, role playing, debates; field trips; service learning).
- Providing prompt and useful feedback, including assessing current knowledge/skills, and offering ongoing useful guidance (e.g., use formative evaluations; use appropriate classroom assessment techniques; provide useful, timely feedback).
- Emphasizing time on task, including time management and realistic expectations about time (e.g., require on-time work; clarify minimum amounts of time on tasks; help students set challenging goals; require challenging amounts of homework).
- Communicating high expectations and employ appropriate methods to help students meet them (e.g., syllabi explain expectations and give reasons for them; fair, but tough, grading; acknowledge exceptional student work).
- Assigning authentic tasks and evaluations to help students learn, remember, and synthesize (e.g., provide examples and materials relevant to students; use guest speakers, field trips, etc. to relate course material to settings outside the university; set standards analogous to those in work and civic situations).
- Motivating students and promote learning in a variety of ways (e.g., learn and use students' names; demonstrate to students love of discipline/learning; give students shared control of course).
Mentoring: This category both refers to working with students on their development and with faculty colleagues as a master teacher. Typically, mentoring refers to one-on-one or small group interactions. Examples include the following:
1. Student Mentoring Faculty Mentoring
  - Regularly spend time with students outside of class, giving feedback and instruction.
  - Work on research or creative projects with students outside of class.
  - Observe and give feedback on student activities in various settings (e.g., symposia, rehearsals, and exhibits).
  - Serve as a direct model as a teacher and scholar (e.g., teaching assistant-instructor relationships and co-authoring).
  - Orient students and serve as a resource in ways that exceed that of the average advisor relationship.
2. Faculty Mentoring
  - Help orient new faculty to the University's teaching resources, curricula, instructional technology, etc.
  - Function as an expert teaching resource, both for information and by giving counsel (e.g., peer observation).
  - Serve as an outstanding model for teaching, by example and as a partner in co-teaching settings.
  - Take a leadership role in identifying and fulfilling mentorship opportunities in the department, college, and/or University.
  - Use experiences as a mentor to enhance own teaching-engage in learning/dialogue with a protégé.
Professional development and teaching-related service: This refers to activities that teachers pursue to develop their own teaching and to share their teaching expertise with others. For professional development to be considered exemplary, evidence should demonstrate the positive impact such activities have had on teaching and learning. Examples include the following:
1. Professional Development of Teaching Teaching-Related Service
  - Attend Illinois State University teaching workshops, symposia, etc.
  - Attend disciplinary or other teaching conferences, workshops, etc. off campus.
  - Participate in other teaching-related activities, such as teaching-learning teams or the AAHE/Carnegie Campus Program.
  - Engage in applied or fieldwork in ones discipline and use it to enhance own teaching.
  - Reflect on teaching; use classroom assessment.
2. Teaching-Related Service
  - Actively advise a student club or organization.
  - Chair or participate in campus committees dealing with teaching and curriculum.
  - Advise undergraduate majors in department/program.
  - Develop course and/or curriculum.
  - Develop teaching materials.
  - Organize teaching brown bags and workshops.
  - Participate on teaching-related committees in disciplinary organizations.
Innovation: This refers to taking risks with new ideas, demonstrating success and/or failure, and systematically reflecting on the innovation and its effectiveness for teaching and learning. Examples include the following:
- Designing and implementing new approaches to instruction.
- Adapting "old" methods and pedagogies to new disciplines or contexts.
- Introducing teaching-related ideas to Illinois State that have been successful elsewhere.
- Developing novel teaching materials.
- Trying instructional technologies in ways that have not been used before at Illinois State.
- Trying new strategies based on reflection and classroom assessment or research.
Scholarship of Teaching: This refers to the “systematic reflection on teaching and learning made public.” * Examples include the following:
- Applying methods of inquiry from disciplines and professions commonly associated with the study of teaching, such as the social sciences and teacher education.
- Applying methods of inquiry from disciplines and professions not commonly associated with the study of teaching, such as the arts, humanities, physical sciences, and information technology.
- Personal analysis of and reflection on experiences with teaching and learning (e.g., course portfolio).
The results of reflections should be made public through such means as:
- Formal dissemination through books, book chapters, journal articles, and conference papers and presentations.
- Formal dissemination through exhibitions, performances, and demonstrations.
- Informal dissemination at brown bags, discussion groups, symposia, etc.

*Definition developed by the AAHE/Carnegie Scholarship of Teaching Campus Discussion Group, Illinois State University, spring 1999.