Teaching Awards

The University of Calgary Teaching Award for Graduate Supervision recognizes excellence in graduate supervision. Individual, full-time colleagues on Continuing, Contingent and Limited-Term appointments at any rank at the University of Calgary are encouraged to apply. 

No individual may receive this award more than once. One award will be available annually. The adjudication committee may recommend more recipients if multiple outstanding nominations are received.

Teaching excellence at the University of Calgary is exemplified by characteristics of scholarly teaching. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to student learning through graduate supervision. The criteria for this award emphasize the practice and underlying philosophy of quality graduate student supervision. There are many ways in which individual graduate supervisors demonstrate teaching excellence. The assessment of nominations will be guided by the following criteria:

Mentorship and Feedback

• Provides meaningful mentorship, training, and support in scholarly approaches, as well as the theoretical and technical aspects of research and creative scholarship.
• Actively contributes to a supportive graduate student learning experience over time, providing thoughtful insights and feedback to enhance learning, and the quality and productivity of research and creative scholarship.

Student Engagement

• Actively engages graduate students in on-going critical reflection, self-exploration, and their own learning and development as scholars. 
• Provides formal and informal opportunities for graduate students to disseminate results of research or creative activities and to share the results of their work with fellow students and with the scholarly and larger communities, as appropriate.

Academic and/or Professional Development

• Creates opportunities for graduate students to develop the full spectrum of competencies required for successful academic and/or professional careers.
• Encourages the career development of graduate students by providing leadership and support in academic matters such as presenting and publishing, building scholarly networks, and applying for funding.

Respect and Inclusion

• Co-creates respectful and inclusive learning environments and communities that promote active engagement, participation and a sense of belonging.
• Seeks to understand and adapt mentorship practices based on student’s diverse backgrounds, needs, prior knowledge and approaches to learning.

The nomination should be prepared by the nominator(s) and the nominee. Nominators may be one of, or any combination of academic staff, academic administrators, staff, or former students.

The nomination package includes:

• An online form verifying the nominee’s and nominator’s contact information, and the award they are being nominated for.
• A nomination letter (2-page maximum or 5 minutes maximum video or audio length) highlighting the nominee’s strengths, contributions, and accomplishments as they relate to the award criteria. This can be contributed by an individual nominator or co-written by nominators. Audio and video submissions that speak to the award criteria will also be accepted; and
• A nomination dossier (10-page maximum or 20 minutes maximum video or audio length). Audio and video submissions that speak to the dossier requirements will also be accepted.

3.1 Nomination Letter (2 pages or 5 minutes maximum video or audio length)

A nomination letter highlighting the nominee’s strengths, contributions, and accomplishments as they relate to one or more of the award criteria is required from an individual nominator or can be co-written by multiple nominators. Nomination letters are not included in the dossier page count; the letter should be a maximum of two pages or 5 minutes for audio or video submissions. 

3.2 Nomination Dossier 

Evidence of impact in teaching and learning should be provided from multiple sources, including a nominee’s self-reflections, student feedback, and feedback from colleagues. 

The nomination dossier should be a maximum of 10 pages or 20 minutes maximum video or audio length:

• Graduate supervision philosophy statement (1-page)
  The graduate supervision philosophy statement explains the beliefs and values that guide a nominee’s practice and provides information about a nominee’s unique supervision experiences, contexts, approaches and contributions, as they relate to their beliefs and values about graduate supervision. 
• Descriptions of specific teaching and learning strategies 
  Dossiers should provide descriptions of specific teaching and learning strategies in your supervision practice with relevant evidence of impact on learning. Evidence of impact may come from multiple sources and perspectives including the nominee’s self-reflections, excerpts from student comments, feedback and work, and input from colleagues, including letters, testimonials, or statements of support. 
• Evidence of perspectives of others 
  Evidence about the impact of your contributions to graduate supervision. Evidence could include information and feedback from students and colleagues related to supervision activities, mentorship of students, knowledge sharing and dissemination, and impact on academic/career development of students.
• Self-reflection statement
  This self-reflection should provide committees with a clear overview of the nominee’s unique supervision philosophy and practices, highlight strengths and contributions as they relate to the nominee’s philosophy and practices, and identify future areas for learning and growth. 

Nomination packages are stored and treated with care and confidentially, with access limited to adjudication committee members. All written and recorded materials submitted must adhere to appropriate University copyright policies and procedures and will remain the property of the creator.

3.3 Video and/or audio submissions

Video and/or audio recorded submissions that recognize oral traditions and speak to the award criteria will be accepted. Recordings should present a first-person narrative to support the nomination. Professionally produced videos will not be accepted. 

3.4 Support

Support for creating nomination letters and dossiers, including video and/or audio submissions, is available through the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.

Administrative processes surrounding communication, nomination and selection processes is coordinated through the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.

A committee, chaired by the Vice-Provost Teaching and Learning (or delegate) and consisting of two academic staff members, two students (undergraduate and/or graduate), and a support (AUPE) staff, management or professional staff (MaPS) or postdoctoral scholar representative, will adjudicate the nomination files. 

The University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff, faculty, student and postdoctoral community benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to addressing systemic inequities by removing barriers that have been historically encountered by underrepresented identity groups in our society. We strive to ensure equitable representation on the awards adjudication committees. To this end, we encourage equity-deserving identity groups, including Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ persons and women, to join and serve on these committees. All committees are provided with resources and training to mitigate bias and ensure fair and inclusive decision-making processes.

All committees are guided in the adjudication through a consensus-based discussion with reference to the criteria for the award.

Recipients will be presented with their awards at the Celebration of Teaching and recognized on the Wall of Honour in the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. 

Award recipients will be invited to join the University of Calgary Teaching Academy, to share their experience and expertise back to the academic community.