Close menu Resources for... William & Mary
W&M menu close William & Mary

A&S Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence: Criteria

  1. In order to honor faculty members in Arts & Sciences who devote special efforts to teaching and inspiring their students through lectures, seminars, laboratories, independent studies, and mentoring, the Dean will make three $3,000 awards each year.
  2. Each fall semester, the Dean will request that the Student Assembly nominate no more than six Arts & Sciences instructors and the Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Association no more than three Arts & Sciences instructors for teaching awards. These groups may determine their own methods of generating nominations but should report the method used. Each nomination will be submitted as a hard copy confidential letter to the Dean’s office.
  3. The Dean’s office will contact the nominees’ department chairs and program directors and invite the chairs and directors to submit:
    1. a single letter of nomination from a faculty colleague
    2. the nominee’s c.v.,
    3. a summary or sample of teaching evaluations. 
      Under normal circumstances, the nominees will not be informed.
  4. Nominees will be evaluated on the basis of teaching quality, innovation, and demonstrated commitment to student learning. Over a number of years, awardees will be chosen in order to balance academic rank, disciplinary area, graduate and undergraduate teaching, and tenure and non-tenure eligible status, including adjuncts.
  5. Past awardees will serve on the selection advisory committee, chaired by a member of the Committee on Faculty Awards, Professorships, and Prizes (CFAPP), who will make a recommendation to the Dean. The final decision rests with the Dean of Arts & Sciences. 
  6. Three awards will be made annually. Each award carries a $3,000 one-time payment. 
  7. The names of the awardees will be posted on a plaque in the Dean’s suite.
  8.  Recognition will be given at an Arts & Sciences faculty meeting.
  9. Appropriate endowment of these awards will be sought.