6.2 Teaching Awards & Funding Opportunities

The teaching responsibilities for faculty members differs from department to department. Each Department is responsible for outlining responsibilities and guidelines.

The university provides teaching support from the Center for Teaching and Learning

College Teaching Awards

CLAS Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Part-time Faculty Member

1. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Part-Time Faculty Member is awarded to a part-time faculty member who has made exceptional teaching contributions to the undergraduate classroom. Department chairs nominate instructors in early spring (Nominations include a copy of the person’s updated vita and a letter of nomination that explains why the nominee should receive the outstanding teaching award);  the nominees compile a packet of teaching materials (including teaching evaluations, a statement of teaching philosophy, course materials (e.g. syllabi, tests), and any other evidence of teaching-related service and/or professional activity that the nominee wishes to be considered), and a faculty committee makes the selection.  Both nominees and awardees are honored at a reception at the end of April.

Nominees must satisfy the following criteria:

1. Be on a semester-by-semester or two-semester appointment in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and not receive fringe benefits;
2. Be currently teaching one or more courses; and
3. Have taught courses at UNC Charlotte for at least six consecutive semesters. (i.e., three years) but less than six years. (Currently enrolled graduate students are not eligible for this award. They compete for the graduate student teaching awards.)
4. Additional teaching excellence criteria that the Awards Committee will use and that might be addressed in nomination letters include:
   • A consistent record of strong/distinguished teaching (i.e., over time) that supports the unit’s mission
   • Evidence of impact on student learning outcomes; of innovative teaching techniques; of student engagement; of creating a supportive learning environment
   • Other ways the faculty supports the teaching mission of the unit (e.g., curricular development, mentoring, teaching-related service, student supervision, etc.)

The award will be made to the winning candidate at a Liberal Arts and Sciences reception in late April.

CLAS Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Full-Time Lecturer

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Full-time Faculty Member is awarded to a full-time faculty member who has made exceptional teaching contributions to the undergraduate classroom. Department chairs nominate instructors in early spring (Nominations include a copy of the person’s updated vita and a letter of nomination that explains why the nominee should receive the outstanding teaching award);  the nominees compile a packet of teaching materials (including teaching evaluations, a statement of teaching philosophy, course materials (e.g. syllabi, tests), and any other evidence of teaching-related service and/or professional activity that the nominee wishes to be considered), and a faculty committee makes the selection.  Both nominees and awardees are honored at a reception at the end of April.

Nominees must satisfy the following criteria:

1. Be employed as a full-time lecturer in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with primary responsibilities in teaching;
2. Have taught full-time in the College for at least the three prior semesters; and,
3. Are teaching in the current semester.

The award will be made to the winning candidate at a Liberal Arts and Sciences reception in late April.

Award for the Integration of Undergraduate Teaching and Research

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) is uniquely positioned to embrace and capitalize on the synergy of our research and instructional missions. The CLAS Award for the Integration of Undergraduate Teaching and Research is intended to honor faculty members who effectively link these missions. Its prime purpose is to recognize faculty who incorporate their research / creative activity into the classroom in meaningful ways, so that students learn successfully and are exposed to and/or participate in the practice of research and/or creative activity.

The award is intended to recognize efforts beyond mentoring, supervising independent study / independent research courses, and strong classroom teaching. The award’s focus is on the integration of research and teaching in the classroom. This integration of research / creative activity and teaching reflects active engagement and enhancement of student learning that can influence students’ trajectories, planned course of study, and academic and professional choices.

Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of three criteria:

1. Demonstrated excellence in teaching in multiple forms (e.g., classroom teaching, directing a research lab / team, leading a creative team, mentoring, advising), particularly in the classroom;
2. Demonstrated record of scholarly research or creative accomplishments appropriate to his or her discipline;
3. Demonstrated effectiveness in integrating research / creative activity in his or her classroom teaching of undergraduates.

The integration of scholarly research and creative works in teaching can take many forms including but not limited to the following: creative exercises or demonstrations informed by one’s research; applied research and evaluation projects; hands-on creative activities; service learning; student research projects or labs; student presentations of research or creative activities; engagement of students in applied community or professional efforts; classroom presentations of the faculty member’s research efforts or findings that have inspired students to initiate research and or other appropriate activities intended to enhance the acquisition of knowledge.

Nominating materials should provide evidence of this impact. Such materials could include but are not limited to the following: evidence of students’ increased understanding of how contributions (whether knowledge grounded in research or creative works) are developed, evaluated, or disseminated in one’s discipline; evidence to demonstrate how students’ experiences in the classroom served to confirm or strengthen their pursuit of a major, chosen profession, and/or graduate-level education; evidence of students’ professional contribution to the field; or evidence of students’ increased knowledge and efficacy regarding their capacity to contribute research or creative works. Evidence can document a nominee’s record of successfully integrating teaching and research / creative activity over time, or in a given term.

Eligibility Requirements

The award is reserved for tenure-line (i.e., tenured or tenure track) faculty. Faculty members of all ranks are eligible.

Nomination / Self-Application Procedures

Application materials will be submitted electronically to Kelley Fluharty at kelley.fluharty@uncc.edu.

To initiate the process of nomination / application, individual faculty members can self-nominate or be nominated by a colleague or by students.

Faculty members interested in self-nomination, and colleagues or students interested in nominating a faculty member, should contact the Chair of the faculty member’s Department or the Program Director (if the nominated teaching is occurring in an Interdisciplinary Program). The individual to be nominated will be notified by the Chair / Program Director so that he/she can develop the materials necessary for the submission.

Required Submission Materials

Deadline for full portfolio is December 5^th

Full portfolios (including all application materials) will be submitted electronically by the faculty member’s Department Chair or Program Director (if Interdisciplinary Program). The required materials include:

From the Applicant / Nominee:

• Brief curriculum vitae (maximum 3 pages), highlighting teaching, scholarly and/or creative works, and supervision of student research/creative activity at UNC Charlotte.
• Statement (a) describing his/her integration of scholarship/creative activity and teaching and (b) providing evidence of its effectiveness (maximum 5 pages).

From the Department Chair / Program Director (if Interdisciplinary Program):

• Letter of Support.
• A minimum of 2 and as many as 5 additional supporting letters from colleagues, community partners, and/or current or former students.

Award Components

One award will be selected per year.

The awardee will receive an honorarium of $1500 and a stipend of $1500 in discretionary funds to be used for enhancing the integration of research in the faculty member’s teaching (for example, student support/travel, appropriate professional development, guest speakers, etc.).

Timeline

December 19: Announce award and solicit nominations.
February 1: Deadline for nominations.
February 15: Submission of full portfolio (i.e., all materials).
March 15: Announcement.

For more information about how this award was developed, see:
Task Force: Award for the Integration of Teaching and Research (September 10, 2012)

Teaching Professor Appointment

For more information see: 5.3 Reappointment & Promotion > Appointment of Teaching Professor