Spring 2025 Call for Nominations

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is pleased to invite nominations for the annual Professional Track Faculty Teaching Award. This award recognizes excellence in instruction in the College of Arts and Sciences by our instructional faculty. 

Each recipient will receive a $5,000 award. There will generally be one recipient in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and one recipient in Math, Statistics, and the Sciences. See our past winners here.

 

Eligibility 

Eligibility for the award is limited to full-time (FTE) instructional faculty engaged in undergraduate instruction, who have been employed by the college as an FTE for a minimum of three consecutive years at the time of their nomination, and hold the title of instructor, senior instructor, lecturer, clinical instructor, or clinical professor (any rank). Tenured and tenure-track faculty are not eligible. 

Nominees will be evaluated holistically using the following criteria, with an emphasis on classroom teaching.  

• All student and peer evaluations (last 3 years minimum) 
• Knowledge and application of evidence-based pedagogies (e.g., active learning) 
• Course and curriculum development, including updates to existing courses. 
• Attentiveness and responsiveness to fostering inclusive learning environments 
• Ability to develop trust and rapport with students (e.g., directing and supporting independent study/research, theses, mentoring student clubs, etc.) 
• Ability to effectively manage course administration and coordination (e.g., learning management software, communication, and assessment, etc.) 
• Supports fellow educators by promoting a positive culture around teaching and learning (e.g., mentoring of other faculty, teaching-related presentations, etc.) 

 
Nomination Process 

1. Individual faculty members, students, programs, departments, or student organizations may submit one or more nominations for a teaching award. Nominators should coordinate their nominations and completion of the award application with the nominee and chair/director of the nominee’s department or program. 
2. Supporting data for each nominee shall be submitted in the following order in a consolidated PDF: 

• • Nomination title page that identifies if the nominee should be evaluated for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Award or the Math, Statistics, and the Sciences Award. 
  • A brief curriculum vita of nominee (3-page limit) 
  • A letter from the department chair, program director. or nominating committee chair supporting the nomination and stressing the nominee’s contributions to the academic mission of the department. The letter should indicate what qualities make this nominee extraordinary, not simply good, or consistent, but how they have made an unusual impact in teaching, highlighting their contributions and achievements that indicate dedication to and excellence in instruction. The letter writer should address as many aspects as possible of the other criteria detailed above.
  • One supporting letter from a colleague (other than a student) who is qualified and specifically asked to comment on the nominee’s teaching capabilities. 
  • A teaching philosophy (1-page limit) and any supplemental materials the nominee wishes to submit. 

 
Nomination Submission 

The deadline for the receipt of completed nominations is Friday April 4, 2025.   Nominations should be submitted via email to casprog@mailbox.sc.edu as a consolidated PDF containing the material outlined above.  

Review Process 

Award applications will be reviewed by the College of Arts and Sciences Senior Staff and up to three faculty members appointed by the Dean.
 

Questions? 

Please contact Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson in the Dean's Office at benitezn@mailbox.sc.edu with any questions.