SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY ?

S.06-51

Senate Committee on University Teaching and Learning

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Memorandum

TO:

Senate ?

FROM: ?

Ted Kirkpatrick

Chair, SCUTL

RE:

Policy for Excellence in Teaching ?

DATE: ?

March 15, 2006

At its January 16, 2006 meeting SCUTL reviewed and approved the proposal dealing

with revising the policy for the Excellence in Teaching Award.

Motion

That Senate approve the changes to the criteria for the Excellence in Teaching.

Award as outlined in the accompanying document "Award for Excellence in

Teaching", prepared by the Excellence in Teaching Award Committee.

Rationale

From John Waterhouse (March 13, 2006):

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"In the past, it has been made unclear in the policy as to who would be eligible for the

Excellence in Teaching Award. Within the last 5 years, there has been talk within the

committee members to make changes to the policy to show that only "continuing"

faculty members who have taught a minimum of 5 years would be eligible. The reason

for the 5 years of teaching is so that statistical data extracted from Analytical Studies

would be fair and consistent. The process is to send evaluations out to at least 51

students (there needs to be a diversity of courses taught, and enough students to do a

random selection). For example, within the last 5 years, we would select 17 students

from 2001, 17 students from 2003, and 17 students from 2005 (a mixture of

male/female students, a mixture of grades, a mixture of courses taught). We then

compile this data along with the students' evaluations into a summary and the

committee members use this as a tool to determine the most outstanding nominees.

"Within the last several years, we continued to accepted nominations of those who

haven't taught a minimum of 5 years, however, we were unable to provide fair and

consistent data (vs. those nominees who have taught over 5 years). With that said,

they were not selected as award recipients. Based on this, the committee members

made a decision to revamp the policy."

Sincerely,

U

.

Arthur (Ted) Kirkpatrick

Chair, SCUTL

cc: J. Waterhouse

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Award for Excellence in Teaching

Purpose

The purpose of the Excellence in Teaching Award

is

to give greater recognition for

teaching excellence. Up to three awards may be made each year, each consisting of a

$2,000 prize. The awards shall be presented at the Awards Ceremony.

Policy

1 ?

Full and part-time faculty members and laboratory instructors shall be eligible

to receive the Award for Excellence in Teaching.

2 ?

The University Committee for Excellence in Teaching Award shall consist of

five faculty nominated by the Faculty Deans, two students selected by the Student

Society, and two representatives from the Alumni Association. The Committee will select

its own Chair.

3 Nominations for this Award, which may be made by present or former students

or faculty members, shall be forwarded to the University Committee for the Excellence in

Teaching Award by October

15.

4 ?

The Committee shall be expected to seek appropriate information from various

sources before making its recommendation to the President. Award recipients are not

eligible for nomination in future years.

Interpretation

Questions of interpretation or application of this policy or its procedures shall be referred

to the President, whose decision shall be fmal.

We propose that the first item in the policy should be chan

g

ed to read:

"Continuing faculty members (tenured and tenure-track professors, lecturers, and

lab instructors) who have taught a minimum of 5 years at SFU shall be eligible for

nomination for the Excellence in Teaching Awards."

Motion: ?

Moved by: T. Grieve

Seconded by:

S.

Lavieri

"That the committee approve and recommend to the Vice-President, Academic and

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Senate a revision to the Excellence in Teaching Awards policy"