Distinguished Teaching & Learning Award

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In Recognition of Exemplary Teaching Practices

Purpose:

The purpose of the Distinguished Teaching and Learning Award (DTLA) is to recognize full-time or adjunct faculty who are implementing an exemplary, creative, and effective teaching technique, practice or activity at South Texas College.

Benefits:

  • During Convocation at the beginning of each fall semester, DTLA recipients will be recognized and receive a DTLA medallion.
  • DTLA award recipients and their exemplary teaching practice will be highlighted in the South Texas College Faculty Spotlight.
  • DTLA recipients will become part of an instructional resource group.

Eligibility:

  • Current South Texas College faculty, lecturers, and adjunct instructors who practice an exemplary teaching strategy or technique in their classroom who have not received the award within the last three years are eligible for nomination.
  • Self-nominations will not be accepted.

Selection Criteria:

The DTLA Committee will select teaching practices for recognition based on the following criteria:

  • Innovation – The teaching practice is original or is used in creative ways for effective student learning.
  • Impact – The teaching practice has a significant effect on improving student learning outcomes, as demonstrated through assessment data.
  • Transferability – The teaching practice could be used by other disciplines.
  • Critical Thinking – The teaching practice fosters academic challenge, deeper student learning and connections with concepts beyond the specific course content.
  • Skills Development beyond Academic Content – In addition to academic content, the teaching practice develops life-long skills such as metacognition, collaborating in groups, civic engagement, service learning, etc.

Procedure:

  • Committee Formation: Each division will nominate two representatives for the DTLA Committee.
  • Committee Chair: The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) will lead the recognition efforts with the Associate Dean acting as the Committee Chair.
  • Committee Membership: The DTLA committee membership may include the Division Dean, faculty, staff, and students.
  • Committee responsibilities: The DTLA nomination committee will be responsible for reviewing and evaluating the nominations.
  • Timeline: The committee will finalize their recommendation by the end of April and forward the names of the faculty nominees along with the one-page Nomination Form describing the specific exemplary teaching practice to the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs and the TLC.

Nomination Process:

  1. The TLC will open the nomination period from the beginning of the spring semester until the end of April.
  2. The TLC will send an invitation for DTLA award nominations to each dean and all faculty.
  3. Any individual member of the South Texas College, i.e., students, staff, faculty, administrators, may nominate faculty.  Faculty are not permitted to self-nominate.
  4. In March, Deans and Program Chairs will encourage their faculty and staff to submit nominations and available supporting documentation by the end of the month.

Committee Process - Phase 1

  1. The TLC will collect all nomination submissions.
  2. The DTLA Committee will review nominations to select candidates who will progress to the second phase of the process.
  3. The candidates whose teaching practice most closely align with DTLA criteria will be invited to demonstrate their teaching practice before the Committee.
  4. Members of the DTLA Committee may not nominate or support candidates for any teaching award. If a committee member is nominated for the award, he or she must recuse him or herself from the Committee.

Committee Process - Phase 2

  1. It is recommended that finalists submit one or both of the following supporting documentation:
    1. Two testimonials of current or former students.  The TLC will send testimonial forms and instructions to the finalists.
    2. Assessment data on student learning connected to the teaching technique.
  2. The committee members may select one of the following methods to make their recommendation:
    1. Visit the finalist and observe their teaching technique/ practice/ activity and report back to the full committee. In addition, the committee may review student evaluations from prior semesters.
    2. Invite finalist to present the specific teaching technique or strategy and meet with the committee to discuss their practice/ technique/activity and answer committee questions.
  3. The Committee will meet to observe the presentations, review the supporting documentation, and make final recommendations based on the selection criteria.
  4. The Chair of the DTLA Committee will finalize the recommendation process and submit the Chair’s recommendation for award recipients to the Division Deans and the Vice President of Academic Affairs by the end of April.
  5. The DTLA Chair will complete the one-page nomination form, based on the input from the Committee, and submit it to the Vice President for Academic Affairs during the first week of May.
  6. During the first week of May, the Chair of the Award Committee will submit the final nomination name(s) to the Human Resources Department to ensure the nominee(s) is in good standing and to the nominee(s)' immediate supervisor for final approval.
  7. Award recipients as well as nominees who were not selected for DTLA will be notified by email of the final decision by the end of June.
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