Distinguished Teaching Excellence Award

The departments of Theatre and Spanish and Portuguese were named as the recipients of the 2004 University Departmental Teaching Excellence Awards. Each recognition carries with it a $50,000 cash award from the Office of Academic Affairs to be used to advance teaching in the departments.

 

"These awards emphasize the university's recognition of the central role that undergraduate, graduate, and professional teaching plays in its mission, and are given to departments rather than to individuals because collective efforts and a culture that values teaching and learning are essential if individual efforts are to thrive," Vice Provost Barbara Snyder said.

 

"Excellent performance by many teachers, rather than isolated individual excellence, contributes enormously to the quality of a student's education." Among the criteria the committee looked at were commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, self-evaluation of teaching and learning quality, development of faculty teaching, and provision of resources for students.