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Programs & Initiatives / Teaching and Advancement Board / Awards for Excellence in Instruction / Campus Award for Excellence in Off-Campus Teaching

Campus Award for Excellence in Off-Campus Teaching

Quick Jump:
I. Overview
II. Eligibility
III. Criteria
IV. Nominations
V. Calendar of Events
VI. Other Awards
VII. Attachments

Faculty members who teach as part of the academic outreach credit program are eligible for an annual award for Excellence in Off-Campus Teaching. The award consists of $5,000 for personal use and $1,000 for departmental use to further develop the program.

Eligibility

Regular faculty members with the rank of instructor or above who have taught at least three credit courses administered by the Division of Academic Outreach in the past seven years are eligible, provided they have not been issued notice of nonreappointment. Academic Outreach courses co-listed with campus courses are not eligible courses for this purpose. Once a faculty member has received this award, he or she will not be eligible for nomination for the next five-year period.

Criteria

The following general qualities of excellent off-campus instruction are provided for guidance in substantiating the nomination of a faculty member (these criteria pertain to instruction provided to off-campus students regardless of delivery methods):

Consistently excellent off-campus teaching performance.
Impact on off-campus students
Motivation and commitment to off-campus teaching.
Innovative approaches to teaching off-campus students.
Effective use of technology and media when used to teach at off-campus sites or through distance education instructional delivery methods.
Creativity in course development and instruction.
Sensitivity to the advising needs of off-campus students.
Influence on the quality, extent and development of the department's Academic Outreach program.

Nominations

Academic Outreach will solicit student input by sending all students enrolled in off-campus courses during the past year a letter announcing the award and requesting suggestions for nomination. Departments may also solicit nominations.

Nominations may be initiated by current and former students, faculty members, regional program directors, and administrators, and may be submitted to either the Head of Academic Outreach or the appropriate department. Nominations sent to the Head of Academic Outreach will be forwarded to the department. Departments may present one nomination to the Review Committee per academic year. All nominations submitted to the Review Committee must be initiated and supported by the department.

The Review Committee shall consist of the faculty recipient(s) from the previous year, a faculty member experienced in off-campus teaching appointed by the Head of Academic Outreach, one off-campus or returning adult graduate student, one representative from the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and one representative from the Center for Teaching Excellence. The Head of Academic Outreach will chair the Committee without voting privileges, except in the case of a tie.

The following information should be included in the nomination. Adherence to the order of presentation is requested in order to simplify the work of the Review Committee.

A standard cover page signed by the department head and the individual preparing the nomination papers, if different, and including the nominee's name, rank, college, department, and years at UIUC.
A narrative statement of nomination, not to exceed five pages, describing briefly the relevant data on the courses taught, student evaluation results, comments of departmental colleagues, and other evidence of the quality of off-campus/online teaching as appropriate. This statement should comment on the nominee's overall impact on past and present students and his or her impact and influence on the off-campus teaching program of the department.
A separate one-page summary of the off-campus/online courses taught including the semester, location, and enrollment.
A summary report from the Center for Teaching Excellence on teaching ratings in the original form, specifically indicating those courses taught through Academic Outreach. (Optional: A summary report of instructor or departmental rating forms and/or selected comments from student evaluation forms, not to exceed two pages.)
A statement written by the candidate expressing his or her goals, philosophy, and method of off-campus/online teaching, not to exceed two pages.
A peer evaluation of the candidate's off-campus teaching, not to exceed two pages.
No more than four letters of support with at least half of the letters from current or former students. The remaining letters may be from individuals or organizations commenting on the impact of the candidate's off-campus activities on their field or organization.

Nominations are not to exceed 12 pages in length (excluding the cover page and up to four letters of support). If excess materials are forwarded, they will be disregarded and will not be read. Two copies of the final nomination materials are to be sent to Faye Lesht, Suite 1406, 302 East John Street, Champaign, IL 61820; MC-433.

Calendar of Events
December 8, 2006	x	Deadline for Departments to notify Academic Outreach of the intention to submit a nomination for a 2006-07 Off-Campus Teaching Award
February 2, 2007		Deadline for submission of nominations and supporting materials to Academic Outreach to be distributed to the Excellence in Off-Campus Teaching Review Committee
May 2, 2007	x	Announcement of award winners at the Instructional Awards Banquet.

Other Awards

More instructional awards...

Attachments