Provost Awards for Excellence in Teaching Design and Practice

1. The Provost Office will circulate a notice about the awards and call for nominations typically at the beginning of the year, identifying a deadline for nomination packages.
2. The Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning (CIEL) is available for information, resources, and support in preparing the application package.
3. All application packages will be submitted in digital format to the Provost Office through TeachingAwards@viu.ca. The Provost Office will acknowledge receipt of packages via electronic Memo to Nominators and will forward all packages in electronic format to the Selection Committee.
4. The Selection Committee will make its determinations and advise the Nominator of each successful applicant, typically by mid-to-late spring. The Provost Office will then formally notify Nominators and the relevant Dean.
5. The Provost Office will make a formal announcement confirming the successful recipients.
6. The Provost Office will make arrangements for the recipient to be honoured at an annual recognition event.
7. Important note regarding re-submission: Should a nomination be unsuccessful, the nominator may resubmit the nomination package the following year; however, it is strongly advised that the Nominator include aspects of feedback received from the committee prior to resubmitting the nomination package.

The Early Career Educator Award category is for instructional faculty who are closer to the beginning of their teaching journey (typically within 6 years of beginning their teaching career at the post-secondary level). In most situations, this award is most suitable for individuals who are at a stage of their careers where they may be mapping the contours of their own teaching philosophies, though applications would be expected to contain reflection on work they have undertaken with others. Applicants to this category might be expected to have less experience in the classroom and, as a result, fewer concrete examples to reflect upon.  

Please review the following documents:

Nomination Form and Instructions

Evaluation Criteria

Themes to Consider

Applicants are expected to reflect on the following themes or aspects of teaching and learning practice and include facets of any that are most relevant to their philosophy and practice. These are prompts that are intended to guide a reflective process, not a list of elements, all of which must all be included. 

Enhances Active Learning 

The use of techniques that results in genuine understanding through long-term retention of learning material, the capacity to retrieve it, and the ability to apply it to unfamiliar concepts. Active learners are not only engaged in their learning but are able to understand how they learn. They adapt their learning strategies to the particular situation, and they constantly plan and re‐evaluate their approach. 

Involves Interdisciplinary Learning  

Teaching practices that create learning that bridges theory and practice across disciplinary boundaries. Interdisciplinary students become critical and creative thinkers, have a high curiosity for learning, and develop the ability to synthesize and apply learning in new situations.  

Employs Experiential Learning   

Teaching practices that make use of simulation, field trips, original assignments, community-based learning experiences, and the like, offering a hands-on approach to learning whereby the learner subsequently reflects on, conceptualizes, analyzes, and finally applies the new ideas gained from the experience. Experiential learners are curious problem-solvers who can transfer what they have learned from one context to another.  

Focuses on Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being 

Teaching and learning practices that embody and enrich Indigenous perspectives. Such teaching is not only focused on exploring what Indigenous knowledges are, but also on developing the relational aspects for integrating such knowledge into our learning. Students who embrace Indigenous perspectives demonstrate inclusivity and self-awareness and are grounded in an understanding of traditional teachings and place-based learning, as well as the capacity to engage in respectful relationships. 

Focuses on Intercultural Learning  

Teaching practices that incorporate diverse contexts and multiple perspectives in globalized and inclusive classrooms.  Students who embrace intercultural learning develop an appreciation of diverse peoples, cultures, and lifestyles, are empathetic and flexible in changing environments, and are likely to become citizens of the global community. 

Increases Student Persistence and Resilience 

Various teaching practices and techniques such as the use of challenging, inclusive, and relevant curriculum that encourages personal agency and creates a sense of belonging in the classroom, leading to persistence and resilience among learners.  Resilient students demonstrate motivation, self-efficacy, and a commitment to life-long learning.   

Focusses on Community-Based Learning 

Teaching practices that connect students to partners and communities within the region through collaboration and cooperation, strengthening community partnerships and integrating academic learning with real-world experience. Students who benefit from community-based learning experiences become active and self-directed learners, are career-focused, and demonstrate personal and social responsibility. 

Other

Note to Nominator: it is recommended that a chosen theme or aspect not on this list be confirmed with the Associate Vice-President, Academic before proceeding with the nomination package. 

The Established Educator Award category is for instructional faculty who have laid solid foundations for their teaching practice and are continuing to grow. This award may be applied for by one individual or by individuals who have collaborated on initiatives, thereby forming a collective body of work that will be recognized as a whole. Applicants to this category will be expected to have considerable experience in the classroom and many examples to draw upon. Their teaching philosophies should be well established, clearly articulated, and woven seamlessly through the application (revealing them to be the foundation of their practice). 

Please review the following documents:

Nomination Form and Instructions

Evaluation Criteria

The Educational Leadership Award category is for instructional faculty who have supported their colleagues in adopting and adapting new and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Applicants to this category would normally be expected to demonstrate sustained and ongoing leadership activities and have multiple examples of how their activities have supported their colleagues in the development and transformation of their teaching practice. This could include writing textbooks or Open Educational Resources (OER), engaging in scholarship of teaching and learning, or participating in other teaching-related pursuits not included in the list below. 

Please review the following documents:

Nomination Form and Instructions

Evaluation Criteria

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