L&S Academic Staff Teaching Excellence Awards
General Description
The College of Letters & Science honors outstanding instructional academic staff for their excellence in teaching and mentoring undergraduate students. To honor these contributions, the College offers five individual L&S Academic Staff Teaching Excellence Awards($3,000) per year.
Award recipients will encompass the following characteristics:
- Advance the educational mission of Letters & Science through evidence-based and student-centered teaching and undergraduate student mentoring
- Contribute to an inclusive, fair, and equitable environment that fosters engagement and a sense of belonging for students, and colleagues
- Have an exemplary record of collaborative work as a team
- Contribute to one or more of the following areas:
- Pedagogical Creativity and Innovation
- Inclusive Excellence
- Promotion of the Liberal Arts
- Support of the Wisconsin Idea
Please use this form to submit nominations by January 30, 2026.
Questions regarding the awards: Cathy Yu at teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu.
Table of Contents:
Eligibility and Restrictions
L&S Academic Staff Teaching Excellence Awards (Individual)
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Non-tenure track instructors employed by an L&S department with at least a 50% appointment.
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An instructor of record for L&S courses at least 4 semesters (not including mentored research or independent study courses).
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Staff are eligible for the L&S Academic Staff Teaching Excellence Awards once every 4 years.
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Each department may only nominate one staff member per year
Nomination Instructions and Materials
Nominations are made by the department chair/director or their delegate on behalf of the department following departmental norms for award nominations.
Nomination material should be in a single PDF file, include bookmarks for each letter and section, and be submitted via the online Nomination Form.
L&S Academic Staff Teaching Excellence Award (Individual)
All complete nominations must include the components listed below.
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A completed online Nomination Form.
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An abbreviated (five pages maximum) curriculum vitae of the nominee. Limit the number of publications listed to twenty, including those related to teaching.
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Four letters of support (three pages maximum each)
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A nomination letter from the department chair or their delegate
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A supporting letter from present or past student(s)
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Two supporting letters from members of the university. One letter writer must be a colleague from the nominating department
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A reflective statement by the nominee (two pages maximum)
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A teaching dossier with material and evidence that in a cohesive and comprehensive way supports the nomination (ten pages maximum). This may include but is not limited to:
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A list of contributions and achievements
- Course material
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Award Criteria
L&S Academic Staff Teaching Excellence Award (Individual)
The nomination material should speak to the nominee's positive impact on
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undergraduate students with their excellence in teaching and mentoring practices.
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creating an inclusive, fair, and equitable environment that fosters engagement and a sense of belonging for students, and colleagues
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advancing the educational mission of the College of Letters & Science and should include reference to at least one of the following: pedagogical creativity and innovation, inclusive excellence, promotion of the Liberal Arts, and/or support of the Wisconsin Idea.
The reflective statement by the nominee should address their teaching and learning philosophy, practices, and objectives and how these have evolved over time.
