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Faculty Teaching Award

Overview

The Faculty of Graduate Studies' Teaching Award is bestowed annually on a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies who has displayed substantial, significant and sustained excellence, commitment and enthusiasm to the multifaceted aspects of teaching at the graduate level at York. The award recognizes teaching and supervisory excellence. Other elements which are taken into consideration include scholarly, professional and teaching development and initiatives in graduate program and curriculum development. The nominator may be any member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, including regular or adjunct faculty, graduate students or staff.

Value

The winner of the award will receive a handsome scroll and citation to be awarded at some appropriate venue.

The award is intended to be much more than a mere veneration of one or two members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies: in providing this award, the Faculty of Graduate Studies celebrates, compliments and congratulates the superior qualities that its many members provide to the advancement of academic excellence and quality in graduate studies at York University.

Eligibility

Teaching, within the context of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, encompasses all aspects of the academic enterprise at the graduate level. Nominations for this award should be based on documentary evidence which supports the nominee's academic excellence and commitment to the mission of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The criteria for the award are described in general terms, but the selection committee will take into account the variety which arises from differences in style, content, practice and 'culture' among graduate programs. Areas of excellence for which a nominee would be considered for the award include, but are not necessarily limited to, teaching and supervisory excellence, initiatives in graduate program and curricula development, and professional, scholarly and teaching development of graduate students.

Teaching and supervisory excellence will be a vital criterion for the award. Excellence in classroom teaching may be demonstrated by such indices as high levels of learning and high student satisfaction. Supervisory roles may include membership on supervisory committees or principal supervision of research programs, research projects, theses, dissertations or creative works. Because the nature of supervision varies considerably from program to program, documentation of excellence should include some reference to what are normal expectations in a particular program, how the nominees' achievements in this area are exceptional and how the judgement of excellence in supervision has been reached by the nominator.

Initiatives in graduate program and curricula development may include the development of a new program or of a new field at the Master's or Ph.D. level; development of a sequence of courses to provide a new unit of instruction; development of an especially innovative course; or development of materials such as films, textbooks, computer programs, and any other materials that enhance the quality of graduate teaching. The nominee may have been the prime public mover, or someone working quietly but effectively in the background. Initiatives which recruit outstanding graduate students may also promote and enhance graduate program development.

Scholarly, professional and teaching development of graduate students may take the form of development and/or teaching workshops, courses or programs which help students to become more effective university teachers and maybe either discipline-specific or general. It may also include excellence in mentoring graduate students in their roles as teaching assistants. Commitment to the scholarly development of graduate students may be demonstrated by encouraging and assisting them to present their research or creative work in public fora either within York or to a wider audience.

Deadlines

  • November 15 annually

How to Nominate

Nominations for the award will be received together with a letter of nomination and extensive documentary evidence, especially from present and former graduate students, in support of the nomination, by the Secretary of Council of the Faculty of Graduate Studies by November 15th each year. The nominator may be any member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, including regular and adjunct faculty, graduate students or staff. A letter from the nominator detailing the excellent accomplishments of the nominee should accompany the nomination package. A Faculty of Graduate Studies' Teaching Award Committee will adjudicate the nominations, and may or may not recommend to the Dean that not more than two members be so honoured with a Faculty of Graduate Studies' Teaching Award.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

The nominator is expected to provide all necessary documentation to support the candidate for the award. Documentation may include any of the following but especially should include statements from present and former graduate students.

  • Nomination Form
  • Letters from students, alumni and faculty members. These letters should address the criteria for the award outlined above.
  • Up-to-date curriculum vitae in O.C.G.S. format. All teaching-related activities at the graduate level should be listed. Joint publication with graduate students should be placed in the context of norms for the particular graduate program. If the nominee has aided in the publication of the work of their graduate students, documentation may be provided.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS

  • Formal questionnaires for student evaluation of teaching in classrooms. It is desirable for these to include several courses, whenever possible, over several years.
  • All other documentation that the nominator considers pertinent to the criteria for the award.

Adjudication

The Faculty of Graduate Studies' Teaching Award is adjudicated by the Faculty of Graduate Studies' Awards Committee.

Contact


Associate Dean, Academic
Email: fgsadacd@yorku.ca


Coordinator, Faculty Governance
Email: fgsgovrn@yorku.ca

Policy approved by the Council of the Faculty of Graduate Studies on June 2, 1994. Revised (deadline only) Spring 1998.

Recipients

2023–2024Benjamin BergerGraduate Programs in Law, Socio-Legal Studies
2022-2023Anne MacLennanGraduate Programs in Communication & Culture, History and Interdisciplinary Studies
2021-2022Eric MykhalovskiyGraduate Programs in Socio-Legal Studies, Sociology, Health, Science and Technology Studies
2020-2021 Michele Johnson Graduate Programs in Education, History, Social & Political Thought, Theatre & Performance Studies
Sandra SchecterGraduate Program in Education
2019-2020Michaela Hynie Graduate Programs in Development Studies, Environmental Studies, Health, Interdisciplinary Studies, Kinesiology & Health Science and Psychology
Mike Zryd Graduate Programs in Communication & Culture, Film and Humanities
2018-2019Richard Murray Graduate Programs in Biology, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, and Psychology
2017-2018Rebecca Pillai RiddellGraduate Program in Psychology
2016-2017Carl E. JamesGraduate Programs in Education, Interdisciplinary Studies, Social & Political Thought, Sociology, and Social Work
2015-2016Nicholas CerconeGraduate Program in Computer Science & Engineering
Celia Haig-BrownGraduate Programs in Education, Environmental Studies, Gender, Feminist & Women’s Studies, Humanities, and Social & Political Thought
2014-2015Kathryn McPhersonGraduate Programs in History and Gender, Feminist & Women’s Studies
2013-2014Meg LuxtonGraduate Programs in Gender, Feminist & Women’s Studies, Social & Political Thought and Sociology
2012-2013Laurence R. HarrisGraduate Programs in Biology, Kinesiology & Health Science and Psychology
2011-2012Joel KatzGraduate Program in Psychology
Paul LovejoyGraduate Program in History
2010-2011Bettina BradburyGraduate Programs in History and Women’s Studies
Janine MarchessaultGraduate Programs in Communication & Culture, Film, Humanities, Social & Political Thought and Sociology
Ward StruthersGraduate Programs in Health and Psychology
2009-2010Geoffrey ReaumeGraduate Programs in Critical Disability Studies, Environmental Studies and Health
Marc SteinGraduate Programs in History and Women's Studies
2008-2009Amir AsifGraduate Programs in Computer Science and Earth & Space Science
Norman GledhillGraduate Program in Kinesiology & Health Science
2007-2008Liora SalterGraduate Programs in Communication & Culture, Environmental Studies and Law
Daniel SimeoniGraduate Program in Translation
2006-2007David HoodGraduate Programs in Biology and Kinesiology & Health Science
Adrienne PerryGraduate Programs in Psychology
2005-2006Leslie HigginsGraduate Programs in English and Humanities
Stephen WeissGraduate Program in Business Administration
2004-2005M. Jane IrvineGraduate Programs in Biology, Kinesiology & Health Science and Psychology
Isabel M. KilloranGraduate Programs in Critical Disability Studies and Education
2003-2004Douglas CrawfordGraduate Programs in Biology, Kinesiology & Health Science and Psychology
Livy VisanoGraduate Programs in Social & Political Thought, Social Work and Sociology
2002-2003Barrie CoukellGraduate Program in Biology
David ReidGraduate Program in Psychology
2001-2002Barbara GodardGraduate Programs in English, Études françaises, Social & Political Thought and Women's Studies
2000-2001Robert MurdieGraduate Program in Geography
David SmuklerGraduate Program in Theatre
1999-2000Deborah BritzmanGraduate Programs in Education, English and Social & Political Thought
Barbara HansonGraduate Program in Sociology
1998-1999Gary BunchGraduate Program in Education
Hiroshi OnoGraduate Program in Psychology
1997-1998Selma OdomGraduate Program in Dance
1996-1997Ken LittleGraduate Programs in Communication & Culture and Social Anthropology
Shake ToukmanianGraduate Program in Psychology
1995-1996David RennieGraduate Program in Psychology
1994-1995Robert WitmerGraduate Programs in Ethnomusicology & Musicology, Social Anthropology