Nominations for the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award may be initiated by students, faculty, colleagues, departmental executive officers, or deans. Self-nominations will not be accepted.

Teaching assistants from all academic units may be nominated. To be eligible, nominees must have had some type of formal student contact as part of their duties during the spring, summer, and/or fall 2024. A teaching assistant who has received this award in the past may not be nominated again. 

Please note: The total amount of this award may be influenced or modified depending on the current financial aid received by the awardee. Any questions concerning reductions in the amount of the award received should be directed to Julie Hostager (julie-hostager@uiowa.edu) in the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Nomination materials must include:

1. Nominator Letter (1 page, signed and dated):

Successful nomination letters typically provide specific examples which illustrate the nominee's ability to:

• Motivate students and encourage class participation.
• Promote an inclusive and accessible learning environment.
• Present clear and engaging instruction.
• Provide effective student feedback.

It is not expected that nominees will have demonstrated all of these abilities. 

2. Course Supervisor* Recommendation Letter (1 page, signed and dated):
Recommendation letters should address similar criteria to those listed above, as well as a description of the nominee's assigned teaching duties and responsibilities. 

*If the course supervisor is the nominator, then another faculty member familiar with the nominee's teaching, such as the Director of Graduate Studies or the teaching department's DEO, should write the recommendation letter. 

3. Statement of Teaching Philosophy (1 page, prepared by the teaching assistant nominee):
This statement should be a purposeful and reflective essay outlining the nominee's teaching beliefs and practices. 

4. Summary of Course Evaluations (2 pages maximum):
The Council on Teaching recognizes that departments use various means to solicit student evaluations of teaching assistants' performance. A faculty member from the teaching department, ideally the course supervisor, should prepare the summary of evaluations. The nominee may not be charged with this responsibility.

The summary should identify the course number, course name, section enrollment, and semester for the relevant evaluations. The inclusion of anonymous student comments related to the nominee is highly recommended, but they are not required.

5. Student Support Letters:
The nominator should solicit no fewer than 3 and no more than 5 letters of support from students in the classes the teaching assistant has taught. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, the nominee should not have access to letters written by currently enrolled students. The letters must be combined into one PDF before uploading to the submission form.

Student nominators who need assistance with any aspect of the nomination process should contact a faculty member in the nominee's teaching department.

Required nomination materials are to be collected by the nominee's teaching department and submitted by that office via the online submission form.

For questions, please contact the Council on Teaching at (council-on-teaching@uiowa.edu). 

Nominations must be submitted and be approved in Workflow by the teaching department's DEO by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. Nominations received after this date will not be considered.