The Council on Teaching seeks nominations of outstanding faculty members with sustained records of teaching excellence and a strong commitment to student learning outcomes in and out of the classroom. Three clinical-track or tenure-track faculty members and one instructional-track or adjunct faculty member will be selected to receive this award, which carries a $3,000 honorarium.

Nomination is not restricted to Collegiate Teaching Award recipients or nominees, but having been previously recognized for teaching excellence (e.g., collegiate awards, professional association awards) will be strongly considered. The President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence can only be received once.

The Council regards the following qualities as evidence of teaching excellence. It is not expected that nominees will have demonstrated all of these qualities, nor engaged in all such activities.

• A sustained record of teaching excellence at the University of Iowa (usually 10 years or more) 
• Previous recognition for excellence in teaching at the University of Iowa
• Innovative curriculum development/enhancement for required and elective courses, with instruction suited to a variety of student learning styles
• Mentorship of individual undergraduate and graduate/professional students
• Mentorship of student groups or organizations
• A demonstrated commitment to promoting an inclusive and accessible learning environment for students of all backgrounds and identities, both in and out of the classroom
• A genuine interest in student welfare and the career success of former students
• Educational outreach which improves instruction in Iowa primary and secondary schools

Colleges may submit up to three nominations on behalf of clinical-track or tenure-track faculty, and up to two nominations on behalf of instructional-track or adjunct faculty.  

Only nominations submitted by collegiate deans will be considered for this award. DEOs or faculty members who wish to nominate should contact their collegiate dean’s office to initiate the process.

Colleges are encouraged to use a collaborative and inclusive nomination process that involves faculty, administrators, and students. The collegiate dean's nomination letter must provide clear evidence of meaningful participation by students in the nomination and selection process.

Nomination materials must be combined into one PDF file and submitted by the nominee's collegiate dean's office to council-on-teaching@uiowa.edu by noon on Friday, November 8, 2024. Please note this year's deadline is earlier than previous years.

Submission packets must include:

• A completed President and Provost Award Cover Sheet.
  • Note: Click "Open on Desktop" then "Fill & Sign" under Tools to complete the form.)
• A brief statement (not to exceed two pages) of the nominee's teaching philosophy and practices.
• An abbreviated CV (not to exceed five pages) which includes the following:
  • A brief professional history (degrees received, faculty positions held, including relevant dates).
  • A narrative summary or table of courses taught in the past five years, including the number of student contact hours.
  • A list summarizing other undergraduate or graduate teaching-related activities, including mentoring, advising, and/or curriculum development or enhancement.
  • A list of teaching awards (or nominations) received at the University of Iowa.
  • Note: Do not include scholarly publications, research grants, or administration/service positions held unless they demonstrably relate to teaching.
• Five recent letters of support from current and former students, including at least one letter from a former student describing how the nominee demonstrated commitment to lifelong learning through teaching.
• Two recent letters of support from faculty colleagues describing the nominee's record of contributions to teaching excellence. One of these letters should come from the nominee's DEO.
• A compilation of student comments (not to exceed one page) from course evaluations, the Center for Teaching Thank-a-Teacher program, or similar sources.
• A letter from the nominee's collegiate dean explaining the college's nomination process and why the college chose to nominate this candidate. The letter must provide clear evidence of meaningful participation by students in the nomination and selection process.