Psychology TA Excellence Award Information (2025-2026)
About the Award:
- Two awards are offered annually
- Winners of the Psychology TA Excellence Awards will receive:
- A letter of commendation
- Their name engraved on the plaque displayed in the Department of Psychology
- A Chapters/Indigo Gift Card
Nomination Process:
Who is eligible?
- Only those TAs that have been assigned to a Psychology course (Spring 2025, Summer 2025, Fall 2025, and/or Winter 2026) are eligible for the Psychology TA Excellence Award.
Who should submit the nomination form/package?
- Nominations are welcomed from faculty, contract instructors and students.
- TAs may nominate themselves for the award but self-nominations that have meaningful support from faculty, contract instructors, or students in the course will be given more weight
- Support from both students and faculty is preferred.
- We encourage nominators to provide as much detail as possible to show the ways in which the TA excels in the criteria listed below. Submissions that provide meaningful support will be weighted more significantly than non-specific compliments.
- Teaching materials can be included but should include a brief description of the context.
Where and when to submit?
- Nominators are asked to complete this MS Form: Department of Psychology 2025-2026 TA Awards – Fill out form and attach any additional documentation using the online form.
- Deadline to submit is Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Selection Process
- The selection committee includes the Department Chair, Associate Chair, and Graduate Chair.
- The selection committee will choose the award recipients based on the following criteria where applicable:
- Nominators – TAs nominated by both faculty and students; multiple nominator signatures
- Teaching skills – excellence in guest lectures, tutorials, discussion groups, office hours
- Grading – consistent, fair, equitable, helpful feedback
- Communication – responsive, supportive, clear, concise and timely with faculty and students
- Learning environment – creating a supportive, inclusive and respectful environment
- Other – anything not addressed above that exemplifies TA excellence
- Winner(s) will be informed in April 2026.