Excellence in Educational Leadership and Pedagogical Innovation Award

This award recognizes faculty members who demonstrate educational leadership and pedagogical innovation across an established academic career. What constitutes educational leadership and innovation will vary, and candidates are encouraged to make a compelling case for how their application fits both criteria sections of this award.

Eligibility

The Excellence in Educational Leadership and Pedagogical Innovation Award is open to faculty members who are tenured at the rank of Associate or Full Professor or confirmed at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, Teaching Stream. Contract instructors who hold seniority are also eligible to apply. Applicants must have a record of fostering student success, educational leadership within a department/institute/school and Faculty and a demonstrated record of teaching innovation.

Candidates must self-nominate and apply.

Faculty members and contract instructors may only receive this award once.

Recipients of the Provost’s Fellowship in Teaching Award are not eligible for the award.

As the Office of the Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President (Academic) sponsors this award, faculty members, contract instructors and professional staff working in the office, including TLS and Academic Programs and Strategic Initiatives, are not eligible to apply nor may they provide nominations or letters of support for others.

Expectations

It is expected that the recipients of this award will work with Teaching and Learning Services to advance student success by:

• Participating in Teaching and Learning Services events to disseminate innovative pedagogical practices.
• Promoting evidence-based teaching practices amongst their peers across the university.
• Acting as a role model for teaching excellence at Carleton University.
• Sitting on future adjudication committees.

Evidence to Include in a Submission Package

Applications packages should be constructed as a coherent narrative, with each part of the nomination serving as evidence of a clear set of values articulated in the teaching philosophy statement. Every artifact introduced as evidence of teaching effectiveness should be contextualized and explained for a broader, non-specialist audience.

Mandatory dossier sections include:

1. The candidate’s educational leadership statement (two pages maximum). A useful resource for developing this statement can be found at the University of Calgary Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.
2. Evidence of educational leadership (three pages maximum). See evaluation criteria below.
3. Up to three samples of innovative teaching materials. Examples may include screenshots, handouts, audio or video recordings, project descriptions, assessments, websites, etc. Evidence in the form of electronic resources (audio, video, multimedia, etc.) should be provided as embedded links in the document (three pages maximum).
4. Results of the Student Experience Questionnaire (SEQ) for the last five years. Please include a full set of unedited students’ comments from 1-2 courses in an appendix (the appendix does NOT count toward the 10-page limit).
5. A letter of support from the Department Chair/Director or a Departmental designate. Applications that are submitted without a letter of support from the Department Chair/Director or a Departmental designate will not be considered.
6. A letter of support from individuals beyond the candidate’s classroom who can attest to the impact of the educational leadership or pedagogical innovation activities.

The submission package must not exceed 10 pages (excluding the online nomination form and the appendix with student comments from SEQ). Applications that exceed this limit will not be considered by the adjudication committee.

Timing and Application Process

Candidates must submit an application package online as a single document by April 30 at 11:59 p.m. with decisions to be made by June 30.

Selection Committee

A selection committee of between three and five faculty members and the Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President (Academic) or their designate will review the applications and select recipients.

Evaluation Criteria

Please make sure that your dossier addresses all criteria listed below.

1. Educational Leadership

Evidence of leadership beyond the candidate’s own classroom and may include:

• Organizing and/or presenting on teaching topics at workshops, conferences and other events (departmental, Faculty or university level).
• Informal and formal peer consultations and mentorship of colleagues and/or junior faculty.
• Participation in curriculum initiatives.
• Contributions to teaching events, blogs, newsletters or journals devoted to university teaching, etc.
• Publications about teaching.
• Contributions to improve equity and accessibility in teaching.

2. Pedagogical Innovation

Evidence should be contextualized and explain how the approach, strategies, practices, etc. are innovative. It may include:

• A record of innovative teaching strategies that have impacted student success at Carleton.
• Demonstrated interest in teaching innovation.
• Data showing impact (e.g., pre-/post-tests, samples of course materials, teaching activities and/or assignments, etc.)
• Adoption of innovation by others.
• Creative use and implementation of innovative approaches to teaching and learning using educational technology.
• Continuous improvement – the applicant has made changes or applied innovative strategies in their courses informed by student feedback, collegial review, etc.

3. Organization of Application

• Clearly written, concise and all the required elements are included.
• The narrative provides context to leadership and pedagogical innovation and evidence chosen.