President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching 2015/16
GUIDELINES
The Office of the Vice-President for Teaching & Learning is seeking nominations for the annual President’s
Awards for Excellence in Teaching.
These awards have been in place since 2004 and they honour the efforts of an outstanding individual or team
who contributes to excellence and innovation in teaching and learning across the university. We encourage
staff to reflect critically on their teaching practice and we invite nominations/applications that demonstrate
innovation and scholarship in teaching and learning.
1. Purpose
The purpose of this scheme is to encourage and support staff to:
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Identify innovative and creative forms of teaching and learning appropriate to their disciplines;
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Demonstrate how innovative pedagogies might be applied to their own teaching and to their
students’ learning;
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Draw on the potential of technologies for teaching and learning;
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Disseminate and share good practice in teaching and learning approaches with their colleagues in
UCC and the wider higher education sector;
–
Regard their own and their colleagues’ teaching and assessment approaches as an area for research.
In particular, the purpose of these awards is to encourage work that is designed to improve student learning
and to enhance the quality of teaching at UCC. This can include course design and delivery and/or research
and enquiry into teaching, learning and assessment.
2. Who can be considered for the award?
The award is open to all staff who teach and who support student learning at UCC. This includes academic
staff, administrative staff, research staff, postgraduate tutors and demonstrators and support staff, and
staff at all stages of their career.
Individual or team nominations are welcome.
Nominees who have not won a President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in the last five years are
eligible.
3. Do I have to have a teaching qualification to apply?
No
4. How does the award application process work?
Application for the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching 2015/16 is a two-step process.
Firstly, a nomination form must be submitted. This may be initiated by the applicant(s), by students, by
colleagues or by UCC alumni. Students and alumni must have been taught by the nominee or team. The
nominee must agree to be nominated. The completed nomination form should be returned by email to
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President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching 2015/16
GUIDELINES
[email protected] before Friday 5th August 2016. A signature is not required if the form is sent from a
UCC email address.
Following the nomination process, all nominees will be invited to submit a full application, which they can
do by completing the application form and returning it together with supporting evidence by email to
[email protected] before Friday 2nd September 2016. Just one email, with all relevant documents as
attachments, should be submitted per application. A signature is not required if sent from a UCC email
address.
Occasionally, UCC may grant a Lifetime Contribution Award for Excellence in Teaching. Nominations will be
accepted via the nomination form and no further documentation from the nominee will be required.
5. How many awards will be made?
The President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching is a competitive scheme and up to four awards will be
made in 2015/16.
Individuals or teams that win the award will be recognised at the UCC Staff Awards Ceremony on October
6th 2016 and will receive €1,000 towards their professional development activities or teaching resources.
Additionally, the University may also honour the significant lifetime contribution of an individual to
teaching and learning at UCC. Winners of this award will be recognised at the UCC Staff Awards Ceremony
on October 6th 2016.
6. Application submission
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Each applicant or nominator will submit a completed nomination form outlining why the nominee
should be considered for an award.
Each nominee will then be invited to submit a full application which provides clear evidence of
outstanding teaching and learning practices.
Incomplete or late submissions will not be accepted.
Information and materials submitted will not be returned.
UCC may wish to use elements of the information provided in nomination or application forms and
supporting information, anonymously, in publicity for these awards. You may opt out of this if you
wish and you can withdraw your consent at any time.
7. When is the deadline?
The deadline for nominations for the 2015/16 academic year is Friday 5th August 2016.
All of those nominated will be invited to submit a full application by Friday 2nd September 2016.
8. Thematic areas
This awards scheme aims to recognise staff who demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching,
which has a high level of impact on student learning. As a guideline, the assessment of applications will
focus on the thematic areas which have been identified as being strategically important to UCC, including:
a) Digital Literacy
b) Assessment for learning
c) Innovative Pedagogies
d) Responding to Feedback
e) Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
f) Embedding Research in the Curriculum
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President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching 2015/16
GUIDELINES
9. What forms of information can be used to provide evidence of excellence in teaching?
Information to support the application for the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching should address
the teaching method, practice or strategy being recognized (this should be aligned to one or more of the
Thematic Areas) and how it addresses the award criteria.
Evidence should include a written statement and up to three of the following: peer testimonials, student
feedback; evidence of professional development; evidence of innovative approaches; evidence of learner
impact; video evidence (maximum of 5 mins); or other appropriate evidence. The more specific information
provided the better the application will be.
Please note that peer testimonials must be submitted on a peer testimonial form.
There is nothing prescriptive about the information that should be provided in the written statement, but
this can include information on your teaching and learning philosophy; design and delivery; teaching
impact; assessment; scholarship of teaching and learning; research-led teaching; evaluation; professional
development; or academic practice. Please also list any scholarly or developmental work here. The
maximum word count for this section is 1500 words.
10. What are the criteria for selection?
Excellence in teaching is exemplified through evidence-based approaches that are learning- and studentfocussed. We are seeking applications that convey the strengths of a teacher or support staff (individual or
team) and their efforts to enhance teaching and student learning that go beyond the normal expectations
of their role at UCC. Applications should demonstrate ways in which the applicant documents their
teaching and seeks evidence of student learning. The assessment of applications will be guided by the
following criteria:
Quality of teaching, including:
 Commitment to excellence in teaching and supporting learning;
 Teaching that inspires student engagement and learning;
 Developing as a professional teacher;
 Teaching practices (delivery, assessment, feedback, evaluation) that are outstanding and/or
innovative and proven to be effective in enhancing students’ learning outcomes;
 Effective use of technological innovations to enhance teaching and learning;
 Integration of research and teaching.
Curriculum design, including:
 Designing and developing a curriculum that is flexible and responsive to latest developments;
 Designing learning experiences for all students, recognising and responding to students’ diverse
talents, prior learning and ways of learning, and preparing students for further study.
Student learning, including:
 Teaching that is focussed on students’ learning needs rather than solely on content delivery;
 Motivating and inspiring students to develop their strengths, learn proactively and pursue
excellence;
 Promoting student enquiry through the generation of new knowledge and perspectives;
 Fostering self-reflection among students and promoting active learning that encourages students to
be self-directed, critical thinkers and independent, lifelong learners.
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President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching 2015/16
GUIDELINES
Collegiality/Leadership, including:
 Academic collaboration;
 Teaching that is inspiring and can be shared with colleagues to improve the quality of education;
 Participation in professional activities and evidence of contribution to the teaching community.
Scholarly approach to teaching, including:
 An evidence-based approach to teaching and learning;
 Alignment with one or more of UCC’s strategic objectives;
 Exploration of new educational trends and new pedagogies;
 Active engagement with and response to formative feedback from students and peers to bring
about improvements in teaching and learning;
 Using self-reflection to refine and improve teaching practices;
 Assessment of student learning and reflection on the effectiveness of teaching.
11. Selection process
Nominations/applications will be assessed against the selection criteria by the selection committee. The
committee will be chaired by the Vice-President for Teaching and Learning and will also include the Director
of the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, a representative of Academic Council
Staff Development Committee, a representative of Academic Council Teaching and Learning committee,
Director of the Quality Promotion Unit, the Students’ Union Education Officer and an external reviewer.
12. Notification of award
Nominees will be notified when the selection process has been completed and the outcome has been
approved by the Vice-President for Teaching and Learning. Winners will be announced in September 2016
and will be recognised at the UCC Staff Awards Ceremony on 6 October 2016.
13. Support
Support with the preparation of nominations and application will be available from the Centre for the
Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning (www.ucc.ie/teachlearn/cirtl). For further information please
contact Dr. Catherine O’Mahony: [email protected]; 4904690.
Administrative support will be available from the Office of the Vice-President for Teaching & Learning. For
further information please contact Mary O’Rourke: [email protected]; 4903609.
Important Dates
Wednesday 1st June 2016
Announcement of 2015/16 Call for Nominations
Friday 5th August 2016
Closing date for receipt of nominations
Wednesday 10th August 2016
Nominees invited to proceed to stage two and submit a full application
Friday 2nd September 2016
Closing date for receipt of applications
September 2016
The review panel considers the applications and award winners are
notified
Award winners are honoured at the UCC Staff Awards Ceremony
Thursday 6th October 2016
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