The UCR Graduate Division invites nominations for the Distinguished Teaching Awards from faculty, graduate peers, and undergraduate students wanting to honor a graduate student teacher who demonstrated effective, impactful, or innovative approaches to teaching in the classroom over the past year.

Started in 2014, the Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA) is a highly competitive award granted by the Graduate Division that recognizes exceptional teaching demonstrated by a graduate student as a Teaching Assistant or an Associate-In. Nominations for the Distinguished Teaching Award can be submitted by self-nomination, faculty, staff, fellow graduate students, or undergraduate students. Once nominations are submitted, nominated graduate students will be asked to submit a teaching portfolio. Teaching portfolios will be sent to an award selection committee to choose 2 award recipients—one from STEM and one from CHASS. DTA Award recipients are recognized during the annual Graduate Division Excellence in Teaching Banquet in the Spring term and receive a monetary prize. 

Nominations for the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Awards are now open! The nomination form is linked below and here: https://form.jotform.com/242817643569064. Nominations are due by 11:59 pm on Friday, February 28th, 2025. Questions about the award should be directed to tadp@ucr.edu. 

More Information

• Eligibility

  Nominees must have been enrolled graduate students with a Teaching Assistant or Associate-In position during the Spring 2024, Fall 2024, and/or Winter 2025 Quarter(s). Summer term appointments are not eligible for consideration for this award. Nominees are still eligible for the award if they graduate in Fall 2024 or Winter 2025.

   

• Nomination Procedures

  A nominee may receive letters of nomination from any of the following groups:

  • Self-nomination
  • Faculty supervisors who have knowledge of the graduate student’s teaching
  • Graduate student peers who have knowledge of the graduate student’s teaching
  • Undergraduate students who have taken a class with the graduate student in Spring 202, Fall 2024, and/or Winter 2025 Quarter(s)

  Nominated students will be asked to submit a teaching portfolio, which should include:

  • Nomination letter that describes how you are a distinguished teacher, what practices you employ in the classroom, and what sets you apart from your graduate peers. (1-2 pages, single-spaced)
  • Teaching philosophy statement (1-2 pages, single-spaced)
  • Evidence of teaching effectiveness, some examples may include: 
    • a landscape of iEval scores (including an infographic of your scores) with reflection that includes where you have seen areas of improvement and growth and practices you are currently doing to engage areas of growth. 
    • an assignment you have written
    • an assessment you have written
    • a syllabus (i.e., an introductory syllabus in your field, an upper-level course in your specialty, and/or a theory and method syllabus)
    • a diversity statement that addresses your inclusive teaching practices
    • a list of 4-5 course descriptions for courses you would like to teach in your optimal department (include assessment strategies, texts for the course, and any other relevant information)

  Teaching portfolios from nominated students will be due Friday, April 4th. 2025 at 11:59 pm.