The Office
of Academic Affairs of The George Washington University accepts for
nominations for the Bender Teaching Awards. These awards recognize undergraduate,
graduate and professional teaching at GW and are presented annually
at the start of the academic year. Endowed by Morton Bender and The
George Washington University, each award provides a $500 prize to be
used by the recipient for faculty development activities, such as travel
to professional meetings or the purchase of equipment or materials to
be used for teaching. Award recipients are selected by a committee of
faculty and students each spring semester, and the winners are announced
at the beginning of the subsequent fall semester.
Award
Criteria:
Any full-time
or part-time faculty member of The George Washington University may
be nominated by a department chair, colleague, student, or self-nominated
for one of these awards. This individual must have taught at GW for
at least two academic years. Recognition for teaching will be based
upon some combination of the following criteria:
- the demonstrated
use of pedagogically sound teaching practice;
- the demonstrated
use of innovative teaching techniques, such as the use of new technologies
in the teaching and learning process;
- a high
level of involvement and intellectual excitement by students in his
or her classes as measured by student evaluations and testimony;
- a strong
commitment to student learning as evidenced by regular availability
to students outside of the classroom through office hours or other
means of communication, such as by telephone or email;
- and the
setting of high academic standards and expectations for student achievement
as evidenced by the assignment of challenging, relevant homework and
rigorous examinations.
Award
Categories:
- One of
the awards will be specifically designated to recognize teaching by
a non-tenured, full-time faculty member.
- One of
the awards will be specifically designated to recognize teaching by
a part-time faculty member.
- Two of
the awards will be specifically designated for the use of innovative
technologies in teaching.
- Two of
the awards will be designated as general teaching recognition awards
and are open to any full-time or part-time tenured or non-tenured
GW faculty member.
Selection
Process:
The recipients
of the Bender Teaching Awards are selected by a committee of faculty
and students based on the above criteria and materials submitted. They
select awardees to be announced at the beginning of the fall semester.
The following materials are to be submitted to the Office of Academic
Affairs, Rice 602.
- Two letters
of support from the department stating the department’s support
of the nominee. The letters may be from the department chair and/or
from colleagues in the department. One of the letters should include
a teaching peer review by a colleague who has observed the nominee
teach a class;
- Student
teaching evaluations for the most recent two years of teaching;
- Letters
of support from current and former students;
- Examples
of the teaching materials used. This can include a sample syllabus,
presentation slides, classroom or laboratory activities that demonstrate
innovative practice, and samples of completed student work.
