Recognizing inclusive, learner-centered teaching practices
<p>The Teaching Excellence Award is presented annually to adjuncts and clinical faculty members who demonstrate commitment to student learning and advance ambitious teaching methods in the NYU SPS community.</p> <p> </p>
Criteria
NYU School of Professional Studies faculty demonstrate teaching excellence across multiple modalities. Learn more about the specific SPS Teaching Excellence Award criteria below.
Student Engagement
Faculty who demonstrate a commitment to student engagement create a learner-centered classroom culture and incorporate active learning experiences. They design assignments and assessments that build on students’ lived experiences, facilitate meaningful peer-to-peer interaction, and provide mentorship both inside and outside the classroom.
Experiential Learning
Faculty who demonstrate a commitment to experiential learning design activities that promote learning through action and reflection. They immerse students in hands-on and skills-building projects, create lessons that encourage the application of knowledge to real-world contexts, and implement problem-based approaches to assessment that foster critical thinking and practical problem-solving.
Emerging Technology
Faculty who demonstrate a commitment to emerging technology use digital tools and applications to enhance course learning experiences. They support all students in developing proficiency with current and evolving industry technologies, regardless of prior experience or skill level. These faculty integrate technology to engage learners, encourage collaboration, provide feedback, and assess learning, while also experimenting with new software and applications to drive innovation in teaching.
Anti-Oppressive Education
Faculty who demonstrate a commitment to anti-oppressive education connect the curriculum to contemporary social justice issues and intentionally embed the values of inclusion, diversity, belonging, equity, and accessibility into their teaching. They examine and address the impact of racism, sexism, heteronormativity, and other systemic forms of oppression within their discipline. These faculty also empower students to support advocacy efforts and engage in multiple forms of social activism.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Faculty who demonstrate a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration work with colleagues beyond their academic program to create resources that enhance the student learning experience. They launch student-centered initiatives that engage faculty across SPS, publish and present research on teaching in partnership with colleagues from multiple programs, and collaborate across disciplines to organize school-wide activities that extend learning beyond the classroom.
Learning Materials
Faculty who demonstrate a commitment to learning materials incorporate multimodal resources that are inclusive, up-to-date, accessible, and aligned with course goals. They continuously evaluate and revise course content to reflect emerging social, economic, and political developments. These faculty integrate learning artifacts that connect students’ lived experiences with their professional goals and teach students how to identify and assess resources that deepen their understanding of the subject matter.
Curriculum Design
Faculty who demonstrate a commitment to curriculum design collaborate with colleagues to create new programs that advance the SPS vision. They revise existing courses and academic programs to reflect emerging developments in industry, draw on multiple academic disciplines to design enriched learning experiences, and leverage learning science and educational research to develop and update curriculum that meets the evolving needs of students.
Reflection
Faculty who demonstrate a commitment to reflection emphasize the development of metacognitive skills among their students and foster a learning environment where student feedback is central to the educational process. They actively seek input from Academic Leadership to enhance their teaching and course design, and they regularly adapt their instructional practices and materials based on insights from SPS Faculty Advancement: Teaching Review and NYU Course Feedback.
How to Nominate: Key Details
Learn how to submit a faculty award nomination, including eligibility, key dates, and what’s needed for the selection process.
Nomination and Selection Process
Nomination and Selection Process
The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) invites nominations from SPS students, faculty, and staff via a secure Qualtrics form.
After reviewing nominee eligibility, the OFA shares the list with academic units. Unit Leaders then submit letters of support for nominees they endorse, referencing materials such as student evaluations, classroom observations, annual activity reports, and other relevant evaluative materials.
Completed nomination packets are reviewed by the OFA, then forwarded to the SPS Dean for final review.
Each academic unit with 200 or fewer faculty may have one award recipient; units with more than 200 faculty may have up to two.
Questions? Contact the Office of Faculty Affairs at sps.facultyaffairs@nyu.edu or 212-992-9030.
Eligibility
Eligibility
- Full-time and adjunct faculty who have taught at SPS for at least three semesters in the past three academic years are eligible to be nominated.
- Faculty cannot receive more than one award in the same academic year.
- Faculty members can receive each award multiple times throughout their teaching at SPS but the time elapsed between receiving the same award must be greater than five years.
Timeline
Timeline
- February 20: Call for nominations.
- March 5: Nominations are due to the OFA.
- March 6: OFA submits nominations to academic departments.
- March 17: Academic departments submit endorsed nominations to OFA. OFA submits completed nomination packets for SPS Dean’s review.
- March 21: Dean’s review completed. Award recipients are notified.
