Universities of Wisconsin Awards

Nominees must be undergraduate instructional academic staff. To be eligible for this award the nominee should:

• Display an uncommon commitment to teaching (e.g., works to maintain a strong and current knowledge of the field; seeks out and develops innovative approaches to teaching, including effective uses of technology to enhance teaching; shares insights on teaching through presentations and publications; serves as a mentor or special advisor to students; and sponsors student-initiated projects).
• Employ especially effective teaching strategies (e.g., communicates high expectations; establishes good intellectual rapport with students; engages students in and out of the classroom in an active examination of the topic; conveys excitement about the material; fosters conceptual and critical thinking; models and encourages an integrated view of knowledge; and respects and responds to the diversity among students).
• Have enabled particularly notable achievements by former students.

Nominations must contain the following materials:

1. A reflective statement by the nominee on their teaching and learning philosophy, strategies, objectives, and on how these have evolved over time. (2-page limit)
2. A condensed curriculum vitae of the nominee. (3-page limit)
3. One or two letters of support from current or past students. At least one letter should be from a student with recent or current contact with the nominee. (2-page limit each)
4. One or two letters of support from colleagues qualified to comment on the candidate’s teaching. One letter should be from the department chair. (2-page limit each)
5. Evidence of the success of the candidate’s teaching, which may include a summary of student evaluations for each course taught over the past two years, a list of awards for teaching, invitations to speak at teaching improvement meetings, and other relevant material. (3-page limit)

Please note, nomination materials are subject to release under Wisconsin Open Records laws and should be written with the possibility of those materials being made publicly available.

The UW–Madison Professional Development and Recognition Committee will select one instructional academic staff winner from UW–Madison.

The recipient will receive a monetary award and public recognition at a special ceremony, at which an official Alliant Energy James R. Underkofler Excellence in Teaching award will be presented.