Chancellor's Award for Sustained Excellence in Online Teaching

Purpose: This Award recognizes and honors outstanding and sustained excellence in online teaching at the undergraduate and/or graduate level.

Award Presentation: An award plaque and honorarium of $1,000 is presented at the Chancellor's State of the University Address in the Fall semester.

Honorarium: $1,000

Eligibility: Nominee must hold a full- or part-time faculty appointment at UMSL and have a record with
evidence showing sustained excellence in online teaching through such criteria including but not
limited to exemplary online course design, effective online teaching strategies, peer mentorship
or leadership in online teaching and learning.

Criteria: Nominees must show evidence consistent with the priorities and goals outlined in the UMSL
Strategic Plan, demonstrating accomplishment and sustained excellence in online teaching.
Evidence of creative and effective innovations in one or more of the following areas* is
considered in analyzing a nomination:

• Improving faculty-to-student contact
• Improving student-to-student collaboration
• Creating active learning opportunities
• Ensuring prompt and effective feedback
• Increasing students’ motivation and time on task within the course
• Communicating high expectations that promote academic excellence
• Respecting diverse talents and ways of learning (inclusive teaching)

*Based on the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education: Technology as
a Lever (Chickering and Ehrmann, 1996)

These innovations may relate to creative uses of technology tools or to design and delivery
elements of the online course.

Submission Materials and Format: All nominations must include the following materials:

• Cover page with name, position, academic address of nominee and nominator, and a checklist of included documents
• Nomination letter
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of courses taught (online, partially online, or blended courses should be clearly labeled as such)
• Nominee’s statement of philosophy concerning teaching, strategies, methods, and outcomes and referencing evidence in how the nominee demonstrates sustained excellence. The statement should not exceed three double-spaced pages.
• Evidence supporting the criteria above (additional items for nominations that focus on accomplishments in online teaching including evidence of sustained excellence or leadership). Teaching evaluations should only be included in summary form.
• Letters of support (no more than five) from students, alumni, colleagues, administrators and community leaders. Include at least two letters from students and, if appropriate for the nominee’s work, one letter from a colleague invited to review the nominee’s online course in Canvas. Each letter should be limited to 2 pages in length. Specific examples of how the instructor met the award criteria should be included.

Deadline for Submission:

March 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. is the deadline for submission of nomination and completed materials packet.

Previous Award Winners: