COFA Dean’s Awards for Teaching

INTRODUCTION

The College of Fine Arts values the commitment, enthusiasm, innovation and sheer hard work of its teaching staff, and recognises the important role that its full-time and sessional teachers play in our students’ learning and experience at COFA.
The COFA Dean’s Awards for Teaching provide support for continuing (full-time or fractional) and sessional teaching staff by recognising and celebrating their achievements. This is a part of developing a culture in which effort and enthusiasm for teaching quality is valued and rewarded. The Awards seek to:
•    Recognise individual excellence in and commitment to high quality learning and teaching;
•    Support innovations in teaching that enhance the quality of learning and the student experience;
•    Recognise outstanding practice in research supervision;
•    Encourage and reward sessional staff for excellence in learning and teaching;
•    Signal to staff, students and the university community that COFA values good teaching that facilitates successful learning.

AWARDS

Awards will be presented for:
•    Sustained Teaching Excellence ($1,000)
•    Outstanding Teaching Innovations ($1,000)
•    Outstanding Research Supervision ($1,000)

ELIGIBILITY

All members of academic staff (full or part time) currently employed by COFA, with at least two years of service in the Faculty, are eligible for the Dean’s Awards for Teaching. However, no member of staff may apply for these Awards within three years of receiving a COFA Dean’s Awards for Teaching or UNSW Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

OBLIGATIONS OF AWARD WINNERS

Award recipients in all categories may be required to share their achievements, and promote best practice in learning and teaching at appropriate forums in the College of Fine Arts. This may involve participation in seminars, workshops and staff development forums, as well as acting as mentors to new and/or junior academic staff.  Achievements will also be shared on the COFA website.

APPLICATION DETAILS

Applications should consist of the following documents:
a.    Nomination Form (Part A)
b.    Supporting statements by nominators (Part B)
c.    Written statement addressing criteria (Part C)
d.    Student evaluations
e.    Additional supporting material as required.

Documentation and nomination forms should be submitted to the Associate Dean (Academic), Graham Forsyth, or emailed to g.forsyth@unsw.edu.au by 30 October, 2009.

PROCESS AND CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION

Applications will be considered by a Selection Committee, which will comprise:
•    Dean (Chair)
•    Associate Dean (Academic)
•    Director (Postgraduate Research)
•    Academic Learning and Teaching Fellow
•    Senior Faculty member
•    Director, UNSW Learning and Teaching or nominee

The Committee will take into account the following criteria when assessing applications:
•    Information that clearly addresses the criteria in the application form;
•    The extent to which claims of excellence are supported by formal and informal evaluations;
•    The extent of creativity and innovation and the impact on learning and teaching;
•    Information obtained from references, nominators’ comments and supporting statements;
•    Evidence of what makes the individual outstanding and distinctive;
•    Evidence of enhancing the student experience.

Where the Committee is of the view that no nomination meets the criteria for a particular award, then no award for that category will be presented in that year.



For further information please contact Graham Forsyth, Associate Dean (Academics) on 9385-0778 or g.forsyth@unsw.edu.au .