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Gerald and Deanne Gitner Excellence in Teaching Award

Purpose:
This Award recognizes and honors early career faculty for outstanding and innovative teaching.

Award:
An award plaque and honorarium of $500 is presented at the Chancellor's State of the University Address in the Fall Semester.

Eligibility:
Nominees must be first- or second-year tenure track faculty. Previous recipients are not eligible.

Criteria:
Nominees must show evidence consistent with the priorities and goals outlined in the UMSL Strategic Plan, demonstrating:

  • An approach to teaching and assessment that engages students in the process of learning
  • High standards that promote academic excellence
  • Innovative and effective teaching strategies
  • Efforts showing a commitment to improving teaching
  • Understanding of strategies that affect student learning

Submission of 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 materials must be submitted by the nominee’s chairperson
  • Letters of support must be included from the nominee’s chairperson and dean
  • Nominee’s philosophy of teaching statement, explicitly outlining teaching goals, teaching strategies and methods of bringing the nominee's current research, scholarship, or creative activity into the teaching process. Statement should not exceed five (5) double-spaced pages. The nominee may want to include the following in the personal philosophy statement:
    • innovative techniques developed to assess student learning and provide feedback
    • description of a created course or a revised curriculum
    • concrete examples of effective mentoring techniques
    • innovative teaching techniques shared with other teachers
    • steps taken to extend the learning process beyond the classroom
    • creative ways teaching draws upon one's research or public service
    • contributions to peer discussion of teaching and learning and/or class design through publications, presentations, Web-based resources, etc.
  • Curriculum vitae including a list of courses taught and a section on professional development activities
  • Syllabi from the nominee’s courses providing evidence of a focus on student learning and engagement and curricular and instructional innovations
  • A three-page statement summarizing students’ sentiments about the nominee’s teaching compiled from the nominee’s assessment strategies, mid-semester and departmental course evaluation data, letters solicited from students (include data and letters in an appendix)
  • Letters from faculty peers and mentors that document innovative and effective teaching strategies. Include at least one letter from a colleague invited to observe in the faculty member’s classes
  • Evidence supporting nomination criteria

Winning nominations will become public information and shared with the campus community. Candidates and nominators demonstrate their agreement to allow the packets to become public through the submission process. (The letters of support, individual course evaluations, and the candidate's C.V. are exempt from this public disclosure.)

Nomination Procedure:
The Senate Faculty Teaching and Service Awards Committee receives and reviews all nominations and presents its recommendation to the chancellor for final approval. The Committee requires submission through electronic format. These nominations should be a single file in MS Word or pdf format, and should be emailed to the Senate office ( senate@umsl.edu) no later than 5 pm on the deadline.

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:

2023 - 2024 Jill Delston, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy
2022 - 2023 Magen Rooney-Kron, Assistant Professor, Department of Educator Preparation and Leadership
2021 - 2022 Stephen Bagwell, Department of Political Science
2020 - 2021 Jennifer Bumble, Assistant Professor, Department of Educator Preparation and Leadership,
2019 - 2020 Mary Edwin, Department of Education Sciences and Professional Programs
2018 - 2019 Emily Brown, Assistant Professor, Education Sciences and Professional Programs
2017 - 2018 Timothy Makubuya, Assistant Professor, Educator Preparation, Innovation and Research
2016 - 2017 Andrea Hupman Cadenbach, Assistant Professor, Supply Chain & Analytics
2015 - 2016 Amber Candela, Assistant Professor,  Educator Preparation, Innovation and Research
2014 - 2015 Lauren Obermark, Assistant Professor, English
2013 - 2014 Shane Seely, Assistant Professor,  English
2012 - 2013 Stephanie DiPietro, Assistant Professor,  Criminology and Criminal Justice
2011 - 2012 Natalie Anne Bolton, Assistant Professor,  Educational Psychology, Research and Evaluation
2010 - 2011 Brian Hutchison, Assistant Professor, Counseling and Family Therapy
2009 - 2010 Amy Zanne, Assistant Professor, Biology
2008 - 2009 Matthew M. Lemberger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Counseling and Family Therapy n
2007 - 2008 Angela D. Coker, Assistant Professor, Counseling and Family Therapy
2006 - 2007 Lea-Rachel Kosnik, Assistant Professor, Economics
2005 - 2006 Minsoo Kang, Assistant Professor, History
2004 - 2005 Beth Huebner, Assistant Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice