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CALS Teaching Awards

CALS Teaching Awards celebrate and recognize dedicated faculty who inspire and engage students through innovative and transformative teaching practices. These awards acknowledge teaching accomplishments at different career stages.

Please see the award descriptions below for specific nominating details for each award.

Nominations will be accepted each year September 1 - October 15.

CALS Early Career Faculty Teaching Award

The individual should demonstrate a commitment to quality instruction, show evidence of a creative combination of teaching strategies, and generate enthusiasm in students.

The Early Career Faculty Teaching Award is presented to individuals (tenure track or teaching faculty) who have taught in CALS for five years or fewer.

Using this online form, nominators submit information about the nominee (name, title, department, current appointment: percent teaching, research and outreach) and upload a single PDF that includes the following:

1. SUMMARY: A nominating statement (maximum of three pages) that confirms their eligibility for this award and presents evidence of the nominee’s commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring.

  • Describe how they have impacted student learning in CALS, perhaps by developing a new course using innovative and evidence-based pedagogies.

  • Evidence of exceptional efforts to use innovative teaching techniques and to interact with and mentor students.

  • Evidence of professional development in teaching and learning (e.g., committee service related to teaching; participation in educational groups within professional societies or at teaching workshops/conferences or other professional development.

  • Include student comments, indicating teaching excellence and impact.

2. TEACHING: A table indicating teaching experience, highlighting the nominees primary teaching responsibilities (include course titles), years taught, and
approximate numbers of students per course.

3. LETTERS OF SUPPORT: A letter of support from the department chair and up to two additional letters of support, including at least one from a colleague familiar with the nominee’s teaching.

4. TEACHING CV: CV (maximum of three pages) focusing on relevant teaching experiences and accomplishments.

CALS Robert H. Foote Mid-Career Teaching Award

Nominees for this award must have demonstrated a dedication to excellence in teaching and mentoring and developed an innovative and sustainable teaching program. Awardees must engage with students using creative and novel techniques, introducing students to cutting edge information in their field.

The Robert H. Foote Mid-Career Teaching Award is for any CALS teaching faculty member (tenure track or teaching faculty) who has been teaching continually for more than 5 but less than 25 years.

Using this online form, nominators submit information about the nominee (name, title, department, current appointment: percent teaching, research and outreach) and upload a single PDF that includes the following:

1. SUMMARY: A nominating statement (maximum of three pages) that confirms their eligibility for this award and presents evidence of the nominee’s commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring.

  • Present evidence for using current and innovative teaching methods in their classrooms, including how this person has worked to keep students abreast of cutting-edge knowledge in their field of expertise.
  • Describe exceptional efforts to interact with and mentor students.
  • Include student comments, indicating teaching excellence and impact.
  • List any evidence of participation in the scholarship of teaching and learning (e.g. any publications about teaching and learning, committee service related to teaching; participation in educational groups within professional societies; participation at teaching workshops or conferences or other professional development; previous educational awards)

2. TEACHING: A table indicating teaching experience, highlighting the nominees primary teaching responsibilities (include course titles), years taught, and approximate numbers of students per course.

3. LETTERS OF SUPPORT: A letter of support from the department chair and up to two additional letters of support, including at least one from a colleague familiar with the nominee’s teaching (may also include a letter from a student).

4. TEACHING CV: CV (maximum of three pages) focusing on relevant teaching experiences and accomplishments.

CALS Louis & Edith Edgerton Career Teaching Award

The award was established in 1980 and is presented annually to honor a meritorious and senior faculty member of the College who has, throughout a long and continuous career in CALS, provided outstanding teaching and advising to students.

There are several considerations for this award:

  • Years of teaching
  • Continuity of service to teaching (at least one course per calendar year)
  • Excellence in teaching (formal and informal evidence of quality and innovation, demonstrated primarily in undergraduate courses)
  • Commitment to students (evidence of instruction that guides them in their search for knowledge)
  • Scholarly self-renewal (evidence of effort to make available to students up-to-date knowledge related to the field of expertise)

A monetary award is made to the department of the recipient to be used for activities and resources that enhance, strengthen or improve instructional capabilities of the department's teaching faculty.

The Louis and Edith Edgerton Career Teaching Award is presented to a faculty member with at least 25 years of teaching at Cornell.

Using this online form, nominators submit information about the nominee (name, title, department, current appointment: percent teaching, research and outreach) and upload a single PDF that includes the following:

1. SUMMARY: A nominating statement (maximum of three pages) that:

  • Confirms their eligibility for this award and presents evidence of the nominee’s commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring.
  • Explains how the nominee has demonstrated a career-long dedication to teaching and advising students by continuously providing engaging instruction.
  • Presents evidence of participation in the scholarship of teaching and learning (e.g. any publications about teaching and learning, committee service related to teaching, participation in educational groups within professional societies, participation at teaching workshops/conferences or other professional development, any previous educational awards).
  • Details use of innovative, evidence-based pedagogy and impact in mentoring.

2. TEACHING: A table indicating teaching experience, highlighting the nominees primary teaching responsibilities (include course titles), years taught, and approximate numbers of students per course for the last 10 years. In addition, please include written comments from students and information from course evaluations.

3. LETTERS OF SUPPORT: A letter of support from the department chair and up to three additional letters of support, including at least one from a colleague familiar with the nominee’s teaching (may also include letters from students). Support letters should focus on adding perspective to the nomination, not restating accomplishments and recognitions.

4. TEACHING CV: CV (maximum of three pages) focusing on relevant teaching experiences and accomplishments.

Also consider:

SUNY Chancellor's Award: Excellence in Teaching

Awarded by SUNY to faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching techniques and achievements, scholarship and professional growth, and student services. Learn more and nominate your colleagues.