Teaching Excellence Awards and Eligibility

Every year the Faculty Senate Teaching Enhancement Committee and the Center for Teaching Excellence invite nominations to recognize outstanding educators in the University. All UNM instructors, students, and staff are encouraged to nominate lecturers, instructors and professors for special award recognition.

Presidential Teaching Fellow

All tenured faculty are eligible. The Presidential Teaching Fellowship promotes excellence in teaching by establishing a core group of faculty who are given the highest recognition for their effective teaching. Additionally, Fellows carry a special responsibility for ensuring teaching excellence by sharing their expertise with the University Community. One Fellow is selected each year and serves an active term of two years, during which time they may receive special award compensation. Fellows retain their title while employed at UNM and receive a permanent increase to base salary. Nominations can be made by colleagues, students, or alumni. $1000 Increase to base salary paid by the Provost office. Also, $3000 a year from CTE budget. CTE processes this payment via non-standard payment form or JV transfer to recipient index – the distribution is decided upon by the Director of CTE and the recipient’s agreement of what they will do as a PTF.

To be eligible for the Presidential award you must meet the following criteria:

  1. I am a tenured faculty member at The University of New Mexico.

Outstanding Teacher of the Year

All tenured faculty, clinician educators, and professors of practice are eligible. The Teacher of the Year Award recognizes and rewards teaching excellence and fosters a campus climate that supports teaching improvement and accomplishment. Multiple recipients may be selected for this monetary award. Nominations can be made by colleagues, students, or alumni. $1250 award to be paid by non-standard payment form processed by CTE.

To be eligible for the Outstanding Teacher award you must meet the following criteria:

  1. I am a tenured faculty member, a clinician educator, or professor of practice at The University of New Mexico.

New Teacher of the Year

All pre-tenure, tenure-track assistant professors are eligible. The New Teacher of the Year Award recognizes tenure-track educators who are recent additions to the UNM faculty and have not yet achieved tenure. Multiple recipients may be selected for this monetary award. Nominations can be made by colleagues, students, or alumni. $1250.00 award to be paid by non-standard payment form processed by CTE.

To be eligible for the New Teacher award you must meet the following criteria:

  1. I am a tenure-track, untenured assistant professor at The University of New Mexico.

Lecturer and Affiliated Faculty of the Year

Eligible faculty include any lecturer who has taught a minimum of two semesters at UNM, or any affiliated faculty (instructor, part-time temporary faculty, visiting professor, adjunct faculty) who has taught a minimum of one full class at UNM. This award recognizes the contributions of UNM’s teaching mission by non-tenure track faculty. Nominations may be made by colleagues, students or alumni. Faculty may also nominate themselves. Two monetary awards of $1250.00 each will be paid to the recipients of the Lecturer and Affiliated Faculty of the Year Award by non-standard payment form processed by CTE. Every effort will be made to give one award to a Lecturer and one award to an Affiliated Faculty.

To be eligible for the Lecturer and Affiliate Faculty award you must meet the following criteria

  1. I am a faculty member (not including clinician educator or professor of practice) in a non-tenure eligible lecturer position at The University of New Mexico.
  2. I have taught at least two full semesters at UNM if a Lecturer, and one full class if an Affiliated Faculty.
  3. I have not previously received the Lecturer and Affiliated Faculty Award.

Branch Campus Tenure Track Teacher of the Year

This a new award for which the Teaching Enhancement Committee seeks permanent funding. All tenured or tenure-track educators who teach at a branch campus (Gallup, Los Alamos, Taos, or Valencia) are eligible. Nominations can be made by colleagues, students, or alumni. $1250.00 award to be paid by non-standard payment form processed by CTE. To be eligible for the Branch Campus Outstanding Teacher award you must meet the following criteria:

To be eligible for the Branch Campus Tenure Track Lecturer of the Year award you must meet the following criteria:

  1. I am a tenured or tenure-track professor at one of UNM’s branch campuses.
  2. I have not previously received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year award.

Branch Campus Lecturer of the Year

This a new award for which the Teaching Enhancement Committee seeks permanent funding. Eligible faculty include any lecturer who is teaching full-time at a UNM branch campus (Gallup, Los Alamos, Taos, or Valencia). Nominations may be made by colleagues, students or alumni. Lecturers may also nominate themselves. A monetary award of $1250.00 will be paid to the recipient of the Branch Campus Lecturer of the Year Award by non-standard payment form processed by CTE. To be eligible for the Branch Campus Outstanding Teacher award you must meet the following criteria:

  1. I am a full-time lecturer at a UNM branch campus
  2. I have not previously received the Lecturer of the Year award

Susan Deese-Roberts Outstanding Teaching Assistant

This award recognizes and rewards teaching achievements of graduate students. Multiple recipients may be selected for this monetary award. Nominations are to be made by department chairs on the basis of one nomination for every ten departmental teaching assistants. Please suggest names of deserving teaching assistants to their department chairperson. $1000.00 award to be paid by scholarship processed by CTE.

To be eligible for the Teaching Assistant award you must meet the following criteria:

  1. I am a graduate student and currently enrolled at The University of New Mexico